First-time director Russell Harbaugh presents grief as it is, in all its pain and ugliness, rather than using the convenient, uplifting short-hand that Hollywood prefers.

For those who like the director's body of work, appreciate "The Twilight Zone," and have a high suspension of disbelief threshold, The Village is likely to satisfy.

70% style and 30% substance. It has a plot and characters, but those are almost beside the point.

This is an unusual source of entertainment.

For a horror movie, Oculus is surprisingly lean on the scares. It's more interested in playing tricks with perception and bending reality.

The film offers everything one could ask for from popcorn entertainment.

This is a brave movie because it addresses a subject Hollywood feels uncomfortable about.

In order to show the "happiness" noted in the title, director Peter Chelsom ventures into some dark territory to provide a contrast. This results in a surprisingly unpleasant scene of torture and deprivation that may shock some viewers expecting to see a lightweight Simon Pegg dramedy about the meaning of joy.

This is “more of the same” but, at least in this case, that’s a good thing.

Finding Dory is enjoyable in its own right, even if its powerful sense of déjà vu keeps it from approaching the pinnacle of the Disney/Pixar collaborations.

This is the best adult holiday film in a while.

Jesus Camp is not a "hatchet job." The filmmakers did not go in with an anti-Christian agenda and use selective editing to prove their point.

Grumpy Old Men works more often than not. It's an example of a frothy, good-natured holiday picture that adults can relax and enjoy. As a comedy, the movie contains enough fresh humor to keep the laughs coming.

What sets this movie apart from the innumerable other entries into the action/caper genre is its social perspective. Set It Off doesn't preach, but you'd have to be blind not to recognize that there's a message here about the kind of desperation that can result from the familiar cycle of poverty, sexism, and racism.

Well-made and deserves recognition as one of the year’s best family offerings (thus far).

Although aspects of All of Us Strangers have a cheesy flavor, the raw honesty of the movie’s best moments propel the narrative through its less credible pitstops.

A respectable caper movie in the tradition of "The Sting" and David Mamet's "Heist."

Although the majority of the movie focuses on the interaction between Mark and Cheryl, there is a third character in the mix. Catholic priest Father Brendan, played by William H. Macy, belongs to a liberal wing of the Church found only in movies.

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.

When it comes to war love stories, The Promise isn’t going to challenge Casablanca. The movie is stronger when presenting the political situation than the romantic one.

Builds up enough good will during its successful first half that we're willing to forgive some of the strange and disappointing convolutions the plot takes us through during the final 45 minutes.

Sure, there's a plot, but it's a secondary element to the lines the actors deliver. Only Oscar Wilde has the same bite. Fortunately, Elliott understands this, which makes Easy Virtue go down smoothly.

As a race-against-time, Jason Bourne-inspired adrenaline cocktail, Criminal offers a couple of hours of popcorn-munching entertainment.

I.S.S. doesn’t disappoint but neither does it go above or beyond what one might reasonably expect based on the trailer.

This is a fine motion picture with a couple of superlative performances. It is arguably the best, most honest bio-pic of the year.

Frequently funny and occasionally hilarious.

It delivers what it's expected to deliver, and that's likely to make it a success with anyone who laughed his ass off two summers ago.

This one is a creepy white-knuckle excursion into horror, where even the "boo!" moments are so well developed that they cause a jolt.