|
| 1. |
|
05/17/12 |
Weak |
 "...excruciating to watch for an hour and a half... Seen as some kind of absurdist, meta-textual horror story, 'American Animal' almost works. In every other way? It's fuckin' poopy-loopy." |
| 2. |
|
05/17/12 |
Fair |
 "...a broad period comedy that squanders a fascinating subject... settles for cheap laughs and condescension." |
| 3. |
|
05/10/12 |
Excellent |
 "...reveals through images and tone as well as through the interviews how W.G. Sebald yearned for restorative meaning in the places he toured, only to end up lost in thought." |
| 4. |
|
05/10/12 |
Outstanding |
 "...amply Kore-eda-esque, full of life, heart, and funny little details about daily existence, as it meanders its way toward moments of real profundity." |
| 5. |
|
05/03/12 |
Good |
 "Ian Fitzgibbon and Anthony McCarten have succeeded in integrating cancer into a slick teen love story, but in the process, they've robbed it of some of its necessary pain." |
| 6. |
|
04/26/12 |
Very Good |
 "...a distinctive mix of war movies, Westerns, and samurai pictures. Lin Ching-Tai gives a commanding performance..." |
| 7. |
|
04/26/12 |
Good |
 "The structure of the film isn't very helpful... attempts something impressively difficult, but it succeeds primarily in its individual moments..." |
| 8. |
|
04/19/12 |
Excellent |
 "...a talky movie, full of long, boozy scenes and cosmic coincidences... it echoes Allen, as well as Luis Buñuel, Jean-Luc Godard, Michelangelo Antonioni, and the best of British kitchen-sink drama." |
| 9. |
|
04/19/12 |
Excellent |
 "...one of Hong's most unconventional films... Even the non-documentary segments create the impression of reality caught on the fly, via vérité-style camera moves and zooms." |
| 10. |
|
04/12/12 |
Excellent |
 "Larrain crafts 'Post Mortem' as a slow, quiet character study, narrowing in on Castro in his home and office while the world outside descends into madness." |
| 11. |
|
04/12/12 |
Fair |
 "Besson and Frayn hit the high points of Suu Kyi's triumphant, tragic life, but they connect those dots with thick, straight lines, while a movie like this needs more shading and curlicues." |
| 12. |
|
04/05/12 |
Good |
 "...contains stretches as potent and distinctive as any in Maddin's filmography, but they stand apart from each other, and fail to fully connect." |
| 13. |
|
04/05/12 |
Moderate |
 "...it's a shame that a movie about the pope as a man shows such scant fascination with the actual papacy -- or with humanity, for that matter." |
| 14. |
|
03/29/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...a thoughtful movie in many ways -- and an artful one, too... a fascinating film to think about, but far too cool to touch." |
| 15. |
|
03/29/12 |
Good |
 "The first half hour shows a dynamic politician who gets things done; the last hour shows him ground to dust by diplomats." |
| 16. |
|
03/22/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Ridiculousness aside, 'Brake' is reasonably impressive both as a performance piece and as an exercise in staging." |
| 17. |
|
03/15/12 |
Excellent |
 "...as a document of the sheer physical labor that goes into covering a giant canvas with color, 'Gerhard Richter Painting' is never less than absorbing." |
| 18. |
|
03/15/12 |
Good |
 "...strikes an odd tone, moving not-always-smoothly from realistic observations about loneliness and affection to fanciful expressions of love's overpowering emotions." |
| 19. |
|
03/08/12 |
Outstanding |
 "...part quirky comedy, part existential mystery, part flash-mob musical.... works well just as an offbeat cops-and-robbers picture." |
| 20. |
|
03/08/12 |
Excellent |
 "...argues persuasively that it's that constant pursuit of improvement -- even to the best sushi in the world -- that gives us all a reason to wake up and punch in." |
