Elizabeth Weitzman

Denis' slow, deliberate style shuns typical suspense techniques, relying instead on something far more effective: a stunning performance by Testud.

Chéreau keenly understands both his characters and their unwanted world, from the dehumanization that occurs the moment one enters a hospital to the hope and fear that take over when one leaves.

Eye-opening political documentary focuses on "the strange world of violence and fear, fantasy and deception, in which we now live."

This is an unashamedly old-fashioned children's movie, and a predictable message is part of the mission. But that's okay; what the movie lacks in surprises, it makes up for in whimsical fun.

The biggest flaw is the casting: only Shannyn Sossamon delivers a performance of even modest depth.

Both lightweight and heavy-handed, Carl Bessai's arthouse drama can't even be redeemed by Ian McKellen's sensitive turn in the title role.

We never learn why most of his subjects remain loyal to a faith that so explicitly rejects them.

Is it an exaggeration to call The Women the worst movie of the year? Well, yeah, probably. But it may be the most disappointing, given all the effort that went into it.

There is a great movie in Werner Herzog's Vietnam saga, Rescue Dawn. Unfortunately, it's about 30 minutes long.

The beauty of Ai’s epic imagery feels like a perpetual challenge: Are you looking? Are you listening? Are you responding?

Though some see Treadwell as an idealistic martyr who made the ultimate sacrifice for his passion, others vilify him as an arrogant fool who courted his own end.

An urgent, stirring story made all the more inspiring by the very ordinary nature of its subjects.

If you're wondering whether the rules of love change during war, you won't find a better case than the urgent, darkly comic relationship between these two.

Cute, mostly well-mannered and just a bit off-center.

A lovely, luminous dream.

The most faithful cinematic depiction of adolescence in recent memory.

The intimate history of Doug Block's parents becomes fodder for a broader look at family secrets in this complex documentary.

Kolirin has a sense for the bleakly surreal, and an ability to balance even the darkest experiences with empathetic shades of gray. Everyone here is bound by bars of some sort, and everyone has the freedom to make certain choices within them.

Here is something great and startling -- not necessarily the kind of comforting, consensus-creating film that wins Oscars, but unquestionably a movie that will live in the history of the medium.

Despite the packed plot adapted by Polanski and Robert Harris from Harris' novel -- the pacing feels oddly slack.

As insightful as it is entertaining.

The striking directorial debut from fashion designer Tom Ford -- is so unusually beautiful it would be easy to dismiss it as superficial.

Feels more respectful than real.

Feuerzeig's film - everything a good documentary should be - is a story of family, friendship, art and fame, as seen through the prisms of exceptional beauty and deepest pain.

Dev Anand's unintentionally hilarious Bollywood romance would be considered terrible by any artistic standard, but it serves as proof that sometimes the worst films make for the most fun.

Breillat has made an important, even essential work about the exploitation of young women's sexuality, but is not she complicit as well?

Working from his own original screenplay, Crowe builds a story line full of unexpected twists and digressions.

An appealing Deschanel does her best, but the pair is mismatched in every way, from age to attitude. The entire movie is hung on Carrey's shtick, so if you're a fan, you'll have a decent time.

Overwhelmingly powerful.

The result, while slight, is a poignant portrait of one of New York's all-star outlaws.

As is, the film is more likely to impress the choir than change many minds.

A small but important film about small but important lives, the latest drama from Shane Meadows further confirms that more people should know about this gifted director.

Watching Tuba's proud girls disappear into anonymous clouds of chadors says more than any political diatribe could, and Bani-Etemad is wise enough to know it.

If you've had a hole in your heart since "Everybody Loves Raymond" ended, Tom Caltabiano's low-key documentary about star Ray Romano ought to fill the gap nicely.

The movie wouldn’t stand for much of anything without such an effective team to represent the equivocating.

Why would you watch a bad movie about better movies, when you could just rent the originals instead?

There can never be too many stories of human grace and perseverance like those of Nova, or Nate, or Adam, all teens who've been encouraged to channel their resentments and desires into art.

Younger kids looking for the cute connection between hesitant teen Hiccup and his loyal dragon, Toothless, may be stunned by the film’s violent tone. At the same time, it’s the unflinching edge that gives the film its unexpected depth.

It's hard not to wonder if Press might have offered a similarly impactful portrait in a more concise manner.

This isn't a family -- or a film -- you'll ­easily forget.

The notable lack of chemistry between Cruz and Homar is a crucial absence in a film about all-consuming romance. And though each part is great fun to watch, the whole feels unfinished.

Directors Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern focus primarily on the casting process for the 2006 revival, parading so many personalities past us that we don't really get to know anyone. Bypassing the original for the recreation? That ain't it, kid.

Newcomers may be disappointed by such a slender effort, but fans of revered Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami will find plenty to appreciate in his observant followup to 2010’s acclaimed “Certified Copy.”

The real romance here is between the filmmakers and the cultural moment they hope to document. From that perspective, it's a welcome - if not quite award-worthy - valentine.

Assayas may have been inspired by biographical memories, but “Air” is so sensitively observed that it simultaneously evokes a universal, and eternal, state of adolescence as well.

To see an expensive, big-studio movie freed from creative constraints and directorial cynicism is always a rare and wondrous experience. In a season of bloated indulgence, it’s also fair to call it a marvel.

Deftly weaving double plotlines, gorgeous camera work, and deep compassion, Miike contrasts ritualistic "honor" with the truly honorable, as poor but noble squires face off against powerful lords cushioned by tradition and pride.

If the end result is less a comprehensive biography than a long overdue and entirely deserved tribute, it is, nevertheless, truly terrific.

Sets out to be a social critique but settles for smug disdain.

Much is left undeveloped, from Jane's ghostly anxieties to Rochester's evolving complexity. Wasikowska and Fassbender lack chemistry, and the latter never finds his character's depth.

Even if we can't live his cowboy life, Buck Brannaman's world is well worth visiting.

Soderbergh does his best with limited time, but his biggest success may be in pushing viewers home, to watch Gray's films in full.

Though he doesn't break any new documentary ground, Lee knows how to shoot his subjects. Their stories are moving, and their moves are thrilling.

Lovell’s intimate connection to the subject forms the basis of the film’s power, which rests on a palpable pride in sisterhood.

Both Kai and Lasker-Wallfisch’s daughter, Maya, encourage the reluctant Hans Jürgen, now a frail 87-year-old man, to confront his family’s complicity. As they push and he resists, the process is unsettling and unsatisfying for everyone. But somehow it unfolds that Anita, an extraordinary character and the film’s true heart, sees Hans Jürgen most clearly.

Yektapanah's stripped-down methods --remote setting, a cast of locals, the sparest of scripts -- are used so effectively, it quickly becomes clear that he's most concerned with the similarities rather than the differences between people.

As stripped down as its title, this gentle Argentinian road movie makes much out of very little.

Although this single-minded existence will fascinate and inspire devotees, anyone new to the details of her life is likely to be left wanting more. Even so, all will be moved by the honest approach Dion and Taylor take towards her illness.

A sensitive drama that marks a notably personal feature debut.

Granted, this movie is unlikely to threaten "The Departed" at Oscar time. But for mindless entertainment, you could do a lot worse.

Anyone awed by 1996's "When We Were Kings" - and really, that should be anyone who's seen it - will consider this vivid companion piece essential viewing.

The vastly divergent paths of Assange and Manning make up the most fascinating aspects of this relentlessly compelling film.

A masterful collection of cinematic essays.

After lulling us into a neartorpor, Jia sneaks in one of the most gut-punching endings in recent memory.

Seen through Demy's eyes (and Raoul Coutard's shimmering black-and-white photography), their extravagance is so effortlessly cool, you feel somehow lucky just to be there with them.

Tapping into the basest fears of war while subverting all expectations, director Susanne Bier deftly reads between the headlines.

Though it feels at first like a musty edition of "Masterpiece Theatre," Michael Hoffman's adaptation of a novel by Jay Parini holds enough surprises to make a memorable impact.

While Spacey, Tucci, and Bettany are the standouts, every cast member locates disturbing notes of villainy or humanity.

Schwartzman and Pryce are compelling in their self-regard. But it’s no coincidence that the lovely, empathetic Moss is who we root for.

Still witty and eloquent, these cerebral boys became the haunted men who do their best to share their experiences with us, even as they know we'll never truly understand.

Both epic and intimate, this impassioned samurai drama is for anyone who's ever watched a movie and muttered, "They just don't make 'em like they used to."

Though Greenfield is too skilled to overplay her intentions, the picture that emerges gains additional power from its clarifying distance. The Kingmaker is required viewing for anyone concerned about the direction of their own democracy.

Classical dance great Jacques d’Amboise calls Tanaquil LeClercq’s style a “path to heaven.” And this lovely documentary by Nancy Buirski makes clear that he’s right.

Frustratingly, though, and not a little ironically, Justman chooses to focus on the new stars when they sing, rather than on the Funk Brothers playing in the background. Just as curiously, he paints a remarkably rosy picture of the old days, overlooking the racism and exploitation the Brothers surely experienced.

There is enough here — including the gifted Arena’s barely believable backstory — to keep your head spinning.

Most of the actresses are appealing, but ultimately not even the gifted Mara can keep the film from feeling like a gauzy portrait of privilege.

It is the devastating testimony from survivors themselves that leaves the most indelible impression.

A Dangerous Method concerns itself primarily with sex, but what's most shocking is how conservative it turns out to be.

It’s a pleasure to see Russo back on screen (she’s married to Gilroy). But Nina’s eager complicity is far too easy and every social critique flashes as bright as the neon guiding Lou around back-alley L.A.

Rarely do adaptations of stage plays work on screen, and almost never do they work as well as this one does. Most remarkably, the dryly comic "Moon" is virtually a one-man show.

You may admire Witherspoon’s solid performance, but you won’t forget you’re watching a star.

It seems impossible for anyone to remain unmoved by Harper’s thoughtfully-constructed history.

Grohl has a longstanding reputation as one of the nicest guys in rock. So it should come as no surprise that this may be the most positive music documentary you'll ever see.

Director Niels Arden Oplev keeps the action relatively tight. But he revels in the story’s sadism to an uncomfortable degree, especially in a needlessly vile rape scene. Two more sequels are coming. Here’s hoping there’s just a little less hate in each.

A generation-spanning journey that feels both comfortingly familiar and excitingly original.

It’s worth seeing Robert May’s vital judicial expose — not only to learn about the titular scandal, but also to appreciate both the highs and lows of human resilience.

Even as Lau's intentions are to nudge us back into real life, the images flickering on screen continue to hold us rapt.

Screenwriter Pablo Fenjves start with a promising premise, and the opening scenes are taut and suspenseful. A late-day chase scene picks up the sagging middle, but Leth totally fumbles what should be the movie's biggest moment.

Surely no other has done it quite like this group.

One of the most delightful movies to come along this year.

The latest collaboration between Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean") and Johnny Depp is sharp-edged, surreal, and often astonishing in its giddy creativity. What it is not, however, is a family film.

Anyone with some patience and a penchant for thoughtful ambiguity will find more than enough rewards here, from Gyllenhaal’s intelligent performance to Colangelo’s empathetic insight. True, it’s not always an easy movie to sit through. But the impact of Lisa’s plight lingers long after her fate’s been sealed.

Argott treats Barnes' story as an intellectual crime thriller, uncovering each new surprise -- and a seemingly endless parade of villains -- with a deadpan flourish.

We never really forget we're watching two highly paid professionals create a cinematic placebo, strong enough to entertain without making a long-term impact. Fortunately, everyone works just hard enough to sell us on the whole thing anyway.

Though he's working with an unavoidably sentimental story, Kon embraces the dark underside of his characters' lives, giving this animated film a satisfyingly three-dimensional feel.

Feels more earnest than real. Still, its sincerity is admirable, and often touching.

To Devlin's great credit, he keeps us rapt throughout.

A patronizing, self-satisfied piece of work, Funny Games is Michael Haneke's way of chastising us for blindly following the traditional rules of entertainment.