The smart dialogue doesn't hurt, of course, and perhaps the best work is done by Bird himself, who provides the voice of Edna "E" Mode, superhero fashion designer.

Light From Light does not totally stick the landing, as it stays small when it should have finally gone big. But the characters are well thought out and relatable, the cinematography is excellent, and the conversations between Shelia and Richard have resonance. This is all brought to life by an amazing cast, who absolutely deserve awards for their heartrendingly honest and raw performances.

With a deep respect for community and history, Unkovski weaves a sense of time and place throughout, capturing the harmony and imbalance of living through dialogue, people, music, and work.

More a celebration of movement and music than a parable for our over-communicative, friend-lite, acquaintance-rich society.

With a deep understanding of his characters, Green has crafted a film that's devastating and uplifting without sounding a false note.

An uplifting experience that doesn’t allow sport and competition to overshadow the stories of the runners’ lives.

This weird little slice of vampire movies is definitely not your average bloodfest. It’s odd and dreamlike and one of my favorite films I’ve seen so far this year. So give Climate of the Hunter a shot!

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.

Catch The Fair One is a fantastic and engaging effort across the board. The direction is lean and ably brings forth the emotional truth of each scene.

Soucy’s documentary joyfully fulfills the mission of educating and entertaining, infused with the tremendous delight and loyalty of all those who worked with this seemingly magical production group.

Stolakis presents the facts in a studied but engaging manner. The testimonies from her subjects are genuine and heartfelt, especially as they continue to struggle with their faith in light of what is seen as God’s “failings” in their lives.

The seemingly total access and seemingly total coverage the film makers enjoy makes us forget at times that this isn't some Hollywood fabrication.

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts is simple at a glance, nuanced under scrutiny, and is a damn fine time at the movies.

A biopic like Oppenheimer allows viewers to take pause and understand how the human mind has powers that propel life and change the world forever.

Like many of Claypools bands, Electric Apricot is bound to be a cult hit. I’m just hoping it will have the chance to play before a bigger audience as I feel the film is just plain hilarious and I was extremely impressed at the way Claypool pulled it all together in his first directorial effort.

The film has a disarmingly analog tone, from the almost 4:3 aspect ratio and deeply textured visual style, to the often dizzying retro-inspired synthy score. Obsession feels handmade in the best sense.

This is a serious look at the corrupting influences of fame, money and entertainment, and what it says about us may be even more damning than what it says about its participants.

The two actors (Hanks/Seymour Hoffman) have terrific chemistry and riff off one another like partners in a veteran comedy team.

It’s a funny, sad, and ultimately joyous journey into a world that most Westerners will not understand. It highlights the resilience of people, particularly women, in a place where the system has set them up for failure. Yet somehow, they strive, survive, and sometimes succeed.

Guzmán’s skills as a documentarian have not eroded one bit. His soft narration reminds one of Werner Herzog sans his, at times, metaphysical excesses. The director captures incredible footage of the protests as a functioning organism, a sublime wave of furious power.

In the hands of a less capable director and actor, the thriller elements would be squeezed out to the very last drop; the film would be yet another tired exercise in suspense. That is not what Sweat is going for. It is not trying to make you breathless from cheap tension; its goal is to leave you breathless from an aesthetic and storytelling perspective. Without a doubt, it achieves that goal.

A very, very good film that examines male ego in a way that’s almost more Sam Peckinpah than Sam Peckinpah himself.

Esposito’s debut is an exciting arrival from a newly minted auteur. Fresh Kills is a fresh take on a familiar subject, with enough splendid brutality to go around the whole table twice.

Bell's documentary is an absolute must see for anyone taking part in any kind of debate about steroids.

It is constantly entertaining, inspirational, full of funny stories, and it at the very least provides a look, if only somewhat superficial one, into the brilliant, lightning-fast mind and kind heart of the great Robin Williams.

The strength of Out of Plain Sight is that it dramatically illustrates both the importance and process of science and journalism, at a time when both are under attack.

Shot from the perspective of Reid’s wheelchair, I found I Didn’t See You There strongly involving. The vignettes that comprise Reid Davenport’s existence really give you a sense of life from the vantage point of one at a lower elevation than most. It’s life, as usual, just a little different, is all.

Soderbergh's film will be remembered less for the (inspired) star casting than for being one expertly made piece of pure, unpretentious popcorn entertainment.