Lusts for a feel-good ending the material doesn't comfortably provide. One can't help wondering how dismal Jerry and Dorothy's life together will be after the credits roll.

What evolves among them is a kind of realistic fairy tale, sustained by the sweet gravity and guttural, deadpan minimalism of Thornton's performance.

It's a film which aims to persuade us of its truth without props or signposts--and it does so with unforgettable beauty.

Astonishingly deep and moving.

Not only one of the best films of the year, it's one of the best films of the decade.

Has such perfect pitch in small matters that, as it builds, it proves no less capable in tackling bigger issues--and what begin as chuckles become deep belly laughs.

The ride is remarkable.

It is one of the most beautifully staged American movies in a very long time.

It's a disturbing film in the best sense.

The Coens are masters at striking a tone and holding it.

This isn't a crowd-pleaser in terms of subject matter -- you've got a convict and a nun, with no love scenes -- but Robbins keeps it interesting.

Leaving Las Vegas may not be a top choice for an upbeat outing, but there's something oddly poetic about the simplicity of Ben's mission and Sera's acceptance of it.

A smirky black comedy that, like its John Lurie score, is jazzy, dry, and light on its feet.

This is, recognizably, an indie film, in the best sense of the term.

Byrne is a stand-up poet the way some actors are stand-up comics. His innate depth prompts The Usual Suspects to transcend its own cleverness--and this is the movie's smartest, least predictable surprise.

Startlingly vigorous and entertaining piece of work.

The film's technical brilliance and sentimental kick seduced many viewers unsuspecting of its polemical intent.

Surprisingly charming romantic comedy.

Though the film's subject matter is grisly, the electricity between Foster and Hopkins during their prison tête-à-têtes could power every maximum-security prison in this country.

Director Martin Scorsese's spectacular, irreverent picture.

Unapologetically sentimental, this movie is certain to melt all but the hardest of hearts.

Witty portrait of a troubled community.

One of Australian director Peter Weir's most sensitive films.

Director Charles Crichton's hilarious romp.

This brash, clever picture caught the attention of audiences after years of moribund product from the likes of Schwarzenegger and Stallone.

The Japanese title means chaos, and that is what is let loose when a powerful king foolishly tries to release the reins of power, in the hopes of enjoying a peaceful old age.

So intensely funny that the viewer must hang on every word: comic gems spill forth almost continuously.

No other movie released this year is as much of a filmgoing necessity as Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now Redux.