Through a bracing pastiche of methods, we are taken on a harrowing journey that must have A-list directors, this very minute clamoring for option rights. It is beautiful and gripping; Flee is a must-see.

A languorous and poetic study of faith, grief, love, death and regret, set against the disheveled, but gorgeously framed, backdrop of Lisbon’s ghetto.

Probably the Coen’s funniest movie since “Raising Arizona.”

With Tokyo Sonata, Kurosawa shows that he has quite the flair for dry humor and peppers this film with just the perfect amount.

The Jester 2 delivers an interesting story with great visuals, great sound, and a fitting score

The final result becomes a search not for a knight in shining armor, but one of acceptance for one's own identity.

Tsotsi emerges as being among the finest films ever to come out of Africa. It is a brilliant, jolting and altogether powerful blast of energy and emotion.

It elicits so many laughs, in fact, that you have to wonder just what Judge did to piss off the suits at Fox so much that they would willingly torpedo one of the only genuinely hilarious movies to come out this year.

A great effort from first time feature filmmaker Jason Matzer.

There’s much to like about Hope, but it’s the honesty I liked best.

There is plenty of good meat on the bone here for the hungriest horror hounds. If you have some time to burn, the new Firestarter is definitely worth it.

Filmmakers Rossi and Novak have done a wonderful job of making all of this entertaining, not just for those interested in the business, but to us ordinary joes as well.

As corny as it is, there’s a lot of heart to 50 First Dates. But this happens more in spite of Adam Sandler than because of him. The heart comes from Drew Barrymore, really, and some of the supporting cast.

While the episodic script feels fragmented, Macy’s consistency unifies Edmond’s journey.

I saw this movie in a room full of San Francisco movie critics, and I haven't heard that much laughter since, well, the piano duet in "Island of Dr. Moreau" (which you must admit, was pretty funny.)

To be authentic to the book, Nichols tells a story grounded in reality to paint an indelible, searing image of a moment fixed in time.

This is John Hughes' best teen film, and it's a call to arms to everyone in the world who doesn't want to follow society's lame-ass rules at the expense of living a cool life.

The directorial choices, from the minimal use of music for dramatic embellishment to the innovative split-screen technique used to blur the identities of individuals in courthouse footage, are spot-on throughout.

Rather than an over-reliance on special effects, Captive State thrives on the riveting performances from specifically from John Goodman. This is a cat-and-mouse game between the authoritarian pawns of the aliens with immense technological power and the resistance hiding in plain sight. This is one of those films that will have you thinking in the end.

Political intrigues, potential murder plots – oh, and Putin’s rise-to-power and consequent 18-year-reign – Gibney serves it up, warts and all.

It’s a parody, a biopic, a comedy, a tragedy, an experimental film, and God knows what else. It may sound crazy to say, but The Other Side of The Wind is quite possibly Orson Welles’ most ambitious picture and that might explain why it remained unfinished for so long.

For those who don’t care as much about the moral of the story, there are many ways to enjoy this film. It’s a good time, and one can easily just vibe on the music and color palette, the goofy humor, and an amusing nostalgic catalog of Mattel toys and accessories without investing too much brain power into the social justice commentary.

It’s a very exciting, sad, yet extremely funny film.

Despite my highly subjective take on Botero’s art, Botero, the film, is still an enjoyable experience that presents an appealing overview of the artist’s life and works and will no doubt please his many fans.

What does come as a surprise, somewhat, is Fincher’s departure from his clinical precision; he adopts a looser approach here, no less precise, but much warmer than, say, the steel-blue, fierce indictment that is The Social Network. “Photographed in Hi-Dynamic Range” to approximate the look and feel of a late-1930’s feature, Mank is incredibly dense, lush, and extravagant.

The Belcher family’s adventures are heartwarmingly engaging as they pull together while annoying the crap out of each other. The music is catchy, and the characters are beautifully drawn, both figuratively and literally. The Bob’s Burgers Movie is the best family-musical-murder-mystery for the Adventure Time generation you’ll see this summer.

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

If you get half of the jokes flung your way, and laugh at half of those you’re still in much better shape than the very best episode of Three’s Company. If you truly study this movie and love it all, you probably haven’t done much with your life, but at least you’re smiling.