Claudia Puig

A sharp-tongued, subtly nuanced tragicomedy starring Jennifer Aniston, who shows her depth as a serious actress in this dark tale.

It has been a while since we've seen such a consistently funny and entertaining road movie.

Not for the faint-hearted.

Rarely does a first-time director make as auspicious a debut as Scott Frank has done with the haunting, engrossing and intelligent thriller The Lookout.

Babel may be the most ambitious movie of the year, tackling towering communication barriers, global politics and cultural divides in a structurally complex and fascinating narrative.

The juxtaposition between the fast-paced plays on the soccer field and the color-drenched, music-infused wedding party is a highlight of this captivating film.

Flaws are outweighed by Crash's intricate construction and intelligent.

The Hoax lures you in with its captivating performances.

Foxcatcher might just be the feel-bad movie of the year. But it's so well-acted that audiences won't want to miss its dark, chilling yet restrained story. A little less muting of this outlandish true-to-life tale, however, might have made it even more mesmerizing.

A movie with memorable and engaging performances.

It's unlikely there will be a film as visually stunning or poetic this year - or perhaps any year - to rival Beasts of the Southern Wild.

The supporting cast is strong, as is the deft, sharply witty script. Miller directs elegantly, letting the narrative unfold at a deliberate, artful pace.

This Korean-made film takes the well-worn creature-feature genre and spins it on its head thrillingly.

The lack of propriety and solemnity is precisely what makes this comic farce so uproariously funny.

The coming-of-age film is poignant and comical, sitting squarely on that threshold, focusing on the time when a teen is part boy, part man and all adolescent.

If one were to fuse the literary sensibility of Jane Austen with the fanciful imaginative license of "Shakespeare in Love," what would emerge would likely be the charming tale Becoming Jane.

This sci-fi thriller has an engrossing plot and a strong cast of fully drawn characters. There's even a sweet youthful love story. In other words, it's a summer blockbuster firing on all cylinders.

Through stellar performances, clever writing and exquisite cinematography, the story is fresh and thoroughly captivating.

Alex Garland, the screenwriter of "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine," makes an auspicious directorial debut with this suspenseful mystery.

The Tillman Story is a probing examination of truth, decency and the American way. It also explores deception and military propaganda and lays bare the ravages of grief.

This morally ambiguous tale of dangerous liaisons and bewildering choices amounts to one of the year's most intriguing dramas.

Jackson is a visionary filmmaker who is not only a technical wizard but also a master storyteller. With Jackson at the helm, you would expect dazzling special effects and epic action sequences, but what is most surprising is how heartfelt the romance feels.

A dream for fans of offbeat, well-written, subtly acted projects.

Mostly, it's just wicked fun.

Tarantino exercises both his obsession with vengeance and his fascination with the movies.

This adorable exercise in whimsy should give "Corpse Bride" a good fight for best-animated-film Oscar.

It is an unsettling tale told simply and chillingly by director Peter Mullan, with stand-out performances, an evocative soundtrack and spare, haunting visuals.

The story feels believable as a witty chronicle of human behavior, in contrast with the self-consciously satirical style of some indie films and the far-fetched heroics of big studio fare.