LaBute has always been a director who can coax great performances out of his cast, and one who values dialogue readings as a premium. But here, he shows he's an actual filmmaker, one capable of establishing pacing and constructing something that doesn't look like a filmed stage play.

At least part of the credit for that should go to veteran cinematographer Jean Yves Escoffier, who expands LaBute's photographic scope (gone are the static head shots that became LaBute's unfortunate signature).

And then there's the cast, maybe the best he's worked with yet. As the sweet-natured Betty, Zellweger finally lives up to her potential and gives what is perhaps the strongest performance by an actress this year. But her co-stars are nearly as good.

In particular, Freeman is terrific and brings depth to what could have been an underdeveloped character. Kinnear and Rock also bounce back from recent disappointments with better-than-expected performances.

"Nurse Betty" is rated R for strong profanity, violence (gunplay and torture), graphic gore, crude humor and slang references, brief simulated sex and scattered use of racial epithets. Running time: 112 minutes.

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