Marta Barber

This Israeli film gives us an honest look at situations we never see in the news. It may have too many flaws to be a good film, but for its content, it is a winner.

Simple and austere, The Cuckoo also draws from the mysticism of tales of gnomes and other creatures who inhabit remote Nordic lands. It is that blend of reality with allegory that delivers the film's beauty and charm.

This is courtroom drama at is best, especially when you listen to the sublime soundtrack.

Despite its stylistic flaws, the acting and the magic of the story make Maelstrom a different kind of film.

Fast, frantic and furious, but it is not steadily funny. While not boring, it is too light to be taken seriously.

What appears to be the thrust of the story -- the unraveling of a society -- loses out to a tame, romantic triangle subplot.

An extraordinary movie that ruffled many feathers when it first came out. Almost 40 years later, it retains the poignancy it delivered back then. Its message is not lost in our present state of affairs.

One thing that strikes you as you watch Shanghai Ghetto is how little mingling there was between the Chinese and the Jews.

Had the film been more balanced, it would have added a new star to the recent wave of remarkable Mexican cinema.

Nothing in it -- plot, dialogue or character development -- reaches today's standards of filmmaking.

Doesn't stretch beyond the typical, period drama the Brits do so well. It is no more than a warm cup of tea on a chilly afternoon. The reward comes in seeing these two great actresses at work.

Holds enough interest throughout to keep you entertained -- unless you're afraid of mice.

May not be a work of fiction but, despite its many minutes of real footage, it is far from being a documentary. Lack of truth in advertising notwithstanding, the story of this Colombian cowboy deserved to be told.

A mesmerizing documentary about the rise and fall of a drug lord, perhaps the biggest there ever was.

Unlike “Amélie,” Love Me If You Dare will not become a sleeper. But neither will it make you go to sleep.

For all its tumult, The Clay Bird mostly concentrates on its likable characters, all acted with the kind of understatement that makes a good film better.

As a war drama, Zelary is as gentle and pastoral as its setting. At times, you think it's a new chapter in "The Sound of Music."

Though beautiful at times, it doesn't reach the level of poetry of either de Sica's "Thief" or Lou's "River."

The touch of sharp and edgy storytelling has returned to French master Claude Chabrol.

Far from perfect, but for those willing to laugh at the darker side of life, especially Latin American life, it is fun.

Strong acting from Khoury saves the weak storyline.

In between all the emotional seesawing, it's hard to figure the depth of these two literary figures, and even the times in which they lived. But they fascinate in their recklessness.

An engrossing psychological thriller.

The Bank, despite its faulty finale, is a fun and thrilling ride.

Who would have thought a German comedy could be light, charming and devoid of intellectual snobbery?

Though the film would benefit from further cuts, Machuca still manages to convey the frailty of convictions and the difficulties of growing up -- be it a child or a nation.

Puts you on edge about what goes on behind the closed doors of the White House. Even if the case against Kissinger is not fully convincing, the documentary keeps you glued to your seat and thinking long after you've left the theater.

You come out with a sense you've seen it all before.