FREEZE FRAMES

BETRAYED - Assigned to investigate a neofascist movement, an FBI agent moves to a rural community and falls in love with a man she mistakenly believes to be innocent. Although the subject of this drama is timely and urgent, it's badly mishandled. The filmmakers tar a wide swath of ordinary citizens as being, or threatening to become, conservatives run amok. But to explain this syndrome, they have nothing more substantial to offer than simplistic references to the hardships faced by farmers. The motivations of the characters are thinly developed, too, and the climax is contrived. Debra Winger and Tom Berenger do a good job, considering the weaknesses of their material. Directed by Costa-Gavras from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas. (Rated R) THE BIG BLUE - French filmmaker Luc Besson directed this drama about the sport of ``free diving,'' which is deep-sea diving with no air supply. The heroes are two divers who've been friendly rivals since childhood. One of them thinks about nothing but the sea; the other one dries out long enough to fall briefly in love. The underwater photography is gorgeous. But the plot is hopelessly slim, and it's hard to imagine why the filmmakers thought there were ``cinematic'' possibilities in a story about two guys holding their breath. (Rated PG) THE BURGLAR - Soviet drama about a boy who's dangerously alienated from his family and his society. The young protagonist is well acted, and the story paints a glum view of contemporary Russian life that exudes glasnost-era openness. The film makes its points in obvious ways, however, so there's little sense of surprise or discovery while watching it. Directed by Valery Ogorodnikov. (Not rated) MARRIED TO THE MOB - Comedy about the widow of a gangland thug. She tries to cut her ties with the world of crime, leaving comfortable Long Island for a Manhattan slum where she can live honestly and anonymously. But two men, a hoodlum and an FBI agent, have other plans for her future. Directed by Jonathan Demme, who indulges his usual fondness for Americana in its tackiest forms. There's so much violence and other nastiness that some moviegoers may wonder if it's a comedy at all, despite its broad physical humor. For cinematic thrills and spills, though, it's quite a ride. (Rated R) STEALING HOME - A baseball player revisits the town where he grew up and remembers his relationship with a young woman who influenced his life. The screenplay and performances are commendably sincere. But the movie has a fractured time-structure that obscures more than it clarifies. At the end of the story you're still wondering what all the heady emotions are supposed to add up to. Written and directed by Steven Kampmann and Will Aldis. (Rated PG-13) THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE - Yet another bittersweet tale of a young person coming of age, with the usual attention to sexual and emotional awakenings. Capably written and directed by Australian filmmaker John Duigan. (Rated PG-13) RATINGS: Films with ratings other than G may contain varying degrees of vulgar language, nudity, sex, and violence.