|
| 1. |
|
06/01/11 |
Very Good |
 "...interviews form the backbone of '!W.A.R.,' and like the film, they're passionate, contentious, funny, sincere, politically attuned." |
| 2. |
|
09/22/10 |
Moderate |
 "...most interesting and original when it sticks to the history of the cantorial tradition and to these cantors' stories.... tries to cover too much ground... This is a sentimental journey, and the filmmakers sometimes seem clumsily sentimental..." |
| 3. |
|
10/07/11 |
Weak |
 "...overly faithful to its commemorative purpose.... a kind of lavishly illustrated history lesson. Even the irrepressible Mr. Chan (this is his 100th film) seems subdued." |
| 4. |
|
04/27/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...cuts back and forth from the car to how the four characters ended up on this nightmarish ride... every time Ms. Lagos returns to the car, her film becomes tense and involving." |
| 5. |
|
04/13/12 |
Very Good |
 "...its drama unfolds simply, without explosive moments but not without emotion. Director Ann Hui and her two excellent leads keep the film buoyant." |
| 6. |
|
08/12/11 |
Good |
 "Director Prakash Jha grapples with caste prejudice and the Indian version of affirmative action: the reserving of spots in schools for low or 'backward' castes.... Subtle it ain't and subtle it needn't be. It is, though, mostly involving and even occasionally stirring." |
| 7. |
|
04/22/11 |
Moderate |
 "At one point the lions make a meal of a lovely young zebra they've just killed. That spelled the end for the little boy sitting next to me. 'I'm too scared,' he said..." |
| 8. |
|
07/29/11 |
Fair |
 "Perched somewhere between hard-luck tale and inspirational story, about a high school girl trying to win a scholarship to the University of Texas... mostly feels as ponderous as the sport that might be her ticket out: powerlifting." |
| 9. |
|
10/23/09 |
Moderate |
 "...a more-is-more farce set in Goa that features spectacular car crashes, a mute villain who communicates by tapping a spoon on a glass, torture by ice, and rock 'n' roll mayhem on the beach.... While the movie has plenty of energy, it rarely hits the comic peaks it's working so hard to achieve." |
| 10. |
|
03/23/12 |
Fair |
 "...as much about filmmaker Julia Haslett as it is about Weil... though Weil remains fascinating, Ms. Haslett's film, even when it uses more traditional documentary techniques, mostly isn't." |
| 11. |
|
10/31/11 |
Moderate |
 "A low-key mockumentary set in the world of horse racing.... has its moments but not quite enough to carry it across the finish line.... has too many half-baked characters and goes soft just when it should get sharp." |
| 12. |
|
09/30/11 |
Fair |
 "Parts neatly capture teenage angst and parts have a sharp documentary flavor.... But how are we to believe that the playful auteur behind this cinematic onslaught is suicidal?" |
| 13. |
|
05/25/12 |
Moderate |
 "Children will probably be confused, and adults familiar with the tale may wonder where all the good bits went.... the film is fast and exciting, weaving together different types of animation..." |
| 14. |
|
03/30/12 |
Moderate |
 "...teeters between the dreamy and the soporific.... Ms. Olaizola is more interested in atmosphere than in character or story.... When a small drama sputters to life at the end, it's too late. You've already been lulled into dreamland." |
| 15. |
|
05/08/10 |
Good |
 "Can you earn money and also earn respect?... a Hindi film about corruption and redemption.... 'Badmaash' (the word means scoundrel) may be a lesson in the importance of doing honest business, but it's also an opportunity to indulge in fantasies of the good life..." |
| 16. |
|
09/14/12 |
Good |
 "...at 150 minutes, it may try your patience. Or it may wear you down as it builds its emotional slow burn. Against your will, you may even shed a tear." |
| 17. |
|
05/15/13 |
Good |
 "...handsomely shot... may not be fully satisfying as a documentary. But it has what any good movie needs: a star -- the ever-game soprano Natalie Dessay." |
| 18. |
|
10/03/12 |
Fair |
 "...shallow... Bel Borba emerges as a protean, inexhaustible artist, too busy to be plagued by self-doubt.... plenty to look at, but not much to think about." |
| 19. |
|
02/03/12 |
Good |
 "...gets off to a shaky start, but once revved up, it becomes an involving work-against-the-clock-and-the-odds action movie." |
| 20. |
|
10/07/11 |
Moderate |
 "...plods along self-consciously, and when the big twist occurs, it complicates the plot... it goes all mushy when contemplating its grizzled, out-of-time hero." |
