|
4/4
|
98%
|
Up (2009) |
"
With Ratatouille, WALL-E and now Up, Pixar Animation Studios has graduated from moviedom's finest animation house to its most consistent producer of great cinematic art, period."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted May 29, 2009
|
|
4/4
|
85%
|
Wendy and Lucy (2008) |
"
The current economic crisis has turned this fictional story of one woman's string of bad luck into a tale that seems real and relatable."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Mar 6, 2009
|
|
4/4
|
94%
|
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) |
"
Slumdog Millionaire bursts with life, delighting, shocking and constantly engaging through lively visuals and the rags-to-maybe-riches adventures of a young man who travels from the slums to the hot seat of the Indian Who Wants To Be a Millionaire."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Dec 12, 2008
|
|
4/4
|
94%
|
Milk (2008) |
"
Director Gus Van Sant's storytelling approach, expansive yet always intimate, works in tandem with Sean Penn's masterful performance to create a loving, humanistic tribute to a San Francisco icon."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Dec 5, 2008
|
|
4/4
|
96%
|
WALL-E (2008) |
"
Offers a touching robot romance, visuals as artful as they are state-of-the- art, and vital messages about environmental and personal health."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Jun 27, 2008
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) (2007) |
"
While introducing artistic elements that border on fanciful, the filmmakers also insist on realism, resulting in a film that is always relatable, never sappy."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Jan 18, 2008
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
No Country for Old Men (2007) |
"
Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen build and sustain tension so masterfully throughout this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel that even trouble that's been telegraphed still shocks when it arrives."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Nov 16, 2007
|
|
4/4
|
82%
|
Into the Wild (2007) |
"
Director-screenwriter Sean Penn's gorgeous, compassionate film takes a generous approach to the story of McCandless, the real-life seeker who gave away his savings and belongings and walked into the Alaskan wilderness."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Oct 5, 2007
|
|
4/4
|
94%
|
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) |
"
Tense yet invigorating, The Bourne Ultimatum presents a terrific argument for the nonstop-action summer movie. Even those rare moments when it slows down offer more excitement than other films' full-bore action scenes."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Aug 3, 2007
|
|
4/4
|
94%
|
Away from Her (2007) |
"
With Away From Her, Christie, Pinsent and actress-turned-filmmaker Sarah Polley have crafted an intensely moving portrait of a marriage."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted May 18, 2007
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) |
"
Technically magnificent and flawlessly acted, the picture incorporates 20th century Spanish history and classic fairy-tale elements in a way that seems completely new."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Jan 12, 2007
|
|
4/4
|
80%
|
Little Children (2006) |
"
[The] performances help director Todd Field (In the Bedroom) calibrate a masterful mix of humor, tragedy and heavy stylization."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Jan 5, 2007
|
|
4/4
|
78%
|
Charlotte's Web (2006) |
"
Charlotte's Web gives E.B. White's classic tale a spiffy cinematic update but leaves its core values intact. Visually accomplished and heartfelt, this G-rated gem is radiant, terrific and really some film."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Dec 15, 2006
|
|
4/4
|
97%
|
The Queen (2006) |
"
The Queen, though irreverent at times, offers us a sense of the weight of that crown, and what it's like to bear a responsibility not just to tradition but to breaking with tradition when circumstances demand it."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Nov 3, 2006
|
|
4/4
|
91%
|
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) |
"
A heartwarming, hilarious movie about family."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Sep 1, 2006
|
|
4/4
|
86%
|
L'Enfant (The Child) (2006) |
"
Its story appears simple, but L'Enfant offers subtle insights into Bruno's behavior as it progresses."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Jun 2, 2006
|
|
4/4
|
87%
|
Brokeback Mountain (2005) |
"
What really sets the film apart from most movie romances is not its same-sex theme but its visual grandeur and exquisite powers of observation."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Jan 6, 2006
|
|
4/4
|
86%
|
Pride and Prejudice (2005) |
"
Soaringly romantic and painterly in its beauty, the film provides a lovely introduction to Austen to young fans of the movie's star, Keira Knightley. It might even lead them to read the book."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Nov 11, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
90%
|
Capote (2005) |
"
In a brilliant, transformative performance, Hoffman plumbs this paradox, showing every color of the famous author whose mix of sensitivity, selfishness and self-loathing led to his death from alcohol and drugs in 1984."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Oct 28, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
86%
|
Junebug (2005) |
"
An imperfect movie that's perfectly wonderful."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Sep 23, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
83%
|
The Constant Gardener (2005) |
"
The filmmakers' extra effort to ensure authenticity results in that rare feature film that informs as well as entertains."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Aug 31, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
98%
|
Murderball (2005) |
"
It's hard not to be awestruck by these folks, especially when the film delves into the extreme effort it takes to merely function, much less thrive, after sustaining a spinal-cord injury."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Jul 29, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
87%
|
Comme une Image (Look at Me) (Like an Image) (2005) |
"
Flawlessly acted and meticulously observed."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted May 20, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
90%
|
Days of Being Wild (A Fei zheng chuan) (1990) |
"
Every shot is perfectly composed and compelling, with light and shadow manipulated to maximum effect."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 25, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Nobody Knows (Dare mo shiranai) (2004) |
"
The film, winsome and tragic at once and finely attuned to the rhythms of childhood, always seems quite close to real life."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 18, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
96%
|
Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004) |
"
Before our eyes, Briski confronts and answers questions of exploitation that can shadow profilers of the downtrodden."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 4, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
96%
|
Sideways (2004) |
"
With four fine films under his belt, Payne should be regarded as an American treasure."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 29, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
86%
|
Bright Leaves (2004) |
"
Like Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and Spurlock's Super Size Me, McElwee's Bright Leaves takes on a sizable foe -- in this case, big tobacco -- but with such grace and wit that his message never seems medicinal."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 15, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
84%
|
The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta) (2004) |
"
Revisits Guevara's 8,000-mile tour of South America -- and the origins of his personal revolution -- with humor, exquisite compassion and visual grace."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 1, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
91%
|
Shaun of the Dead (2004) |
"
Transforms the unintentional camp of the zombie subgenre into full-on, hilarious comedy."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 24, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
72%
|
Open Water (2004) |
"
The nagging desire to help these people underscores the involvement of the audience in this superbly told story. You can almost taste the saltwater, and the fear."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 6, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
78%
|
The Saddest Music in the World (2004) |
"
The concept is high, the humor lowbrow and the joy of experimentation evident in every frame of this wonderful picture."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted May 21, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) |
"
A masterful portrait of the seasons of a life."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Apr 16, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
96%
|
Osama (2004) |
"
The horrors of Osama are pervasive, not acute, so they take longer to sink in. But once in, they stay there."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 20, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
84%
|
Pieces of April (2003) |
"
Avoids sentimentality at every turn and truly earns both its laughs and its tears."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 24, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
87%
|
Mystic River (2003) |
"
At nearly 2 1/2 hours, Mystic River proves that a mystery need not be taut to be riveting."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 8, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
98%
|
Spellbound (2002) |
"
Director Jeff Blitz's riveting, inspiring documentary Spellbound resembles a Christopher Guest movie in that it follows obsessed, socially awkward folks on a seminal journey in their lives."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted May 23, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
91%
|
Y Tu Mamá También (2001) |
"
Frank, funny and true."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Apr 5, 2002
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
Monsoon Wedding (2002) |
"
Nair ... in crafting an enchanting movie about a modern Indian family, fills the screen with blooming marigolds, blossoming romances and sizzling dance scenes thrown in just for the heck of it."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Mar 8, 2002
|
|
4/4
|
80%
|
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) |
"
Zips along at a laugh-a-minute pace and fully involves the viewer in Bridget's little slice of life."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Apr 13, 2001
|
|
4/4
|
88%
|
Two Family House (2000) |
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
You Can Count On Me (2000) |
"
It's simply a quiet and heartbreaking look at the dynamics of one family. That's the beauty of it."
—
San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
3.5/4
|
95%
|
Star Trek (2009) |
"
Abrams' Star Trek strikes a beautiful balance, with enough allusions to Trek mythology to please longtime fans and enough 21st century verve to wow even those viewers who know nothing of Star Trek."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted May 8, 2009
|
|
3.5/4
|
89%
|
Il y a Longtemps que Je T'aime (I've Loved You So Long) (2008) |
"
Claudel has made a very special kind of star vehicle -- the kind that's also a very good movie overall."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Feb 20, 2009
|
|
3.5/4
|
92%
|
Frost/Nixon (2008) |
"
Frank Langella doesn't impersonate Richard M. Nixon in Frost/Nixon. He goes one better. He makes him a sympathetic movie character."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Dec 12, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
97%
|
Persepolis (2007) |
"
With poignancy, humor and evocative animation, Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, who co-wrote and co-directed, detail a coming of age that coincided with the deterioration of a nation."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Feb 8, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
86%
|
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) |
"
It's Sondheim's gorgeously dissonate score that makes the greatest impact. The lush strings and emphatic horns can't help but lift the spirit even as they chill the bones."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Dec 21, 2007
|
|
3.5/4
|
83%
|
Atonement (2007) |
"
Epic and heart-rending, Atonement accents its old-fashioned qualities with a modern-day frankness."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Dec 14, 2007
|
|
3.5/4
|
88%
|
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) |
"
Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead starts with a bad idea -- a plan by two brothers to rob their parents' jewelry store -- and whips itself into a beautifully acted, nervous-making frenzy of a melodrama."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Nov 16, 2007
|
|
3.5/4
|
88%
|
3:10 to Yuma (2007) |
"
3:10 to Yuma offers plenty of guns-blazing, pulse-pounding action, but it's the excellent lead performances that stay with you."
—
Sacramento Bee
Posted Sep 7, 2007
|
85%
79%
7%
