FREEZE FRAMES

A FEW DAYS WITH ME - The hero of this diverting French comedy is a young businessman with a history of mental quirks and a weakness for spontaneous actions, such as interrupting a business trip to romance a woman who works for one of his underlings. Directed by Claude Sautet with more than his usual energy. (Not rated) JAN SVANKMAJER: ALCHEMIST OF THE SURREAL - A program of eight short films by the noted Czech filmmaker, who combines live performances with bizarre animations to create hauntingly dreamlike episodes. (Not rated)

MISS FIRECRACKER - Talented people like Holly Hunter and Mary Steenburgen push their performances too hard in Beth Henley's comedy-drama about a young woman who thinks she can overcome her bad reputation by winning a beauty-and-talent contest in her Mississippi town. The story has potential, but the movie seems overcooked much of the time. Thomas Schlamme directed. (Rated PG)

WUTHERING HEIGHTS - The classic 1939 adaptation of Emily Bront"e's novel about love, jealousy, and class struggle on the English moors. It's a difficult book to adapt, and even the Spanish master Luis Bunuel didn't quite do justice to its abrasive rhythms. William Wyler directed this Hollywood version, coating the novel's savage emotions with an unfortunate veneer of studio-style correctness. The result is more tidy and polite than the story of Heathcliff and Cathy ought to seem. (Not rated)