Calvin Wilson

One of Pixar’s most charming achievements.

There’s less a sense of hitting plot points than of capturing life on the fly, and Mendelsohn and Reynolds ride that vibe brilliantly.

The success of the three, separately screened films -- the first set in 1974, the second in 1980 and the concluding segment in 1983 -- depends not on their specifics, but on their ability to sustain an atmosphere that's appropriate to the dark but haunting story.

About the only shocking thing about Personal Shopper is its perverse lack of thrills.

The vocal performances are spot-on, with Murray a standout as the slyly manipulative but ultimately courageous Baloo.

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.

One of the best films of the year.

An ideal showcase for Tomlin, who brings to the film a winning blend of contrariness and effervescence.

Chi-Raq is a mess — tonally inconsistent, overbearing in its earnestness and badly in need of editing. But it’s also director Spike Lee’s most passionate film since “25th Hour” (2002).

If you think foreign films can’t compete with Hollywood when it comes to delivering popcorn entertainment, prepare to be carried away by The Wave.

The film is hard to watch, but its timeliness is impossible to ignore. Still, a case could be made that Bigelow dwells on the violence a bit too obsessively.

Naysayers will no doubt argue that mother! is an incomprehensible mess. But as sheer visceral filmmaking, it’s a must-see. If you’re looking for meaning, read a book.

Logan isn’t the typical superhero flick. It’s more like a Western, with Jackman turning in a performance that’s reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in his Man With No Name days.

James Franco is fascinatingly weird as Wiseau, and brother Dave Franco complements him perfectly as a regular guy who has little choice but to go with his flow.

A sophisticated comedy about New Yorkers who might easily be mistaken for characters in a Woody Allen movie.

A rebuke to the genteel period costume dramas that have long reigned as arthouse staples. Working from a screenplay by Alice Birch, director William Oldroyd turns the genre on its head, penetrating the pretty exteriors that conceal wild and dangerous emotions.

A Monster Calls is the rare film that addresses the mysteries of childhood without succumbing to schmaltz.

Has been criticized as endorsing or condoning violence, but that assessment is unfair and inaccurate. If terrorism is to be eliminated, it must be understood, not oversimplified.

Aside from art-house fare, American movies of recent decades have tended to ignore even the most urgent social problems. Despite its lapses into melodrama, 99 Homes is a thought-provoking exception.

Boldly original, The Revenant puts everything else playing at the multiplexes in the shade.

The fact-based Stronger is an inspiring tale of reconciliation and reinvention that sidesteps sentimentality to get to emotional truth.

Might be mistaken for a mere soap opera. But it's actually an emotional symphony.

An engaging but problematic film. Working from a screenplay that he co-wrote with Laura Terruso, director Michael Showalter (“The Baxter”) seems a bit uncertain in his approach.

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.

The Lovers is the rare film that acknowledges that romance isn’t limited to people in their 20s and 30s. It’s also a smart, quirky comedy that moviegoers of any age should find eminently appealing.

Mistress America doesn’t quite achieve the magic of “Frances Ha.” But it’s a fresh take on the comic possibilities of friendship among the young.

It’s an old-fashioned tale of an individual overcoming the odds — only in this case, that individual happens to be a horse.

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