|
| 1. |
|
09/28/04 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Pokey pacing and middling script hobble the effort... [but] wrangling and presentation of multi-cast lead mutt is consistently winning." |
| 2. |
|
01/31/06 |
Fair |
 "Tale of a 23-year-old aspiring actress experiencing an all-too-vague internal crisis is ultimately too underdeveloped and slight to have much impact... diverting but ultimately weightless..." |
| 3. |
|
09/07/07 |
Outstanding |
 "...works best as a straightforward portrait of a dirty ground conflict fought in unfamiliar territory. Visceral and engrossing, if not ultimately a first-rank war film... Siri proves equally adept at capturing the tension and sudden chaos of field skirmishes." |
| 4. |
|
09/10/07 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...earnest, talky, modestly scaled... helmer Mark Brokaw and scribe Doug Atchison (who adapted with Rebecca Gilman) open up the play effectively enough..." |
| 5. |
|
01/19/08 |
Outstanding |
 "...one of the best genre spins on the pseudo-nonfiction 1st-person-cam since 'The Blair Witch Project'... succeeds in staying unnervingly 'real'..." |
| 6. |
|
01/22/08 |
Good |
 "Fraternal duty turns into a wild ride through nearly all Greater Los Angeles in Tao Ruspoli's breezy, brash narrative feature debut... the diversity of visual tactics, characters, settings and incidents keep this shaggy-dog tale consistently diverting." |
| 7. |
|
01/27/08 |
Outstanding |
 "...amusing without being condescending, touching without straining for pathos.... an underdog saga even non-metalheads will root for." |
| 8. |
|
01/28/08 |
Good |
 "...surefooted... will likely irk diehard fans of the book, as helmer-adaptor Rawson Marshall Thurber takes considerable liberties..." |
| 9. |
|
03/12/08 |
Good |
 "An agreeable tone and cast make 'Sherman's Way' go down easy. Still, nothing strays far from odd-couple formulaics... well-crafted if unoriginal..." |
| 10. |
|
05/08/08 |
Weak |
 "Likely to bore all but Mouse House completists, it merits sharp editorial pruning... feels indulgent, superficial and ponderous." |
| 11. |
|
05/12/08 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...an intriguing slice-of-life that observes the area's staggeringly beautiful and imposing landscapes and the unique challenges experienced by those who work there." |
| 12. |
|
05/12/08 |
Fair |
 "Major plot turns are so telegraphed that their impact depends on the viewer's susceptibility to formulaic emotional cues." |
| 13. |
|
05/13/08 |
Good |
 "...doesn't mine quite enough character depth or drama to leave more than a fleetingly pleasant aftertaste." |
| 14. |
|
05/16/08 |
Very Good |
 "Visually, sonically and subtextually dense, 'Mock Up' at first appears too much of a good-but-weird thing. But assimilating its internal logic actually makes repeat viewings more enjoyable." |
| 15. |
|
07/07/08 |
Outstanding |
 "...engrossing portrait of Richard Berkowitz is freshly engaging largely due to the subject himself: a still-cranky, likable former hustler ironically scorned by many..." |
| 16. |
|
07/08/08 |
Good |
 "A low-key comedy high on charm and credible twentysomething observation... Narrative grows a tad fragmentary toward the end, but 'Art' and its characters remain ingratiating." |
| 17. |
|
08/11/08 |
Very Good |
 "...engrossing... Mixes interviews, archival materials and re-enactment sequences, with Joan Allen voicing correspondence from Senesh's mother..." |
| 18. |
|
08/25/08 |
Fair |
 "...this attractively packaged tale of domestic crises echoing past losses is undercooked and heavyhanded, delivering just mild emotional impact." |
| 19. |
|
09/12/08 |
Good |
 "Conventionally well-crafted feature counts on the story itself rather than any notable stylistic gambits to carry the day." |
| 20. |
|
09/12/08 |
Moderate |
 "...functionally assembled, lacking the style or larger social context that distinguished similar studies like 'Inside Deep Throat.' " |
