V.A. Musetto

It's full of Plympton's trademark twisted humor, with lots of sex thrown in.

On paper, these people may seem like boring statistics. But Andresevic, in her first feature-length film after years of producing commercials for the likes of Nike and Cadillac, turns them into humans viewers will take to heart.

Brace yourself for an explosively brutal finale.

Bluebeard revisits themes often found in Breillat's films -- sibling rivalry, pedophilia, gender conflict -- but it remains fresh and new.

A well-researched picture of how racism led to nine men being falsely accused and wrongly convicted. One only wishes that the filmmakers had more than 84 minutes in which to tell the story.

You don't have to be stoned to watch Mr. Nice, but it might help to be in the same state of mind as its real-life anti-hero, drug kingpin Howard Marks.

A disturbing and daring thriller with an exceptional performance by 13-year-old Laurien Van den Broeck.

Sylvarnes, who scripted, directed, edited and photographed this amazing first feature, makes spectacular use of digital video.

Viewers unfamiliar with the politics of the era might feel lost as the plot unfolds, and the 139-minute running time might be a bit much. But why quibble?

A thinking man's buddy movie.

From the rapid-fire, purposely unreadable opening credits to the final baby POV shot of a birth, this is a dazzling and brutal exercise in cinematic envelope-pushing.

Gogol Bordello plays a mix of punk rock and Gypsy music that recalls the work of the Serbian No Smoking Band. Onstage, Gogol Bordello puts on a visually outrageous show that one member describes as "kick-ass."

The only thing missing is the mud that the big boys love to sling. But the Stuyvesant candidates are kids - give them a few years.

Kim's wittiest effort to date, with a wordless performance by Jae Hee that recalls Keaton and Chaplin.

Days of Being Wild is less accomplished than later Wong efforts like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love, but it's smart filmmaking nevertheless. [19 Nov 2004, p.46]

Low-key yet has a lot to say about class struggle.

If there's an awkward moment, it's the scene in which the monks take part in a sort of Last Supper, drinking wine while Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" plays in the background. You keep waiting for Natalie Portman to twirl into the room.

You would be hard-pressed to use the word "accessible" to describe Film Socialisme, and that's exactly the way the master wants it.

A meditation on literature, love and remembrance that is able to find humor and hope in the dark days of the Cultural Revolution.

Hermila Guedes is hot as the damsel in distress. She carries the movie on her slender shoulders, providing erotic charm and believable acting.

Pedro Castaneda, a nonprofessional appearing in his first film, and Veronica Loren tug at your heartstrings with their portrayals of the lead characters.

A pleasing alternative to the season's Oscar-baiting movies.

The presentation is conventional, but the subject matter isn't. Besides, when was the last time you saw anything resembling good news coming out of the Middle East?

A grabber from start to finish that should win new fans for cult-favorite To.

It's full of passionate performances (except for the wooden Li), sizzling swordplay, bold and dazzling hues, and breathtaking landscapes.

By the time the closing credits roll, you'll be ready to run out and hug a tree.

White-haired Ronnie Gilbert of the Weavers -- the group was blacklisted during the McCarthy years -- is in especially fine voice.

The film leisurely unfolds as a series of vignettes about class distinctions and crime, with an unexpected ending. It is beautifully filmed in CinemaScope and strongly acted (especially by Solha), and makes for mesmerizing viewing.