1.   Crowe is the rare Hollywood writer and director whose movies convey a genuine affection for his characters and for people in general.

2.   Set in Savannah, Ga., the movie conveys the sense that a thunderstorm looms behind every tidy picture of the world.

3.   Set in Tokyo a mere eight years after atomic bombs had been dropped on two Japanese cities, the original movie conveys a sense of doom and foreboding.

4.   Still, Black said, some movies convey the spirit, if not the specificity, of history.

5.   The movie conveys only the flavor of the time.

6.   Gebrselassie was not only pleased because the movie conveyed the loneliness of the long-distance runner, but also because of the portrayal of Ethiopia.