Elizabeth Weitzman

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.