Five

With a dream team of producers, directors, writers and stars, this is more than a message movie; it's artful storytelling at its finest, focusing on the human considerations of a disease that afflicts one in eight women.

Though the subject matter is wrenching, the tone here is more about emotional uplift, emphasizing the importance of bringing loved ones along for the fight.

It's not often that a movie that's important also manages to be educational and entertaining. Five is all three.

The films work individually, of course, but gain even greater meaning and emotional strength in context with each other.

A teary, perfectly tolerable collection of interlocking stories featuring lots of recognizable actors and two particularly well-etched segments.

The drama itself comes across as a hybrid public service announcement and after school special in which each line seems crafted for maximal symbolic impact. As a result it feels more like a heavy-handed therapy session.