THIS is one tough movie....When its uncompromising final scene has faded, we are emotionally shattered, left with some inkling of how the citizens of Salem, Mass., must have felt 300 years ago, after a reign of self-righteous, hysterical, scapegoating terror had swept through their claustrophobic town, sending a significant portion of its tiny population to the gallows, or worse. [20 Sept 1996, p.3E]

Bernie could easily have gone horribly wrong. But Black and Linklater finesse this tricky material with as much virtuosity as Bernie brings to that broccoli.

Kristen Wiig is the best sketch comic alive, and Bridesmaids should finally make her a movie star.

Not many films address motherhood with as much irreverence and insight as Tully.

The troupe's first film in more than a decade, is a more aggressively absurd antidote to what it calls "a hard, cynical world." Happily, it works.

A gripping account of a pivotal moment in the early days of World War II, grounded by an Oscar-worthy performance by Oldman.

At once funny and poignant — and not just for moviegoers of a certain age.

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

With the overlong, limp and lazy Spy, Feig has lost his mojo.

Reeves is thoroughly persuasive as a killer who takes pride in his expertise. The role he began with 2014’s “John Wick” is tailor-made for his laconic acting style.

In steering a course between the rock of rude humor and the hard place of perilous drama, How to Train Your Dragon flies high.

An evolutionary leap forward, a visually exquisite film that doesn't ignore the truths of pollution and predatory survival.

Co-directors Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos let the painful stories emerge naturally, without prodding questions or talking-head experts who place the boys’ grim lives in the larger context of the post-industrial economy.

At the end of the day, it’s still a comic-book movie, but one that actually raises serious questions about security, accountability and revenge.

If there is a criticism of this generally superb documentary, it would be that it focuses a little too much on Monk's mental condition and could have devoted more of that time to exploring his highly innovative music. But if ''Straight, No Chaser'' succeeds through its psycho-biographical focus in interesting more people in the music of this brilliant man, then I cannot really quibble with the approach. [27 Apr 1990, p.3F]

One part personal mystery and one part art-appreciation class.

The macabre comedic undertones are reminiscent of a Coen brothers film like "Blood Simple." But a more apt comparison is to an obscure Canadian bank-heist flick called "The Silent Partner," in which teller Elliot Gould pockets some loot from thief Christopher Plummer. Both movies imitate an American idiom with a provincial accent.

Sensational slanting notwithstanding, Whitney is as powerful and quintessential as it is overwhelming and grueling.

How could you not marvel at a movie that includes a revisionist explanation of the JFK assassination, a football stadium floating over the White House and the sight of Richard Nixon firing a .45 at a villain in a Christ-figure pose?

Cooke is particularly impressive, imbuing Amanda with a chilling misanthropy. Taylor-Joy plays Lily as a bit too sympathetic, but she nails the character’s cluelessness. And Yelchin, who died in 2016 at the age of 27, turns in a performance that’s as quirky as it is memorable.

Michael Keaton and Christian Bale are the best. George Clooney and Ben Affleck are among the worst. But Will Arnett is by far the funniest.

Amy Schumer is so scary-good in Trainwreck that it almost seems risky to speak her name.

Put aside any hang-ups you may have about subtitles. As action flicks go, Point Blank is right on target.

Cruise is as watchable as ever, bringing to Hunt a blend of steeliness and vulnerability.

For all its professionalism, I found it as cold as the ice rink at Rockefeller Center.

In a poignant and potentially depressing film, it’s redeeming to see that when they are with their kindred spirits, even the saddest skeletons can dance.

This deadpan police story produces unexpected chills.

A must-see — and one of the best films of the year.