|
52%
|
Safe House (2012)
|
"An adrenaline rush of a movie about a novice CIA agent and the rogue agent he's charged with minding in Cape Town, South Africa."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
——
|
The Snows of Kilimanjaro ()
|
"Translates perfectly well as a portrait of Boomers who pat themselves on the back for past glories and the reality of a resentful younger demographic on their heels."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
43%
|
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
|
"Unfortunately, there's as yet no way to computer-generate character development or sharp writing."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
28%
|
The Vow (2012)
|
"This is one big, fat schmaltzy drama."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
80%
|
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2012)
|
"The film investigates the world of parenting in a fashion far removed from the usual candy-coated vision of mommies-and-babies-in-love."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
85%
|
Chronicle (2012)
|
"An inventive little coming-of-age thriller about power, revenge and the dark side of human nature."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
64%
|
The Woman in Black (2012)
|
"Loads of tension, psychological overtones, secrets and tons of "boo" moments, punctuated by the occasional violent payoff."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
72%
|
Big Miracle (2012)
|
"Big Miracle is what Free Willy would be if everybody in the latter movie had cynical motivations."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
——
|
Pink Ribbons, Inc. ()
|
"Guaranteed to shock anyone who thinks that pink ribbon fund-raising is innocent -- or even useful in either preventing or curing breast cancer."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
2%
|
One for the Money (2012)
|
"What a pity. You can see what Heigl is going for in this movie, and you can see the character she wants to play, but it doesn't come off."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
32%
|
Man on a Ledge (2012)
|
"The ensemble cast has enough bravado and energy to keep us going to the climactic end."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
77%
|
The Grey (2012)
|
"Neeson being Neeson is just not enough to save the day. Or this depressing, dystopian movie."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
100%
|
Monsieur Lazhar (2012)
|
"The film is a small, quiet drama that sneaks up on you and delivers an impressive emotional wallop."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
81%
|
Tyrannosaur (2011)
|
"Considine makes painterly use of the canvases that are Mullan's and Colman's faces, deep pools of ache, in different stages of their descent to a breaking point."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
80%
|
Haywire (2012)
|
"While the plot is routine and familiar -- Carano is framed by other spies and targeted for extermination -- the overall visceral effect is fascinating."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
36%
|
Red Tails (2012)
|
"The audience for Red Tails will be there out of interest in flying or history. Those viewers will not be disappointed."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
54%
|
In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)
|
"Jolie has a number of things on her side here, including a superb cast that is mostly unknown to western viewers -- always a boon to the willing suspension of disbelief."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
15%
|
The Divide (2012)
|
"If it's possible to get bored with derangement, The Divide finds a way to make that happen."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
54%
|
The Iron Lady (2012)
|
"Streep is uncanny as Britain's controversial first woman PM, emerging from beneath a minimum of latex to communicate an almost-forlorn and lonely steeliness."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
34%
|
Joyful Noise (2012)
|
"It's a pastiche of calculated plot points and characters..."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
45%
|
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2012)
|
"Cue the Oscar nominations."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
95%
|
Pina (2011)
|
"Thanks to 3D technology it's dance film quite unlike any other, which was filmmaker Wim Wenders' intention, and it's a transporting experience for the uninitiated and the cognoscenti alike."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
71%
|
Carnage (2011)
|
"The thin veneer of civilization cracks fast in Carnage, a darkly funny comedy of manners about how we live now."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
76%
|
War Horse (2011)
|
"The result is an epic piece of Spielbergian entertainment that will be enjoyed by most, save those who don't wish to be seen with their eyes moistening up in public."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
63%
|
We Bought a Zoo (2011)
|
"A sweet-natured tale about animals and new beginnings that you'll want to see with your kids."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
75%
|
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
|
"Determined purists may find reasons not to like this transition to the big screen. But if it was going to happen anyway, The Adventures of Tintin is as good as we could hope for. It's beyond reproach as family fare, equally entertaining for every age."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
87%
|
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
|
"This is some pretty raw stuff to gift-wrap under the Christmas tree this holiday movie season. But it is also a great story for awards season, when adults can finally see movies for adults."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
88%
|
Dragonslayer (2011)
|
"Dragonslayer is an amazing window into a particular part of the culture and how we live now."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
84%
|
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
|
"Like its protagonist, the whole film moves at a steady, determined pace, cramming in personalities and events neatly, but with an attention-demanding density."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
82%
|
Young Adult (2011)
|
"A kind of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf for the reality-TV generation."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
13%
|
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)
|
"The movie is a way to kill 90 minutes if you have small children to amuse, but those 90 minutes could also be spent with them at the library, maybe, or at a swimming pool. "
|
Liz Braun
|
|
60%
|
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
|
"Fantastical, furious and really funny -- even better than the 2009 film which revived the Holmes franchise."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
93%
|
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)
|
"It's fast and furious the whole way, and there's a lot to look at."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
——
|
Everything and Everyone ()
|
"The only uncool thing about it by hipster standards would be its abundance of ostentatiously hot-button themes...Squeezing them in like thematic sardines is evidence of trying too hard. "
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
89%
|
Into The Abyss (2011)
|
"Into the Abyss makes Herzog's point powerfully, without descending to the level of polemic."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
97%
|
The Artist (2011)
|
"The Artist is a witty little confection, bound to please but not necessarily to linger in the mind."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
——
|
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga ()
|
"A year in the wilderness with Werner Herzog as a guide is a unique film experience."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
68%
|
The Eye of the Storm (2012)
|
"The film is blackly funny, incisive and often moving, and the performances are spectacular."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
94%
|
Paul Goodman Changed My Life (2011)
|
"But more remarkable than the accolades of his admirers is the (sometimes grudging) respect shown by his opponents and antagonists."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
50%
|
Sleeping Beauty (2011)
|
"The film deals with the topic of sexual taboos in a transgressive manner that bends your brain. The whole enterprise may even be fraudulent."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
22%
|
The Sitter (2011)
|
"There is no doubt an audience for this material among adolescent boys, but for almost everyone else, this is 82 deja vu minutes of your life you're not getting back."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
8%
|
New Year's Eve (2011)
|
"It's all edited with a Cuisinart, such that when a character you last saw 20 minutes ago (the movie's an excruciating two hours) pops up again, you have to remind yourself who they are."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
——
|
Surviving Progress ()
|
"In an ironically overpopulated documentary genre, it's a fresh approach."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
96%
|
Tomboy (2011)
|
"Tomboy is a charming film about childhood and identity."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
92%
|
My Perestroika (2011)
|
"My Perestroika manages to paint a picture of a people twice-disillusioned by their political system -- a uniting thread between East and West, indeed."
|
Bruce Kirkland
|
|
80%
|
Shame (2011)
|
"Shame is a brilliant drama; it may also be the most uncomfortable 100 minutes you spend in a movie theatre this year."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
95%
|
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2011)
|
"An epic crime drama from Rio de Janeiro with a thrilling pace and an over-the-top body count."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
81%
|
Klitschko (2011)
|
"It's a story that commands attention, even for non-boxing fans."
|
Jim Slotek
|
|
84%
|
My Week with Marilyn (2011)
|
"The astonishing experience of watching Michelle Williams transform herself into Marilyn Monroe tends to block out everything else going on."
|
Liz Braun
|
|
94%
|
Hugo (2011)
|
"From Harry Potter, we know children appreciate magic when it comes from a wand. Hugo asks, in convincing fashion, that they see it in a simple flickering light."
|
Jim Slotek
|
