The comedy in The Sure Thing is genial and unforced. Most of it develops organically out of the characters and their situations. It doesn't grate and it doesn't interfere with the evolution of the central relationship, and it's effective enough to provoke the occasional laugh or smile.

The result is a sharp, insightful, charming motion picture.

A workmanlike thriller that provides solid performances; a mixture of comedy, tension, and drama; and an engaging storyline. But there's nothing extraordinary about the movie.

It’s a strong performance of a character worthy of biopic treatment. Dolemite lives!

The vibe, if not the specifics, is highly reminiscent of "The Last Starfighter," "Battlestar Galactica," "Battle Beyond the Stars," and others. The fact that the movie's "present" is defined as being 1988 and the soundtrack is peppered with '70s tunes cements the retro feeling.

Together, Crystal and Ryan really click. Even though their characters are polar opposites (or perhaps because of it), their interaction has a charm and warmth that most motion picture pairings lack.

The acting is uniformly superb.

A bleak, black satire that occasionally strays all the way into "Pulp Fiction" territory.

The 30-minute finale, which includes a tense stand-off with Ben's gang, is masterfully executed. It's perfectly paced, suspenseful, and ends in a way that's both appropriate and satisfying.

Jane Eyre is good enough to provide lovers of classic literature with a reason to venture to theaters without being subjected to a salacious or demeaning adaptation.

Not only is it based on a fairly original premise, but the humor exhibits a distinct edge.

A Monster Calls is a deeply moving drama that should find favor with viewers of all ages (except the very young). It’s a stunning work of artistry and emotional heft with an ending that speaks as loudly to children, parents, and grand-parents. It’s difficult to shake and impossible to forget.

This is an unusual source of entertainment.

Although the narrative for Their Finest occasionally rambles (too much time is spent buffing Ambrose’s backstory, which is only tangentially germane to the main tale), it is by-and-large a stirring drama that incorporates lighter moments with scenes of deeply felt tragedy.

In today's environment, it's a rare thing to find a movie with interesting characters in dense, intelligent storylines, but that's what Syriana offers. It is one of the best films of 2005.

The richness of its tapestry, densely woven from human emotions and character interaction, ensure it will never lose that relevance.

Dreamgirls is good and at times it touches greatness.

The story, which retains an element of corny appeal, is hamstrung by a too-long running length that tries the viewer’s patience.

Escape from New York isn't really science fiction -- it's an action flick set in a futuristic setting. Epic potential for a masterful, gripping tale is abandoned in favor of cheap thrills.

It may not be frivolously engaging but it is compelling.

The Father of My Children is exceptional drama. Compelling and unforced, it shows sensitivity and evenhandedness in approaching a difficult subject.

As documentary biographies go, it's workmanlike but conventional – a solid effort and worthwhile investment of time though by no means a transformative or perspective-shifting film.

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

Dave is proof that predictable movies with only a marginally original premise can still be tremendous fun.

Menace II Society has a devastating impact. Few films possess the power to keep an audience sitting in stunned silence after the end credits begin rolling, but this is one of them.

Starts slowly, but builds to a satisfying conclusion.

Under a director with less vision and ambition, Heat could have been just another routine crime drama, but Mann brings such an edge to the proceedings that the threadbare story takes on a new urgency.

Although ultimately a triumphant story, this biography doesn't see its subject through rose-colored glasses. It takes chances, and that's why it works.

The only reason Soul Kitchen is being marketed as an "art film" in the United States is because it is subtitled. On merit, this is as mainstream as one can imagine - a generic, feel-good plot that's fit for a sit-com. Call it My Big Fat Greek Restaurant.

Talk to Me isn’t for the faint of heart. It isn’t for those who believe horror movies can easily be shaken off. And it isn’t for those who aren’t willing to pay attention and allow the film’s unsettling aesthetic to seep into one’s bones.

It's fascinating to see how life imitates art; the closing months of Tolstoy's life read like something he might have penned. One need not be familiar with "War and Peace," "Anna Karenina," or anything else written by the Russian great to appreciate the movie, however.

The movie with which it has the closest relationship may be "Glengarry Glen Ross." The same sense of desperation, the same need to make the sale, permeates Margin Call. Both films are to some degree about the dehumanizing impact of money and both are driven more by characters than plot points.

The meandering nature of the screenplay causes the movie to seem overlong as it noticeably loses momentum following a key coming-of-age moment. The episodes that follow don’t seem as fully realized as the ones that come before and, by the time The Hand of God ends, it’s floundering. On the whole, however, this is a charming and at times moving reminder of what it meant to be young in the 1980s.

While having a female director perhaps gives Wonder Woman a subtly different perspective, the real strengths of this production are its lead actors, the period piece setting, and an unexpected emotional resonance that one doesn’t expect from a popcorn movie.

The casting is perfect. Webb has chosen leads who are familiar but not overexposed, and who are on equal footing (neither overshadows the other).

Offbeat, daring, and the kind of offering Hollywood will never come close to embracing.

In a year when no fewer than five films have dealt with themes of man vs. nature and survival (including The Martian, Everest, In the Heart of the Sea, and A Walk in the Woods), The Revenant is by far the most brutal, challenging, and astounding of these.

No Sudden Move represents [Soderbergh's] best post-“retirement” effort and this is a real treasure for those with an affinity for ensemble crime movies.

Safe does not succeed at everything it attempts. The film is overlong and there are times when more aggressive editing might have improved the pace. However, despite certain dramatic shortcomings, Safe is an insightful and darkly comical social commentary.

Although not as good as the first Sisu—which made my 2022 Top 10 and has since become a cult favorite—Road to Revenge is a worthy follow-up.

Although at times fictionalized to make for a more cinematic retelling, the movie is largely accurate and rigorously avoids exploitation.

Offers the prospect of seeing beyond the stereotypes that plague Native Americans in even the best films.

With September 5, Fehlbaum has crafted one of 2024’s most unlikely thrillers. It’s also one of the best movies to reach screens in a year when genuine tension has been too often absent from films in which it should have been a key ingredient.

It's a powerful, affecting tale that uses scenes of the young couple's new love as a counterpoint to Iris' final days - memories of a brightest spring echoing in the darkest depths of winter.

Witness states its position about clashing cultures with eloquence.

Nil by Mouth is as powerful as it is uncomfortable, and those in search of a pleasant movie-going experience would be best served looking elsewhere. However, for anyone who isn't bothered by the thought of experiencing a shock to the system, this film is not to be missed. It approaches a serious social issue in the best, most dramatically true manner.

The movie as a whole isn’t about moments but a synthesis of all the factors that enriched the girls’ tennis DNA. Regardless of how much is true, how much has been softened and reshaped to suit the movie’s perspective, and how much is fabricated, the end result is compelling drama with top-notch performances and a feel-good denouement.

Kudos to Darren Aronofsky for having the courage to make this film. Kudos to Paramount Pictures for having the guts to open this wide rather than burying it or hiding it as a VOD release. It’s too bad it doesn’t work.

I like Steve Buscemi. I really do, which is why it's such an disagreeable task to write a review that condemns his directorial debut as a waste of film. I'm not talking about a good idea gone awry, I'm referring to something that's rotten to the core.

Howard is an affectionate but unremarkable biography of Ashman that uses archived clips and new interviews to present an overview of the man’s life with a special attention on his later years.

The Usual Suspects is an accomplished synthesis of noir elements and, as such, is an entertaining entry to the genre.

The problems with 10 Cloverfield Lane result from attempts to tie it, however tenuously, to the earlier movie. Take away the disappointing, disjointed, and anti-climactic final act, and this is an effective white-knuckle psychological thriller.

Ultimately, however, A Dangerous Method is less about the formative years of psychotherapy and two of its progenitors than it is about a rule-breaking extramarital affair.

Admittedly, Mother has a weak beginning and ending, but the material in between is what makes it worth watching. This probably isn't the funniest or most inventive comedy of the year, but it gets high marks in both categories.

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.

Only a handful of working film makers are capable of presenting the English language with the artistry and rhythm employed here (Tarantino and Mamet come to mind), and the director's approach makes apparently-banal conversations come alive.

Bold and stirring with impeccable production values, The Last of the Mohicans is a memorable motion picture adventure, and one of the best films of the year.

Like in "Training Day" and "Malcolm X," where he portrayed less than perfect individuals, Washington rules the screen. His portrayal is one of many things that elevates this film to the level of being consistently entertaining and occasionally compelling.

Reese Witherspoon's unglamorous, understated supporting work recalls the kinds of films she made before becoming a movie star. Other recognizable faces include Sam Shepard, Joe Don Baker, Michael Shannon, and Sarah Paulson.

The most notable element of screenwriter Dan Gilroy's debut feature is the performance he elicits from Jake Gyllenhaal. In the tradition of Brando, Bale, Theron, and others, Gyllenhaal undergoes a radical physical transformation to play the part of Louis Bloom.

Many of the characters might have longer, more fully fleshed-out arcs. But what Prince-Bythewood provides is more than enough for a rousing motion picture filled with well-choreographed battle scenes effectively folded into stories of human interest.

Asteroid City doesn’t represent Anderson in peak form but it’s an occasionally enjoyable diversion that offers enough smiles and low-key laughs to paper over a few the filmmaker’s annoying tendencies.

The screen translation of Catching Fire, the second volume of the series, offers its audience many of the elements that made The Hunger Games compelling, but adds to that by deepening the themes and emotional currents and traveling to darker destinations.

It's a deliciously amusing and sometimes surprisingly poignant look at the difficulties of being a 15-year old outsider whose chief goals in life are getting laid and making sure his parents don't split up.

Although I didn’t find the film particularly noteworthy, I enjoyed visiting Paris in the late 1950s and appreciated the behind-the-scenes tour. Like many hangout films, it’s simply enjoyable to spend time with the characters, even if nothing momentous occurs (depending on one’s definition of whether the making of a classic movie qualifies as “momentous”).

What if Quentin Tarantino collaborated with John Hughes on a teen comedy? Superbad is a decent approximation of what the result might be.

The Truth is layered and offers a treat for those who savor acting on the highest level, but it is a step down from his best films and may hold its strongest appeal for those who label themselves cineastes and art house movie-lovers.

It’s experimental without being off-putting and it uses its 100 minutes to build out a character who was frustratingly incomplete in X.

The result, regardless of how it was arrived at, is gutless.

As counter-programming to the early summer season's blockbusters, this delivers better than a lot of the more expensive titles against which it is competing. It serves as a potent reminder that a well-crafted atmosphere and a singular, focused vision can be far more terrifying than a hundred million dollars' worth of digital effects.

Final Account may ultimately be more important for the voices it immortalizes than for its worth as a conventional documentary.

Balances character development with plot, and that's crucial to its success.

It doesn’t break any molds but expertly crafts familiar material into an end product that will likely appeal to a wide audience.

On balance, more of the movie works than doesn't, but this isn't 140 minutes of unqualified successes.

Kids for Cash may not be inherently cinematic (a lot of the footage, after all, first appeared on television) but it is compelling.

The film is notable for continuing to expand the corporation’s reach into different cultures while displaying a welcome maturation of animation beyond the conventional American standard into something that, although no less family-friendly, is thought-provoking and stimulating.

Lucas manages to be touching, sad, thoughtful, funny, and joyous - it's a nearly-perfect portrait of the incredible highs and lows that accompany the high school journey of a square peg who doesn't fit into a round hole.

From narrative to character development to staging, every frame of Mistress America drips with artifice. It's a playground for unpleasant, self-absorbed characters - an excursion into the lifestyles of people most of us would prefer to bypass. If there's an antonym for self-awareness, it applies to nearly everyone populating this misfire.

Likely to bring a smile to your lips and a bounce to your step.

Rango is the poster child for those who are anti-3-D, and a great reminder that genuine creativity doesn't need a gimmicky crutch to appeal to audiences.

This is a fun, funny trifle that deserves to be enjoyed on its own terms – a throwback that only feels old when that serves its purposes.

The film doesn't have much of a narrative, and the ending is a little too mystical, but there's still plenty here to engage the attention of all but the most restless of movie-goers.

The end result, however, whether pruned during the scripting stage or in the editing room, is a taut and compelling piece of cinema whose release in the wake of the 2024 election may have some viewers pondering Winston Churchill’s 1948 warning: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

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

It's bland as often as it is affecting, and presents little that's new or original.

It is at times serious and at times very funny. But it is always perceptive, and that quality, more than any other, is what makes it worth a recommendation.

This film is an autopsy of a family that has been sundered by the death of the father and primary care-giver.

The Wolf of Wall Street joins "After Hours" as the most openly comedic films Scorsese has made.

Whether on stage or on film, The Crucible is a powerful, thought-provoking production. This version illuminates the story's numerous strengths, resulting in a motion picture of surprising emotional and intellectual impact. By re-interpreting this classic so effectively, Hytner has assured that at least one version of "The Crucible" will become a part of film history.

Blue Velvet is David Lynch in peak form, and represents (to date) his most accomplished motion picture. It is a work of fascinating scope and power that rivals any of the most subversive films to reach the screens during the '80s.

Bridesmaids is bipolar filmmaking at its most disconcerting, with changes in tone so abrupt that they can cause whiplash. In part because of this and in part because the writing is often lazy and self-indulgent, the movie rarely works.

Fascinating, garish, and compelling even with an overlong 130-odd minute running time, Benedetta dabbles in some of Verhoeven’s career-long weaknesses while highlighting a great many of his strengths.

One of the singular pleasures of films like The Invisible Woman is the window they offer into the lives of deceased authors who are known primarily to modern audiences only through the words they committed to paper.

There are good reasons to see Tully. Theron’s performance is high on the list, as is that of Mackenzie Davis. The first 30 minutes are uncommonly good, which may be why the spike of disappointment is so acute when the film fails to maintain that level for its entire length.

It's a rousing adventure that keeps the audience involved for the entirety of the two hour running time while opening a window into the culture that gave birth to Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Francis Bacon, and William Shakespeare.

The Muppets is a rare family film likely to appeal more to parents than to their offspring.

Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Churchill is among the best to reach the screen. With the help of makeup, Oldman immerses himself so deeply in the role that the actor disappears.

The problem with An Inconvenient Truth isn't the message; it's the messenger.