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]

The story is so masterfully told that one can't help but be enthralled.

Director Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival”) delivers a moody, visually stunning celebration of existential angst. Not that he skimps on the kind of mayhem that’s de rigueur these days, but you have to wait for it — and wait for it. But when it does arrive, it’s awesome.

A brilliant, ironic, black-humored story that shows what happens when the American Dream becomes the American Nightmare. [12 Jan 1990, p.3F]

The success of the three, separately screened films -- the first set in 1974, the second in 1980 and the concluding segment in 1983 -- depends not on their specifics, but on their ability to sustain an atmosphere that's appropriate to the dark but haunting story.

Perhaps the greatest triumph of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is that it justifies the enormous hype. Working from a screenplay that he co-wrote with Michael Arndt and Lawrence Kasdan, director J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek”) brings fresh energy to the franchise while adhering to the storytelling values that made it matter in the first place.

As good as the story is, and as brilliant as director Jim Sheridan is in his first feature, it is Daniel Day-Lewis who is transcendent as Brown. [2 Feb 1990, p.3F]

The Big Short is the film that “The Wolf of Wall Street” wanted to be.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a vast improvement on “Ant-Man” (2015) — and one of the most entertaining releases from Marvel Studios.

Unlike too many films these days, Zero Dark Thirty dares to embrace complexity. And that makes it not just state-of-the-art entertainment, but a great film.

The message of the movie is as clear as Siberian ice: Whether you’re a Tea Partier, an Occupier or just an ordinary Joe, you might be the next citizen who’s stranded in limbo.

The Kids Are All Right probably could have used a few more scenes to come to an even more satisfying conclusion. But it's a terrific film anyway.

Essential viewing for art-film buffs and crime-flick fans, but also for anyone who's looking for a great story, terrific acting and masterful filmmaking.

If you think they don’t make movies like they used to, Brooklyn is glorious proof to the contrary.

Former TV director Sidney Lumet's solid success is achieved without even once resorting to flashbacks or other standard procedures of the film trade. The secret rests in spirited dialogue, realistic setting and, of course, the excellent cast of outstanding character actors that make up the jury. [21 Apr 1957, p.106]

A lovably quirky comedy-drama with a rhythm all its own.

Greene's wonderful dialogue, often oddly contradictory, adds to that tantalizing sense of imbalance. [5 Aug 1999, p.G3]

Peter Bogdanovich's brilliant direction (on a par with his classic comedy, ''What's Up, Doc?'') has brought a successful adaptation of a stage farce to the screen, conquered the problems of the play-within-a-play format and most important, has lost almost none of the laughs of Michael Frayn's original play. As a result, ''Noises Off'' brings laughter from start to finish because Bogdanovich has captured the essence of physical farce and blended it perfectly with superlative comic dialogue. [24 March 1992, p.4D]

It's shocking that Grant wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. [1 March 2005, p.E01]

With a fearless director and his mighty pen freeing a talented cast to attack a vital theme, Django Unchained is damnation unleashed.

That action is bloody, but Fiennes' choices as director are unassailably apt and artful. Coriolanus is a triumph.