Schepisi, with his camera always moving, has the knack of keeping the viewer as slightly off balance as Guare's story does, and the result is a fascinating motion picture. [21 Jan 1994, p.3F]

If you think foreign films can’t compete with Hollywood when it comes to delivering popcorn entertainment, prepare to be carried away by The Wave.

Sometimes the zaniness borders on stupidity, but more often it hits the jovial farce mark, which is largely because of writer Andrew Bergman's clever screenplay, Michael Hoffman's tight direction and a generally first-rate ensemble cast. [31 May 1991, p.3F]

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

This well-executed sequel is sneaky. While it distracts us with Chinese backdrops and buffoonish humor, it sucker punches us with a message about belonging.

More benevolent than Bill Maher's snarky flick "Religulous" and a heaven-sent affirmation of our common humanity.

Within the bloodshot-eye perspective of their other stoner comedies, it’s bluntly funny and ever-so-slightly sweet.

Suburbicon is a flawed attempt at dark comedy, but it’s hardly the disaster that critical buzz would have you believe.

Although it starts slowly, the accumulated tension and thematic resonance leaves us breathless.

A tamer tale of supernatural shenanigans that is far more appropriate for young children than the sometimes too-scary scenes from J.K. Rowling's stories.

The rare film that flows from a wellspring of ideas.

Doesn't rise to classic status, but it's an intriguing mood piece.

The movie falters once in a while, but Williams, whose frenetic pace had to drive the cinematographers crazy, is again impressive. There are serious moments in and around the comedy, and the comedy is delightful. [18 May 1990, p.3F]

Indeed, most of the famous faces are surprisingly adept at singing. Even when the actors are not lip-syncing (which seems to be about half the time), the dense, clever lyrics are intelligible.

Perhaps the spookiest thing in this slyly scary movie is the word-for-word way that Patrick's followers regurgitate his pablum.

The sequel has the same tone as the original but is livelier and funnier, mostly due to Hugh Grant, who gleams as the bad guy.

Like "The Squid and the Whale," this character study pushes the definition of comedy to the breaking point, and unlike the far less successful "Margot at the Wedding," it leaves us faintly smiling after the workout.

The debut creation of director Ritesh Batra, it’s a lovely little film from a place where the little things linger.

These wars being fought in our name may be dirty, but this courageous film reminds us that as long as we have a free press, they don’t have to be secret.

Like black coffee that's flung in our face, The Killer Inside Me silences the question of whether it's good or bad. But for darn sure, it's strong.

Ruby in Paradise is a fine, quietly moving look at a young woman's voyage of discovery. It is most memorable for the feature-film debut of Ashley Judd in the title role, but the rest of the cast is excellent, as well, and Gregory Nunez (Gal Young 'Un) directs from his own script with heartfelt clarity. [26 Nov 1993, p.3F]

With a greater emphasis on sex than violence, Spring Breakers is a more enjoyable guilty pleasure than “Natural Born Killers” and just as acute about our cultural devolution. For all its seeming stupidity, its masterstroke is making us complicit in the corruption of its young stars (who include the director’s own wife).

In telling a true story about hapless thugs who are the embodiment of Michael Bay fans, the director has made the most fiendishly enjoyable movie of his career.

It honors the original throughout, including a memorable nightclub scene and a surprise cameo that's a huge crowd-pleaser, while at the same time giving updates to make it fresher and better than ever.

The Women on the 6th Floor shouldn't work, but this efficient flick whisks away our cynicism.

Streep is astonishing, conveying Child's gusto, her quavering voice, even her height.

The edginess here isn't merely facile. Goldthwait's movies, including the under-appreciated "Shakes the Clown," are about reclaiming dignity from the dung heap. And he's found a fitting collaborator.

Among the pleasures of "Ghosts of Mississippi" is the rare chance to see Goldberg, who is such a fine actress, in a serious role. [03 Jan 1997, p.E03]