|
| 1. |
|
07/28/11 |
Very Good |
 "Much like another modern British horror-comedy classic, 'Shaun of the Dead'... irreverently funny without ever being spoofy." |
| 2. |
|
07/28/11 |
Weak |
 "...descends quickly from its fun exposition to a collection of meaningless explosions and predictable action sequences." |
| 3. |
|
08/04/11 |
Poor |
 "It's difficult to find the unexpected in such an established template." |
| 4. |
|
08/11/11 |
Excellent |
 "...as neatly constructed as any fictional film.... expert editing of the disparate audio and video sources provide more illustration than straight interviews ever could..." |
| 5. |
|
08/25/11 |
Fair |
 "...too little is left to the imagination to do what it does best: fill in the gaps with visions far more frightening than anything a filmmaker could put onscreen." |
| 6. |
|
08/31/11 |
Fair |
 "...an exciting exercise in experimentation takes a turn into the mundane... In a film that treats Gainsbourg with as much reverence as this one does, it's just a letdown." |
| 7. |
|
09/08/11 |
Weak |
 "...while the picture looks fantastic, it never manages to be very funny or very scary. Or even mildly creepy. It's hugely disappointing, given the talent involved." |
| 8. |
|
09/16/11 |
Weak |
 "...the stakes ought to be high, but the film barely registers. It's as insubstantial as it is inoffensive, more of a throwaway sketch than a fully formed movie." |
| 9. |
|
09/22/11 |
Fair |
 "If being unassailably tough and cool under pressure could make an entire movie, this would be a Jason Statham masterpiece. Ask for much more, and it falls woefully short." |
| 10. |
|
09/29/11 |
Very Good |
 "A macabre comedy of errors... never stoops to the easy, overt slack-jawed yokel caricatures... plays by genre rules even as it turns them on their severed head." |
| 11. |
|
10/06/11 |
Fair |
 "...a mess of conflicting, confusing emotions.... The title may promise a film about a dirty girl, but it's the story about the shy guy that's more compelling." |
| 12. |
|
10/06/11 |
Very Good |
 "Sam Shepard perfectly blends the mischievousness of the character with the sadness of age and exile. His Cassidy is magnetic and intimidating..." |
| 13. |
|
10/13/11 |
Poor |
 "Like The Thing itself, the film seeks to ape the form and behavior of something genuine, but you don't need a fancy test to tell that this is a shoddy replica." |
| 14. |
|
10/27/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...once it's reduced to a two-hander for Alessandro Nivola and Abigail Breslin, it has a lightweight sweetness, owing largely to their chemistry." |
| 15. |
|
11/03/11 |
Good |
 "...may lack some of the surprisingly insightful subtext of 'White Castle,' but it never lacks for pure entertainment value." |
| 16. |
|
11/10/11 |
Outstanding |
 "...while the film is instantly recognizable as a Herzog documentary, it's anything but typical.... Herzog looks into darkness and sees nothing but shades of gray." |
| 17. |
|
11/24/11 |
Very Good |
 "...fascinating if deeply disturbing... Moverman gets away with a protagonist who it's impossible to root for by making sure we care about the fallout of his meltdown." |
| 18. |
|
12/01/11 |
Good |
 "...heavy on ideas about empowerment and sexual agency, but they're shrouded in a story that tries -- too hard at times -- not to give too much away." |
| 19. |
|
12/15/11 |
Outstanding |
 "...may not be as smart as Bird's Pixar work, but that's not a deficiency here. This film exists purely to dazzle and thrill, and by that measure, it delivers expertly..." |
| 20. |
|
12/22/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "It's not that a film can't be lighthearted family fare, a gritty war epic and a weepie all at once... here, those elements feel strictly compartmentalized -- and calculated." |
