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| 1. |
|
05/17/12 |
Moderate |
 "...most of the time, the sentimental rom-com antics and underdeveloped archetypes feel as fake as the big bellies the ladies are showing off." |
| 2. |
|
05/17/12 |
Weak |
 "...insulting... the lazy plot here isn't nearly as offensive as Ayelet Zurer's performance as a possibly psychic gypsy who uses her visions to keep the family searching..." |
| 3. |
|
05/31/12 |
Weak |
 "...the film's bark is worse than its bite, and its constant teases wear thin, even over a 90-minute runtime." |
| 4. |
|
06/07/12 |
Poor |
 "...another pandering pot movie that, based on the exaggerated speed with which the brownies take effect, comes from people who couldn't tell a blunt from a bong." |
| 5. |
|
07/05/12 |
Outstanding |
 "One of the most assured debuts in years... the sheer exuberance of Benh Zeitlin's most stunning visuals suggests an artistic voice far too strong to write off." |
| 6. |
|
07/26/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...hangs on a series of exposition-heavy conference scenes, and it's hard to stay emotionally invested in a plot so twist-heavy." |
| 7. |
|
08/02/12 |
Very Good |
 "...engages in a class study while disguised as an action melodrama.... The most powerful moments involve private lives and social conflict, not gunfights." |
| 8. |
|
08/09/12 |
Outstanding |
 "William Friedkin directs; his taste for sadism has never been personified better than in McConaughey's unassuming-but-dangerous drawl." |
| 9. |
|
08/16/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "What's unfortunate is that the sub-Apatow set pieces (one subplot ends up being an overlong setup for a masturbation joke) throw the film's tone off balance irrevocably." |
| 10. |
|
09/20/12 |
Poor |
 "Gyllenhaal and Peña aren't exactly corrupt cops in this self-important police drama, they're just fascistic assholes.... made worse by David Ayer's incompetent direction." |
| 11. |
|
09/27/12 |
Weak |
 "Thomas, as if this were a master class in lazy writing, ignores the human drama; instead she strings together well-worn subplots about cold-hearted moms..." |
| 12. |
|
09/27/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Josh Radnor has undeniable talent behind the camera. But his films are hobbled by his own humorless performances.... The script is strong..." |
| 13. |
|
09/27/12 |
Very Good |
 "It's the people, not the plot, that win us over. This could have ended up feeling like a B-list 'New Year's Eve,' but it's more like 'Dazed and Confused: Ten Years Later.' " |
| 14. |
|
09/28/12 |
Poor |
 "Tasteless and sentimental, yet unfunny and offensive, this is one film you don't want to take the kids to. Especially when paying extra bucks for the worst 3D of the year." |
| 15. |
|
10/04/12 |
Very Good |
 "...all it takes is a few moments with the next generation to see the gravity of the problem.... before the games can change, we need to." |
| 16. |
|
10/04/12 |
Poor |
 "...a dumbed-down, Capraesque crowd-pleaser... The movie preaches about 'hope' and 'yes we can,' but a slightly different buzzword comes to my mind: bullshit." |
| 17. |
|
10/11/12 |
Outstanding |
 "In trying to capture a moment in time, Sachs has left nothing uncovered. Navigating his darkest moments with unsparing honesty, he finds a flicker of hope." |
| 18. |
|
10/25/12 |
Moderate |
 "The stage seems to be set for a boozed-up 'Blue Valentine,' but just as the melodrama gains traction we cut to a coda and the credits..." |
| 19. |
|
11/08/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "It desperately wants to be 'Kill Bill' -- Quentin Tarantino even serves as 'presenter' -- but unlike that picture, 'Iron Fists' never transcends its genre shackles." |
| 20. |
|
11/22/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...more about beauty than about searching for something under its surface. The film poses as a spiritual experience, but it's more like a postcard." |
