|
| 1. |
|
07/07/11 |
Poor |
 "...smells like the monkey house before cleaning time.... dreadful in every respect..." |
| 2. |
|
11/25/12 |
Outstanding |
 "The film's power steadily and relentlessly builds over its long course, to a point that is terrifically imposing and unshakable. Jessica Chastain carries the film..." |
| 3. |
|
12/04/11 |
Good |
 "...a smartly observed, well acted but narrowly conceived story about a deluded author of teen novels who plots to win back her high school boyfriend..." |
| 4. |
|
05/21/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...both serious and frisky, engaging on a refined level but frustratingly limited in its complexity and depth." |
| 5. |
|
05/30/11 |
Excellent |
 "...arguably the best hour of Marvel Comics-derived filmmaking among the torrent of it that's cascaded across screens... Audacious, confident, fueled by youthful energy..." |
| 6. |
|
03/28/12 |
Fair |
 "...a relentlessly mechanical piece of work that will not or cannot take the imaginative leaps to yield even fleeting moments of awe, wonder or charm." |
| 7. |
|
04/01/11 |
Good |
 "...gentle, lovingly wrought, for-tots-and-parents-only... Little kids will enjoy it, while parents will be thankful for the thoughtfully brief running time." |
| 8. |
|
10/12/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Spike Jonze's sharp instincts and vibrant visual style can't quite compensate for the lack of narrative eventfulness that increasingly bogs down this bright-minded picture." |
| 9. |
|
04/21/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "A decorous, respectable adaptation... would have come more excitingly alive with stronger doses of Depression-era grit and sexual spunk." |
| 10. |
|
12/15/11 |
Excellent |
 "A grandly made, tear-jerking film for all audiences, the way Hollywood used to make them.... many of Spielberg's interests dovetail here..." |
| 11. |
|
09/01/11 |
Fair |
 "Hop-scotches between glamorous locations, as well as between decades and story... as easy on the eyes and ears as it is embalmed from any dramatic point of view." |
| 12. |
|
09/08/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...deeply serious but not austere... If secular as well as religious sainthood were possible, von Trotta would surely advance her film as a nomination brief in both categories." |
| 13. |
|
02/07/10 |
Poor |
 "...this would rate high on any list of pictures featuring the greatest number of talented actors given the least interesting things to do..." |
| 14. |
|
01/21/13 |
Excellent |
 "...combines exceptional technique with a deliberately obscure narrative and meaning.... The experience of watching the film is highly visceral and sensuous..." |
| 15. |
|
09/08/09 |
Excellent |
 "Clooney has scarcely ever been more magnetic onscreen than he is here... The timing in the Clooney-Farmiga scenes is like splendid tennis..." |
| 16. |
|
05/13/09 |
Very Good |
 "...captivating... disarming in its deep reserves of narrative imagination and surprise, as well as its poignant thematic balance of dreams deferred and dreams fulfilled." |
| 17. |
|
11/07/10 |
Excellent |
 "The best blue collar action movie in who knows how long... has a lean and pure simplicity to it that is satisfying in and of itself.... carries an unexpected weight..." |
| 18. |
|
06/20/11 |
Outstanding |
 "Lucidly filmed.... an excellent example of the specific used to illustrate a wider truth, in this case about unfulfilled dreams, both artistic and political." |
| 19. |
|
09/11/08 |
Weak |
 "A potentially intriguing idea on paper... proves half formulaic and half simply unimaginative onscreen." |
| 20. |
|
05/19/08 |
Excellent |
 "The extent of the man's thoughtfulness, self-awareness and hidden fears will surprise many, most of all non-fans who thought they had him pegged." |
