Claudia Puig

A gently funny ensemble comedy that feels less like a movie than a short story.

Menashe is a warm, relatable and tender tale about parental love, religion and belonging, told humanely and with vivid authenticity.

It is one of the year's most intriguing dramas, with a quartet of powerful performances.

Touching, but not cloying, uplifting and hopeful but never sappy and also just plain funny. There is not a false note among the five core performances, nor a false word in Sheridan's script.

The kind of well-acted, genuine heartwarmer that some people complain Hollywood doesn't bother making anymore. And in this case, Hollywood didn't.

The Secret in Their Eyes is that rare police procedural that engages emotions as well as intellect.

Though set in the future, Her is a timely, soulful and plausible love story.

While the film is heart-wrenchingly sad, it also is mordantly funny, uncomfortably prickly and above all, unflinching in its depiction of a believable sibling relationship.

Both a psychological portrait and an exciting action film.

The film's score and editing brilliantly heighten the film's energy, keeping the audience somewhat off-kilter and unsure where things are headed.

With one of the best ensemble casts of any film this year, it's audacious, enthralling and uproarious.

The Class is a deeply moving film about the challenges of educating children in a complex and often turbulent world.

Kids should enjoy the comic performances of the animals, and adults will appreciate the film's gentle poignancy, powerful enough to induce a lump in the throat.

Mongol is quality escapism: an exotic saga that compels, moves and envelops us with its grand and captivating story.

Bardem's soulful turn lends this haunting meditation a sense of hope and saves it from the contrived missteps it teeters toward.

The climactic rescue by Navy SEALs is riveting. But it's Phillips' devastating after-the-fact shock that leaves the most haunting impression in this ambitious, taut and captivating thriller.

When it comes to 3-D visual splendors, give me Wonderland over Pandora any day.

This clever, low-budget film kicks the concept up a few notches to mesmerizing.

A haunting and fascinating portrait of so much that is worth exploring: the implacability of nature, the hubris of human endeavor and the line between supreme dedication and madness.

Spectacular special effects, superbly crafted action sequences, plenty of humor and terrific performances render it a cut above most summer blockbusters.

It's one of the year's finest, most complex portrayals, in one of Allen's best films in years.

Inside Man may be a cat-and-mouse game, but it's far from predictable. What could have been a straightforward thriller is unusually clever, visually captivating and unfailingly entertaining.

It's easily the most political of the three films. It also is the most absorbing and best in the series.

With Halloween bags still brimming, it's an ideal time for the inventive candy-colored fun and wicked humor that is Wreck-It Ralph.

Fincher's electrifying storytelling makes the most of unsettling visuals, large casts, complex plots and sharp dialogue.

This thought-provoking documentary addresses the origins of Vermeer's photo-realistic art with all the suspense of a thriller.

More fresh than retro, The Muppets bursts with charm and cheeky humor.

Finally, there's a big-budget popcorn movie that delivers what moviegoers hunger for: humor, action, thrills and charismatic characters. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the summer blockbuster we've been waiting for.