A victory for ambitious filmmaking if not always a successful attempt at character study.

A rare high school dramedy with some heft to it. Smartly photographed and edited, it manages to walk the difficult tightrope strung between the typically loopy coming of age film and a simmering disaster in the making.

This is a finely crafted film for grown-ups only ... and it's hard to remember the last time we had one that was this provocative and moving.

A worthwhile way to spend some of your precious leisure time, especially in this season of obnoxious cartoons and ham-handed holiday fare.

This is a stunning examination of issues of doubt and control, as well as a cracking good little thriller.

The movie’s ability to flirt with the familiar and completely turn it on its head is what keeps Psycho Goreman so perversely fresh and fun throughout. It never once betrays its dark heart and continually trots out practical creature effects that tumble out of a GWAR nightmare that keep it engaging, unique, and deliciously deviant all the way to the closing credits.

Marks and Power deliver that unicorn of romance movies. It’s funny, heartbreaking, but, most of all, intelligent and realistic.

Full of interesting visuals and illustrations, Tales of the Rat Fink would have made a really great introduction to a film that I never got to see.

There have been a lot of documentaries about the historic Woodstock festival, but many have not discussed much other than the performance aspect of it. This documentary lets the ones who were there discuss what it took to put the festival together, the challenges the festival faced, the unity of everyone involved, and what it meant to the country during a critical time.

It is a magnificent documentary on art and how artists interact with the world.

What starts out as a fairly conventional and effective stalker drama with a cyber-twist, soon gets too cute with its dreams within dreams set pieces and shifting realities. It’s kinda nifty at first, but Kon just keeps piling it on until you just roll your eyes, throw up your hands, and scream, “Enough!”

There are some odd detours, a few prolonged stretches of Holland losing focus. But you know what? Forget the blemishes. It’s a gift that Holland is still producing thought-provoking fare like this.

Although it runs 78 minutes, it feels like 78 hours.

Watching these old pros elbow their way into the spotlight is the film’s finest surprise, but watching Plowright out-act them all is the ultimate joy.

Open Range gets better the deeper you get into the story.

At the end of the day, Hillbilly still achieves to be a compelling and timely documentary raising a lot of valid points while being charming and fun.

The King of Staten Island is big on heart, but short on laughs (in comparison to Train Wreck and 40-Year-Old Virgin), but that’s not a negative. I like that there are only a few over-the-top moments. The laughs occur as a way to break up the seriousness of the story. It balances drama and comedy perfectly.

The filmmaker goes for broke, deliberately setting sequences against painted backgrounds or giant black-and-white photographs. There’s a moment when Tesla belts out Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” into a mic. Such embellishments could’ve potentially led to a mess, but in Almereyda’s capable hands, they somehow coalesce into a dreamlike whole.

Downey Jr. and LaBeouf as Dito as well as Chazz Palminteri as Monty are outstanding. Channing Tatum (who I've never heard of) is also amazing as the tortured soul Antonio.

The strong parts are the rip-offs of "The Conversation." The worst part is the lack of understandable character motivations.

Lock is filled with great writing, great acting, colorful characters, and a tight story. I actually like this film more than "Pulp Fiction".

The Cincinnati Kid is one of the definitions of what made Steve McQueen who he was. Through the roles he chose, he fit snugly in them, using his calm wits and all else of him to turn himself into the ultimately cool actor.

Strange Harvest is a brutal, well-crafted descent into depravity that walks a tightrope between realism and horror fantasy. For fans of found footage, true crime, and occult horror, this is a grisly treat.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover has the look, feel, and beauty of your Merchant-Ivory high-brow English dramas. Simply add sex and nudity.

Although overwhelmed by the use of memes, Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets captures a voice and flavor for why GameStop, Robinhood, and WallStreetBets have a meaningful place in history.

Sissy ultimately doesn’t break any new genre ground, but Barlow and Senes embrace these tropes rather than try to avoid them.

When Braff keeps the tears and the kookiness in check, he takes us into some unusual, interesting areas of the human psyche. And makes us laugh a good deal while he's at it.

The ride has plenty of ups and downs, but it’s definitely one worth sticking around for.

Perhaps Landon could step away from mixing slasher horror with classic comedies and create his own thing. Or maybe this is his thing. In which case, I look forward to The Breakfast Club on Elm Street, especially if it stars Vince Vaughn.

The dream-like, poetic result is an astonishing visual achievement, an example of what an artist lacking a Hollywood budget can conjure with sheer ingenuity. That said, some may find its impenetrable narrative and purposefully distancing nature irritating. There’s only so long one can stare at an abstract painting.

Gavin Rothery understands that filmmaking is a visual medium. The story of Archive is told through pictures as much as dialogue. In some of the most effective and integral scenes, no one is talking. Archive is an old story told well.

The Old Ways is a masterpiece that shows how great horror will be done in the future: swiftly paced, engrossing and terrifying.

Like a good rock record, Brothers of the Head isn't easily explained. But its original fusion of real and surreal will cling to your cranium for years.

While PP does contain the lesbian-toilet-poo-poo-homo-butt kind of humor you would expect, (Ba Ba Booey) underneath that, there is a real movie there with fully developed characters and engaging conflict. It's an absolute must-see.

With Adult Swim Yule Log, Kelly delivers a new dimension in seasonal insanity, and won’t the kids just love it? Just slide your arm into the crazy stocking until you hear a click.

Not enough can be said about Cage’s performance. He truly has shaken off all pretense of self-consciousness and can just go “full send” on playing frustrated hysteria and sheer unabashed lunacy. He is simply unmatched and fearless in this type of role. He has elevated shrieking madness to pure art.

Yiddish Theater: A Love Story is a slight but moving documentary focusing on the final performances given by Zypora Spaisman, the Polish-born star of New York’s Yiddish theater.

The story was painfully dull to me, and the entire thing (aside from the aforementioned storybook sequences) takes place in a dull looking school setting with hardly any change of scenery to break up the dreadful monotony. As far as the story goes, it’s a painfully basic story about two friends growing apart from one another. The drama here is as low-stakes as it gets.

The Life of Chuck takes a moment for its storytelling technique to be fully understood. But the plot offers intrigue, drama, and mystery in one compelling package.

The Paper Tigers presents a fresh take on an old genre.

It’s a delightful comedy about some of the darkest stuff we can go through as humans, which can only be pulled off by certain writers and directors. Gus Van Sant is definitely one of them.

An oddly sweet little tale, and easily Ferrell’s most enjoyable movie in recent memory. And even though his onscreen chemistry with Gyllenhaal fills me with murderous rage, this film goes a long way towards erasing the memory of his more obnoxious roles.

While it trades sprawling vistas for tighter set pieces, it brings Ethan Hunt’s story full circle in a way that’s surprisingly emotional and—dare I say it—earned.

The Shadow of Violence has interesting things to say about violence and, ultimately, how far you would go for your family.

The movie suffers greatly from very uneven pacing, a bloated run time, and an underwhelming villain.

The set design and production value are top-notch, which makes it even more jarring that the production sounds so modern and American. It is taken to such extremes as to be its downfall. It somehow seems less believable because we’re ever aware of being manipulated. It is a shame because, in this case, the real truth was so much stranger than fiction.

Lough has attempted impartiality by showing both sides without overtly stating a position. Either side could interpret the film as presenting evidence supporting their ideology. This both works and does not.

Director May El-Toukhy paints an engaging, uncompromising film in bold strokes, never looking away or shrinking from Anne’s boldness to act on her desires, or her willingness to remorselessly do whatever she must to restore the status quo of her life.

A low-key, warm-without-being-schmaltzy childhood adventure story that will engage younger viewers without driving their parents too crazy.

Medusa is an electrifying work of art that elevates its already elevated pop influences, a transcendental tableau of the true-life horror of female oppression.

The Darjeeling Limited isn't so bad as to offend those who love Wes Anderson too much, but it is not the triumph that his previous films have been.

The concept is intriguing and the car chases are pure adrenaline.

While The Last Tree is not a happy story nor a political one, it is a real account of immigration with no easy answers. Watch it because it is an honest tale, and Amoo’s masterfully handling of it puts you directly into the shoes of Femi himself.

Aside from having some great animation, the writing is funny and clever.

War is chaos and confusion even under the best of circumstances, of which this current fiasco clearly ain’t. The Prisoner… underscores this fact, as well as muddying up the waters on such commonly accepted platitudes as "Support the Troops."

Even with its amateurish presentation and off-kilter action, Dolemite is far more fun than a good many of the high-stakes, high-budget films that the big studios roll out every month or so. Personality goes a long way.

The ingredients were there for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind to become a cult classic, but the resulting film is a tedious Hollywood yawner.

Not enough to hold the audience's interest, especially with such shallow simpletons as these two women in the leads.

A fun time and a must-see.

It's an entirely different animal from Tarkovsky's hypnotic but opaque take, and it's an entirely different animal from most studio product in general -- Soderbergh's Solaris is a gorgeous and deceptively minimalist cinematic tone poem.

Run is that rare beast that tells you in the trailer exactly what’s going to happen and still manages to surprise and shock you.

The script for this film is absolutely incredible.

What Cuarón and friends have done is made a cute genre film. What's the harm in that? I’m sure Bernal will be back to his edgy roots soon enough.

It’s not often that we get such a fresh and intimate story of love and revenge.

Sunlight is delightful, dramatic, and deep all at once. The pacing is excellent, and the screenplay is clever. Conti and Allen bring a great deal of sweetness and vulnerability to their respective roles. The ending is about as perfect as conclusions get. Please watch this as soon as possible, you won’t be disappointed.

It’s refreshing to see a sex comedy that recognizes that it’s really not all that simple for all of us.

It doesn’t talk down to audiences, instead inviting them to experience something relatable, something that both challenges and provides answers. How refreshing.

Bottom line: the spectacle he was preparing may well have provided Jackson with the appropriate note on which to close his long, controversial career. This, however, I think even die hard fans will concur, isn't it.

Manages to put a new spin on things while being touching, honest, and thought-provoking at the same time.

While the screen didn't really need another Carmen, it certainly needs a knockout femme fatale like Diop Gai. Hopefully, Carmen can get a much-needed rest and audiences can get much more of this stunning African icon-in-waiting.

You’ll like All Creatures Here Below because you connect with the leads and their story and want to take part on their journey…for better or for worse.

In a miserable year filled with grim cinematic fare, this eminently re-watchable science-fiction comedy provides a much-needed spark of lighthearted exultation.

Bruno Dumont’s Flanders is something you don't see everyday: a decidedly non-sentimental love story.

Adam Sobel’s 2017 documentary, The Workers Cup is a maddening heart-wrenching inside look into a group of construction workers in Qatar, building facilities in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

What is clear in the overall message is that women worldwide have something to say about how they are being treated. Merlant makes this theme comedic yet scary. The film is fun-filled with great angles, set décor, acting, and timing.

As far as horror goes, Anything For Jackson turns up the tension as well as the best of them.

With a combination of talent and a child’s excitement and outrage for music, Green has a personality to rival Jack Black’s fictional rocker-turned-teacher from "School of Rock."

Demonlover would have probably been plane insufferable without Gina Gershon. All the other actors are doing an outstanding job of playing essentially dead souls, and it's a saving grace that Assayas allowed her, at least, to have some fun.

Chic, sexy, and just the right amount of sleazy, A Simple Favor is a stunning thrill ride, a viciously engrossing experience that has become so rare in studio filmmaking.

Great movies to me are stories that engage from start to finish and ask important questions at the end. The Dutchman does that from start to finish. Moral tales point out how flawed we are, and suggest a better way forward. And for Clay, that journey is far from over. Enjoy.

Behrman sidesteps overt sentimentality, captures some heartrending moments and most importantly, doesn’t resolve everything with a neat “happily ever after” conclusion. The lasting impression Giant Little Ones casts may not be “giant” – but it’s certainly not “little” either.

Takes a look at the man’s entire life and grants us an eye-opening look inside his brain. And now that the supposed be-all-end-all documentary has been made, let’s let the guy get some f----- rest, okay?

A symphony of small gestures, throwaway glances, brief exchanges of unexpected observation and silences which actually say more than pages of dialogue.

Franchi brilliantly tells this tale of a young man coming into his own with blunt honesty.

Even though McAvoy is the brightly shining star, it takes a large, cohesive team to make it all come together, and when it works like Speak No Evil does, pure nail-biting magic happens.

Almost unforgivably sentimental.

It’s charming in its own modest way (it ain’t Laika), but the simplistic character design is made up for with energy and creativity. Whether all the cadavers, complex inventions, existential musings, themes of progress and censorship, and politics will alienate the wee ones remains to be seen – but, again, at least it’s not pandering. The Inventor is charming and modest but also honest and true – a rarity these days. Hurry up and check it out before Gen Z cancels Leonardo for being a misogynist.

This could have been an unmitigated disaster, but Hughes' way with the material ensured it a special place in the heart of just about everyone who happened to be in high school while Ronald Reagan was President.

It is hard not to recommend anything starring Rogowski, an actor so unique in approach and delivery that I always relish the opportunity to see him in a major role. I wouldn’t necessarily go so far as to say that he saves Luzifer entirely, but he certainly makes it watchable.

If you like quiet, meditative supernatural thrillers, you will ultimately enjoy The Wind quite a bit.

Directed by Colin Minihan, What Keeps You Alive is an exercise in extreme style and visual trickery in the hopes of keeping the tension high. He isn’t subtle when dropping clues, cutting to an object more than a couple times as to warn us this will be important at some point. Working from his own script, the movie deserves some credit for not always arriving at the most obvious conclusions, even if it takes a well-trodden path.

Fortunately, the filmmakers have quite a few clever tricks up their sleeves, bringing us a smart, refreshing an affectionate skewering of a celebrated genre.

This year’s diamond in the rough, a small movie that is big in heart and promises to be big at the box office.

The guy (Grace) simply steals the show here. He's at once goofy and hammy, yet so lost, sad and sensitive you buy into his performance from the get go.

Although the film is handsomely filmed and features a surprisingly frank view of the political machinations within the upper ranks of Tibetan Buddhism – even the Dalai Lama comes across as a bit of a wheeler-dealer – Unmistaken Child is more than a little disappointing.

The ensemble cast of Werewolves Within is what makes it.

This is a very inventive, original story, in a cinematic landscape that sometimes seems bereft of such things.

This movie doesn’t cop out. It doesn’t go for fake, feel-good warm fuzzies, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Terminator 3 has guts. It has a LOT of guts. And it’s a rare thing for any movie – whether it’s a summer blockbuster or an indie arthouse flick – to have guts.