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| 1. |
|
01/08/09 |
Moderate |
 "David Morrison's cinematography gives 'Tracing' a meditative beauty. The rest of Jason Wulfsohn's sophomore feature, inspired by and constantly referencing John Ford's 'The Searchers,' is a little less successful." |
| 2. |
|
01/21/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "It's a lot to take in, and Peralta does an admirable job cramming tons of history and insight into his reportage on how the 'hood' came to be." |
| 3. |
|
01/28/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...tender, smart, soulful... pointedly and poetically about race, gentrification, and the emotional temperature of the modern Afro-American..." |
| 4. |
Village Voice Alternative Weeklies |
02/05/09 |
Poor |
 "...overlong..." |
| 5. |
|
02/05/09 |
Poor |
"...a dreary checklist of pratfalls, wan double entendres, and frantic, unfunny set pieces." |
| 6. |
|
02/05/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
"...palpable frustration and unapologetic lefty sympathizing are the film's strength. Its failure to really address the role of economic policies and job loss is a glaring weakness." |
| 7. |
|
02/05/09 |
Poor |
"There are maybe two or three laugh-out-loud moments and a handful of chuckles... lackluster... ultimately defeated by Harald Zwart's inert direction of a flat script." |
| 8. |
Village Voice Alternative Weeklies |
02/12/09 |
Outstanding |
"Jenkins has cited the great French filmmaker Claire Denis as one of his influences, and it shows in the way he incorporates his intoxicating landscape into the narrative..." |
| 9. |
Village Voice Alternative Weeklies |
02/19/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
"Those unfamiliar with the subject matter should use 'Made in America' as the gateway film to check out the superior 'All Power to the People and Bastards of the Party.' " |
| 10. |
|
02/19/09 |
Outstanding |
"Jenkins' dialogue is crisp and witty, sounding and flowing the way real people speak." |
| 11. |
|
03/11/09 |
Very Good |
 "Cracking one-liners and alternating between world-weariness and growing affection for his charges, Johnson is wonderful -- much better than his material." |
| 12. |
|
03/11/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...exquisite... an unabashed love letter to its subject. It fawns and gushes. But it also makes a convincing case for its own adoration -- it's hard to not get caught up in the swoon." |
| 13. |
|
03/12/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...so immediately and fully engrossing that it meets its ambitious goals... vaults into the upper echelons of must-see hip-hop documentaries: It's smart, informative, and hugely important historically, filled with rare performance footage that still crackles." |
| 14. |
|
03/12/09 |
Very Good |
"The remake's core strength, ironically, derives from its most cynical departure from the source material -- the shoehorning of Johnson's taciturn cabdriver into the story." |
| 15. |
Village Voice Alternative Weeklies |
04/09/09 |
Fair |
 "...all-American wholesomeness and flagrant consumerism -- disturbingly pushed on a whole new generation of kids." |
| 16. |
|
04/09/09 |
Fair |
"...the latest cog in a cultural phenomenon/mass-marketing juggernaut. The film itself certainly doesn't aspire to anything more." |
| 17. |
|
04/16/09 |
Poor |
 "...a film that's too trite to spark thought or catharsis... should be a lot more satisfying than it is.... Your average newscast these days far outstrips 'Chasing the Green' for high-stakes drama and corporate intrigue." |
| 18. |
|
04/23/09 |
Excellent |
 "...makes it clear that, regardless of the battle's outcome, there is victory in the fact that the farmers fought at all." |
| 19. |
Village Voice Alternative Weeklies |
04/23/09 |
Excellent |
"...captures a complex assortment of real-life personalities and hidden motivations, which are made all the more staggering for being slowly unpeeled..." |
| 20. |
|
05/06/09 |
Excellent |
"...filmed in a straightforward style on a shoestring budget... fascinating character studies emerge that underscore both the best and worst of human nature." |
