Claudia Puig

A heartening and poignant affirmation of the transformative power of music.

Love and loneliness are presented, in almost equal parts, with subdued precision in the richly abundant Another Year.

Buddy movies are a Hollywood staple, but Rory O'Shea Was Here puts a new and profoundly affecting spin on the tired genre.

Nuts! is a brisk, engrossing, tongue-in-cheek film that unfolds at just the right pace — and it’s a piece of American history that couldn’t feel more relevant to modern times.

Powerfully honest, insightful and poignant.

Another Earth proves compellingly that science, intellect and emotion can coexist in mesmerizing synchronicity on the big screen.

If it's challenges you're after, forget cracking "The Da Vinci Code." Wordplay captures the exhilaration that comes from navigating the ins and outs of complex puzzles.

Something this gleefully goofy and consistently funny would be welcome in any environment.

It's great to see an action-adventure family film with heart as well as humor, whimsy alongside wisdom, and a compelling narrative.

Depp deserves kudos for fashioning an original and outlandish if occasionally menacing character.

It's a meandering film that prompts the viewer to anticipate characters' actions. Fortunately, they don't take predictable paths.

Epic battles, spectacular effects and multiple story lines make The Two Towers a most excellent middle chapter in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

A clever, likable comedy that sends up sexism, satirizes Hollywood, examines family ties and features a surprisingly tender romance at its core.

A compelling drama that establishes Ryan Gosling as one of the finest actors of his generation.

The clash over the house quickly escalates into a modern-day tragedy. It is a fascinating film, handsomely adapted from the book and well directed.

An evocative film with a believable and subtly enthralling lead performance that gets deeply under your skin.

Prisoners is infused with a poetic intensity that's rare in American thrillers. The closest cinematic comparisons would be "Zodiac," "In the Bedroom" and "Mystic River."

A revelation. One rarely sees American-made movies that are so unafraid to explore emotional cruelty and portray the consequences without positing easy answers or attaching happy endings.

Captivating and multifaceted.

Who would have thought a fire-breathing monster could be one of the most adorable on-screen critters since Babe?

It may be the most disturbing film you'll see in a long time.

Even for non-fans, Revenge of the Sith is engrossing, and fans of the series will likely be over the moon -- and into another galaxy -- with this film.

With its almost stream-of-consciousness style, Reprise offers a fresh and compelling look at the vagaries of friendship and creativity.

Joyeux Noël is gritty and disturbing with its extended scenes of war and destruction. It also is emotional, even a touch sentimental.

Though events unravel predictably, the film is profoundly affecting, thanks to a well-written story, rich characters and superlative acting.

A searingly intense and artful tale that grabs hold of the viewer from its jarring and wordless opening scenes and doesn't let go.

Pierce Brosnan is the anti-Bond in The Matador. And though he's anything but suave, sophisticated or debonair, he's a joy to behold.

Serves up an irresistible helping of delicious fun with writing that is tart and sharp and a story infused with sweetness.

As exhilarating, captivating and enjoyable as a summer romance in an exotic city.

It's a provocative sci-fi action film with dynamite special effects, a powerful humanistic theme with echoes of real-life social conflicts, and a truly wondrous performance by Serkis.

A Sundance hit that is both absorbing and bleak, Frozen River is anchored by powerful performances, believable scenarios and excellent writing.

Les Misérables is sweeping, as would be expected given the scope of the hugely popular stage musical from which it is adapted. But it's also wonderfully intimate, thanks to Tom Hooper's deft direction.

Blue Ruin is the rare film that is nearly consistently tense, the suspense only temporarily subsiding about an hour into the story. It's a welcome respite.

This low-key and engrossing Belfast-based drama is as much a well-acted character study as it is a thriller about the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Ghost World draws super, natural performances.

Profound and superbly acted, with a moving script superbly adapted from David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer-winning play.

The original "True Grit" might have been eclipsed by John Wayne's larger-than-life persona, but the Coen brothers' remake is an ensemble piece that feels freshly their own.

Easy A not only makes the grade, but it comes in close to 100%.

Every second Helen Mirren is on-screen in The Last Station is a study in peerless talent.

This is the rare screwball comedy that is superbly paced, cleverly plotted and hilarious from start to finish.

The year's most riveting documentary.

Visionary director David O. Russell so deftly weaves the family's story that we, too, are initially seduced by Dicky.

Good Hair is cause for hope that Rock continues to make documentaries. His style is lively, smooth and up-to-date, like the most coveted 'do.

A brilliantly acted and achingly bleak coming-of-age story.

An excellent adaptation of a wonderful work of fiction (The Age of Grief).

Worth seeing not only because it's a highly effective thriller, but also because it's a finely tuned evocation of innocence at the mercy of adult cynicism.

More coming-of-age story than biopic, this Guevara odyssey is a transformative adventure well worth watching.

Like the best French cuisine, Ratatouille is ambitious and delightful.

One small documentary for a filmmaker and one giant leap in inspiration for audiences.

Riveting and darkly comic Super Size Me is a whip-smart documentary.

This is a romantic comedy for people who don't like rom-coms. There's no chance of a happy ending, but its tender mercies speak volumes.

A thoughtful film about ideas — creativity, the power of language and the eloquence of visuals — it features two impeccable performances full of vitality.

The ideal culmination of a fantasy series that has artfully blended excitement, adventure and terror with humor, kinship and love.

About a Boy is a rarity in many ways. It's a well-written, witty film whose memorable characters grapple with the nature of family, love, friendship and despair. Even its soundtrack, by Badly Drawn Boy, is perfectly pitched.

At a time when romantic comedies seem to have exhausted unique ideas, along comes Lars, an original, amusing and heartfelt tale sharply written by Nancy Oliver (Six Feet Under).

A rare blend of emotional content and intelligent material that makes it simultaneously gut-wrenching and thought-provoking.

Overall, however, the manner in which the film blends the tale of an imperiled boy and the history of cinema makes for an ambitious and fanciful ride.

This gem features five topnotch, multidimensional performances in one of this summer's most engaging films.

To avoid revealing too much and spoiling a fresh and intriguing experience, let's just say this: Catch Catfish.

Though the narrative is a conventional one, the well-acted, suspenseful story deals in fascinatingly murky morality and mines intriguing material from a historic and complex city.

Irresistibly endearing, with a visual verve all its own.

With its clever faux documentary style, this is the most imaginative science-fiction movie to come along in years.

We are slowly and mightily drawn into this intimate story, which is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally moving.

When so much of what Hollywood churns out is almost instantly forgettable, it says a lot about a film when viewers want to take time to argue, ponder and puzzle over it.

Does the finest job of any film in painting a believable portrait of aging, capturing the sadness, confusion, anxiety and defiance of the early stages of dementia.

Naji is an expressive actor, and so are the wonderful young non-pros who play his children.

Powerfully disturbing.

Huerta comes across as warm, wise and indefatigable in Bratt’s provocative and inspirational film, but he doesn’t engage in hagiography.

It’s a brutal, blood-drenched story, but also a captivating and poignant generational saga that will stay with the viewer long afterward.

Neruda raises thought-provoking questions, offers no easy answers, and does it in with top-notch performances and a cinematic style that is intellectually, artistically and thematically compelling.

The film is vital for both its history and its currency. Above all, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson works powerfully as a rallying cry for tolerance, love and understanding.

A well-acted, inspiring story of female empowerment, the captivating “Roxanne Roxanne” is as much about survival and the bonds of family as it is about busting rhymes.

13 Minutes is well-acted, with authentic settings and an involving structure, but it’s undercut somewhat by a rather flat love story.

At times, The Infiltrator feels like a movie we’ve seen before, but deft performances and Furman’s sharp sense of the era transform it into an engrossing drama.

With its unflinching style, Training Day can be hard to sit through at times. But it's worth the discomfort for the adrenaline rush of the plot and Washington's compelling performance.

Stardust lights up the screen with a splendid tale of heroism and romance.

If you want a brain puzzler that will ensure a lively conversation on the way home, Nine Queens is the real deal.

A horror movie that follows none of the predictable paths of the genre, it offers disturbing psychological drama and nuanced chills rather than outright terror.

This mid-19th century tale of survival after the death of a parent is still compelling today, and its message of strength and the importance of family continues to resonate.

The look of the film, shot on digital video, is haunting and gritty. The cleaner, prettier look of 35mm would have detracted from the immediacy and sense of foreboding created in this artful blend of sci-fi and pseudo-realism.

Deliberately paced, epic and ambitious, The Good Shepherd feels related in tone, mood and style to "The Godfather."

The spirited a cappella singing in Pitch Perfect makes a predictable, feather-light coming-of-age film irresistibly fun.

Bale's is a pitch-perfect, understated performance in this involving neo-noir thriller.

At the rate things are going, all of Hollywood will put in about a day's work on "Ocean's Seventeen."

This X- Men is indeed first class: an exciting, bold and thoroughly enjoyable summer blockbuster.

Cars is a classic American tale firing on all cylinders and fueled by organic emotion and a lively sense of adventure.

Though it's not likely to become a classic like the Hitchcock film, it's a smart and well-acted teen thriller that serves up some lively scares.

Amiable, consistently amusing and surprisingly affecting, it has the flavor of a Nick Hornby novel, with its focus on an overgrown boy struggling to grow up and be a man.

That he can make his anchorman chauvinistic, deluded and ridiculous but still manage to give him some humanity is testimony to Ferrell's comic talents.

When the original filmmaker upgrades and expands on an idea and uses new technology while retaining the essence of the original story, it can be just the ticket for jaded moviegoers. Such is the case with Mad Max: Fury Road, an operatic extravaganza of thrilling action and nearly non-stop mayhem.

The Heat is the best female buddy-cop movie since, well, ever.

More amiable than witty and relying heavily on the likability and charm of its lead actors, Leatherheads scores more points as a retro romantic comedy than a football saga.

It's a lively, psychologically astute tale filled with humanity, wit and charming performances.

Quinceañera is a spirited and poignant exploration of the bonds and challenges facing a Latino family and the pains of a community undergoing a transition of its own.

Far more coherent than last year's aimless "On the Road" and more sharply focused than 2010's "Howl," it centers on a youthful Ginsberg finding his nascent artistic voice.

Jolie and Pitt project more than just body heat. They convey a multi-faceted attraction, toss off clever repartee and dazzle audiences with their seemingly natural connection. And that's worth watching.

There is enlightenment -- even stark poetry -- in The Passion.

But expect a logical plot, and you'll walk out of the theater with a host of questions, mostly concerning procedural points of the alien attack.