|
3.5/4
|
95%
|
Stories We Tell (2013) |
"
Even calling ''Stories We Tell'' a documentary seems rather limiting and not entirely accurate; it's also a deadpan comedy, a juicy melodrama and a gripping mystery, all cleverly blended together with great focus."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 16, 2013
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Frances Ha (2013) |
"
Nothing really happens in ''Frances Ha'' and yet the film takes us on an emotional journey."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 15, 2013
|
|
1.5/4
|
49%
|
The Great Gatsby (2013) |
"
[Luhrmann's] "Great Gatsby" is all about the glitter but it has no soul - and the fact that he's directed it in 3-D only magnifies the feeling of artificiality."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 8, 2013
|
|
|
72%
|
Elephant (2003) |
"
The approach is oddly riveting, though, because the tension builds slowly, and you know what's going to happen at the end of the day."
—
Associated Press
Posted Apr 24, 2013
|
|
|
87%
|
A History of Violence (2005) |
"
The less you know about this movie before seeing it -- and you really should see it -- the better."
—
Associated Press
Posted Apr 15, 2013
|
|
|
85%
|
Batman Begins (2005) |
"
Nolan takes an admirable stab at developing a character-driven drama, only to give in to generic action-movie conventions with a blinding, deafening, explosion-laden finale that could have capped off any number of interchangeable Jerry Bruckheimer flicks."
—
Associated Press
Posted Apr 14, 2013
|
|
|
75%
|
Over the Hedge (2006) |
"
If Over the Hedge aims solely to entertain, it does so in a way that's mildly amusing but mostly hackneyed. If it aims to instruct, it weakens its own argument with the plethora of product tie-ins."
—
Associated Press
Posted Apr 14, 2013
|
|
3.5/4
|
85%
|
Upstream Color (2013) |
"
The artistry on display is indisputable, and thrilling."
—
Associated Press
Posted Apr 1, 2013
|
|
|
28%
|
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) |
"
That's not to say that this G.I. Joe is good, aside from a couple of dazzling action set pieces, but at least it's efficient in its muscular mindlessness."
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 27, 2013
|
|
2/4
|
82%
|
The Place Beyond The Pines (2013) |
"
''The Place Beyond the Pines'' aims admirably for an epic sense of Greek tragedy, and it does have some powerful individual moments, but the characters are all so underdeveloped that the whole effort feels like studied posturing."
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 27, 2013
|
|
|
93%
|
Sugar (2008) |
"
To tell you what happens to him from here would be a tremendous disservice. We'll just say that, refreshingly, nothing about it is sickly sweet."
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 20, 2013
|
|
1.5/4
|
38%
|
Admission (2013) |
"
What should be a hilarious, long-overdue pairing of two hugely likable, superstar comedians ends up being a major disappointment with "Admission.""
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 19, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
69%
|
The Croods (2013) |
"
"The Croods" is both brisk and beautiful, and should be sufficiently entertaining for family audiences for whom few such options exist these days."
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 18, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
66%
|
Spring Breakers (2013) |
"
We're all screwed, Korine seems to be saying. It's very sad - but also kinda sexy."
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 14, 2013
|
|
1.5/4
|
36%
|
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) |
"
After it's over, poof! You'll forget you ever watched it in the first place."
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 12, 2013
|
|
|
59%
|
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) |
"
Oz the Great and Powerful aims for nostalgia in older viewers who grew up on The Wizard of Oz and still hold the classic dear while simultaneously enchanting a newer, younger audience. It never really accomplishes either successfully."
—
Associated Press
Posted Mar 7, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
28%
|
21 And Over (2013) |
"
While comparisons to ''The Hangover'' are inevitable, ''21 & Over'' is actually reminiscent of a different and specific kind of movie: the early Vince Vaughn-Jon Favreau romp."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 28, 2013
|
|
3/4
|
52%
|
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) |
"
''Jack the Giant Slayer'' ends up being smart, thrilling and a whole lot of fun."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 27, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
71%
|
Bless Me, Ultima (2013) |
"
A mostly gentle and tastefully photographed depiction of a young boy's coming of age in rural 1940s New Mexico."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 21, 2013
|
|
|
94%
|
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) |
"
Boyle takes his wildly high-energy visual aesthetic and applies it to a story that, at its core, is rather sweet and traditionally crowdpleasing."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 20, 2013
|
|
|
75%
|
Crash (2004) |
"
Haggis moves seamlessly between all these stories and has structured them in such a way that his characters reach a crisis point simultaneously, followed by melancholy clarity."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 15, 2013
|
|
|
14%
|
A Good Day To Die Hard (2013) |
"
A Good Day to Die Hard is pointless and joyless, a barrage of noise and chaos, an onslaught of destruction without the slightest mention of consequence."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 13, 2013
|
|
2/4
|
46%
|
Beautiful Creatures (2013) |
"
A strong cast of likable and, yes, beautiful actors can only do so much with the formula in which they're forced to work."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 13, 2013
|
|
1.5/4
|
20%
|
Identity Thief (2013) |
"
''Identity Thief'' strands these two ordinarily enjoyable comics in the middle of nowhere with no help for miles."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 8, 2013
|
|
3/4
|
84%
|
Side Effects (2013) |
"
The complexity of emotion, confusion and loss at the film's start gives way to some acrobatic trickery by the end, but "Side Effects" is never less than gripping or entertaining."
—
Associated Press
Posted Feb 6, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
38%
|
Stand Up Guys (2013) |
"
There's enough humor and tenderness in Fisher Stevens' film to make it a passably enjoyable experience for the most part."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jan 29, 2013
|
|
1.5/4
|
41%
|
Parker (2013) |
"
Statham is stepping into a well-known persona. But he's not exactly pushing himself outside his comfort zone; he's on auto-pilot here, despite the obvious physical demands of the part."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jan 23, 2013
|
|
1.5/4
|
29%
|
Broken City (2013) |
"
Everything is simultaneously too complicated and overly spelled out."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jan 16, 2013
|
|
3/4
|
60%
|
The Last Stand (2013) |
"
Kim keeps things moving briskly and the members of the strong supporting cast don't seem to mind that they're playing flimsy types. Everyone's just here for a mindless good time."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jan 15, 2013
|
|
1.5/4
|
32%
|
Gangster Squad (2013) |
"
It's all just noise disguised as entertainment."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jan 10, 2013
|
|
|
93%
|
Zero Dark Thirty (2013) |
"
Bigelow's extensive staging of the May 1, 2011, raid is a prime example of virtuoso action filmmaking."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jan 8, 2013
|
|
|
86%
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) |
"
Beasts of the Southern Wild is sheer poetry on screen: an explosion of joy in the midst of startling squalor and one of the most visceral, original films to come along in a while."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jan 8, 2013
|
|
2/4
|
51%
|
Promised Land (2013) |
"
"Promised Land" offers an experience that's alternately amusing and frustrating, full of impassioned earnestness as well as saggy sections."
—
Associated Press
Posted Dec 31, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
52%
|
This is 40 (2012) |
"
It's the feel-bad comedy of the holiday season - and that's what makes it good."
—
Associated Press
Posted Dec 19, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
81%
|
The Impossible (2012) |
"
''The Impossible'' is about as subtle as a wall of water."
—
Associated Press
Posted Dec 19, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
61%
|
Jack Reacher (2012) |
"
Besides being a mind teaser, "Jack Reacher" offers the muscular thrills of a `70s action flick ..."
—
Associated Press
Posted Dec 18, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
93%
|
Amour (2012) |
"
It will surely strike a chord with anyone who's watched a loved one slip away in this manner, whether it's a parent or a spouse."
—
Associated Press
Posted Dec 17, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
70%
|
Les Misérables (2012) |
"
It is enormous and sprawling and not the slightest bit subtle. But at the same time it's hard not to admire the ambition that drives such an approach ..."
—
Associated Press
Posted Dec 10, 2012
|
|
0/4
|
4%
|
Playing for Keeps (2012) |
"
It is truly baffling that all the talented, acclaimed actors involved actually read this script and then agreed to devote their time to this movie, especially given its uncomfortably flagrant misogynistic streak."
—
Associated Press
Posted Dec 5, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
75%
|
Killing Them Softly (2012) |
"
An incredibly stylish genre exercise set in the world of mobsters, junkies and lowlifes, but it's also trying incredibly hard to be About Something."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 28, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
93%
|
The Central Park Five (2012) |
"
Even as "The Central Park Five" seeks satisfactory answers, it stirs outrage and discouragement all over again."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 27, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
82%
|
De rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone) (2012) |
"
These are people who never would have connected under ordinary circumstances; they end up needing each other desperately. Only in the movies."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
92%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) |
"
David O. Russell has pulled off a tricky feat here, finding just the right tone in crafting a romantic comedy whose sweethearts suffer from bipolar disorder and depression."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
|
48%
|
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) |
"
Finally -- finally! -- the Twilight franchise embraces its own innate absurdity with the gleefully over-the-top conclusion, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 14, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
64%
|
Anna Karenina (2012) |
"
Wondrous as all this artifice is, it's also a huge distraction. The self-consciousness of the structure keeps us at arm's length emotionally."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 13, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012) |
"
This is a movie that's easier to admire than love; it's impressive but not exactly moving."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 7, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012) |
"
Simultaneously thrilling and meaty, this is easily one of the best entries ever in the 50-year, 23-film series, led once again by an actor who's the best Bond yet in Daniel Craig."
—
Associated Press
Posted Nov 5, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
47%
|
The Details (2012) |
"
It's a frustrating movie in its inconsistency."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 31, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
78%
|
Flight (2012) |
"
For the most part, "Flight" manages to achieve the tricky balance of functioning as a serious, adult drama that's also crowd-pleasing."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 31, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
66%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012) |
"
A bloated, pseudo-intellectual, self-indulgent slog through some notions that are really rather facile."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 23, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
38%
|
Nobody Walks (2012) |
"
Artfully constructed but hollow at its core, "Nobody Walks" makes it impossible to stop watching while simultaneously making it impossible to care about what's happening."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 16, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
94%
|
The Sessions (2012) |
"
It has some difficult and heartfelt performances as well as moments of uncomfortable honesty, but ultimately writer-director Ben Lewin's film feels too slight, too pat, and too wildly overhyped out of its festival showings."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 16, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
84%
|
Smashed (2012) |
"
The bottom isn't low enough, the struggle isn't difficult enough, and the characters (especially the supporting ones) don't feel developed enough to provide necessary context for our heroine's journey."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 9, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
96%
|
Argo (2012) |
"
While steeped in the trends and filmmaking style of the decade, "Argo" still feels immediate and relevant. Affleck's best film yet is also one of the best films of the year."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 9, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
87%
|
Frankenweenie (2012) |
"
Revisiting the past - his own, and that of the masters who came before him - seems to have brought this filmmaker's boyish enthusiasm back to life, as well."
—
Associated Press
Posted Oct 3, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
81%
|
Pitch Perfect (2012) |
"
It's ridiculous and predictable but also just a ton of fun, so you may as well give up and give in to your inner musical theater geek."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 26, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Looper (2012) |
"
Johnson establishes the machinery of the time-travel concept, then steadily pushes it into the background in favor of exploring his characters and the difficult questions they face."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 26, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
85%
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) |
"
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower," may not do anything groundbreaking, but it tells a familiar story in small, thoughtful ways."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
78%
|
Dredd (2012) |
"
A wickedly dark comic streak breaks up the vivid violence and relentless bleakness of "Dredd 3D.""
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
85%
|
End of Watch (2012) |
"
From the brutal daily violence to the dramatic final act, "End of Watch" itself remains thrilling and uncompromising."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 19, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
87%
|
Arbitrage (2012) |
"
Gere is so charming, so irresistible when he's on top of the world - when he's got all those plates humming in unison - that he kind of makes you root for his character to get away with it all."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 11, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
85%
|
The Master (2012) |
"
In his first film since the 2010 performance-art stunt of "I'm Still Here," Phoenix once again digs deep to mine his character's inner torment and comes up with a mix of haunting quirks and tics."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 10, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
73%
|
Hello I Must Be Going (2012) |
"
Both funnier and deeper than you might expect at the outset."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 6, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
22%
|
The Words (2012) |
"
"The Words" leaves nothing to the imagination, smothering all these storylines in narration that spells out the actions we're seeing or emotions we could infer for ourselves."
—
Associated Press
Posted Sep 5, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
55%
|
For a Good Time, Call... (2012) |
"
Travis keeps things moving so briskly, you find yourself not minding how by-the-numbers the story is. And then within that by-the-numbers story, there end up being enough surprises and subversive twists that you find yourself unexpectedly charmed."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 30, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
67%
|
Lawless (2012) |
"
Hillcoat's ultra-violent drama plays like a hot, sweaty, delusional fever dream and is similarly fitful. It can be visceral and operatic, beautiful and brutal but also slow and overlong."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 29, 2012
|
|
|
84%
|
Kill Bill, Volume 2 (2004) |
"
If Kill Bill - Vol. 1 was like a roundhouse kick to the head, Vol. 2 is practically a warm hug."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 15, 2012
|
|
|
88%
|
Fa Yeung Nin Wa (In the Mood for Love) (2001) |
"
The film is gorgeous, dripping with texture and sensuality and, well, mood."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 14, 2012
|
|
|
56%
|
The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
"
Structurally, yes, it's loaded with all the lies, schemes and high-tech trickery that are staples of the espionage genre. But a deeper, more individualistic source of tension propels the film along."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 9, 2012
|
|
|
95%
|
Before Sunset (2004) |
"
It's a lovely, beguiling little film a rare treat during this overheated season of blockbusters. It's also an unusual example of a follow-up that doesn't seem forced, but expands effortlessly on the original."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 8, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
74%
|
Hope Springs (2012) |
"
It will make you want to go home and have sex with your spouse afterward. Or at least share a longer hug or a more passionate kiss."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 7, 2012
|
|
|
30%
|
Total Recall (2012) |
"
Farrell is confident and competent regardless of the situation; there never seems to be any real threat of him coming out alive."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 3, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
70%
|
Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012) |
"
"Celeste and Jesse Forever" is by no means a parody of romantic comedy cliches, but rather an acknowledgement of them en route to an exploration of greater emotional truths."
—
Associated Press
Posted Aug 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
77%
|
Killer Joe (2012) |
"
Like a deep-fried Twinkie at the State Fair of Texas, ''Killer Joe'' is gooey, flavorful and bad for you. Dig in."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 27, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
79%
|
Ruby Sparks (2012) |
"
Maybe it'll give you something to think about as you Facebook stalk that cute girl you just met for coffee."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 27, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
95%
|
The Queen of Versailles (2012) |
"
These are not horrible people, just ones who flung themselves enthusiastically toward the American dream as so many do."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 18, 2012
|
|
|
88%
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) |
"
This is the problem when you're an exceptional, visionary filmmaker. When you give people something extraordinary, they expect it every time. Anything short of that feels like a letdown."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 16, 2012
|
|
|
77%
|
Take This Waltz (2012) |
"
Polley (who's been an actress herself) never judges these people she's created. Instead, she depicts the giddy, fleeting and illusory nature of new love, and lets us get caught up in it, too."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 16, 2012
|
|
|
29%
|
Red Lights (2012) |
"
Red Lights culminates with a twist ending that doesn't just change everything that came previously, it actually negates the entirety of the film."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 16, 2012
|
|
|
95%
|
The Imposter (2012) |
"
Director Bart Layton takes a story that was already fascinatingly weird to begin with and makes it even more compelling by structuring it as a shadowy film noir."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 16, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
51%
|
Savages (2012) |
"
"Savages" is an enjoyably gratuitous romp, but with something to say."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jul 2, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
80%
|
Magic Mike (2012) |
"
[Tatum is] just mesmerizing: confident, creative, acrobatic and, above all, seductive. `Cause that's the whole point."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 26, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
73%
|
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) |
"
Garfield plays Peter as more of a misunderstood outsider, a rebel with a chip on his shoulder, a guy who wasn't afraid to stand up to the class bully even before he underwent his transformation."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 26, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
68%
|
Ted (2012) |
"
Much of the material works because the bear has someone to bounce off of; Wahlberg does his best work in situations like this, where he's playing it totally straight in a setting that's totally silly."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 25, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
35%
|
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) |
"
What ideally might have been playful and knowing is instead uptight and dreary, with a visual scheme that's so fake and cartoony, it depletes the film of any sense of danger."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 20, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
56%
|
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) |
"
Buoyed by individual moments, and by some of the inspired casting that's revealed at each stop along the way."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 19, 2012
|
|
|
78%
|
Brave (2012) |
"
Pixar is long overdue for a feature with a strong female character at its center. Now that she's arrived, it's clear that she deserves better."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 18, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
41%
|
Rock of Ages (2012) |
"
If this era was a formative time in your life and you're feeling a yearning for kitschy nostalgia, "Rock of Ages" provides a sufficiently fun little escape."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 12, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
83%
|
Your Sister's Sister (2012) |
"
Even when things get a little crazy and maybe even too soapy, "Your Sister's Sister" always feels like it's rooted in a tangible reality, a place of unpredictability and abiding humanity."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 12, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
77%
|
The Color Wheel (2012) |
"
It's a defiant, uncompromising statement in every way."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 6, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
29%
|
Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding (2012) |
"
Squanders the abilities of these usually fearless, formidable actresses with material that's entirely predictable and a high sap factor that belongs in a made-for-cable production."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 6, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
91%
|
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) |
"
You have to admire the fact that, rather than turning to the safety of snark, this little movie sticks to its big idea: All you gotta do is believe."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 6, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
74%
|
Prometheus (2012) |
"
The paranoia becomes palpable, and a lot of its impact comes from how dramatic and dazzlingly seamless the special effects are."
—
Associated Press
Posted Jun 4, 2012
|
|
|
47%
|
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) |
"
Astonishingly beautiful and breathtaking in its brutal imagery, Snow White & the Huntsman is thrilling and frightening in equal measure, yet as bereft of satisfying substance as a poisoned apple."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 30, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
75%
|
The Intouchables (2012) |
"
Cluzet has the daunting task of trying to strike a powerful contrast while acting only from the neck up, and he pulls it off with stoic, bemused grace."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 23, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
70%
|
Men in Black III (2012) |
"
When even the most charismatic actor on the planet can't fake excitement, you know you're in trouble."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 22, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
94%
|
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) |
"
If you love Wes Anderson, you'll love this: The best of what he can do is vibrantly on display."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 21, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
87%
|
Polisse (2012) |
"
Sure, you've seen this sort of material before -- comparisons to HBO's "The Wire" are frequent and obvious -- but when it's done right, as it is here, it's gripping."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 16, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
34%
|
Battleship (2012) |
"
"Battleship" is big, dumb fun that knows it's big, dumb fun and enthusiastically embraces its big, dumb, fun nature."
—
Associated Press
Posted May 15, 2012
|
