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.