I am using the same quality products to wash the dishes as I have done in the past when I used this machine effectively but now--it doesn't seem to clean the dishes and leaves a film and food residue. My dishwasher is a KitchenAid Architect S Series II machine.

It sounds as though your machine needs a maintenance wash. Remove the filter and clean thoroughly, replace. Purchase a dishwasher cleaner, follow the directions on the cleaner. Do not put anything in the machine (dishes, cutlery etc) when doing the maintenance wash. Make sure when using the machine that you use a good quality tab or powder in the future. A maintenance wash should be done every six months.

may need some rinse agent. verify the liquid level in the rinse agent bottle.

If you open the door immediately after the dishes are washed, and before the "dry" cycle, is the water hot enough to have "steam" coming out of the machine?
You should be able to feel the heat.
If not, perhaps the water is not getting hot enough to dissolve the dishwashing powder.
Could you try using a liquid soap once and see what happens?
Be blessed.

This due in part with the government mandate to remove phosphates from detergent.
Several things can be done to improve the clean appearance of your dishes.
1. Start a wash cycle with no dishes and no soap. Once the wash cycle has stated and water is circulating,open the door and pour in one quart of white vinegar and resume the wash cycle.
2. Use a detergent named FINISH.
3. Use only the recommended amount of detergent.
4. Periodically use a product named LemiShine.
Taking these steps will improve the quality and appearance of the dishes.
On a final note: too hot water temperature can cause etching in glasses and only a lower water temp will prevent new glasses from etching.

Assuming the machine is otherwise working properly and goes through all the cycles, it sounds like using some washing machine cleaner might help. Tide makes this product and it should be available at most grocery stores or home improvement centers. Follow the dirtections on the box.

Washing machines accumulate scum from the soap and softener and need to be cleaned periodically. Make sure you use only soap products made for your machine. Also make sure the water quality going into the machine is ok - this is especially true if you are using well water and a water softener.

Check inlet water quality for hardness. If salt chamber is provided, fill the chamber with salt meant for washing machine.

Use the recommended wash soap.

Check rinse aid and fill if required.

Be sure to use a good quality detergent or tablet with rinse aid built in... but before that I would go buy a dishwasher cleaning solution. These are usually in a bottle and you just sit the bottle in the dishwasher by itself (with no other dishes) and run a normal washing cycle. The cleaner will clean the inside of the dishwasher, including the drain area and help produce cleaner dishes thereafter. This should be done every 3-4 months as standard.

It seems that the newer dishwashers are worse at drying dishes than their tupperware melting predecessors were. They have all been tuned down, and do dry less. The only thing that you can do is to set your machine for the hottest wash, power dry and use a rinse agent that provides a sheeting action. Some folks use white vinegar as a supplement to their rinse aid, which has the added bonus of killing mold. Water also stays attached if the water has laid down minerals as noted by cloudy glassware. If this is the case, a dishwasher filter (dishwasherfilter.com, $70) might help. We try to wash hot, with a power dry and use a rinse aid/vinegar. Then, when the cycle is complete, but the dishes are still hot, we open the dishwasher, and "jiggle" the racks to get the excess water off of the glasses, and leave the dishwasher open about 2" at the top, so the dishes will continue to air dry. This has been an effective method for us.
Best regards, --W/D--

A heavy film can be the product of bad water conditions, bad cleaning action from the machine, incorrect/inadequate chemistry, and even water temps being too low.
Start by washing some of the dishes by hand to determine if the film can be removed. Use a quality detergent and some elbow grease. If film can be removed, test the machine for proper washing action. I like to do this by coating the inside of several glasses with mayonaise and placing them strategically throughout the machine. Run a cycle and ensure ALL mayonaise is removed. Is mayo removed? If no, check for plugged wash arm jets or screens. If yes, check for good water temps. 120F or higher is best, depending on machine type/model.
If machine is good and film is removed by hand, then you either have a water problem (water hardness, TDS, etc), a temp issue (raise temps above 120F), or a procedural issue (improper loading of wares, inadequate/insufficient detergent, too much food soil entering dishmachine).
Hope this helps,
Kermit