V.A. Musetto

The Israeli feature For My Father is a rarity indeed: A sweet, sentimental movie about a suicide bomber.

A rousing indictment of a barbaric practice.

Le Havre is warm-hearted and uplifting, without being schmaltzy or preachy. And, with its illegal-alien theme, it's dead-on timely.

The acting is superb, especially the always alluring Charlotte Gainsbourg as a mysterious Englishwoman taking the ship to America. Agnes Godard's lensing is painterly, and Crialese's direction is seamless.

Goodbye First Love showcases two young women with bright futures.

Inventive and bold, Jesus, You Know will especially resonate with people, like this critic, whose strict Catholic upbringing (some might call it brainwashing) inalterably shaped their lives.

The star of the movie is Caeli Veronica Smith, 12, an accomplished violinist who frequently performs in the park. Seeing her play in person would be worth the bus trip to Philly.

If you're new to Kaurismaki, the film will make you a fan. If you've seen everything else he's ever done, the comedy will confirm your commitment.

A stinging and frightening indictment of mainland China.

A high point shows O'Day, in a black-and-white hat and form-fitting dress, singing "Sweet Georgia Brown" at the Newport Jazz Festival. That scene alone confirms O'Day's place among the greats.

Enlightening documentary.

A documentary in which George relates their stories with great charm and understanding.

In the end, "Wilbur"' manages to look death square in the face and walk away laughing.

I'm not sure why it took 50 years for Araya to reach New York, but let us be thankful to Milestone Films for giving life to this forgotten film.

If you ever wondered how robots make love, here's your chance to find out.

More than the story of a disillusioned old man, Lustre is a loving tribute to New York.

Sweet isn't a word often used to describe movies these days, but it's one that applies to The Cave of the Yellow Dog.

Sick, disgusting and vile. It's also demonically funny, stylish and ingenious.

Lebanon is inspired by the director's traumatic days at the front, giving his work a sense of authority.

Mainstream audiences will be put off by the lack of a straightforward narrative, but adventurous moviegoers will find pleasure in the hypnotic originality of the images.

Director Lisandro Alonso is content to leave much to viewers' imagination. That he is able to do so and still hold our attention is a tribute to his talent as a filmmaker and an authentic performance by nonprofessional actor Argentino Vargas as the ex-con.

Burtynsky doesn't preach. He's content to let viewers make up their own minds from his eye-opening and eye-pleasing images.

The stunning adventure Mountain Patrol: Kekexili is like a John Ford western set, not in the master's beloved Monument Valley, but in remotest China.

Anybody who's ever seen a movie about exorcism knows that, in cases like this, the first thing to do is call 1-800-PRIEST, which the family does.

Well-done documentary.

A taut thriller based on the tragedy, which remains the most lethal mass killing in New Zealand history.

Chang doesn't pull his punches in this continuing look at a changing, out-of-control China.

A master class on turning a talky, one-man play into a visual delight.