Calvin Wilson

As the central character in “Polar Bear,” Ruffalo impressively explores the geography of a troubled mind, and makes the journey fascinating.

A must-see — and one of the best films of the year.

Saint Laurent was a truly mythic figure. It’s a shame that Bonello’s film doesn’t do him justice.

At once funny and poignant — and not just for moviegoers of a certain age.

It doesn’t help that the characters caught up in this fact-based melodrama aren’t particularly engaging. Or that Téchiné doesn’t seem to have much of a feel for the material.

Brilliant performances aside, Clouds of Sils Maria is overlong and much too self-indulgently an “art film.” It might have benefited from being just a bit more grounded.

Cotillard gets so persuasively inside Sandra’s skin that it’s not at all surprising that this performance has earned her another Oscar nomination. And she does so without resorting to shameless, award-baiting grandstanding.

A far more interesting film than its title implies. And a film you’ve never seen before.

Oyelowo takes full advantage of his close physical resemblance to King, but he wisely avoids mere impersonation, delivering a performance that’s as sensitive as it is spellbinding.

Throughout his career, Burton has always been capable of surprising audiences. Big Eyes is no exception.

Wahlberg is merely OK. Unfortunately, the film’s effectiveness turns on whether we buy into his angst. And Larson has very little to play. But Goodman and Williams are believably menacing, and Lange is perfect as Bennett’s mom of steel.

Annie is not a great movie musical — but it’s a fun time at the movies.

With Top Five, Rock has finally made the transition to true movie stardom.

Strives to be entertaining, but for much of its run time it is so emotionally uninvolving that even the smallest children might find themselves bored.

Bernal (“Y Tu Mama Tambien”), an actor of Mexican heritage, brings to the role a charismatic resolve. It’s an impressive and impassioned performance.

Laggies is the kind of indie film that gives the genre a bad name.

The storytelling is solid, propelled by characters that you come to care about.

In a stunning performance, Teller resists the impulse to sugarcoat Andrew’s egocentricity. Simmons is equally impressive, lending Fletcher just enough humanity to render his monstrousness all the more shocking.

Despite its intriguing premise, the film amounts to little more than tedious, clichéd melodramatics.

Lots of films claim to be different. Birdman is.

A flawed but intriguing new chapter in animation.

Fury is a guided tour through a manmade hell.

The rare film that will remain on your mind long after you’ve left the theater.

Third Person doesn’t lack for ambition, and it’s nice to see Neeson in the kind of role that he excelled at before he morphed into an action star.

Cold in July has all the qualifications of a midnight movie in the making.

An enthralling lament for an era in which beauty is in danger of becoming extinct.

What Inside Llewyn Davis is all about: the passion, and the pain, of being an artist.

At once a fascinating character study and a scathing indictment of the role of the medical-pharmaceutical complex in exacerbating the AIDS crisis, the fact-based Dallas Buyers Club is one of the best films of the year.

Ultimately hopeful, but uncompromising in its commitment to exposing a tragic chapter in history.

Fruitvale Station has all the impact of a thoroughly researched, well-argued documentary. But Coogler made the right choice in going with drama.

This is the kind of film that benefits from being experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible. As one watches it, certain questions may arise. But don’t worry — the answers are fascinating.

A provocative mood piece. Nichols, who had an art-house hit in 2011 with “Take Shelter,” has a gift for creating characters of unusual depth, and for eliciting performances of emotional resonance. With Mud, he seems to be edging closer to the mainstream, but his skills are as sharp as ever.

To the Wonder teeters between experimentation and incoherence. Does it deserve to be seen? Absolutely. Just be aware of what you’re getting into.

The acting is first-rate. Gosling masterfully fills in Luke’s motivational blanks, and Cooper nicely handles Avery’s evolution from idealist to manipulator.

The Oscar-nominated No has the gritty feel of a foreign film from the 1970s. As such, it may take a few minutes for most moviegoers to adjust to its rhythms. Ironically for a film about advertising, there’s nothing slick about it — and therein lies much of its greatness.

Admission is one film you may not want to get into.

Although The Gatekeepers lacks the stylistic inventiveness of “Fog,” it is nonetheless a compelling account of what can go wrong when power is unrestrained.

The story is so masterfully told that one can't help but be enthralled.

A film that's all the more intriguing for being virtually impossible to categorize.

Unlike too many films these days, Zero Dark Thirty dares to embrace complexity. And that makes it not just state-of-the-art entertainment, but a great film.

Bana ("Munich") makes an effective bad guy. Hunnam portrays Jay as a hero worth rooting for. And Wilde turns in a nuanced performance as a woman in conflict with herself.

The Big Picture ends perhaps a bit too ambiguously, but there's something refreshing about its faith in the moviegoer's intelligence.

As enchanting as it is ambitious.

Superior filmmaking. Yes, it runs almost three hours - but you've probably seen 90-minute films that felt a lot longer.

At once an intriguing character study and a refreshingly offbeat romance.

Whereas "Chill" attempted to define a generation, "Lies" is more of a statement about the nature and limits of friendship.

The performances are first-rate, with Lindhardt particularly moving as a guy who's in deep denial about just how much he can expect from a relationship with an addict.

Zobel's unsparing approach is justified. This film should be hard to watch - and it is. But it's also hard to forget.

One of the best films of the year.

The Well-Digger's Daughter is perhaps a bit too sentimental. But the performances are so heartfelt that its occasional excesses are easily forgiven. In a movie summer too often obsessed with things that go boom, this film is all about romance.

Particularly memorable are scenes in which Calvin loses his cool as Ruby holds onto her calm. It all adds up to a movie that's sparklingly entertaining.

A cinematic miracle, a film that carves out a vivid space that has nothing to do with wizards or extraterrestrials, but quite a lot to say about the fantastical creatures that roam through the humanity in us all.

As memorable as it is insightful, Take This Waltz is one of the best films of the year.

Alma is at once a charmer and a contrarian, and Bergsholm achieves that balance with seeming effortlessness. At times, she's more than a bit reminiscent of the young Jodie Foster.

This is a smart, moving film that's also very, very funny.

Denham impressively captures Peter's flintiness, rendering him sympathetic yet not quite likable, and Vicius is just right as the wary Lorna.

Bernie could easily have gone horribly wrong. But Black and Linklater finesse this tricky material with as much virtuosity as Bernie brings to that broccoli.

Episodically structured and lethargically paced, the new film attempts to convince us that there's something incredibly charming about an old guy who makes a habit of ogling young women. Actually, the whole scenario is pretty creepy.

This is a film that's not always easy to watch, but just about impossible to forget.

What's lacking is a galvanizing performance comparable to that of the Oscar-nominated Catalina Sandino Moreno in "Maria Full of Grace." Still, The Forgiveness of Blood is a memorable portrait of a society and the demands it makes on those caught up in it.

Isn't as memorable or provocative as it might have been. But it's an engaging love story that should appeal to moviegoers with a flair for the offbeat.

Stölzl blends romance and melancholy in fine style.

The result, Pina, is the most spirited and spectacular film about dance since Robert Altman's "The Company."

Like Elizabeth Olsen in "Martha Marcy May Marlene," Oduye brilliantly slips inside the skin of a sensitive young woman who's having trouble finding her place in the world.

The film is a raw, unsparing look at the downside of humanity.

As biopics go, The Iron Lady is among the more intriguing ones.

Yes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is often hard to follow, perhaps overestimating the audience's ability to keep track of what's going on and why. But it's a well-crafted film that wears its old-fashionedness with pride.

As a man committed to reinventing himself, Damon is terrific. And Johansson brings to Kelly just the right blend of spunkiness and hard-won maturity.

As a tale of a boy, his dog and their battles with bad guys, it's a treasure.

The film isn't quite as edgy as Fincher's best work - "Seven," "Fight Club" and "Zodiac" are masterpieces of modern angst. But the director brings a fresh eye to what might easily have been an unnecessary rehash of the 2009 Swedish adaptation.

On its own terms and against all odds, "Outrage" is adequately entertaining, with more than enough cringe-inducing violence and cruel humor to please the average American moviegoer. But true Kitano fans will find its title sadly ironic.

Into the Abyss makes a strong case for the inhumanity of capital punishment, regardless of the crime or the criminal.

Lacks the urgency of "Who Killed the Electric Car?" But Paine's thorough knowledge of his subject, and engaging way with an interview, make the follow-up film a fun ride.

A beautifully realized drama that gets to the essence of what it's like to be young, confused and in love.

The Hedgehog sneaks up on you with its heartfelt storytelling and sophisticated wit.

Pleasant, well-acted but somewhat overlong, The Way was written and directed by Estevez, who's perhaps best known for his acting career ("The Breakfast Club").

Struggles heroically, but unsuccessfully, to strike a balance between whimsy and pathos.

Offers an inside look at Iran in all its cultural complexity.

This film might easily have settled for mocking religion. Instead, it's a fascinating glimpse into a culture that forces some people to choose between fitting in and opting out.

Doesn't rise to classic status, but it's an intriguing mood piece.

Starts out so promisingly that it's a huge disappointment when it ultimately becomes way too predictable - and unbelievable. It's as if "Raging Bull" suddenly morphed into "Rocky."

A documentary that clearly aspires to the highest standards of cinematic muckraking but makes for a frustrating experience.

The Tree might have suffered from too much symbolism if not for writer-director Julie Bertuccelli's deft touch and Gainsbourg's appealing performance.

Sitting through A Good Old Fashioned Orgy is like being monopolized by the most irritating person at a really boring party.

The Debt eventually settles into a predictable groove that slightly undercuts its impact. Still, it's a film of ambition and substance.

Our Idiot Brother is smart entertainment.

Put aside any hang-ups you may have about subtitles. As action flicks go, Point Blank is right on target.

One Day fails to make us care about the young couple at its center.

Wysocki is perfectly cast as a teen who's at odds with both his environment and himself. It's a terrific performance. And as the empathetic Fitzgerald, Reilly is at his quirky best.

Smith turns in a subtly layered performance that suggests the hurt behind Kathy's callousness. And O'Donnell gets to the heart of a man who realizes too late that he's made unfortunate choices.

It's simply an opportunity to spend time with characters who may lack depth but are fun to watch.

A lovably quirky comedy-drama with a rhythm all its own.

Bonnaire, whose films include "Vagabond" and "Monsieur Hire," gets Helene just right, registering her joys and disappointments with finesse.

The Beaver isn't a perfect film, but it's challenging and original.

Superbly acted, and a return to form for Tavernier, who guided jazz legend Dexter Gordon to an Oscar nomination for "'Round Midnight" (1986).

It's an original that plays as if it were based on a novel.

As the highly focused Hanna, Ronan - who had a breakout role in "Atonement" - is simply brilliant.

As popcorn entertainment, it's right on schedule.