One-Liners: Light and Dark, Sweet and Sour

SCHOOL OF ROCK (2004) (A-minus) -  I finally caught up with one of the classics of the last decade. Despite my relatively low tolerance level for Jack Black, I was totally swept up in his signature role as a loser who scams his way into a substitute-teaching job and baptizes a class full of kids into the church of rock 'n' roll.

The secret weapon here is the wonderful writer, Mike White ("The Good Girl," "Enlightened"), who also takes a supporting role as Ned Schneebly, a substitute teacher whose roommate Dewey (Black) poses as him to score a much-needed job, in a private school run by the uptight Principal Mullins (a jaunty Joan Cusack). Dewey has no clue, but he taps into the students' musical talents, assembling a core band of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. Dewey sees it as his ticket to competing in the local Battle of the Bands contest, having been dumped by his own band and losing Ned to domestic life with stuffy girlfriend Patty (Sarah Silverman!).

The other secret weapon here: Director Richard Linklater's eye for the casting of the children. We've seen countless movies full of mugging children, emoting as if it were their first school play. Here, the kids have distinctive personalities and engaging personalities, led by Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly"). Other students take on key roles, such as backup singers, roadies and a wincingly fruity boy who designs the costumes.

Linklater ("Boyhood," Before Sunrise") has a firm command of the comedy and the pacing of the plot. This is very much a labor of love. It is outrageously funny in spots -- especially when Black is schooling the band in melody and stage histrionics, tapping into his Tenacious D persona. (He teaches the keyboardist how to throw out a kick and how to shoot the keys, Chico Marx style.) It is also sweet, inspiring and heartwarming.

VIC AND FLO SAW A BEAR (B) - Merde. The humanity. Canadian Denis Cote ("Bestiare") unfurls a devastating exploration of relationships and revenge.

Poor middle-aged Victoria (Pierrette Robitaille) has been sprung on parole, and she beelines it to the home of her ailing uncle, not caring a whit about the paralyzed old man but rather seeking to mollify her parole officer and angling for a cheap place to live. Soon her girlfriend Flo (Romane Bohringer) arrives, with her own rap sheet and some enemies trailing behind.

Rural Canada here has the swampy feel of the American South, reminding us that the members of The Band didn't have to fake it. A sense of doom and gloom hangs over the proceedings. Flo's past catches up with her while Vic falls under the spell of a seemingly friendly but creepy local woman, Marina (Marie Brassard). Meantime, Vic's parole officer, Guillaume (Marc-Andre Grondin), keeps popping in, like a needy puppy.

In the final reel, a horrific event takes place, only hinted at earlier. It's a reminder that, as bad as our lives may seem, it can always get worse. This film is dank and depressing, and it challenges you to find any glimmer of hope. Well played.

THE SEARCH FOR GENERAL TSO (B) - This heartfelt documentary explores not only the origins of the ubiquitous chicken dish but also the plight of Chinese Americans.

Writer/director Ian Cheney ("King Corn") collects a cast of colorful characters, from Manhattan to Hunan Province, to marinate in the culture of Chinese food. He latches on to certain touchstones -- the Jewish tradition of stir fry and cinema on Christmas day, or towns (like Tucumcari, N.M.) with just one Asian family around to run a restaurant. Cheney also conjures up a couple of mysteries -- who was General Tso, and who created the signature dish (spicy glazed chicken with broccoli) named after him? The graphics and animation provide sharp bumpers and class up the proceedings.

The talking heads are fairly knowledgeable and engaging, in a Vh1 sort of way, especially the man who boasts the world's largest collection of Chinese menus. We get an appreciation for the history of Chinese immigration to the United States and how those Asian-Americans compare and contrast with the homeland's deep roots. "The Search for General Tso" is respectful and insightful.