Lebanon is inspired by the director's traumatic days at the front, giving his work a sense of authority.

This sounds like a comedy, and in its slow, deadpan way, that’s what The Treasure is; the film is an unusual mixture of joy and cynicism.

Essential viewing not just for those fascinated by adventure, exploration and survival, but for anyone interested in the magic of leadership.

A masterful ode to one of life’s most universally awkward phases.

It's mainly about a supremely annoying French-born LA clothier who became a hugely successful artist without pausing to consider his utter lack of originality or talent.

A long, messy cinematic novel full of hate, love, murder, ghosts, madness, poetry and Catherine Deneuve.

Girlhood veers between being a celebration of sisterhood (albeit an occasionally violent sort) and a chronicle of the cycle of poverty.

The story is good-natured, but Panahi's message is serious: That ludicrous rules turn Iranian women into third-class citizens. And what better way is there to get that point across than through sports and laughter?

Ridiculous comedies can be fine, but the ones that matter creep up close to the truth. This one lives in it.

This isn't a war movie. Rather, it's a powerful, heart-tugging portrait of the innocent victims of conflict.

The profanity-laced but witty and literate dialogue by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven") is delivered by a brilliantly chosen cast, almost all of whom are operating at the very top of their game.

In the end, inner peace is found by all - on screen and in the audience.

As this Woodstock-on-wheels careens through the countryside, stopping only to play for thousands of hirsute revelers -- and, once, to stock up on booze in Saskatoon -- its famous passengers celebrate with delirious joy the pure, unadulterated magic of music.

Thanks to his (Oldman) mastery, and Alfredson's, no film this year left me hungrier for a sequel.

It’s a breathtakingly human film — about a bird and a bot.

Support the Girls is one of the sneakiest bait-and-switches at the movies this year. You come for the cheeky title and stay for the relevant, empathetic story about working-class women.

Too bad there is only about half an hour's worth of story here. Mostly, we just watch the teacher get high, and his classroom talks about civil rights are nothing but filler.

Daniele Cipri's highly stylized lensing and Carlo Crivelli's bold score add to the movie's flamboyant aura. But then, the story of a bombastic dictator deserves a bombastic telling.

A beautifully shot, well-acted movie that manages to make a complicated, real-life story without much drama feel like a thriller.

Fives us behind-the-scene looks at Hirohito, the man and the ruler. The diminutive leader comes off sympathetically, as a man concerned with the welfare of his people.

In an era when documentaries are looking more and more glossy, it's almost refreshing to see the austere approach taken by veteran Frederick Wiseman.

You are left with two emotions - despair and hope - after watching producer-director Jennifer Dworkin's disquieting documentary.

A must-see for Nicholson's mesmerizing performance, which would probably hold interest even if the sound were turned off.

It's full of passionate performances (except for the wooden Li), sizzling swordplay, bold and dazzling hues, and breathtaking landscapes.

A schmaltzy filmed record of a Nashville concert given by the legendary former rocker, who has morphed into the new Kenny Rogers.

It’s a tale as messy as its muddy fields, and it’s a must-watch.

It's a positive hat trick by John Cameron Mitchell.

The sort of enigmatic movie that many critics embrace because it's open to endless interpretation.