It's a gentle, unhurried drama about how people can connect with each other through conversation, nonverbal gestures, and writing.

McFarland USA, like "Hoosiers," makes characters a priority. The film, directed by New Zealander Niki Caro, focuses on the people involved in the drama. The narrative doesn't saddle them with cliché-riddled subplots; it makes them and their concerns real.

Although the film's real-world credibility is shaky, it works on its own terms.

5x2 is a little talky and the pace is slow, but, for this kind of motion picture, it's one of the best around.

An unevenly paced but ultimately winning romantic comedy, Juliet, Naked is the latest success based on a Hornby novel, joining "Brooklyn," "High Fidelity," "About a Boy," and "Fever Pitch."

Happy Feet ends on an upbeat note with singing and dancing, but the weaknesses that precede it deflate the euphoria.

The DUFF would make John Hughes smile. With its mixture of wit, teen friendly situations, and heart, The DUFF feels like something that might have come out of Hughes' '80s playbook.

This may sound like Woody Allen - in fact, it often feels like Woody Allen (minus the expected helpings of angst) - but it's not. Prime is from writer/director Ben Younger and, while it's not up to the level of Allen's great romantic comedies ("Annie Hall," "Manhattan"), it's better than anything the acclaimed New York auteur has brought to the screen in recent years.

This tale of four independent sisters of differing temperaments is undeniably melodramatic, but it's very good melodrama, with an accumulation of vitality and charm that elevates the movie to an unexpectedly high level.

Fascinating and satisfying the way the diverse threads are knitted together into a single tapestry.

It's hard to say whether Anchorman is the funniest movie of the year - it has enough offbeat and gut-busting moments to make it worth consideration in that category.

Divergent is less action-oriented than "The Hunger Games" but no less compelling.

A paranoia-choked atmosphere is the primary reason why The Thing works as well as it does. The setup is standard stuff, establishing that the characters are isolated and can expect no help from the outside. The realization there could be an alien among them, and any one of them might not be human, is what launches The Thing into a spiral of escalating tension.

Glory Road's strength is the way in which it blends social awareness into the sports genre.

Anonymous is well-paced and never threatens to bore or become too scholarly.

The best thing that can be said about Wright's immersion into the world of Tolstoy is that it's interesting - a quality not always true of Anna Karenina adaptations. The movie also doesn't feel rushed, successfully capturing more of the novel's secondary stories into its fabric.

The unpretentious, easy-to-digest style and short running length (a shade over 90 minutes), when coupled with strong acting (especially on Williams' part), make My Week with Marilyn a pleasant end-of-the-year diversion.

There’s a time and a place for mayhem, and that’s essentially what Bullet Train is: two hours of fights, carnage, and witty repartee. Oh, it’s too long, to be sure – probably at least by 20 minutes. And its puzzle-like structure is too complicated for its own good. But, taken on its own terms, it’s fun and energetic as only this sort of film can be.

Eastwood has captured a peculiar yet involving slice of life.

By taking a different road, Iannucci has provided something that captures the essence of David Copperfield without being constrained by every detail.

Has once again caught lightning in a bottle and unleashed it on audiences, blending humor, adventure, and a lot of nifty special effects-enabled gadgets and creatures into a movie that provides 1 1/2 hours of unfettered entertainment for children, grandparents, and everyone in between.

This is one of the director's mainstream efforts, although his penchant for the offbeat and oddly artistic has not been completely reined in. But there's plenty of unsparing, bone-crunching violence to dismiss the idea that Soderbergh is making an art film in disguise.

City of Ember has almost anything one could want from a science fiction-based family adventure film: likeable characters, an imaginative setting, and a fast pace.

Enjoyable, and will likely appeal to anyone who appreciated the 2001 film.

Although the idea behind Yesterday was to craft a love-letter to The Beatles, the end result tastes a lot like a typical Richard Curtis rom-com with a generous helping of John-Paul-George-Ringo gravy.

This movie ranks as better-than-par entertainment.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Green Dragon is Bui's recreation of Camp Pendleton, circa 1975 (filming actually took place in Camp Pendleton).

A thoughtful, almost poetic, piece that puts forth the argument that redemption is not easily achieved.

Red Rock West is a roller-coaster ride of a film, designed for those who like their thrillers spiced with the unexpected.

Playing the love interest, Kelvin Harrison Jr. does as much as he can with an underwritten character. Ice Cube, as is increasingly the case for the veteran musician-turned-actor, steals every scene in which he appears.

Ask Dr. Ruth takes the caricature of the middle-aged, diminutive sex therapist and, through the use of documentary techniques, expands and deepens the viewer’s understanding of the woman behind the image.

It’s an emotionally satisfying experience that brings to life a group of appealing characters and allows them to grow and expand in front of the lens.

In essence, Control is a standard order biopic of a tormented artist. What makes the film interesting, if not unique, is the style in which director Anton Corbijn has elected to present it.

Love, Simon is charming and likeable in much the same way that heterosexual teen comedies can be charming and likeable.

There are not a lot of laughs in Dan Rush's directorial debut, nor are there intended to be. Rush keeps the tone as light as possible, but no one would mistake this for anything other than a quirky, character-based drama.

Clooney and Zellweger play off each other perfectly, delivering their dialogue with the rhythm of a well-choreographed dance and falling in love in the time-honored tradition of '40s romantic comedies.

In Shazam!, the positives outweigh the negatives. The film’s fresh aspects are strong enough to keep the stale ones at bay.

As the movie approached the end credits, I cared about what happened to these characters, and that made the coincidences and occasional missteps forgivable.

In many ways, Godzilla is a cousin to Edwards' earlier movie, "Monsters," in that it focuses more on the ineffectual humans than the monsters.

On the whole, it works although perhaps not as well as it might have if the central relationship had more carefully established.

For anyone who wants a movie to feed their intelligence and imagination more than their eyes and ears, Pi is a solid choice.

The issue may be serious, but the tone is lighthearted, and that, more than anything else, makes Super Size Me a palatable cinematic entrée.

Tennant takes this familiar material and crafts a charming, captivating motion picture.

Not a positive triumph, but it does bring a smile to the face and, perhaps in some cases, a tear to the eye.

There's more to the film than nostalgia; it also offers insight, and that's what makes it worth viewing on the big screen rather than waiting for its Discovery Channel premiere.

Watching Thunderbolts*, it’s easy to forget this is Marvel. Bringing together the flotsam and jetsam of the MCU and allowing them to have their own adventure (without any major cameos) goes against the grain for a film studio whose mantra seems to be “Always Be Escalating.”

The film overflows with quips, irony, and physical gags while at the same time relating a noir-tinged story of seedy corruption set in the neon-saturated underbelly of the 1977 Los Angeles porn industry.

Although not a word of what Powers wrote is based on reality (at least insofar as the dialogue is concerned – and this movie is all about the dialogue), it’s nevertheless a fascinating exploration of the kinds of things these four individuals might have discussed.

There's nothing especially original about Unstrung Heroes, but the story is told with intelligence and sensitivity.

Even though the ending is inescapable (and therefore predictable), that does little to diminish its effectiveness.

Mary Poppins Returns is an imperfect sequel but as a throw-away holiday film designed to provide a family viewing experience, it satisfies a need.

Swing Vote marries mild satire with Capra-esque melodrama in a formula that works surprisingly well.

There’s enough variety here that everyone’s funny bone should be tickled from time-to-time.

With impeccable period details, top-notch performances, and the text of one of the 20th century’s most lauded plays, The Piano Lesson represents one of Netflix’s stronger unsung late-2024 drops.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about The Adjustment Bureau is that, irrespective of the misdirection of the trailers and T.V. spots, this is more of a romance than a science fiction thriller.

This is a film for anyone who prefers to leave the theater smiling.

The criss-crossing between drama, thriller, and horror is nothing if not arresting. It is also unsettling.

Boasts a strong ensemble of performances. Martin Freeman is the perfect choice for an ordinary, unheroic Earth guy.

For this homage, Emily, actor-turned-director Frances O’Connor uses speculation and outright fiction to fill in the threadbare historical tapestry. The result, although impressively mounted and passably entertaining, has the generic feel of many woman-centered 19th century period pieces.

Mulholland Falls isn't a bad film, but it definitely is disappointing, especially coming from director Lee Tamahori, who brought the powerful Once Were Warriors to the screen. Tamahori's direction is inconsistent, but, ultimately, this movie is undermined by its screenplay. Certain aspects are laudable, but, all things considered, those elements aren't enough to keep Mulholland Falls from slipping over the edge into mediocrity.

The film offers little more depth about the writer than his Wikipedia article and considerably less than one would get from reading the semi-autobiographical The Catcher in the Rye.

More likely to end up on the snow pile of forgettable Christmas-themed movies than in the vault of memorable ones.

SubUrbia is about 95% dialogue, some of which is clever, but much of which is pointless.

Would be a thoroughly entertaining affair if it wasn't for one thing: the plot. The annoying and pointless storyline is a constant irritant because it diverts our attention from the real reason to see this movie - the easygoing chemistry between actors Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.

Although Rumble in the Bronx isn't Chan's best work it's still ninety minutes of solid, campy entertainment. Most of the running time is devoted to the slickly choreographed action scenes, leaving virtually no room for plot or character development.

On autopilot from beginning to end, Lay the Favorite feels like sitcom blown up to big-screen proportions. The laughs aren't raucous or numerous, the character development is sketchy at best, and the insider's perspective on bookies and gambling is superficial.

Motion picture cotton candy - sweet while it lasts, easily disposed of, and insubstantial.

Admittedly, the typical romantic comedy thrives on tropes and clichés but the pandering in Finding Your Feet is so extreme that it gets old fast.

The performances of Buckley and Colman rescue much of what’s salvageable in the narrative and there’s some interest in how the truth will be revealed but the movie isn’t as funny as it needs to be for the satirical elements to work.

For adults, while The Last Mimzy is not unpleasant, it lacks the polish and substance to be anything more than an opportunity to attend a movie with one's family. The film does a lot of things but it never fully satisfies.

Raya and the Last Dragon should entertain children but adults may fidget from time-to-time and the overall impression is of something that, like many middling Disney titles, will quickly be forgotten.

Like most sequels, it pacifies its core demographic by offering “more of the same.” To that extent, it can be said to be successful.

Salt is more than mere seasoning; it's a full bouillabaisse comprised of bits and pieces of James Bond, "The Manchurian Candidate," "The Bourne Identity," TV's "24," and the Nelson DeMille novel "The Charm School."

There are times when the comedy works, but the number of genuinely amusing sequences are outnumbered by those that, in trying to generate laughter, simply seem silly.

The action sequences are energetic and suspenseful but they don't always mesh well with the dramatic material.

Rules Don’t Apply is a strange, schizophrenic sort of movie. Despite moments of emotional strength and bursts of quirky comedy, the film is undone by its generally lethargic tone and the film’s insistence to shift its focus from the putative lead characters to a supporting player.

For a documentarian of Herzog's stature, Into the Abyss ranks as a disappointment.

There are things to like about the second Hobbit film - the director's vision of Middle Earth is as beguiling as ever - but the bloating that was a problem with An Unexpected Journey is an even bigger issue here.

Detroit Rock City possesses three characteristics: an irreverent attitude, a high energy approach, and a loud soundtrack. While these qualities don't necessarily add up to a good movie, they keep the proceedings from becoming dull.

A New Era offers the kind of comfortable, comforting experience that Downton Abbey aficionados have been awaiting since before the term COVID was coined.

There's nothing excessively problematical with The Recruit that excising the final fifteen minutes wouldn't cure.

Tomb Raider may be the most faithful adaptation of a video game to-date. Unfortunately, faithfulness to the source material doesn’t always result in the best cinematic experience and this is one of those occasions.

A clunky script that reduces the characters to one-dimensional stereotypes.

The Swan hits many of the right notes but as an attempt to be something more, it paradoxically becomes less.

Unfortunately, much of the skill and craft evident during the first hour evaporate during the second, when mayhem and bloodshed supplant legitimate scares and intelligent writing.

Here's hoping Breaking Dawn Part Two gives us more of what Part One provided in the final 30 minutes than what it forced viewers to endure to get there.

There are too many gaps in the cross-generational/cross-gender appeal for the movie to emerge as one of the 2019 summer movie season’s big winners. Some will argue this is all set-up for next year’s Kong/Godzilla rematch. After watching King of the Monsters, however, I sadly find myself less excited about that outing.

Watching Battle Los Angeles is akin to observing someone else play a video game with top-notch production values. For a while, it's fun, but immersion is born of involvement.

There are plenty of small pleasures to be found throughout Darnell Martin's feature, but a compelling storyline featuring three-dimensional characters is not among them.

One key missing element: the world in which this story takes place never feels unique. We aren't drawn into it the way we were with Middle Earth or Hogwarts. In fact, with all the airships flying around, there are times when it feels like an extension of Stardust.

Like all B-movies, this one provides moments of visceral satisfaction while ignoring nuance and (at times) logic.

The Lucky One delivers what's expected from it: a heartfelt romantic melodrama with attractive actors in the lead roles; gauzy, moody photography; a saccharine score; and all the heat that a PG-13 production can muster.

The film is sporadically amusing but gives the impression it should be generating more laughs than it does.

I am conflicted about this film. I like the fact that it takes chances. I appreciate that it's trying to do a supernatural love story without falling into the schmaltz of "Ghost." Yet I recognize that the screenplay is like Swiss cheese - riddled with hole.

Although this might have been considered cutting edge 20 or 30 years ago, it has been done so often in recent years that it feels a little tired.

Despite all its flaws, Challengers represents watchable high-end soap opera material. The story is undercooked but the dialogue contains some nice zingers and the actors are wholly invested.

In a summer of high-octane action and testosterone-boosted thrills, this movie is out of its league.

The problem with the film is that that story, hackneyed when it first made it to the screen in 1984, has grown only more tired over the past 26 years.