This time, though, with supple direction and a character of exceptional variety, Ms. Rooney is impressive in her range, and commendable for her subtlety, whether Emily is struggling to find her emotional core or, having found it, is coping with the unintended consequences of her cure.

WSJ: Pleasure Pill | Side Effects | Identity Thief | Lore | Film Reviews by Joe Morgenstern

Though the film is divided into separate sections, the stories are interwoven both in the direction, with a character from one story walking through another's scene, and in the editing, in montage cuts that juxtapose different narrative threads.

ECONOMIST: Mexican cinema

But competence is worthless without direction and, frankly, character.

ECONOMIST: The presidency

In the life of all free nations, there come moments that decide the direction of a country and reveal the character of its people.

NPR: President Bush's Speech on Iraq, Sept. 13, 2007

And I think it is a testament to the character of this country that we are moving in a direction where we will better fulfill some of the founding principles of the country -- in terms of treating everybody fairly and equally.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing by Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest

Rock Band 2 for Wii, developed by Pi Studios under the direction of Harmonix, is fully featured with online modes including World Tour and Battle of the Bands, an innovative character creator, weekly downloadable content and more!

ENGADGET: SanDisk releases 2GB Rock Band 2 SD card for all your downloadable content