|
| 1. |
|
02/13/09 |
Poor |
 "...well acted and at times cleverly directed... But it is a very ugly film, almost humorless, and laden with a decidedly British, and repellent, class obsession." |
| 2. |
|
02/21/09 |
Excellent |
 "...add Madea into the mix, and Perry's dramas take a strange, postmodern twist, mixing genera and tone and leaving reality in uncertain circumstances." |
| 3. |
|
03/05/09 |
Weak |
 "...a bore.... long, dull and subject to what might be called the 'Lord of the Rings' problem: It sinks under the weight of its reverence for the original." |
| 4. |
|
04/10/09 |
Moderate |
 "...it's not clear what these odd, often surreal and sometimes touching cinematic short stories have to do with one another." |
| 5. |
|
05/01/09 |
Very Good |
 "...sweet if not terribly innovative..." |
| 6. |
|
05/01/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...explores the painful human detail of life in a society warped from within and without by terrorism... Powerlessness is felt on both sides..." |
| 7. |
|
05/15/09 |
Very Good |
 "The battle over the South Central Farm made headlines... bulldozers razed what seemed to its mostly Hispanic cultivators a little bit of paradise..." |
| 8. |
|
06/12/09 |
Weak |
 "...a bit like the city itself: If a few decent actors play their roles and defend their turf, it doesn't matter how preposterous the whole proposition is." |
| 9. |
|
06/19/09 |
Very Good |
 "...as polished as it is heavy-handed, and it leaves one under a spell. Death is a hard subject to focus on for two hours, and the film never drags." |
| 10. |
|
07/03/09 |
Poor |
 "...more a part of the Vogels phenomenon than it is a serious analysis or reconsideration of an already familiar story." |
| 11. |
|
07/17/09 |
Excellent |
 "...has a melodious title, and by the end it accomplishes one of the most memorable integrations of film and music in recent memory." |
| 12. |
|
07/24/09 |
Fair |
 "...tremendous fun, at times... But it has no view of politics, no seriousness, no message and in the end, no redeeming value beyond entertainment." |
| 13. |
|
07/31/09 |
Fair |
 "...no worse than the average Hollywood comedy. But it shows, more obviously than most, the bankruptcy of standard-issue American pop narrative, circa 2009." |
| 14. |
|
07/31/09 |
Excellent |
 "...a romantic comedy that remembers that the best romances have a touch of the bittersweet.... Even the arguments are cute." |
| 15. |
|
08/07/09 |
Very Good |
 "...for all its investment in one side of a bitter controversy, it does what brute agitprop often fails to do by including some sense that there are other sides to the argument." |
| 16. |
|
10/02/09 |
Excellent |
 "...captures about all there is to capture in the novel 'Disgrace,' which is a remarkable accomplishment for a film..." |
| 17. |
|
10/16/09 |
Good |
 "...a compendium of short films, woven together into a light but enjoyable souffle of erotic vignettes.... It's fun, but decadent." |
| 18. |
|
11/06/09 |
Very Good |
 "Julius Shulman's long and productive career makes for a fascinating primer in modern architecture, Los Angeles culture and the meaning of a well-lived life." |
| 19. |
|
05/07/10 |
Moderate |
 "Does it shock you? You must not live in Washington, read the newspaper or follow politics. Are you horrified? Congratulations, and now wise up." |
