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| 1. |
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05/20/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...a playfully flamboyant melodrama... marked by superb performances and a dazzling technical display by Alain Resnais and praiseworthy cinematographer Eric Gautier." |
| 2. |
|
02/16/12 |
Excellent |
 "...illuminating.... rarely do audience-friendly documentaries focus on the nuts and bolts, which is why Kenneally's intensive study feels both necessary and long overdue." |
| 3. |
|
02/15/12 |
Excellent |
 "...smart and mouthwatering.... reveals with touching detail how the Michel Bras tradition is as much about savoir-faire as it is about heritage and love." |
| 4. |
|
10/16/11 |
Excellent |
 "...a visually dazzling adaptation... a witty, globe-trotting treasure hunt featuring the sleuthing boy reporter, his trusted fox terrier, and a cast of catchy side characters." |
| 5. |
|
05/18/10 |
Excellent |
 "...a transfixing meditation on religious conviction, post-colonial strife and the force of actors who elevate every gesture to a loftier domain." |
| 6. |
|
09/03/09 |
Excellent |
 "Tightly wound and crafted... Writer/director Catherine Corsini keeps things tense and captivating through the raw energy of the action and performances..." |
| 7. |
|
04/20/09 |
Excellent |
 "A cocktail of cheeseball pickup lines, hammy play-acting and self-ridiculing Frenchiness... Jean Dujardin pulls off a charming, Peter Sellers-esque performance..." |
| 8. |
|
06/21/12 |
Very Good |
 "...altogether satisfying... Directed with emotional depth and plenty of comedic touches by Marc Webb... well-served by a terrific supporting cast..." |
| 9. |
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04/19/12 |
Very Good |
 "...touching.... features terrific performances from its multinational cast and an overtly positive message that never quite succumbs to pure sentimentalism." |
| 10. |
|
02/13/12 |
Very Good |
 "Ursula Meier delivers a solid sophomore effort.... an intimate family drama with a broader view on class differences and how they shape the way we grow up." |
| 11. |
|
02/12/12 |
Very Good |
 "...a moving depiction... highlights the man's importance both as a major 20th century musician and as a figurehead for his fellow countrymen." |
| 12. |
|
02/11/12 |
Very Good |
 "A slow-burning Cold War drama that will reward patient viewers with its ultimate emotional payoff... skillfully mannered, meticulously acted..." |
| 13. |
|
10/30/11 |
Very Good |
 "...features a fine lead performance from newcomer Helene Bergsholm, and despite its low-budget production values, has its heart - and hand - in the right place." |
| 14. |
|
07/07/11 |
Very Good |
 "...the sort of casual, insightful and at times sexually candid storytelling that, if it wasn't necessarily invented in France, has definitely become one the nation's more prized genres." |
| 15. |
|
06/20/11 |
Very Good |
 "Paula van der Oest's biopic of South African poet Ingrid Jonker is conventional yet captivating thanks in large part to a terrific lead performance from Carice van Houten." |
| 16. |
|
05/12/11 |
Very Good |
 "A powerhouse of emotional jolts, freewheeling comedy, socially-minded storytelling... Like a whole season of 'The Wire' packed into a single two-hour-plus film..." |
| 17. |
|
05/12/11 |
Very Good |
 "...there's enough ingenuity in the filmmakers' approach to keep one guessing as to what will be the next brunt of the joke: a pen, a puppy, even a newborn baby..." |
| 18. |
|
04/26/11 |
Very Good |
 "...actor-turned-director Daniel Auteuil's reboot of four works by Marcel Pagnol... a polished, finely acted tale of love and class in the south of France.... charming..." |
| 19. |
|
03/02/11 |
Very Good |
 "...a sharply observed story of youths grappling with awkward bodies and budding hormones... a lighthearted preteen drama..." |
| 20. |
|
05/17/10 |
Very Good |
 "...a skillfully mannered genre-bender that tackles the queasy subject of cannibalism.... builds its suspense in convincing ways and a dark look into family dynamics..." |
