Cusack invests such sincerity in his portrayal of Lloyd that it's impossible not to root for him to get the girl. He's the classic underdog that we all think of ourselves as -- earnest, engaging, and impossible to resist because of his flaws, rather than in spite of them.

Oleanna probes deeply into some of the darker facets of human interaction, and anything with this keen an edge will cause discomfort. Three out of four "characteristic" movie-goers are likely to view this as a bad movie (too slow, too pedantic, too stilted). Oleanna, however, is no more intended for that crowd than are they for it. This film has been made for those willing to look beneath the surface to see a taut, intellectual sparring match where there is no absolute truth. For such an audience, this picture will leave an indelible imprint.

The best animated feature (at least thus far) of 2016.

The pressure on filmmakers to equal or exceed the impact of a beloved original is intense. In a case like this, when the reputation of a movie has built over decades, expectations are elevated to an almost impossible level. With Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve has met those expectations by crafting a film that rivets the attention, excites the imagination, and engages the mind.

One of the most refreshing things about this movie is the manner in which it combines genres in unexpected ways.

At a time when many comic book franchises are seeking to go bigger, with cosmic beings and multiverses, The Batman’s down-to-earth approach offers a welcome reprieve.

The Conjuring 2 proves that, with a sufficient investment of time and energy, sequels don’t have to be unsatisfying cash-grabs.

I won't argue that Inside Out is as profound or all-around engaging as "Toy Story 3," but the films succeed in many of the same ways.

For what we get, Dune: Part One is a great ride.

This is science fiction for sophisticated audiences and, as such, a fulfilling and satisfying experience.

Destined to be counted among 2025’s best, One Battle After Another is proof that September isn’t always the cinematic wasteland it’s often made out to be.

Georgia is a tour de force for Leigh, and her portrayal of the troubled, passionate Sadie lingers in the mind long after many of the movie's plot details have faded.

The average thriller, even if it's set in a faraway or futuristic world, tends to offer visceral, ephemeral excitement, and not much else. However, while Gattaca has the energy and tautness to compare with the best of those, its thought-provoking script and thematic richness elevate it to the next level.

It's a superior thriller made with the guts and gusto that too many recycled entries into the genre fail to exhibit.

There's no denying the film's power of compulsion and the sense that, when it's all over, it means something. Most viewers will be entertained and moved, and some will find their intellect aroused.

It’s challenging but neither inaccessible nor impossibly dense. Kore-eda invites intellectual engagement but doesn’t leave the viewer unrewarded. This is one of the year’s best movies – the third time in the last decade I have made that statement about one of the director’s productions.

All Quiet on the Western Front is the definitive World War I motion picture, the best of a surprisingly small class of movies.

The film contains some of Nolan’s most ambitious action sequences to-date but one wonders whether the plot density – a not inconsiderable obstacle for some who prefer not to devote their undivided attention for 2 ½ hours – might prove to be problematic.

Dreamgirls is good and at times it touches greatness.

Ricci's performance is brave and effective - the most provocative in a career that has rejected Hollywood norms.

Z is disquieting not only because the events actually happened, but because we sense they could happen again, closer to home.

This film is the complete package, and offers a thoroughly satisfying two-plus hours in a darkened theater.

Emotionally challenging and honest.

Taken as a whole, this is compulsive viewing and offers plenty of material for post-viewing discussions.

Glass Onion is a late year present from a director who rarely disappoints.

The real wreckage in Locke is to the main character's old life, and the manner in which it is depicted makes this one of the year's most intriguing motion pictures.

The characters are at the heart of A Simple Plan, and the gruesome complexity of their interaction elevates this film to the level of a midwinter treat.

The movie stands out as one of the year’s most memorable experiences.

With respect to Martin Guerre, Sommersby can genuinely be viewed as an homage -- the spirit of the original remains intact, which is perhaps the most satisfying aspect of this production.

This movie has all the qualities necessary to be a crowd-pleaser: likable characters, charismatic performers, a strong, capably-executed premise, and lots of laughs.

Can be best categorized as a fantasy adventure. Unlike many animated movies, it's not a musical, nor is it overstuffed with age-appropriate comedy,

T2 features bigger, bolder, more energetic action sequences than its predecessor.

It's a thinking person's thriller, where pyrotechnics give way to plot, character development supplants fight scenes, and adrenaline does not short-circuit intelligence.

Beloved is for those who want substance from a movie, and don't mind facing uncomfortable truths in the process.

Hit Man is smartly written, with Linklater and Powell deftly melding screwball comedy elements with rom-com beats against a Hitchcockian thriller backdrop. The small twists have big payoffs.

Although there is a political element to this movie, however, it works on a primal level – that of a person struggling to find not only a path forward but some kind of meaning in an act that lacks reason, compassion, or sense.

An engaging and powerful motion picture, every bit the equal of Merchant Ivory's best work, and certainly the most emotionally-wrenching tale they have brought to the screen.

Body of Lies neither panders nor condescends. It involves current events and has a political viewpoint, but it overplays neither.

If not for a somewhat forced catharsis during the epilogue (the weakest segment of the movie), Breaking the Waves would have been more wrenching than it is.

The sex is REALLY hot. Not hardcore pornographic (at least by my definition of the term) but close.

Despite being broadly classified as a “monster movie” and featuring sequences that are as wildly bizarre as any Monty Python skit, Okja has serious messages about consumerism, ecology, and food production.

It’s probably strange to call a movie about illness and death a “feel good experience,” but Wang has pitched the film perfectly in this regard.

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle aren’t interested in offering another re-enactment of the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story. They have something more ambitious in mind. Their goal is to illustrate the tyranny of genius and how a “great mind” doesn’t always mean a “great person.”

As much as any other motion picture that employs the preparation and consumption of food as a key element, Mostly Martha provides the perfect blend of cinematic nourishment and gratification.

It's neither glamorous nor erotic and director Steve McQueen has taken an unflinching and non-judgmental view of sexual addiction in Shame.

Although The Trial of the Chicago 7 has a serious message, it finds room for moments of (dark) comedy and (gallows) humor.

It is Lee's job as a film maker to imbue these images with life, and that's a task he easily accomplishes.

That Sayles is able to say these things in the context of a compelling story with well-defined characters makes this one of the early fall triumphs of 2004.

These are two fascinating characters, and watching them thrust and parry proves to be as impossible to turn away from as observing a grotesque roadside accident.

The Outrun avoids pretentiousness and the emotional stakes are so high that it doesn’t threaten to become boring.

The action is genuinely exciting and, perhaps most importantly, the concept of “Artificial Intelligence” is given more than lip service. It is addressed in an intelligent, penetrating fashion rather than being thrown in as a plot point.

This is a slice of life with an imperfect beginning and conclusion, but what transpires between those two endpoints is strong enough to leave an impression on anyone with the patience to commit to a movie of such unhurried temperament.

Despite never previously having made a feature film, Stolevski’s sure-handed approach delivers a winner. He takes chances, doesn’t underestimate his audience, and tells a story worth telling.

Isn't just an expose of the porn industry -- it's a provocative and involving character study, as well.

It works effectively as a period piece and, because of Roeg's atypical style, it retains a freshness and grittiness that allows it to work for a new generation of film-goers in much the same way it worked for those who experienced it four decades ago.

A wonderful motion picture, even given the weaknesses of the source material.

O'Connor gives the film a dark, moody look, which is the best choice for so many roiling emotions. This is not a traditional stand-up-and-cheer fight movie; the undercurrents are too strong and deep.

American Splendor is deserving of accolades, not only because it tells an interesting story about a fascinating man, but because it does so with such freedom and freshness. I wish more of the comic book-inspired movies were like this.

Two and one- half hours of gripping entertainment.

The lack of family friendliness does not diminish what del Toro has achieved with this magical motion picture.

Possesses the rare ability to make an audience laugh (and laugh hard) and cry, without ever seeming manipulative or going hopelessly over-the-top.

Although Big is generally lighthearted, it rarely plays for stupid laughs. There are a few of these, but the film avoids sacrificing character integrity for the cheap guffaw.

Martha Marcy May Marlene offers a challenging, emotionally riveting experience, even if the conclusion dangles at the edge of an unresolvable cliffhanger.

The movie teaches lessons without preaching, and focuses on the magic of relationships rather than that of special effects. This leads to a production as affecting for adults as for children.

It's refreshing to encounter a movie with a logical, intelligent approach to the dangers of zipping through time.

The Wrath of Khan is a top-notch, fast-paced adventure that can be enjoyed equally by fans of the series and those who have never seen an episode.

And, while there's nothing revolutionary or extraordinary about the dramatic narrative, the subtext gives Winterbottom's movie its force.

It's rare for a feature film to attain the trifecta of entertaining, informing, and educating.

The film is so exuberant that we don't care whether we're listening to Lou Reed's off-the-cuff comments about New York, watching Mel Gorham do a sexy dance in front of a mirror, or hearing Jim Jarmusch's ramblings on the romance of the smoking culture.

Movie-going isn’t a civics assignment but Till is a sufficiently powerful motion picture that it offers more than a history lesson.

This is a film of tremendous scope and emotional depth that uncovers the soul of a novel and brings it to life on the screen.

The emotions roiling beneath the surface of this seemingly placid drama make watching it an intense and involving experience.

A mixture of documentary and thriller, this is a compelling two-hour production.

A rousing tale that combines high adventure with emotional effectiveness. This movie works because it never loses sight of the characters no matter how epic the scope becomes.

The problem with End of Watch, a gripping police drama, is director David Ayer's stylistic decision to shoot nearly the entire movie tripod-less. Or, to put it another way, there's a whole lotta shakin' going on.

In true Sorkin style, the movie is all about the nonstop dialogue, which pours out at a mile-a-minute but, as a result of the way the words flow (not to mention the skill with which they are delivered), they function as momentum builders rather than verbal diarrhea.

Atonement is effective at getting under the skin, and some audience members won't like that.

This isn’t a “big picture” movie in that doesn’t seek to answer questions that are beyond its limited scope but, within the parameters established by Kennedy and his writers, it leaves few stones unturned.

Uncompromising, painful, and at times difficult to watch, this movie lays bare more than a few raw nerves. Some viewers will find it too real, too immediate. It's an experience, to be sure, but I wouldn't classify it as entertainment.

A superior horror film that offers a greater sense of disquiet than any other Dracula motion picture. Nosferatu the Vampyre may not be scary in a traditional sense, but it is not easily forgotten.

In terms of power and effect, Eyes Wide Shut approaches (but does not surpass) Kubrick's vintage work - it is thought-provoking and unsettling.

More than any other comic book character outside of Nolan’s Batman, Wolverine has evolved. With his glimpse into what superhero movies can be, James Mangold has given us something sadly lacking in recent genre entries: hope.

By offering opportunities to laugh, cry, and cheer, Little Voice satisfies in a big way.

The latest offering from Edward Zwick, the director of "Glory," is the kind of movie that doesn't require much effort to surrender to and enjoy.

Taking advantage of the studio's breathtakingly intricate animation, directors Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg have breathed vitality into this, the fifth "new wave" Disney animated picture.

This is no longer the James Bond we know from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. Welcome to the new world of MI6's most storied agent.

Anyone who watches District 9 and doesn't think of Apartheid, Nazis, and Josef Mengele needs to spend some time reading a few history books.

Poor Things offers an opportunity for cinematic discovery. It’s brave, unconventional, and unique and easily one of the year’s best.

It's not comfortable but it is engrossing.

It's a rousing science fiction story that proves an on-screen adrenaline rush.

From a purely narrative perspective, there’s nothing new here but like a new arrangement of a familiar tune, the slight changes make it fresh and enjoyable.

A beautiful film, not only in the way it was photographed, but for the manner through which the characters are revealed to us.

In a way, Fury and 1970's "Patton" could be considered companion pieces. Both deal extensively with tank warfare but from different perspectives.

Although many of the themes in An Autumn Afternoon are timeless, the film itself represents a snapshot of Japanese lifestyle in the 1960s.

This is a rare, "feel good" motion picture that doesn't insult our intelligence while making its play for our emotions.

The Big Sick has the qualities that could make it a sleeper hit. It’s funny, touching, and perceptive.

The movie is jovial without being silly; it retains the sense of adventure that characterizes the Western, but replaces the often somber mood with one that is airy and, at times, almost comedic.

Cholodenko, whose previous features include the pretentious "High Art" and the sudsy "Laurel Canyon," pitches The Kids Are All Right at right level - there's enough light comedy to leaven the melodrama and keep it from becoming overbearing.