Zachary Wigon

Hoffman, naturally, makes his character interesting in the way that genius actors always do. Yet the film's storytelling struggles to match his level of skill.

The film is earnest and nobly intentioned, though its execution doesn't measure up.

Carefully lit and designed, with a moody and muted color palette, the film effectively conveys the feel of Aila's hardscrabble existence. But the horrific behavior of Popper, who does little other than threaten, beat, and try to rape Indians, becomes problematic.

The endearing nature of the characters, especially Gleeson's Murray, provides some pleasure.

While the film isn't without charming moments -- the Derby sequence is entertaining -- the lack of narrative sophistication grates.

The film isn't without mirth and charm... But as Surnow steers into serious waters, the direction of the storytelling becomes increasingly misguided.

The film's success rests upon the interest engendered by these characters, but Hank and Asha fail to meaningfully engage us.

All the performers are supremely entertaining while dealing or defying horrible deaths... but Yen unfortunately lacks the kind of charisma that can elevate a genre film to a higher level of satisfaction.

The frustration here comes from the filmmakers' inability to present characters with dimension, so that we might come to identify with them and their fears.

Not fully understanding its own merits, Easy Money is accidentally fascinating in some moments, but purposefully formulaic in many more.

Using its narrative as a launching pad for abstract visuals, the picture reminds viewers that even the most striking images demand context to create anything like drama.

Sergio Castellitto's Twice Born irresponsibly appropriates the horrific siege of Sarajevo to serve as aesthetic backdrop for a story that exhibits no real interest in the conflict.

Often threatening sentimentality yet never quite sinking into it, Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca's This Is Where We Live benefits from the good taste of the filmmakers, whose appetite for understatement ensures that the picture maintains dramatic effectiveness and only rarely lurches into histrionics.

Heath never puts together a larger narrative about the decline of Inuit culture and offers little political history of the situation.

The Motel Life too often revisits the same emotions and sentiments, leaving us with a portrait that feels frustratingly simple.

What we're presented with is a scattering of scenes amid an overpowering backdrop of geopolitical and anthropological explanation, and nothing resembling drama.

While Eberle's execution falls short, the scale of his ambition can't help but stir admiration.

I'm So Excited! is characterized by a distinct brand of unsuccessful yet ambitious storytelling, the kind often found in minor works by major masters.

This picture may not have the structure of a more practiced documentary, but what it lacks in delivery it compensates for with fervency.

The stunning visuals captivate for much of the picture, but as the novelty wears off, and the beauty turns from stunning to repetitive, the non-surfers in the theater may begin to grow restless.

Stories built around a mystery can have a difficult time creating a satisfying answer, and this picture is no exception.

When functioning like a magic trick, this breathlessly entertaining picture delights in its showmanship, but the more entertaining the trickery, the tougher the explanation, and when the truth is revealed the answer can't help but fail to satisfy.

Triumph of the Wall is often painfully boring and rather shapeless, not so much a crafted film as a compendium of one guy's musings. Regardless, in an era when seemingly every documentary is tied to a hot-button issue, making one about a guy building a wall is endearing.

While she doesn't quite achieve the screwball zaniness she strives for, Chism deserves commendation for crafting a farcical work that feels like it concerns real characters.

Formulaic despite its trespasses, Love Is All You Need leaves the lingering sensation that more fun could have been had if the film cut loose and lived a little.

Viewers may find the narrative aimlessness here frustrating.