Michael Schulman

Stepping into Julia Roberts's leather boots, Samantha Barks, from the 'Les Misérables' film, is agreeable as Vivian, and Andy Karl-who proved how well he could play charming assholes in 'Groundhog Day'-is an appealingly handsome Edward. The bright spots, though, come from the supporting cast, including Eric Anderson, double cast as Barney and a street vender selling maps to the stars, and Orfeh, who, as Kit, actually seems to be having fun. But it's clear that the all-male creative team hasn't interrogated the story, beyond selling T-shirts that pair the title with phrases like 'Funny Woman' and 'Strong Woman.'

'The Band's Visit' doesn't quite shake its cinematic roots-you can still sense the understated quirkiness of an indie film-but it succeeds on the strength of its cast and creators, who know exactly what, and when, to hold back. We're left wondering what significance the orchestra's time in Bet Hatikva will have for the characters, but one thing is certain: they'd never fess up to it. 'Once, not long ago, a group of musicians came to Israel, from Egypt,' Dina says after the band departs, retreating back to her café and her poker face. 'You probably didn't hear about it. It wasn't very important.'