|
| 1. |
|
01/09/09 |
Good |
 "...the movie's racial themes are understated rather than emphatic... it lives in a simplified and sentimentalized version of the real world." |
| 2. |
|
01/16/09 |
Very Good |
 "...there is something quiet and real in the way that this film contemplates the curious interplay of happiness and sorrow." |
| 3. |
|
01/16/09 |
Good |
 "...a messy, lively melodrama, reasonably faithful to the facts of Biggie's life and wholeheartedly devoted to burnishing his myth." |
| 4. |
|
01/22/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...a deeply personal piece of art... a work of social and literary criticism that never lectures or hectors, but rather, with melancholy, tenderness and wit, manages to sing." |
| 5. |
|
01/23/09 |
Outstanding |
 "Its themes are serious, but they are addressed with a playful exuberance that suggests a young man's unbridled delight in every aspect of filmmaking, a spirit that also infuses Nemescu's wonderful short films 'C Block Story' and 'Marilena From P7.' " |
| 6. |
|
01/23/09 |
Weak |
 "...aims for a blend of whimsy and tingly suspense but botches nearly every spell it tries to cast. Its opening scenes are more confusing than intriguing..." |
| 7. |
|
01/30/09 |
Poor |
 "...shamelessly telegraphs every jolt and scare with obvious close-ups, low-angle shots and premature sound cues." |
| 8. |
|
01/30/09 |
Very Good |
 "...the tricky questions that govern the film are how, why and to what extent race should matter in relationships between black men and women.... an exciting debut..." |
| 9. |
|
02/06/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...likely to scare children. This is not a warning but rather a recommendation, since the cultivation of fright can be one of the great pleasures of youthful moviegoing." |
| 10. |
|
02/06/09 |
Very Good |
 "Not all are masterworks, by any means, but each at least rewards the modest investment of attention it demands." |
| 11. |
|
02/13/09 |
Excellent |
 "You could, I suppose, criticize the movie for being too sincere; too generous to its imperfect, self-deluded characters... But that criticism might sound a lot like praise." |
| 12. |
|
02/13/09 |
Weak |
 "...heavy with platitudes... so undistinguished that the moments you remember best are those that you wish another, more original director had tackled." |
| 13. |
|
02/18/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...a film with a stately, deliberate quality that insulates it against sentimentality and makes it all the more devastating." |
| 14. |
|
02/21/09 |
Good |
 "...both satisfying and frustrating... Mr. Perry dutifully gives his audience what it wants, but you can't help feeling that he might also have more to offer..." |
| 15. |
|
02/25/09 |
Excellent |
 "...lovely and strange... less a retelling of the Nativity story than a dream about it, filtered in lovely black and white through a sensibility that recalls Luis Buñuel and Samuel Beckett.... quiet, contemplative, sometimes inscrutable..." |
| 16. |
|
02/25/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...a modest, intermittently engaging film.... Ms. Taylor does make some interesting introductions, and the sincerity of her admiration is not unwelcome..." |
| 17. |
|
03/06/09 |
Moderate |
 "The comic swerves and dramatic twists feel at once dutiful and arbitrary, and supposedly intense emotions are explored with the arch, weary detachment of a school assignment." |
| 18. |
|
03/06/09 |
Fair |
 "...the ideal viewer would probably be a mid-'80s college sophomore with a smattering of Nietzsche, an extensive record collection and a comic-book nerd for a roommate." |
| 19. |
|
03/06/09 |
Excellent |
 "There is sorrow and brutality in this film, but it is balanced by delicacy, humor and a sense of innocence that flirts with mawkishness." |
| 20. |
|
03/13/09 |
Moderate |
 "...modest and diverting, rough and bland, with some good (if not quite Bette Davis caliber) actors and so-so special effects." |
