NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Jan 28. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Jan. 28, noon-2 p.m. EST (TCM) "All the King's Men" (1949). Strong adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's novel about a poor country lawyer (Broderick Crawford) whose rise to political power during the Depression transforms him from a populist reformer into a ruthless demagogue with national ambitions. Directed by Robert Rossen, the picture is strikingly realistic in showing the corruption of democratic processes by a politician closely resembling Louisiana's Huey Long, though is less convincing in its portrayal of his personal failings and moral transgressions. Mature themes and treatment. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 8-10:35 p.m. EST (Showtime) "Cold Mountain" (2003). Rapturously shot Civil War romance about a young Confederate deserter (Jude Law) who must hoof his way across the war-torn South in the hopes of reuniting with the woman he loves (Nicole Kidman), a Southern belle enduring her own behind-the-lines hardships. In the film, based on Charles Frazier's 1997 novel, director Anthony Minghella chooses an epic historical canvas on which to paint an intimate story about love and the loss war engenders, but the episodic nature of the narrative and the tenuousness of the central love affair results in a film that, while visually elegant in its condemnation of war, is less than emotionally satisfying. Recurring graphic battlefield and associated violence, several explicit sexual situations with partial nudity, an attempted rape, as well as some crude language and humor. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Friday, Feb. 2, 8-10:30 p.m. EST (TCM) "Limelight" (1952). Written, produced and directed by Charles Chaplin, the story is about a World War I music hall comic (Chaplin) who helps a ballerina (Claire Bloom) but the movie's importance comes from the light it casts on Chaplin as an artist and a man. Deeply steeped in Victorian sentimentality and simplistic affirmations of nature's goodness, the narrative may seem hopelessly dated and artificial but its sensibilities are sincere, deeply felt and enduring. Challenging but well worth seeing. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

Saturday, Feb. 3, 4-7 p.m. EST (AMC) "The Book of Eli" (2010). This unexpectedly contemplative and lyrical, if violent, homage to spaghetti Westerns, martial arts films and religious faith follows a lone hero (Denzel Washington) as he traverses a post-apocalyptic landscape using his considerable fighting skills to safeguard the only extant copy of the King James Bible. Director siblings Albert and Allen Hughes have succeeded at making an entertaining and relatively substantive movie, while refraining from saturating the proceedings in blood or prolonging the violent passages. Still, some moviegoers will find the pairing of Scripture with stylized aggression unnecessary and avoidable. Intermittent strong violence including gunplay and swordplay and a killing intended to be merciful, much rough and some crude language, and brief sexual innuendo. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Saturday, Feb. 3, 8-9:45 p.m. EST (HBO) "Gifted" (2017). A 7-year-old math prodigy (McKenna Grace) gets caught up in a custody battle between the easygoing uncle (Chris Evans) by whom she has been raised since her mother committed suicide during her infancy and her hard-driving grandmother (Lindsay Duncan). At issue is the degree to which she should forsake a normal life to concentrate on her studies. Director Marc Webb's endearing and well-acted drama, which also features Jenny Slate as the girl's caring teacher, is briefly marred by the young heroine's exposure to the aftermath of a bedroom encounter and her use of a vulgar expression. Though fleeting, these elements of Tom Flynn's script, together with some other adult fare, make what might have been a family-friendly movie into one exclusively suitable for grown-ups and perhaps older teens. Nongraphic premarital sexual activity, mature references, including a suicide theme, a single rough term, a couple of uses each of crude and crass language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, Feb. 3, 8-11:05 p.m. EST (Cinemax) "Dances With Wolves" (1990). Set in the Dakota Territory of the 1860s, the story centers on a soldier (Kevin Costner) at a deserted frontier fort who embarks on a voyage of self-discovery when he is befriended by a Sioux tribe and falls in love with a white woman (Mary McDonnell) adopted by them. Also directed by Costner, the film's sensitive treatment of Native Americans, exceptional cinematography and fine performances compensate for its excessive three-hour-plus length. Much gory battlefield violence, minimal, restrained lovemaking and a flash of rear nudity. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.