|
4/4
|
87%
|
Brokeback Mountain (2005) |
"
It's an old-style virtue for a film that's old-style in the best way: unassuming but people-oriented and aiming to endure."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 9, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Good Night, And Good Luck (2005) |
"
George Clooney's second directorial outing couldn't be more topical, though the events it chronicles occurred over half a century ago."
—
USA Today
Posted Oct 7, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
87%
|
A History of Violence (2005) |
"
Violence is in the spirit of the hardest-hitting film noir offerings from the '50s, but far more explicit."
—
USA Today
Posted Sep 23, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
80%
|
Cinderella Man (2005) |
"
I've never seen a boxing movie that has so convinced me I was seeing a pro bout both real and sustained."
—
USA Today
Posted Jun 2, 2005
|
|
4/4
|
87%
|
The Aviator (2004) |
"
The first and third hours of this 20th-century epic are as dazzling as big-scale movies get."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 16, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
92%
|
Million Dollar Baby (2004) |
"
As good as Unforgiven. Or, to put it another way, as good as any movie Eastwood has ever directed."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 15, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
92%
|
Vera Drake (2004) |
"
This is the kind of people-driven story that the movies used to give us -- before special effects took over."
—
USA Today
Posted Oct 21, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
96%
|
Sideways (2004) |
"
This is a building-block movie: Its stand-out excellence becomes apparent only gradually."
—
USA Today
Posted Oct 21, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Spider-Man 2 (2004) |
"
Has something for everyone."
—
USA Today
Posted Jun 28, 2004
|
|
4/4
|
98%
|
The Fog of War - Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003) |
"
Though the movie may not change many minds about McNamara, it richly humanizes him, a valuable feat atop all the fascinating reflection."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 19, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
82%
|
Thirteen (2003) |
"
It's tough to recall the last such drama that packed as much emotional clout."
—
USA Today
Posted Aug 20, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
97%
|
Capturing the Friedmans (2003) |
"
Not since Memento has a movie served up such a provocative mind-bender, and the Sundance winner by first-time filmmaker Andrew Jarecki has the advantage of being true."
—
USA Today
Posted Jun 12, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
91%
|
Stevie (2003) |
"
Filmmaker Steve James brings the same access, passion and skill to Stevie that he brought to 1994's Hoop Dreams."
—
USA Today
Posted Mar 27, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
82%
|
Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony (2003) |
"
Johanna Demetrakas' editing is magnificent at orchestrating and balancing potentially conflicting moods to build a consistent tone all the movie's own."
—
USA Today
Posted Feb 19, 2003
|
|
4/4
|
88%
|
Chicago (2002) |
"
It's part of the basic Zeta-Jones bio that she can really sing, and, wow, can she."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 26, 2002
|
|
4/4
|
92%
|
Minority Report (2002) |
"
It's hard to imagine wanting anything more -- even from a Cruise-Spielberg matchup."
—
USA Today
Posted Jun 21, 2002
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Insomnia (2002) |
"
This remake gets all there is to get out of a peculiar premise with promise: Al Pacino loathing Robin Williams."
—
USA Today
Posted May 24, 2002
|
|
4/4
|
75%
|
Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam (1995) |
"
[A] superior example of ambush journalism."
—
USA Today
Posted Apr 16, 2002
|
|
4/4
|
97%
|
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long) (2001) |
"
Calling Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon a religious experience may be overstating the case a bit, but Ang Lee's rhapsodically romantic martial arts enthraller certainly redeems a slew of sins in this lackluster movie year."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 8, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
76%
|
Ridicule (1996) |
"
Audiences will respond favorably to its overall warmth, and the motion picture academy may, too."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
86%
|
Heat (1995) |
"
For a film that deserves Oscars for photography, editing, sound and arguably scoring, Heat is packed with unforgettable subcharacters."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
98%
|
When We Were Kings (1996) |
"
Immeasurably enriched by extensive location footage shot by director Leon Gast 22 years ago."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
98%
|
Vertigo (1958) |
"
You watch this guy going slowly over the brink and realize, good grief, this is Jimmy Stewart."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
86%
|
Shanghai Triad (Yao a yao yao dao waipo qiao) (1995) |
"
Shanghai Triad concludes the sublime seven-movie collaboration of Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and actress Gong Li with a bang worthy of the most jubilant New Year's Eve."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
Crumb (1995) |
"
Crumb's sense of humor is his saving personal grace and the movie's insurance policy against total immersion into the morbid. But just so you know, Crumb fully earns its most revealing screen credit: 'David Lynch Presents.'"
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Dead Man Walking (1995) |
"
is the finest, least compromised film about capital punishment ever advancing a gently stated 'anti' view but going the extra 100 miles to give victims their due."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Saving Private Ryan (1998) |
"
Spielberg opens in flashback with a half-hour set piece brilliant enough to climax any other masterpiece."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
94%
|
Secrets & Lies (1996) |
"
Leigh's best work yet is indisputably screen art, but it's a flesh-and-blood 'people' movie, too."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
71%
|
The Crucible (1996) |
"
With a head on its shoulders and the rawest emotions in its craw, Arthur Miller's stage hit The Crucible has become a cinematic grabber for grown-ups -- without that castor oil taste."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
79%
|
Braveheart (1995) |
"
Though lumpy and even redundant, Braveheart constantly rebounds on some bold note."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
84%
|
Emma (1996) |
"
This is a better-looking movie than Sense and Sensibility and one as rich in characters."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
88%
|
Titanic (in 3D) (2012) |
"
His movie may not be perfect, but visually and viscerally, it pretty well is."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
88%
|
American Beauty (1999) |
"
American Beauty is a singular accomplishment so specifically keyed to Spacey's talents that it mandates going out on a limb to say it contains the performance that will ultimately be regarded as 'the one'."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
100%
|
Rear Window (1954) |
"
Masterpiece!"
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
62%
|
Starship Troopers (1997) |
"
Director Paul Verhoeven is back in his subversively nimble RoboCop groove with the uproariously cheeky Starship Troopers."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
The Straight Story (1999) |
"
The Straight Story is going to be revered for giving Richard Farnsworth the role of his career."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
87%
|
The People Vs. Larry Flynt (1996) |
"
Like 12 Angry Men, it's a civics lesson that will still be regaling film enthusiasts four decades hence."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
4/4
|
77%
|
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) |
"
A precisely modulated and mostly mesmerizing 2 3/4-hour suspense movie."
—
USA Today
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
3.5/4
|
64%
|
Duplicity (2009) |
"
With its smart writing delivered by an in-synch quartet, savor Duplicity as the ideal spring gift."
—
USA Today
Posted Mar 20, 2009
|
|
3.5/4
|
78%
|
Munich (2005) |
"
This is a smart and often tense work whose ultimate merit isn't completely calculable now."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 22, 2005
|
|
3.5/4
|
87%
|
Tell Them Who You Are (2005) |
"
What we really get from son Mark's unusual take is a sterling movie about fathers (especially famous fathers) and offspring."
—
USA Today
Posted Nov 22, 2005
|
|
3.5/4
|
82%
|
Walk the Line (2005) |
"
A Johnny Cash biopic equally packed with music and frustrated love, Walk the Line goes from compelling to enthralling."
—
USA Today
Posted Nov 18, 2005
|
|
3.5/4
|
75%
|
In Her Shoes (2005) |
"
Collette's performance is so full of juice and the beneficiary of good dialogue that Diaz's may end up being underrated."
—
USA Today
Posted Oct 7, 2005
|
|
3.5/4
|
78%
|
Sin City (2005) |
"
It'll be interesting to see how time treats City's novelty value once live action/computer screen hybrids become more common. Right now it looks like one of the movies that will define its year even more than the Kill Bill duo did."
—
USA Today
Posted Mar 31, 2005
|
|
3.5/4
|
53%
|
Melinda and Melinda (2005) |
"
With a grabber performance by Radha Mitchell as both Melindas, this dually plotted exercise is fun to see and even fun to ruminate about."
—
USA Today
Posted Mar 18, 2005
|
|
3.5/4
|
83%
|
Inside Deep Throat (2005) |
"
This trip down memory lane seems to have no agenda and treats principals on both sides of the conflict with respect."
—
USA Today
Posted Feb 11, 2005
|
|
3.5/4
|
78%
|
A Very Long Engagement (2004) |
"
This is a long movie that almost wears out its 2 1/4 -hour welcome, yet it's full of surprises."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 17, 2004
|
|
3.5/4
|
53%
|
Spanglish (2004) |
"
A performer's showcase. While the pleasantly sentimental comedy doesn't bowl you over with cinematic technique, it's likely to make audiences happy."
—
USA Today
Posted Dec 17, 2004
|
|
3.5/4
|
81%
|
Ray (2004) |
"
To any poor soul who thinks Foxx wasn't indispensable to this movie: Hit the road, Jack."
—
USA Today
Posted Oct 28, 2004
|
|
3.5/4
|
81%
|
Friday Night Lights (2004) |
"
One of the best football movies ever."
—
USA Today
Posted Oct 7, 2004
|
60%
——
97%
