It’s a perfect vehicle for Driver, who endearingly captures the hangdog humility of his character. It’s a portrayal that might encourage more people to write poetry. And as the quirky but cheerful Laura, Farahani is just right.

Her may be the most technologically astute movie since Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: a Space Odyssey.” And as the friendly ghost in the machine, Samantha is a more inviting companion for the great leap forward than HAL9000 could ever dream of being.

Winter's Bone is the best film of the year.

A stark, contemplative and hauntingly brilliant film.

In our increasingly polarized time, A Fantastic Woman bridges the gap between ignorance and understanding through the transcendent power of art.

This is a strange, sweet movie, one that takes awhile to unfold but eventually becomes irresistible. [4 Mar 1994, p.3F]

A comedy of discomfort -- and one of their (Coen brothers) best, most insightful and most provocative films.

At its heart, Carol deals with the rules that society imposes on individuals, and the courage necessary to throw those rules out the window.

Cotillard gets so persuasively inside Sandra’s skin that it’s not at all surprising that this performance has earned her another Oscar nomination. And she does so without resorting to shameless, award-baiting grandstanding.

Lady Bird might finally be the role that earns Ronan (“Brooklyn”) an Oscar. As a young woman at odds with the world, and herself, she illuminates the film. Also worthy of Academy attention is Metcalf, who is sheer perfection as the quintessential stressed-out mom.

Portman is simply brilliant, getting to the essence of Jackie without resorting to a mere impersonation.

Seldom has a film so eloquently captured the craziness, brutality and arbitrariness of war. Dunkirk just might be Nolan’s masterpiece.

Enchanted April, from von Arnim's novel, may be the most charming film I've seen all year. Not only is it charming, but also witty, literate and bitingly funny. Then, without losing those qualities, it becomes a warm and wonderful love story, about dreams coming true, and finding what was thought lost, both in oneself and in someone else. [28 Aug 1992]

Doctor Strange doesn’t always make sense — but so what? It’s a mind-blowing special-effects extravaganza, and the most exciting comic-book flick since “Deadpool.”

Bob Roberts is a triumph in every respect: The editing is glorious, the use of music dazzling, the nebulous ending very true to life. [18 Sep 1992, p.3G]

The film is not only hilariously entertaining, but also firmly in the tradition of such political parables as George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”

Fruitvale Station has all the impact of a thoroughly researched, well-argued documentary. But Coogler made the right choice in going with drama.

Without question. Vertigo is one of the best movies ever made by one of the best directors. [Restored version; 7 Dec 1996, p.41]

Fargeat delivers a macabre, funny, tragic, absurd and grotesque Grand Guignol of butts and guts; a bonkers and brutal “beauty horror” that elevates the genre to a hysterically unprecedented heights.

Usually, the plot of a romantic comedy revolved around two people wanting to marry each other. With Powell and Loy, with their charm, warmth and sex appeal, the story became about two people who were married -- and liked it. [02 Aug 2005, p.E1]

With such supercharged material under the hood, a magnetic man behind the wheel and a nimble director manning the pits, Senna is simply the greatest sports film I have ever seen.

Boldly original, The Revenant puts everything else playing at the multiplexes in the shade.

Ultimately hopeful, but uncompromising in its commitment to exposing a tragic chapter in history.

Map of the Human Heart is a lyrical, gorgeously photographed epic as well as a captivating story of love. Occasionally, its reach exceeds its grasp, but how exciting and rare to see a movie that takes too many chances in an era when most take none at all.

It's a fascinating look under some of the rocks that dot the current landscape... A gripping - sometimes frightening - motion picture. [13 Jan 1989, p.3G]

Almost as good as the first film, it has James Stewart in one of his earliest roles. [02 Aug 2005, p.E1]

When films are good, actors and directors get a lot of the credit that should go to the screenwriters. In the case of Silver Linings Playbook, which is one of the best films of the year, there is a popcorn bowl of glory to go around.

The best film of the year and perhaps the purest love story in cinematic history.

Gosling is terrific as the coolly introspective yet disarmingly charming Sebastian. And Stone is deservedly generating Oscar buzz for her portrayal of an artist who can’t quite believe she’ll ever be anything other than a barista.

Simultaneously enigmatic and painfully direct, melodramatic yet subtle, playful yet tragic, Au Hasard Balthazar is a deeply moving portrait of the sins and mercies of mankind as seen and suffered by an ass. [30 Jul 2004, p.E03]

A film that's at once timely and timeless.

Lots of films claim to be different. Birdman is.

This wonderfully wry, painfully funny comedy about a middle-aged boy and his mother is Albert Brooks' most accessible movie. [17 Jan 1997, p.03E]

At once an unforgettable war film and a brilliant character study.

Far from being preachy, Loving is a beautiful film about daring to love, without fear or compromise.

In a stunning performance, Teller resists the impulse to sugarcoat Andrew’s egocentricity. Simmons is equally impressive, lending Fletcher just enough humanity to render his monstrousness all the more shocking.

A strange but compelling documentary. [08 Nov 1996, p.4E]

Up in the Air may not end up as the best picture -- that will be decided by the Academy -- but it has landed in the middle of the discussion because it's laser-focused and right on time.

It's a brilliant film, written tightly enough so that practically every word is important. Add a large cast that blends into a perfect ensemble, plus direction that gives every shot some meaning, and you can't ask much more. [25 Jan 1991, p.3F]

Shot mostly in black and white and imbued with a romanticism that's at once nostalgic and exhilarating, Tetro sneaks up on you. What threatens to be a mere exercise in style proves to be as involving as it is inventive.

Wilder consistently infused his films with wit and intelligence, offering comedy in his dramas and drama in his comedies. And Stalag 17 is a shining example. [28 Mar 2006, p.E1]

Die Hard 2, which is far and away the best of the big summer action pictures, is an almost perfect blend of suspense, thrills, human drama and, perhaps most important, comedy. [6 July 1990, p.3F]

Oyelowo takes full advantage of his close physical resemblance to King, but he wisely avoids mere impersonation, delivering a performance that’s as sensitive as it is spellbinding.

Don’t be put off by the need to read subtitles. Rarely has a film more eloquently captured the universality of human experience.

Remarkable...For All Mankind is a lovely film. Brian Eno's soundtrack is majestic without being overly sentimental, and Reinert's choice of images ranges skillfully from the ironically ordinary - astronauts eating, listening to country music and teasing one another about personal quirks - to the awe inspiring. [2 Feb 1990, p.3F]

An exhilarating balancing act, at once a science-fiction romp, a paranoid thriller and a philosophical treatise.

Often, extending a film franchise signifies a lack of imagination. But Creed is a knockout.

The film would be incalculably different if the lead role had been divided between two or three young actors for a conventional shoot. But Linklater’s patience allows us to see a thoughtful personality being formed both on and off the screen.

Involves the gradual revelation of the hopes, fears and insecurities of well-observed characters.

So I'll just say this: The Big Lebowksi is an excellent movie - and damn funny.

Working from a script co-written with Christopher Browne, director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”) pulls off a fabulous trick of his own: delivering a mainstream entertainment that has, at its heart, a poetic sensibility.

One of the best films of the year.

Nev and the filmmakers prove to be charismatic, and at times hilarious, investigators of the unfolding mystery.

The combination of a literate script, an adroit cast and an economical style is simple addition that achieves an alchemical feat: the best film of the year.

Entertaining in a way that’s practically unheard of these days. It’s about the sheer exhilaration of expressing yourself, no matter what anybody thinks.

Bursting with smart dialogue, surprising situations and humor that springs from richly imagined characters.

Richard III is a movie, and a marvelously entertaining one. McKellen calls it a "translation." It is also a homage to Shakespeare, and to the enduring power and universality of his unrivaled genius. [02 Feb 1996, p.1E]

The conclusion of Christopher Nolan's superhero trilogy is a hugely ambitious mix of eye candy and brain food. If it doesn't have the haunting aftertaste of the previous serving, that's only because Nolan couldn't clone Heath Ledger. But beefy substitute Tom Hardy is a hell of a villain.

Surrender, earthlings. It’s the Guardians’ world and you’ll be happy to live in it.

With Manchester by the Sea writer-director Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count on Me”) confirms his status as a major American filmmaker.

WITH Jungle Fever, a shattering movie that focuses on interracial love andracial hatred but that also confronts a dozen other incendiary topics, Spike Lee confirms his position as the leading American director of his generation. [7 June 1991, p.3F]

One of the best films of the year.

A one-of-a-kind concoction. [1 June 1989, p.4E]

Sophisticated comedies have gone out of fashion, largely because Hollywood finds it easier and more profitable to simply gross out moviegoers. But Please Give has real class -- and for that it deserves our gratitude.

It starts as a bittersweet parable about the cruelty of commerce, but the wonder of Searching for Sugar Man will not soon slip away.

Baby Driver zooms onto the screen with an exhilarating combination of smarts and style.

As much as anything, the wildly entertaining ’70s flashback American Hustle is a triumph of style.

These days, every other film seems to be an audition to make a Marvel movie — but not Loveless. This is cinema of the first order.

This is Daisy's story, and Hoke's story. It's a beautiful story, filled with warmth and compassion. It was a glorious evening of theater when I saw it, and it's just as glorious on the screen. [12 Jan. 1990, p.3F]

Despite a couple of drawbacks, The Empire Strikes Back is an immense amount of fun — big and splashy and breathtaking in its display of cinematic genius by a huge group of marvelously talented people.

What Inside Llewyn Davis is all about: the passion, and the pain, of being an artist.

Like those other one-in-a-million films (E.T., for example), Fantasia is truly entertainment for kids of all ages. [31 Oct 1991, p.4E]

An exciting cloak-and-dagger thriller.

The movie Timbuktu is as fresh as today’s headlines, but it’s paced and photographed like a timeless slice of life. It’s an exquisite, wise and even funny film, easily the best of the year.

Perilous incidents have riveted audiences since Pauline was tied to the railroad tracks, but in the hundred-year history of cinema, few thrillers have been as emotionally compelling as The Impossible.

A cinematic miracle, a film that carves out a vivid space that has nothing to do with wizards or extraterrestrials, but quite a lot to say about the fantastical creatures that roam through the humanity in us all.

Believe the hype: Black Panther transcends its comic-book origins, achieving a mythic grandeur that’s nothing short of exhilarating.

A far more interesting film than its title implies. And a film you’ve never seen before.

The first 10 or 15 minutes of The Fugitive are so skillfully assembled they should be taught in film school. [6 Aug 1993, p.3E]

After feeding on this sweet buffet, sated cinephiles will want to call the front desk to extend their stay.

With visual and psychological precision, Abrahamson brilliantly evokes the experience of living outside of everyday reality. And he does so without resorting to either creepiness or sentimentality.

Into the Abyss makes a strong case for the inhumanity of capital punishment, regardless of the crime or the criminal.

The film offers insights into Iranian society while also subtly making a case that human foibles are universal.

The year’s most exhilarating film.

The result, Pina, is the most spirited and spectacular film about dance since Robert Altman's "The Company."

The Master is not a schematic attack on a particular religion. It is a brilliantly conceived and powerfully realized work of art, with complex characters, exquisite images and ambiguously big ideas.

The Tree of Life is a religious experience. Overtly. Audaciously. Unashamedly. No film has ever reached as high toward the face of God and, in our commodified future, few are likely to try.

Beauty comes to us unexpectedly. That's the message of Poetry, a Korean movie about an aging housemaid that turns out to be one of the best films of the year.

One of the best films of the year.

Anyone who has ever loved or said goodbye to a pet will be able to relate to this heartfelt story, adapted by Cathryn Michon from a best-selling novel by W. Bruce Cameron. Director Lasse Hallström uses real animals and limited CGI, so the actors’ interactions with the pets are believable.

Not just a reboot - it's a rejuvenation. From the first image of sensory awakening to the final acceptance of adult responsibility, it pulses with the warm blood of a very human hero.

The film is a raw, unsparing look at the downside of humanity.

Great works of literature seldom become great movies, as witness the competent but plodding recent screen adaptation of Wharton's "Ethan Frome." The Age of Innocence is a brilliant exception. [17 Sept 1993, p.3F]

With a title taken from an American Indian word for "life out of balance," Godfrey Reggio's wordless documentary lured dreamers into the sacred cave of cinema, where they ingested the serial music of Philip Glass and the time-lapse imagery of cinematographer Ron Fricke.

Acting opposite Day-Lewis must give even the most confident actor pause, but Krieps proves to be up to the challenge. And Manville, perhaps best known for her work with director Mike Leigh, is spellbinding. This film will haunt you.

Brilliantly blending archival material, including clips of Baldwin on television and in public appearances, with narration by Samuel L. Jackson, Peck makes intriguing connections between the 20th century civil rights movement and the contemporary activism of Black Lives Matter.

A timely docudrama about the role of the press in holding politicians accountable. But in the hands of director Steven Spielberg, the film plays more like a thriller than a history lesson.

Film classic about a doctor and his efforts to break through to a young boy (Jean-Pierre Cargol) who has grown up in the woods. [15 Feb 2009, p.F6]