Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 93%
| Pressure Cooker (2009) | "
Pressure Cooker is not about pressure so much as clarity of purpose. It's about a unique teacher's way of building confidence and pride, with results that joyously speak for themselves." — Seattle Times Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 89%
| Captain Abu Raed (2008) | "
Making a polished feature debut after directing shorts at the American Film Institute, Jordanian-born, American-educated Matalqa demonstrates a subtle touch with a well-chosen cast." — Seattle Times Posted Jul 3, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 67%
| The Merry Gentleman (2009) | "
As an actor and now as a promising first-time director, Keaton's keen instincts serve him well." — Seattle Times Posted Jun 19, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 100%
| Know Your Mushrooms (2009) | "
Another delightful exploration of well-chosen subject matter that's more richly fascinating than you might first expect." — Seattle Times Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 77%
| In a Dream (2009) | "
Call it forgiveness or codependency, but this highly personal film speaks to all of us in the universal languages of art and love." — Seattle Times Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 94%
| 24 City (2009) | "
With this moody and curiously effective follow-up to his critically acclaimed drama Still Life, director Jia Zhang-Ke paints another vivid portrait of China devastated by commercial 'progress.'" — Seattle Times Posted May 7, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 95%
| Star Trek (2009) | "
You couldn't ask for a less ponderous, more rollicking time." — Seattle Times Posted May 7, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 85%
| Examined Life (2009) | "
To [director Astra] Taylor's credit it's as inviting and accessible as a smart conversation with fascinating friends." — Seattle Times Posted Apr 23, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 90%
| Hunger (2008) | "
Hunger is an upsetting, vivid film about going to the ultimate extreme in defense of one's beliefs." — Seattle Times Posted Apr 9, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 18%
| The Cross (2009) | "
In telling the story of globe-trotting evangelist Arthur Blessitt, director Matthew Crouch allows Christian priorities to gloss over details that a more objective filmmaker would consider essential." — Seattle Times Posted Mar 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 78%
| 12 (2007) | "
Casting himself as the considerate jury foreman, Mikhalkov turns directorial confinement into a master-class of composition, performance and especially editing, as 12 crackles along for 2-½ hours that grab and hold your attention." — Seattle Times Posted Mar 26, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Fresh 73%
| The Great Buck Howard (2009) | "
Like the has-been it celebrates, this gentle comedy wears out its welcome by embracing mediocrity." — Seattle Times Posted Mar 19, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Fresh 66%
| Ben X (2008) | "
In adapting his novel and subsequent stage play, first-time writer-director Nic Balthazar seems more intent on impressing World of Warcraft gamers than honestly exploring the inner life of the mildly autistic boy at the center of his story." — Seattle Times Posted Feb 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 85%
| Three Monkeys (2009) | "
Long, masterfully executed shots accompanied by minimal dialogue and a richly expressive soundtrack; subdued performances punctuated by violent bursts of emotion; and a confident trust in the combination of stark realism and unadorned melodrama." — Seattle Times Posted Feb 19, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 88%
| Back To Normandy (2007) | "
It's a bit too convenient to credit Philibert's film with Proustian significance, but this particular remembrance has been constructed with similar profundity." — Seattle Times Posted Feb 5, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| N/A | Late Bloomer (2008) | "
Considering its five-year production history, Late Bloomer is a regrettably scattershot affair." — Seattle Times Posted Dec 31, 2008 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Fresh 68%
| Save Me (2007) | "
Allen brings such conviction to the part that it's almost possible to look past the gaps in Mark's development. In the end, you may not buy each step he takes, but you respect Allen's attempt to make the effort seem genuine." — Seattle Times Posted Dec 19, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 87%
| Timecrimes (2008) | "
A sci-fi thriller with no special effects, a cast of four and a single location used with Hitchcockian economy, Timecrimes boasts the kind of smart, resourceful filmmaking that champions ingenuity over spectacle." — Seattle Times Posted Dec 19, 2008 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 41%
| My Name is Bruce (2008) | "
Subtract Campbell from this movie's idiot-friendly equation and you've got just about any dimwitted horror comedy that's gone straight to video." — Seattle Times Posted Dec 11, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 100%
| Great Speeches From a Dying World (2009) | "
A moving portrait of homelessness that's honest, respectful, heartbreaking yet warmhearted, and brimming with humanity." — Seattle Times Posted Dec 5, 2008 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Fresh 85%
| JCVD (2008) | "
There's something seductively clever about the way French director and co-writer Mabrouk El Mechri has fractured chronology (à la Pulp Fiction) to examine JCVD's plight from various perspectives." — Seattle Times Posted Nov 21, 2008 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 87%
| A Christmas Tale (2008) | "
There are simply too many marvels to tally." — Seattle Times Posted Nov 21, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 88%
| Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback (2008) | "
Post and Palacios make a compelling case for the Monks as neglected pioneers." — Seattle Times Posted Nov 7, 2008 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| N/A | Merlove (2008) | "
It's not a particularly good documentary in terms of educational eloquence, but there's something so universally life-affirming about merlot that you can appreciate McClain's infectious enthusiasm, if not his too-relaxed skills as a filmmaker." — Seattle Times Posted Oct 24, 2008 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Fresh 80%
| Call + Response (2008) | "
How much impact Call + Response will have is anyone's guess. But when you see a 4-year-old sex slave, ignoring this crisis is no longer an option." — Seattle Times Posted Oct 10, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 93%
| My Father My Lord (2008) | "
An impressive debut by 37-year-old Israeli writer-director David Volach, "My Father My Lord" squeezes more humanity into 72 minutes than most Hollywood movies can muster in two hours or more." — Seattle Times Posted Oct 3, 2008 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 55%
| Year of the Fish (2008) | "
Apart from the debut of appealing An Nguyen and a pet fish instead of a magic slipper, there's nothing particularly innovative here, and the film's seedy milieu ensures that it's anything but a kid-friendly fairy tale." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 26, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 79%
| XXY (2008) | "
XXY is the first film to address intersex identity with graceful compassion, and [director] Puenzo tells Alex's story with simple, honest and forthright integrity." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 26, 2008 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 34%
| Miracle at St. Anna (2008) | "
It's disappointingly heavy-handed as an examination of racial prejudice in the military." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 26, 2008 |
Fresh
| N/A | Red Heroine (1929) | "
The only surviving episode of the 13-part 1929 Chinese serial Red Knight Errant." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 19, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 50%
| Stealing America: Vote By Vote (2008) | "
Regardless of your politics, it's hard to dismiss the disturbing assertions of this cheaply made but powerful documentary." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 19, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 80%
| Ten Nights of Dreams (2008) | "
There's something in these Ten Nights for the dreamer in all of us." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 19, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 80%
| Trumbo (2008) | "
Although it glosses over a few relevant details, Trumbo also functions as a passionate defense of truth from a writer who embodied all of the virtues that America claims to value." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 12, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 80%
| I Served the King of England (2008) | "
The film's whirl of history can be a bit vague at times, but that's a forgivable fault when your senses are so delightfully overwhelmed." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 5, 2008 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Rotten 29%
| Ripple Effect (2008) | "
After a bumpy start, Ripple Effect begins to show why Whitaker, Virginia Madsen and Minnie Driver signed on as executive producers and co-stars." — Seattle Times Posted Sep 5, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 87%
| The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2008) | "
This is one of the most thoughtfully engaging anime features to reach these shores, and a perfect place to start for anyone, of any age, who's been resistant to anime (and manga) as a popular Japanese import." — Seattle Times Posted Aug 29, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| N/A | The Church on Dauphine Street: One Katrina Story (2008) | "
Thompson's well-chosen images of mind-boggling destruction lend valuable perspective to the glorious reconstruction that follows -- a tribute to the openhearted generosity of those who achieved what our government could not." — Seattle Times Posted Aug 29, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 75%
| A Man Named Pearl (2008) | "
On a smaller, less-cosmic scale of appreciation, Pearl's uplifting story is a welcome reminder that any pursuit of growth and nurturing will yield unexpectedly wonderful dividends." — Seattle Times Posted Aug 1, 2008 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 45%
| The Stone Angel (2008) | "
Left me feeling respectfully indifferent, as if I'd been served a nutritious meal that was only fleetingly satisfying." — Seattle Times Posted Jul 25, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 82%
| Love and Honor (2008) | "
It's an exquisitely crafted melodrama, moving with stately grace toward an understated yet forceful quest for revenge." — Seattle Times Posted Jul 11, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 96%
| Monsieur Verdoux (1947) | "
Perfection? Arguably not; Verdoux has clunky moments and some flat casting, but with an able assist from the great comedian Martha Raye, Chaplin's latter-day greatness is readily apparent." — Seattle Times Posted Jul 11, 2008 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 31%
| The Children of Huang Shi (2008) | "
The film's closing credits ironically emphasize its dramatic shortcomings: Here we see the real, now-elderly children of Huang Shi, reflecting on their adventure. Their compelling recollections suggest that... perhaps a documentary would've been better." — Seattle Times Posted Jun 20, 2008 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 88%
| Woman on the Beach (2006) | "
A richly satisfying film that compassionately probes the human heart while preserving its elusive mysteries." — Seattle Times Posted May 30, 2008 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 44%
| The Strangers (2008) | "
Bertino relies too heavily on occasionally nonsensical terror tricks that every horror buff has seen a million times since John Carpenter's Halloween set the standard for domestic fright-night mayhem." — Seattle Times Posted May 30, 2008 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 30%
| Young Yakuza (2007) | "
Ultimately the viewer is left in the same bind as the filmmakers: wishing we'd been able to follow Naoki's apprenticeship to its traditional conclusion and beyond." — Seattle Times Posted May 23, 2008 |
— | N/A | Honor de Cavalleria (2006) |
Click here to read article — Seattle Times Posted May 22, 2008 |
— | N/A | Honey and Clover (2006) |
Click here to read article — Seattle Times Posted May 22, 2008 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 80%
| Standard Operating Procedure (2008) | "
Morris explores the reality of Abu Ghraib with a visceral intensity that straightforward reportage could never allow." — Seattle Times Posted May 16, 2008 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| N/A | Maiko Haaaan!!! (2007) | "
The only thing missing is an anime sequence, but the whole thing's a big cartoon anyway." — Seattle Times Posted May 2, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 79%
| The Flight of the Red Balloon (2008) | "
More often than not, the red balloon appears as a silent, benevolent witness to ethereal moments that [director] Hou has taken great care to capture." — Seattle Times Posted May 2, 2008 |
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