Joe Neumaier

Director Craig Zobel's indie, based on real cases, has a sharp psychological point and a can't-look-away quality even as it turns horrifically dark.

Wahlberg and Johnson are the saving graces of an in-your-face movie.

Yoichi Sai's movie may be a bit tough for young viewers, but it is gentle and illuminating.

While McNairy and Mendelsohn are solid but almost too showy, Liotta, Jenkins, Sam Shepard and a chewy supporting cast beautifully fill in the blanks. Killing Them Softly adds each of its characters to a punchy, prosaic tale that believes in America, one way or another.

Overlong but ambitious, Woo proves he's as good at tactical maneuvers as he is at close-quarters combat.

The main reason this gorgeous-looking, sweet-hearted but so-so movie remains grounded is a herky-jerky, cobbled-together story that squawks when it should sing.

Writer Sarah Koskoff's nuanced script and director Todd Louiso's ("Love, Liza") delicate tone follow indie terrain, but go the right way.

As a virtual tour of what Earth Day is about, kids ought to be entranced. If it helps them get greener, even better.

It also has another watchable turn from Ice Cube, and, as with his previous films, the rap artist-actor leads by example.

This quirky indie has an off-kilter, shaggy appeal and a filling story.

Based on a true story, the movie's best scenes involve its heroine breaking down barriers by force of will as much as by legal wrangling.

There’s great repartee between its cast of this “based on a true [but forgotten] story” of World War II. Yet the film overall isn’t colorful enough.

Because of his easygoing comedy persona, Rudd is a perfect choice — and another example of Marvel’s savvy casting. He never takes anything too seriously, but he seems invested in the emotional side of the story.

This eerily unsettling indie takes a few pleasantly unexpected turns before winding up in a traditional place. But if you think it isn’t worth the time, you have another think coming.

Jason Schwartzman does the full Bill Murray in 7 Chinese Brothers.

A fascinating and informative, if sometimes stodgy, documentary about the most secret wing of Israel's anti-espionage unit.

A streak of "Cinema Paradiso" runs through this Italian dramedy - and while it lacks that film's overflowing emotion, it's filled with its own artfulness and warmth.

This all feels like an homage to Gilliam’s “Brazil,” though Zero Theorem also has shadows of “12 Monkeys” and other films in the onetime Monty Python animator’s cinematic carnival.

Though it’s more testimonial exhibit than movie, “Unjust” remains a crucial document.

Mostly, though, there’s hopefulness here, and determination to win a fight worth fighting.

Some segments are too long, but Famous Nathan contains a unique flavor that history-loving New Yorkers should relish.

A look into one of the most invisible, and crucial, of cinematic disciplines. Using the seminal casting director Marion Dougherty as a subject, the film walks us through the intricacies of casting, with insight from Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Robert Redford and others.

Sometimes a bit of befuddlement is exactly what you need. That's the driving idea behind writer-director Steven Peros' off-kilter, off-the-beaten path comedy, which owes a lot to 1980s indie cinema.

This crisp, involving South African drama comes at you in waves, changing course and tone expertly.

The fights are strong (though the 49-year-old director’s are slo-mo), and the surface is calm. Say “Whoa!” if you like, but it’s cool.

Rather than go for big ideas, the movie cozies up to small wonders. Instead of an ah-ha moment, we get a sigh of familiarity. Still, in this biopic about Hawking, there’s one explosion that blows your mind: Eddie Redmayne’s performance. Redmayne as Hawking, if the stars align, should be an Oscar lock.

Here's a rough-and-tumble British drama that, despite a strong spine, ought to be more like its title character: quiet and deadly -- and less showy.

Haroun is achingly conscious of day-to-day decisions that seem small when they're made but can suddenly loom large.