Religulous

In an apparent effort to attract critical notices before this weekend when it faces unprecedented competition from six other films that are also opening wide, Bill Maher's documentary Religulous is opening in New York today (Wednesday). Mostly, the critics indicate, the film features Maher interviewing the faithful and making them look foolish. Stephen Holden in the New York Times calls the movie "facetiously funny." Claudia Puig in USA Today writes that "those with a taste for irreverent humor and clear-eyed analysis will find it funny, enlightening and disturbing." Joe Neumeir in the New York Daily News comments that Religulous features "Maher at his best" and finds the movie "funny, refreshing." But Rafer Guzm?n in Newsday concludes: "It's a nasty, condescending, small-minded film, self-amused and ultimately self-defeating. Its only accomplishment is to make atheists look bad -- and in this political climate they didn't need Maher's help with that."