The layered film's blend of Austen-style romance, courtroom drama and historical look at the British slave trade works surprisingly well, though there are moments — especially involving the conniving suitors — that teeter on melodrama.

Irritates in the early going when many of the current-day interviews are so intentionally underlighted that we can't see what the group members look like.

Where "United 93" was a superb example of masterful storytelling, World Trade Center is a more conventional rendering.

The Illusionist casts an exquisitely bewitching spell with its dreamy atmosphere and pervasive sense of suspense.

Alongside the bullets and the one-liners, “Mike & Nick” doesn’t completely make the most of its time-travel premise. But it’s forgivable considering a story full of colorful personalities and the sneakily heartwarming theme of finding empathy and understanding.

Crisply shot and voiced by a legion of Brits, the animated Arthur seems aimed at the Scrooge and caroler in all of us.

There may be no crying need for this movie, but we could use the laughs.

Albert Brooks may have come up with the funniest movie premise of the year in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.

Modest yet pleasing musical pastiches that typified post-war Disney. [05 Jun 1998, p.6E]

The saga ultimately lacks the emotional wallop of the TV version. But its clever writing, strong performances and sumptuous production design make for a rich experience nonetheless.

Love Actually is irresistible. You'd have to be Ebenezer Scrooge not to walk out smiling.

Viscerally juicy....The movie is effectively cast. [25 July 1997, p.D2]

What we get is a tweaked variation on the litany of men-disguised-as-women comedies: "Some Like It Hot" and "Tootsie," just for starters. Obviously, this sassy farce sounds recycled and certainly appears to be in the coming attraction. Yet it's also funnier than expected in ways you wouldn't expect.

Though it sounds like a blueprint for either disaster or dynamite, the movie is a bit too controlled to be either.

Disappearing into the role of the troubled actress, Williams' portrayal captures the star's breathy voice and distinctive mannerisms, while delving a few notches deeper.

A cross-cultural charmer, an endearing true story told with intelligence and warmth by director Niki Caro (2002's Whale Rider).

Each character is decent and likable, as well as complex. The four main portrayals are outstanding -- so natural and believable that you are drawn into their story immediately.

This smashingly filmed and performed one-shot is (uh, so to speak) the year's best romantic comedy. [8 Dec 1989]

Droll mild amusement.

Based on the popular role-playing game and far better than that forgettable 2000 “D&D” big-screen outing, “Thieves” is a clever and often hilarious action adventure that overcomes pacing issues with well-crafted characters and a host of wondrous creatures both stunning and icky.

Visual pyrotechnics and dark humor aside, Three Kings rules because it dares to dig for such truths, whether banal or significant.

This is intelligent grown-up entertainment on both a political and a humanistic level.

While it doesn't scratch much below the surface, The September Issue is an entertainingly voyeuristic glimpse into the fashion world.

A charmingly sweet experience.

The Lost Bus is a cathartic quest and character study that works thanks to McConaughey’s steeliness and Greengrass’ ability to put you on the edge of your seat (even if it’s just the couch).

This wryly funny take on the classic ghost story, with its tributes to horror thrillers from "Halloween" to "Friday the 13th" and rich cast of characters, has distinctive Tim Burton-esque visuals, and a welcome dearth of potty humor.

The movie really belongs to Phoenix, who gives a haunting performance with just the right degree of intensity.

Warcraft wins by not trying to be the second coming of a 10-hour cinematic trip through Mordor with Hobbits and jewelry. Rather, it’s a simpler, yet still wholly entertaining tale of magic and larger-than-life soldiers in a battle for survival.

The skating scenes are their own reward: It's hard to think of a movie since 1950's "Sunset Boulevard" that has gotten more dramatic impact out of a pool.

Derrickson (Sinister) crafts a trippy phantasmagoria for Strange to fly screaming through as he begins his path to sorcerer supreme. The only thing missing is a Doors jam as the sequence unfolds a dizzying blend of psychedelia, geometric oddities and nightmarish dreamscapes.

In its own terms, Dumb Money probably should sell off sooner – nothing kills storytelling momentum like congressional Zoom hearings – but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better big-screen combo of rising stock prices and rousing joy.

Although entertaining throughout, it suffers from a certain lack of focus – bouncing from screwball humor to war-movie gravitas – before settling into a buoyant conspiracy thriller with real-life historical relevance and a satisfying exploration of friendship and kindness.

This portrait of the soldier as an old man is deeply moving.

A vigorous spy thriller that consistently beckons the viewer to catch up with its narrative twists and turns. Bordering on convoluted, it works best when in combat mode.

But be warned, fellow best actress contenders: The power of Gaga is undeniable as she rules House of Gucci with powerful panache and addictive swagger.

We are happy to report there is intelligent life in feature animation beyond planet Disney and the gaseous ball of foul language known as South Park.

With enough plot to take in a mercy killing and massive train wreck, Cecil B. DeMille's extravaganza is often cited as the worst movie to have taken the Oscar, as if a lot of lackluster picks (from Cimarron to Crash) were half as entertaining. [07 Apr 2008, p.10A]

Compelling, poignant and gently funny.

Rather than a glossy, superficial movie-star vanity project, In the Land of Blood and Honey feels like the sober, hard-hitting work of a humanitarian.

This is a powerful, poignant and provocative film, told in an unconventional and effective fashion.

The movie is successful at finding little details that make it feel lived-in and authentic.

Though there are helmets deeper than this movie, you do have to admire the level of screen showmanship .

A haunting and disturbing film, set in 1938, about "widow houses." Though occasionally overwrought, it emerges as life-affirming.

Trade unflinchingly sheds light on a heinous crime. Yes, it's tough to sit through. But don't let that keep you away.

Survivor is a pummeling, frenzied ride, one of fall's most charged action films. The gunfights and rocket-propelled grenades are palpable, and Berg manages to make the chaos followable.

The warden implores the prisoners to relinquish their weapons, and out of the cells come flying a zillion blades of all sizes. In a Mel Brooks movie, this bit would be funny. Here, it sums up the chilling situation in five seconds.

Pitt is undoubtedly luminous as the brightest star of Ad Astra, an engaging and even hopeful exploration about the consistency of human feelings, no matter where you are in the galaxy.

This pop-culture-infused mistaken-identity thriller ultimately grabs hold and beguiles, though its convoluted plot takes a while to get going.

The chuckles here come from the leads' interplay, crying on each other's shoulders and cheering each other up.

The best thing Hustle & Flow has going for it is Terrence Howard's powerful performance.

This meaty Irish stew isn't arty or elliptical. It ought to connect with anyone who's survived sibling tension or romantic fence-sitting. [9 August 1995, Life, p.5D]

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, in an atypically high-minded and low-budget frame of mind, manages to breeze through most of the gridiron genre's obstacles with his admirable, crowd-pleasing Titans.

The granddaddy of prison pics opens with a lecture on overcrowding and ends with a high mortality rate, in which Chester Morris, a bald Wallace Beery and stoolie Robert Montgomery (Elizabeth's father) are players. [24 Jun 1994, p.3D]

A solid courtroom drama that most fans of the genre have seen before. But great acting, an engaging real-life tale and moments of heartfelt honesty – with a fair bit of rousing satisfaction – elevate director Destin Daniel Cretton’s true-life story.

Salvaged by its rally, Reloaded seems less tired than "X2," its current sequel rival. But since its creators have said it's only half of a movie, we won't really know until The Matrix Revolutions arrives Nov. 5 whether this chunk is fizzle or sizzle.

The film employs a largely British cast that is perhaps the most impressive ensemble of any movie this year.

Thanks in part to McQueen, you can almost mention this in the same breath with director Don Siegel's best. [30 Mar 1990, p.3D]

One of the year's most clever and visually arresting computer-animated films, enlivened by a well-developed and credible cast of characters who just happen to be superheroes.

Cult director Don Siegel bookended Dirty Harry with this esteemed toughie. [08 Mar 1996]

Should warm viewers' hearts globally.

The good-natured silliness is contagious. When Streep runs singing through a Greek village, it's like a spirited homage to "The Sound of Music."

As the debuting title superhero and a new champ for representation, Liu exudes likability, swagger and depth – plus forms a great buddy-action combo with co-star Awkwafina – and “Shang-Chi” really cooks when he’s in a street-fighting groove. However, director/co-writer Destin Daniel Cretton’s ambitious adventure loses some of that storytelling momentum when diving into its involved mythology.

Joker is at times predictable and too familiar given the source material, yet it splendidly captures the essence of the iconic bad guy as a frighteningly unreliable narrator in the movie’s best moments.

If the original “Creed” was a straight-up knockout from bell to bell, the sequel takes its time with body blows – from all directions – to ultimately get you right in the feels.

This is definitely the year of Philip Seymour Hoffman.In Charlie Wilson's War, he and Tom Hanks make a particularly sharp and engaging duo, bouncing clever lines off each other as if it were a verbal ping-pong match.

A rousing spectacle.

Sweet, family-friendly and philosophically complex, Tuck Everlasting is an unexpected delight.

The goofiest, giddiest and, yes, grooviest animated trip since Aladdin unbottled its genie.

Gosling nicely follows up his Oscar-nominated Ken turn as an embattled Everyman who falls 12 stories, gets thrown through glass and pulls off an epic car jump, among other death-defying moments in the breezily delightful Fall Guy.

Katniss and Tris might still be queen bees of the genre, but Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers find a satisfying, teen-friendly way to combine rebellion, politics, science and a lot of jogging for a broad audience.

Flawed but not fatally, this ambitious epic's strength lies not just with its haunting melodies, pretty pictures, star voices and kid-friendly sidekicks - the usual shtick that makes Disney tick. [14 Nov 1997, p.D6]

A dreamy homage to old-school Hollywood as well as a haunting, female-driven psychological thriller with deep mystery and satisfying twists

This is a deceptively low-key movie with emotions visibly raw. Tomei (and Slater, too) give it the heart it sorely needs. [12 Feb 1993, p.8D]

Whatever problems some might have with its execution, it's hard to argue against a film whose intent is to kindle youthful compassion for living things and inspire action to protect Earth and its creatures.

Shine has a story to reckon with and powerhouse male performances.

Quartet is endearing, sometimes even irresistible.

Viewers who like clean storytelling may not be happy. Those who savor ironic wrap-ups will be.

The improvised dialogue has a no-holds-barred quality that can hit or miss. But when it hits, it can be hysterical.

Lovely “memory'' film. [2 March 1990, Life, p.4D]

With a little sex, some mystery, a little sex, an appealing title and a little sex, France's Swimming Pool has what it takes to become an art house audience magnet, especially amid the heat of summer.

Captures the complete exhaustion of parenthood in funny and profound fashion.

A tough little hostage thriller with crackling dialogue, surprising intelligence and an emotional wallop.

The Hunt is definitely controversial, but it’s an equal-opportunity offender that forgoes partisanship to poke bloody, gory fun at everybody.

Though not exactly innovative, Tangled has a snappy pace and the Broadway-style appeal of classic Disney fare.

Memphis Belle (the title is the name of the plane) doesn't soar. But it does serve as an entertaining historical account similar to the baseball scandal of Eight Men Out or the Olympic glory of Chariots of Fire (no surprise, since co-producer David Puttnam also did Fire). [12 Oct 1990, p.4D]

Whether together or solo, Blunt and Miranda are endlessly charming.

The very definition of charming.

DreamWorks' story of Moses raises the bar on the art of cartooning to the top of Mount Sinai and beyond.

Provocative, issue-oriented thrillers are in sadly short supply these days. But The East fills the bill with its examination of the intense commitment and anarchic impulses of eco-terrorist organizations. It's a fascinating subject on which to anchor a spy thriller.

This is a perfectly pleasant, entertaining and often witty romp with engaging performances.

From the bizarre opening (featuring a plethora of naked obese women) to the film’s parallel narratives conceit, there's no shortage of style, though incoherence butts in from time to time.

Like a highly watchable amalgam of “Field of Dreams,” “Zootopia” and Arthurian legend, the colorful crusade features a solid hero’s journey with a slam-dunk of a finale.

Birth presents an intriguing premise about death and the possibility of rebirth in an elegant, melancholy and deliberate fashion.

Brosnan and Rush are a smooth fit, playing off each other like a snappy shirt and tie.

Carrey's jolly green mug carries Mask. [29 July 1994, p. D1]

Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation doubles as a two-hour celebrity episode of American Ninja Warrior for Tom Cruise.

Well, maybe some of the performances are more serviceable than all-out spirited, but this is certainly not true of the two crucial ones. As soldier Benedick and his spat-match Beatrice, director Branagh and Oscar-winner Thompson (sporting an attractive tan) are all anyone could wish for. If the classiest married couple in movies today can't make the Bard multiplex-accessible, it'll be time for Tom and Roseanne to suit up for Macbeth. [7 May 1993, p.4D]

Though the competition hasn't exactly been stiff, Fey and Poehler may well be the best female comedy duo since Lucy and Ethel.