|
| 1. |
|
03/30/12 |
Weak |
 "The film is cinematically brilliant but morally obtuse.... a cinematically sophisticated, well-acted film that turns real, historic tragedy into entertainment cliches." |
| 2. |
|
03/23/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...not a very good movie. But it is entertaining enough -- barely enough -- to make it worth seeing.... Eventually, you know how things end; they always end this way." |
| 3. |
|
03/16/12 |
Outstanding |
 "...one of the best of the year... will stick in your gut for a long time as you work your way through its ideas and emotions." |
| 4. |
|
02/10/12 |
Excellent |
 "Her advice for one of her dancers getting ready to go onstage: 'Don't forget, you have to scare me.' Bausch's art is one of love, pain, joy, loss and loneliness..." |
| 5. |
|
10/21/11 |
Poor |
 "...comprises some 20 talking heads, each pretty much saying the same thing, interspersed with film of children dressed up as mythical heroes..." |
| 6. |
|
10/07/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...you come away admiring Van Sant's magical facility with the camera and editing software... But you also aren't sure what the film is about..." |
| 7. |
|
09/30/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "If you can ignore the implausibility -- nay, the opacity -- of the plot, the film is wonderfully cinematic..." |
| 8. |
|
09/23/11 |
Excellent |
 "...leisurely paced, as many French films are, and not much actually happens, but as a character study, it feels true, and ultimately moving." |
| 9. |
|
08/26/11 |
Moderate |
 "...a well-made film, if what you look for is acting, cinematography, editing and clever narrative.... But you come away from watching it with a moral bellyache." |
| 10. |
|
08/19/11 |
Very Good |
 "...a documentary to get your juices going... There is a bit of rah-rah and obvious propagandizing in the filmmaking, but the basic truths being shown are manifest." |
| 11. |
|
07/15/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...it slowly becomes clear that there is little in the movie except the convention.... this very pretty melodrama is a rather ordinary entry." |
| 12. |
|
07/08/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "There is much observation of local detail and an overpowering sense of the oppressiveness of urban poverty, but the film never quite gets airborne." |
| 13. |
|
06/03/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...a frothy French confection, a sort of île flottante of movies.... it is light and almost irresistible." |
| 14. |
|
04/29/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Go for Caan and Farmiga, and stay to be surprised by Reeves." |
| 15. |
|
03/25/11 |
Excellent |
 "...a very wise film, without any stench of didacticism: Through it all, the abiding power - like the strong force of an atomic bond - is not love exactly, but relationship..." |
| 16. |
|
03/18/11 |
Very Good |
 "What redeems the film is the odd, sad integrity of Stanley... he persists with a purity and directness that breaks our hearts as viewers, just as life breaks his." |
| 17. |
|
01/14/11 |
Excellent |
 "All the episodes are gripping, edge-of-seat stuff, but there perhaps are one or two scenes more than needed." |
| 18. |
|
01/14/11 |
Outstanding |
 "...astounding. Most of the credit goes to Vincent Cassel, who changes physically through the films at least as much as Robert De Niro did in 'Raging Bull.' " |
| 19. |
|
12/10/10 |
Very Good |
 "...full of outrageous laughs.... betrays its low-budget origins in cinematography, editing, acting and locations. Really, none of that finally matters. Mainly, you'll laugh." |
| 20. |
|
12/03/10 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...inoffensive, and if you're of the persuasion that the world is a nice place and most people are really nice underneath, then, you may find this movie a comfortable fit." |
