If she is in this movie, one thing you can tell just by looking at her is that she is famous. Director-writer Rodrigo Garcia snagged Glenn Close, left, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, Holly Hunter and others for this showcase for actresses: five closely observed studies of loneliness and fleeting moments of connection in suburban Southern California. If the stories sometimes use Creative Writing 101 devices (like a quasi-prophetic homeless woman), the total effect is as spare and haunting as the film's arid, beautifully shot setting.
--By James Poniewozik