For better or worse, the film is more of an intellectual affair than a thriller.

This isn't a story about how thousands of youths were betrayed by the institution that was supposed to protect them; this is a bruising chronicle of how one life was damaged nearly to the point of ruin.

An important heads-up to what is going on in our country right now in the name of national security, and a brilliant statement on artistic freedom and the dangers it faces. This film should be seen, should be discussed and is an important document on our times.

Exhausting yet invigorating, it's a drama one witnesses more than just views.

It’s beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure.

It’s a reminder of human resilience that manages to be both powerful and deeply flawed.

Tel Aviv on Fire moves with purpose, even if it occasionally trips over its own ideas. It has a lot on its mind but doesn’t tackle all of them deeply, focusing on the satire and outlandish comedy. Thankfully, that’s where the movie succeeds the most.

The film itself is unremarkable, except for its good fortune of presenting John Travolta in his first starring role.

The power of Cadejo Blanco comes in its mystery and reveal. As such, don’t look much into it; don’t even watch a trailer. Instead, let the story wash over you and be awestruck by the impressive talent on display.

Full speed ahead fun, a rollicking caper romp that hearkens back to a quainter, pre-Ken Lay age when bigtime fraud could actually entail writing books as opposed to merely cooking them.

So who did kill the electric car? There are many suspects, and as it turns out, most of them are guilty.

One of the most shocking Japanese horror films ever. It needs to be seen to be believed, but those with queasy stomachs would do well to stay away.

Truly magnificent.

Journey from the Fall re-educates as well as entertains, but never takes the easy way out, nor does it preach. In the end, it's a snippet of one family forever altered, and despite all the political undertones, it's the human level on which the film succeeds most of all.

The Quake hits a handful of the cliches one expects from a disaster film, as well as having one character’s death not mean as much as it should. However, thanks to strong characterizations and good acting the plot is still engaging. However, the reason to watch the film is the excellent cinematography and awe-inspiring effects.

Celebrities. Privilege. Debauchery. Hedonism. We’ve all heard the stories about the most infamous (and legendary) nightclub of all time, Studio 54, but we didn’t have all the facts…till now.

Mother of Flies is family-made entertainment at its finest, though it is best suited for families that have Xs carved into their shaved heads.

Each and every one of the movie's 125 minutes is a moment of searing truth.

As an affecting work of compassionate craftsmanship, The Letter delivers.

The story is feather-light, but the pain, either felt or indirectly caused by Benjamin, can be harrowingly authentic. We want to simultaneously hug him for reassurance and physically restrain him to keep from the next nerve-induced verbal volcano.

Caramel will likely be the Lebanese selection for Academy Award for “Best Foreign Film;” it’s inconceivable to me that it won’t win, but it’ll still be an injustice if it does. Caramel deserves to be in the categories with the big boys, so to speak, and whoever wins for Best Actress will be the second most deserving actress of 2007.

May look like an ironic, jet black comedy -- and it succeeds brilliantly on that level -- but in it's sad and wistful heart, it's a completely sincere call for saving the Earth.

At the least it will cause you to sit in a chair and laugh uncontrollably while twitching all over and moving your shoulders up and down in a rather creepy manner.

I Swear is not looking for pity. It’s looking for empathy and understanding, as if to say there is no such thing as good or bad disabilities.

The rapport between Thompson and Kaling, along with the entire supporting cast, make Late Night a lively and entertaining workplace comedy with its finger on the pulse of today’s entertainment industry.

If the state government in Massachusetts refuses to acknowledge its execution of innocent men, then at least this compelling and powerful production can serve as a graceful elegy to the doomed men who were murdered by their adopted homeland.

The best thing about the film is the repeat viewing value.

I highly suggest seeking out Knife+Heart if you like 70s & 80s B-movie and exploitation films. This was a spot-on homage to the beloved genre. It’s hilarious and haunting and genuinely beautiful, an ambitious film that the more prudish amongst us will be squirming in their seats during. So this is definitely not something to go see with your parents, regardless of your and their ages.

A black comedy that nonetheless manages to tap into the sense of alienation and unfocused rage so prevalent in today's kids.

Randal is a beautiful hostile piece of work that only could have come from America. He's the sort of guy who never put in a quality day at the office in his life, but somehow probably winds up winning the biggest lotto drawing ever with a ticket he stole from his loser best friend's Quickie Mart.

The writings of Ma Feng appear to have evoked much of the themes Zhangke captures in his beautiful story and its surface simplicity and deeper subtext. Although it is a bit lengthy, Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue is a well-done and beautifully expressed film for understanding a people and their history.

Remembering Every Night is an ethereal experience that shouldn’t be missed. It reminds viewers that cinema is a visual art first and foremost and that the composition of the frame and movements within it often speak much louder than words ever can.

The film is buoyed by Charlize Theron’s fierceness and a few shining moments of true inspiration. Roll with the inherent silliness of it all, and you may just have a good time.

Bolstered by two formidable leads, the film is bound to resonate with anyone who has tried to make a fresh start, rediscover themselves, but also maintain a grasp on the past that keeps slipping away.

A film to savor and to be thankful for.

A frozen pile of reindeer droppings. The cinematic equivalent to passing a kidney stone, Zwigoff’s unholy foray into “dark comedy” gives us a suicidal, sociopathic drunk slinging swear words with a ferocity that would make Tony Montana wince.

White and The Edge appear guarded, and perhaps a bit intimidated, by Page’s Yoda-like status.

Think of "Escape from New York" starring two French Spidermen on speed, and you've got District B13, a snazzy, sensational action ride from big-bang guru Luc Besson.

The Peanut Butter Falcon refuses to condescend to its star and tells a story that’s authentic to the life and experiences of adults with Down Syndrome.

In Standing Up, Falling Down, this new style of comedy is light on laughs, but big on heart, weaving together a story of hope, redemption, and second chances with a solid cast led by Ben Schwartz and Billy Crystal.

Topical resonance is all that the movie musters, as it changes subject matter on a whim and doesn’t give the audience enough background information on the issues or the interviewees to make a whole lot of sense.

Ultimately the success of Summertime comes from director Estrada and his crew, who put the film together with a small semblance of a story. They masterfully piece each poem and poet together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Once attuned, you’ll be rewarded with a sharply funny and oddly heartbreaking, albeit clumsily structured, indictment of our government... Armstrong’s razor-sharp trademark one-liners go a long way in saving this Day.

The theme behind Fearless is utterly simplistic, but universal: violence begets violence. It's a never ending cycle that becomes more and more vicious, until someone decides to stop it. It's a worthy final installment.

This isn’t just an aesthetic exercise. It’s a sandblasted fable about meaning and memory. The Phoenician Scheme doesn’t ask you to love it. It dares you to look closer. And for those who do, the reward is quietly spectacular.

What Josiah Saw examines religion, trauma, grief, sanity, and familial bonds in a truly unique way. Grashaw elegantly balances the heavy drama, action, and horror moments, crafting an unforgettable journey. Dilts intelligent screenplay is brought to life by a stunning cast giving it their all in every scene.

With Candy Land, Swab has delivered a historic flashpoint in the darker side of the film universe. It is a supernova of seediness. The flick is the true bastion of this under-utilized subgenre.

One of the greatest art documentaries ever made. Through an imaginative mixture of rare footage, audio recordings and contemporary interviews with the living legends of modern art, Rosen has created a cinematic portrait which is, in itself, a work of art.

Kitarô Kôsaka’s light-hearted and contagiously joyful film contains just enough beautiful imagery, positive messages of acceptance and touching moments to warrant a look.

The biggest downfall of Relay is the ending.

Chalk is loaded with life, energy, truth and respect. It may just make you yearn for your high schooling days. Okay, maybe not, but Chalk will have you laughing long after the movie has ended. How's that for homework?

The biggest problem with I Will Make You Mine is that the stakes are so low, it is impossible to become entirely invested.

Warm Water Under a Red Bridge is a warm, uplifting romance. It plays out the way most Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn romances do. Seek this out if you enjoy a good, kinky, and romantic film. It simply has to be experienced.

Handling the Undead is more of a philosophical journey than a survival journey.

However homespun The Fabulous Filipino Brothers might feel or even appear, the film has a certain charm, which many will enjoy.

Benefits from a goofy yet incisive sense of humor and some extremely strong performances.

The biggest, weirdest, ugliest cartoon in Inglourious Basterds is Aldo Raine, the Nazi-killing American Lieutenant played by Brad Pitt.

The film is technically superior, and its look and the strength of its performances (Blanchett, Barraza, and Kikuchi especially) carry it above similar fare.

Nicolas Cage is a joy to watch, and Werner Herzog is a brilliant storyteller.

Ultimately, The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future represents one of the sternest examples of sacrificing the heart of a film for the demands of a specific message. Every genuinely compelling moment is forced to become an object of one-dimensional dogma. And all of the film’s latent wonder is sacrificed at the altar of hollow reductionism.

See this film and laugh your ass off, and in between your tears of joy learn the true cause of racial and ethnic division.

By turns chilling, depressing, yet guardedly optimistic documentary.

I couldn't escape the fact that Revolutionary Road seems like a really, really good episode of "Mad Men." There's smoking, drinking, cheating and like the excellent TV show, the lure of a bigger better deal always rules the day. But the film differs in many ways once you get beyond surface appearances.

Does it herald a renaissance in the action genre? Not really, but it's a welcome throwback to good old-fashioned, '80s-style lunkhead violence, and no one takes a punch, kick, elbow, or bullet quite like John McClane.

Welsh director Prano Bailey-Bond’s feature debut, Censor, is one of those horror movies that sticks with you well after the credits roll. That’s because it doesn’t follow the typical horror movie formula.

Take the time to ingest what the stakes really are. Enough people are content to watch the planet burn. This film is about those who oppose, and we should be grateful that such courage still exists.

It's an excellent date film, but it won't change your life.

For those who never heard of "The Goldbergs" and its amazing star, Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg will provide a special introduction to a special person.

You Go to My Head is a warped and lush tale of obsession, deception, and romance that’ll certainly go to your head. It’ll just take some time.

A wonderful film, and one with vast appeal. Giving us everything we have come to expect from our fashion-centered programming and more, we are left with the sense that we have uncovered a mystery.

Oddly engaging and has me wishing I could spend a week observing Jeannie, Lauren, and Merrill...you know, without a camera as a mediator.

Giamatti has his hands full trying to keep us from thinking about Burgess Meredith.

More than just a crime thriller, The Accidental Getaway Driver is a melancholic journey through the quiet corners of lost souls.

Visually speaking, Fletcher’s film is wonderful to watch. The fantastical choices he occasionally makes is grounded and never pull you out of the film.

For my money, the movie should have given us more of Macy the magical loser and less of Macy the stud muffin.

Gallo transcends the medium in a manner I only associate with David Lynch. It's brilliantly spooky.

An endearing view of a past time and filmmaking style – think Corman with a heart – Eating Raoul offers a bare Woronov, a prime slice of sexy-ugly that can never be duplicated, just like this film.

If FrontRunners doesn't teach you something about politics, at least it will entertain you.

Roh slowly builds to the cathartic release of scares genre aficionados crave. But, those watching will be invested thanks to the strong writing and characterizations, stunning score, and beautiful cinematography.

A smooth ride boils down to a claptrap, 'Usual Suspects'-style finale.

Overall, Norton's effect and Watts' able portrayal are not enough to move the misogyny of the narrative.

A warm hug of a film, The Outside Story may occasionally stumble and resemble an extended TV pilot, but – largely thanks to its charming protagonist – is bound to (however briefly) reaffirm your faith in humanity.

The film's effectiveness is bolstered by juxtaposed scenes of fat and happy Americans and Europeans slurping up frozen chai lattes and clucking about how big Starbuck's is getting with scenes of children going into "therapeutic feeding centers" in the region where Starbuck's gets its coffee because they can't afford to by corn.

I love love love love loved Cold Souls. That might be because I love love love Paul Giamatti.

How to Build a Girl is an incredibly fun movie.

Four Quartets is a special experience.

Morris utilizes psychedelic neon colors, bold titles, and a hallucinatory score to emphasize the craziness of her life. He has devilish fun piecing together Joanna’s fractured past. It just feels like, in his search for Truth, he’s lost his way a little this time.

With a little more filmmaking flair, or drive, or a fresh perspective, East of the Mountains could’ve been a real gem. Instead, it’s a decent little character study about a man facing death, worth a look for the magnificent central performance alone.

Berry delivers an extraordinary performance that will startle even her most faithful fans.

Take Me To The River: New Orleans is edited together in a way more organic to music than traditional documentaries, which works wonders.

The directors’ reverence is clear, but they don’t shy away from giving a three-dimensional examination of their subject.

Clint Eastwood is the ultimate thinking man’s cinematic killing machine. High Plains Drifter is his spooky, dark, and vicious version of the Sergio Leone Man With No Name Spaghetti Westerns he once starred in, and a moody existential meditation on gunplay, revenge and karma. Payback! 

We’ve seen it all before: the obsessive cop with emotional baggage, the small-town folk being interrogated, the lovey-dovey subplot, the tonal dreariness. The filmmaker isn’t aiming to avoid tropes, and what the film does, it does splendidly, though an injection of humor would have certainly been welcome.

It’s all deeply unsettling, a glorious massacre you can’t look away from. Kill It and Leave This Town dares you to avert its gaze. You may not be able to describe it, but good luck forgetting it.

Her responses and her journey, set alongside her own art, give a unique perspective on that meditation as well as to the crucial importance of art to document our time, to share experiences, and to enhance the quality of life.

Green Book is a real crowd pleaser — aside from the banter between the oppositely-minded characters, it has clear heroes and villains. The writers do manage to sneak a few nuances in, especially when discussing Shirley feeling out of place in both the white and black communities.

Unfortunately, due to its limited premise, The Mole Agent never goes beyond showing the problem of loneliness. There no solutions, even if viewers like me interpreted some from watching the film. Nevertheless, through a unique premise and an engrossing style, The Mole Agent shines a light on a part of our society that we don’t talk or think about enough.

Boy Erased is a poignant family drama that explores the importance of unconditional love and acceptance of oneself and each other. Edgerton solidifies his triple-threat status, artfully and intelligently crafting a film that resonates with viewers and facilitates much-needed conversation during these trying times.