Phil Hall

A powerful film worthy of a truly extraordinary American.

Provocative and poignant.

I would like to praise My Big Fat Independent Movie for achieving something that most independently-produced comedies fail to do: it creates laughs.

Put simply, Mind Game is a mind-blowing experience.

Offers a remarkable tribute to one of the few people who genuinely deserves to be known as a pioneer of filmmaking. In the genre of films about films, In the Mirror of Maya Deren is among the best.

One of the most effective, intelligent, mature and romantic love stories to come across the screen recently is, of all things, a documentary.

Spins in its own orbit and dares the audience to come into its weirdly one-of-a-kind environment. This is a delightful work of humor which is worthy of Spielberg-level praise.

Engrossing and brilliantly insightful production.

A delightfully silly romp which reinvents the legendary Italian lover's adventures into the realm of broad farce.

Tsotsi emerges as being among the finest films ever to come out of Africa. It is a brilliant, jolting and altogether powerful blast of energy and emotion.

For telling America to acknowledge how far the country has deviated from its values and how painfully it has failed to make the world safer, this is the most important movie of the year.

If there is one film which makes the most out of life, this is it.

The Stranger may not be at the same level as Citizen Kane, but what is? On its own terms, it is a fine and invigorating experience that deserves to be sought out and enjoyed.

There is a wealth of smaller dramatic triumphs of sly gestures, body language working at odds with spoken words, and minor goofiness (such as repeatedly blowing the rim of an opened beer bottle to create a rough whistle) which makes Home more humane (not to mention more human) than the vast majority of today's movies.

Rare vehicle which gives the Palestinian people (rather than their failed, double-talking leadership) an opportunity to speak freely and openly, and that feat in itself makes this one of the most important documentaries of recent times.

A pleasant diversion which mixes snatches of Wilde's waspish humor with a stylish Art Deco environment. The result is amusing to the ears and easy on the eyes.

The true power of the film comes from young Marko Kovacevic, who plays the poetic child lost in a family and culture where poetry has no meaning.

A diverting and delightful visit with two unheralded indie cinema veterans with a surplus amount of anecdotes and zany film clips.

Quirky, entertaining documentary.

Provides lethal evidence of what becomes of those who deposit their sincerity into the command of a religious lunatic.

Do not, under any circumstance, approach this film lightly. Prepare to be depressed, agitated and shocked. And prepare to see a brilliant work of cinematic art.

While imperfect, it does provide an intriguing glimpse into a subculture, which many people will be surprised to learn, still exists.

The ultimate rarity: a sequel that is miles ahead of its predecessor in every imaginable department.

A remarkable triumph of documentary filmmaking. It is impossible to walk away from this film without being jolted.

There is some very un-Mormon gender bending going on here.

Something of a surprise: a gay-oriented feature that is genuinely touching and sincere.

An original and highly memorable comedy, and mention should be made of Ebiri’s work beyond filmmaking: he is also a film critic for New York Magazine, thus giving proof that those who review films for a living can also turn around and make a damn fine movie.

Finally receiving a theatrical release 20 years after it was made, Philip Hartman’s “No Picnic” emerges as an entertaining if flawed relic from a very different era.