Below are the Mini Reviews from Cineman Syndicate for two movies opening on October 17, 2008.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES. Nothing remains hidden for long in this adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's novel about a white girl (Dakota Fanning) in mid-1960's South Carolina who runs away from her unhappy, mother-less home and settles with three honey-making African-American sisters (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo). No doubt the characters' inner lives feel more authentic and the plotting less abrupt when you're reading the book. Yet for every heart that's warmed by this celluloid celebration of the maternal spirit, another will find it condescending regarding race and/or gender. Unconditional love is one thing, being envisioned as the perpetual caregiver is quite another. (PG-13) FAIR DRAMA. Director - Gina Prince-Bythewood;  Lead - Queen Latifah; Running Time - 110 minutes. Capsule review by John P. McCarthy.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED. Big-time film producer Art Linson's memoir is transformed into a lackluster Hollywood satire. Robert De Niro plays Ben, a thinly veiled version of Linson, who, over the course of a week, finds himself dealing with an unhappy studio exec, a bad-boy director and an egomaniacal star (Bruce Willis playing himself), while also patching up his relationship with ex-wife (Robin Wright Penn) and teenage daughter (Kristin Stewart). Director Barry Levinson has been in L.A. too long not to have a good grasp on how to poke fun at the industry's excesses, but a flabby narrative and awkward tonal shifts weigh this effort down. (R) FAIR DRAMA. Director - Barry Levinson; Lead - Robert De Niro;  Running Time - 107 minutes. Capsule review by Ethan Alter.

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