|
2.5/4
|
40%
|
Parker (2013) |
"
This is classic grindhouse material pretending to be something it's not. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jan 25, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
87%
|
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2013) |
"
Unlike Werner Herzog's vintage efforts, Happy People plays like an everyday Discovery channel special."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jan 25, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
36%
|
LUV (2013) |
"
It's got the heart and soul, but not the brain. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jan 25, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
59%
|
The Last Stand (2013) |
"
There isn't much of a story here, though it's great to see Arnold back where he belongs."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jan 25, 2013
|
|
3/4
|
56%
|
Fairhaven (2013) |
"
Tom O'Brien smartly stresses realistic, submerged feelings instead of overwrought dramatics in his low-key portrait of friendship and all its complications."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jan 11, 2013
|
|
2.5/4
|
79%
|
Quartet (2013) |
"
No movie starring these actors could possibly be all that bad. But Quartet is tepid when it wants to be sophisticated, a slow-moving, middlebrow endeavor."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jan 11, 2013
|
|
3/4
|
67%
|
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (2013) |
"
This is the story of people who dream big dreams and find a common understanding in the face of impossible difficulties. It's hard not to get behind that. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jan 11, 2013
|
|
0.5/4
|
38%
|
The Guilt Trip (2012) |
"
There are bad movies. There are BAD movies. And then there's The Guilt Trip. "
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Dec 27, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
44%
|
Save The Date (2012) |
"
There's a finely-tuned sense of how difficult it can be to live life on your own terms, but the film so resolutely adheres to indie conventions it's hard to take seriously."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 27, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
77%
|
Any Day Now (2012) |
"
There's joy in the small moments and fierce, humanist dignity in Alan Cumming's performance."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 27, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
88%
|
Django Unchained (2012) |
"
The film gives us vintage Tarantino, a pastiche of Western, blaxploitation and Civil War-era movie tropes that's packed with his characteristically rich dialogue."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 21, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
51%
|
Promised Land (2013) |
"
A fracking drama that's more about the ethical dilemma facing the main character than easy answers to tricky questions."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 21, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
95%
|
West of Memphis (2012) |
"
A definitive portrait of a real-life travesty of justice. Provides a strong sense of the scope of this tragedy and a thoughtful investigative probing of the facts behind it."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 21, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
69%
|
Not Fade Away (2012) |
"
A '60s-set film that's rendered with with an eye for authenticity instead of period fetishism."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 21, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
52%
|
This is 40 (2012) |
"
Judd Apatow mines recognizable thematic territory -- after all, we've all had to grapple with that big birthday and what it represents -- and he does so with vivid immediacy."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 21, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
81%
|
The Impossible (2012) |
"
Riveting for a spell, but imbued with a phony uplifting sensibility that detracts from the Thailand tsunami's real story."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 21, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Zero Dark Thirty (2013) |
"
It's one of the great recent works about the investigative process, a streamlined, riveting portrait of a nuts-and-bolts inquiry over the course of a decade."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 17, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Amour (2012) |
"
It's an uncompromising portrait of the aging process, with the experience of getting older rendered in a harsh light rather than a comforting golden glow."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 17, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) |
"
It's a shame to see Peter Jackson treading water when there are so many new cinematic horizons worth exploring."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 12, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
38%
|
Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) |
"
It's simultaneously an enlightening historical account and a softhearted comedy of manners, and you wish director Roger Michell had gone one way or the other."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 7, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
32%
|
Deadfall (2012) |
"
A rare modern genre piece that doesn't shy away from being impossibly bleak and downbeat."
—
amNewYork
Posted Dec 7, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
50%
|
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012) |
"
An arty action flick that's almost worth watching. The odds of director John Hyams pulling off such a feat were only slightly worse than winning Powerball."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 30, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
67%
|
California Solo (2012) |
"
Anchored by Robert Carlyle's strong, naturalistic performance, in which he relies on his big smile and sad eyes in equal measure."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 30, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
75%
|
Killing Them Softly (2012) |
"
A convincing allegorical portrait of the recession-era crime business. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 30, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
63%
|
Hitchcock (2012) |
"
To watch Anthony Hopkins play Alfred Hitchcock is to experience an onscreen transformation that's so complete, so comprehensive, it's as if the real person has been revived. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
82%
|
De rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone) (2012) |
"
What sounds like a movie of the week formula plays much more convincingly thanks to assured direction and powerful performances."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
94%
|
The Central Park Five (2012) |
"
A sobering portrait of five lives destroyed on a terrible night and an earnest plea for thoughtful, well-considered justice in the future."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
92%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) |
"
The film is at once heartfelt and funny, farcical and sincere, and packed with performances that pull off that difficult balancing act. In short, it's a masterpiece."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
64%
|
Anna Karenina (2012) |
"
Director Joe Wright pulls off an impressive feat, taking the iconic, timeless work and making it his own."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 15, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
89%
|
A Royal Affair (2012) |
"
It's a film about a society at a crossroads, with two competing visions of the future being hashed out against a backdrop of political intrigue. Sound familiar?"
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 9, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012) |
"
Skyfall stands out by bringing Bond into a real world milieu. For many reasons, things aren't so comfortable and secure anymore."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 7, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
76%
|
The Bay (2012) |
"
Director Barry Levinson appears reinvigorated here, smartly building tension and a sense of ominous foreboding with the multimedia approach."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 7, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
79%
|
A Late Quartet (2012) |
"
However inconsequential the struggles of pretentious artists might be, A Late Quartet depicts the passage of time, the specter of death and the promise of rebirth, in time-honored dramatic form."
—
amNewYork
Posted Nov 6, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
79%
|
The Other Son (2012) |
"
Stands out as a plea for tolerance, a film about the shared humanity that can overcome even the most intractable of differences."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 27, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
70%
|
The Loneliest Planet (2012) |
"
The characters are kept at such a distance, and the movie is so opposed to basic dramatic impulses, that it's like watching a stranger's vacation footage. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 27, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
84%
|
Smashed (2012) |
"
There are some clunky moments here, but the movie conveys the fundamental truth that some victories don't always feel so victorious."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 27, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
96%
|
Argo (2012) |
"
It's a reminder of what the movies can offer when they're at their best: an escape into another world and a pertinent look at our own."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 27, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
47%
|
The First Time (2012) |
"
when it comes to insight into being a teen in this day an age, or any of the other traits that set the best high school movies apart, The First Time comes up empty."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
94%
|
The Sessions (2012) |
"
It offers a relatable depiction of the powers of a positive mental attitude and perseverance in spite of horrendously bad luck. And some Oscar-caliber acting, to boot."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
90%
|
Holy Motors (2012) |
"
You'll either run with it or you won't, but you can be sure you've never seen anything quite like it."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
93%
|
The House I Live In (2012) |
"
Eugene Jarecki, an adept chronicler of corrosive societal corruption, offers a thoughtful look at the human cost of the epic, decades-long War on Drugs."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 5, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
44%
|
The Paperboy (2012) |
"
The filmmaker alludes to racial tensions, alcoholism and other hot-button period taboos, but they jumble together in a soup of sweaty nonsense."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 5, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
35%
|
Butter (2012) |
"
With Sarah Palin, the movie's thinly disguised object of derision, now operating on the fringe of mainstream culture, the entire film feels like yesterday's news."
—
amNewYork
Posted Oct 5, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Looper (2012) |
"
From the carefully choreographed action scenes to the themes of revenge and redemption, Looper is the work of a visionary. Don't miss it."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 27, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
32%
|
Won't Back Down (2012) |
"
A meat-and-potatoes movie, it's basic, dependable fare that's cooked well and goes down easy."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 27, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
85%
|
End of Watch (2012) |
"
Writer-director David Ayer drives home the existential displacement that must come with being a cop on a dangerous patrol."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Sep 27, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
59%
|
10 Years (2012) |
"
It's about as much fun as spending 100 minutes in a room full of annoying strangers."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Sep 27, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
85%
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) |
"
Writer-director Stephen Chbosky's adaptation of his novel is so infused with honey-glazed recollections of suburban Pittsburgh in the early '90s that it suffocates."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
51%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012) |
"
Taps into some appealingly old-fashioned ideas about the magic of what was once America's Pastime."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 20, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
87%
|
Arbitrage (2012) |
"
Here's an old-fashioned thriller-cum-morality play that trades in compelling characters and sharp storytelling. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 13, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
69%
|
Liberal Arts (2012) |
"
Josh Radnor's Jesse is not a likable character in any sense, and more than anything you wish he'd just grow up already."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 13, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
86%
|
The Master (2012) |
"
This movie defies the usual fresh-or-rotten dichotomy. It's an awesome feat of filmmaking, but so opaque that it keeps you at a remove and proves hard to sit through."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 13, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
84%
|
Detropia (2012) |
"
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady evoke the human heart of the economic malaise that's eating away at the core of this country, while pointing the way toward better days ahead."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 7, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
73%
|
Hello I Must Be Going (2012) |
"
Bolstered by a terrific performance from Melanie Lynskey, who brings dignity and humor to what could have been a downbeat part."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 7, 2012
|
|
1/4
|
10%
|
Branded (2012) |
"
This movie makes absolutely no sense. "
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Sep 7, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
39%
|
The Possession (2012) |
"
In the end, The Possession is simply just another movie about a possessed demon child who does the things that demon children do."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Sep 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
67%
|
Lawless (2012) |
"
A western-gangster movie hybrid set in 1930s Appalachia that's a welcome return to two old-fashioned, distinctly American modes of filmmaking."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
56%
|
For a Good Time, Call... (2012) |
"
Instead of perseverating on the gender behind this phone sex comedy, it's best to flat out state that the movie is hilarious."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
64%
|
The Good Doctor (2012) |
"
A compelling, character-driven film about a particularly antiseptic form of madness."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 1, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
42%
|
Little White Lies (2012) |
"
It lasts an astonishing 154 minutes, pushing on so far past its expiration date that you'll squirm uncomfortably for the final act. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
85%
|
Sleepwalk With Me (2012) |
"
Mike Birbiglia adeptly navigates the comic, self-mocking confessional terrain."
—
amNewYork
Posted Sep 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
48%
|
Hit & Run (2012) |
"
The action has an appealing old-fashioned feel, relying on genuine stunt driving instead of the usual recipe of CGI and incessant cutting."
—
amNewYork
Posted Aug 22, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
58%
|
Sparkle (2012) |
"
The clichés are expected and could be forgiven if the movie ever departed from the standard template, even for a minute."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Aug 22, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
64%
|
Cosmopolis (2012) |
"
The hilarious thought of stunned Team Edward devotees scratching their heads at this mystifying David Cronenberg movie is about all there is to get you through it."
—
amNewYork
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
58%
|
Red Hook Summer (2012) |
"
This is an illustrated lecture - a jumbled, rushed cinematic rant. The ideas are there. The story is not."
—
The Atlantic
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
65%
|
The Expendables 2 (2012) |
"
This is total nonsense, of course, but Sylvester Stallone and company, weirdly bulging arms and all, are at their tongue-in-cheek best throughout."
—
amNewYork
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
65%
|
2 Days in New York (2012) |
"
An appealing fantasy depiction of cosmopolitan life in the heart of Manhattan."
—
amNewYork
Posted Aug 11, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
8%
|
The Babymakers (2012) |
"
In short, the movie's not funny enough or serious-minded enough to warrant 95 minutes of your time."
—
amNewYork
Posted Aug 11, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
21%
|
360 (2012) |
"
A waste of talent and a tired enterprise, with its brief snippets of compelling content undone by the overarching blandness."
—
amNewYork
Posted Aug 11, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
77%
|
Killer Joe (2012) |
"
Killer Joe, packed with miserable stereotypes doing miserable things with no sense of a higher purpose, plays like a dramatized version of The Jerry Springer Show. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 28, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
79%
|
Klown (2012) |
"
The screenplay wades through a stream of absurd situations during the trip, but they're treated with an earnest, understated hand that keeps the focus on the characters. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 28, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
5%
|
30 Beats (2012) |
"
The characters are props in what's essentially a lame screenwriting exercise."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 23, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
95%
|
The Queen of Versailles (2012) |
"
It transforms from a mocking portrait of exorbitance into a sympathetic depiction of a family struggling with their own version of what most of us have gone through."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 23, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
92%
|
Farewell, My Queen (2012) |
"
With attractively costumed actors and a no-expenses-spared approach, the movie is the closest we'll get to experiencing Versailles alongside the queen."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 23, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
95%
|
The Imposter (2012) |
"
The greatest mystery of all -- why this family believed the imposter and welcomed him "home" -- remains hauntingly unsolved"
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 23, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
63%
|
Union Square (2012) |
"
The film is undone by the fact that both protagonists are obnoxious caricatures."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 23, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
51%
|
Savages (2012) |
"
Sure, the protagonists are self-indulgent bores, the narrative peters out with a weird bout of self-reflexive tomfoolery and the movie won't be remembered as one of Stone's masterpieces. But it's a lot of fun. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jul 6, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
80%
|
Magic Mike (2012) |
"
A fun, ribald time that's also a a nuanced take on a man who is all-too aware of what his life is missing."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 29, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
78%
|
Take This Waltz (2012) |
"
Michelle Williams' sublime, open-hearted work carries us with her as Margot experiences the pleasures and pains of that confusing journey we call life. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 29, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
35%
|
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) |
"
There's a conceptual flaw here: the actual details of Lincoln's life were so fascinating, filled with such drama, that there's no need to make him a vampire hunter at all."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Jun 22, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
55%
|
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) |
"
The film doesn't go far enough in exploring the unique setting, playing things safe when they should be outrageous."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 22, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012) |
"
It plays less like a movie Woody Allen truly needed to make and more like one he took on so he could get a little work in while vacationing in Rome. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 22, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
41%
|
Rock of Ages (2012) |
"
This isn't really a movie. It's a collection of covers. And if it's possible to have a decent time, you can't help but be struck by the emptiness of it all. "
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 15, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
63%
|
The Woman in the Fifth (2012) |
"
For all the promise of minor-key, David Lynch-esque surrealism with a French twist, the movie offers perilously little payoff."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 15, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
91%
|
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) |
"
A tame indie with sci-fi leanings that nearly gets by on Aubrey Plaza's unique charms."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 9, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
86%
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) |
"
A love letter to the people of the Bayou State, who have persevered in the face of apocalyptic tragedy."
—
The Atlantic
Posted Jun 9, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
29%
|
Bel Ami (2012) |
"
Robert Pattinson fits right into this material - a blistering critique of a man who can't overcome his self-hatred."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 9, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
13%
|
Piranha 3DD (2012) |
"
This sequel puts such little effort into the same basic setup that it's barely even a movie."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Jun 9, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
27%
|
High School (2012) |
"
It's about a 'high' school, and once you've gotten that you've pretty much figured out this stoner comedy."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
58%
|
U.N. Me (2012) |
"
The filmmakers present a sharp, well-argued case that exposes the rampant cronyism and greed eating away at the heart of the United Nations."
—
amNewYork
Posted Jun 1, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
75%
|
The Intouchables (2012) |
"
Features characters worth caring about, actors who are adept at making you feel for them and an inspirational narrative centered on meaningful, affecting human growth."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted Jun 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
94%
|
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) |
"
As per the director's norm, the film offers a triumph of style over substance. But sometimes, when it's not just typical summertime bombast, that's what you need."
—
amNewYork
Posted May 23, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
22%
|
The Samaritan (2012) |
"
The experience of watching Samuel L. Jackson actually act is the only real pleasure to be gleaned from the movie."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted May 18, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
88%
|
Polisse (2012) |
"
It's filled with shocking dialogue and disturbing content, but treats it all in a strangely facile way."
—
amNewYork
Posted May 18, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
58%
|
Hysteria (2012) |
"
There's heartfelt drama, droll humor, an affecting love story and a feminist message that sticks."
—
amNewYork
Posted May 18, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
40%
|
Tonight You're Mine (2012) |
"
If you're after an interesting cinematic experience about convincing characters facing some sort of meaningful human dilemma, it'd be best to keep on looking."
—
Film School Rejects
Posted May 16, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
38%
|
Dark Shadows (2012) |
"
An adaptation of an old, antiquated TV show that feels fresh and alive in large part because of its star. "
—
Film School Rejects
Posted May 11, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
94%
|
I Wish (2012) |
"
This powerful drama is set at that key moment in life when the realities of the adult world impinge on and irrevocably alter the optimism of youth."
—
amNewYork
Posted May 10, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
67%
|
God Bless America (2012) |
"
A stark vision of American civilization crumbling amid a morass of loud, cacophonic nonsense."
—
amNewYork
Posted May 10, 2012
|
75%
25%
75%
85%
46%
40%
