instantwatcher.com

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader

1. Ballplayer: Pelotero 2012 [The] Directors...try to soften...ugly truths with sentimental stories of teenagers getting signed and pulling their families out of poverty, but the portrait of widespread exploitation overwhelms the intended effect...[ END HERE ]of these subplots full review
2. Blue Like Jazz 2012 An uncommon thoughtfulness about spiritual issues distinguishes this otherwise generic coming-of-age story. full review
3. Brooklyn Castle 2012 The message is that chess can motivate working-class kids to become better students, and though that's nice to know, the movie doesn't illustrate this theme in much depth. full review
4. Fat Kid Rules the World 2012 The depiction of high school band life rings true at every turn, bringing a sense of authenticity to the familiar teenage drama. full review
5. For Greater Glory 2012 As generic as the title, this historical drama spares no cliche in depicting Mexico's Cristero War of the late 1920. full review
6. Headhunters 2012 The scenes of graphic violence are drawn out to the point where they overwhelm the story. full review
7. Holy Motors 2012 As cryptic and unpredictable as that premise might suggest. full review
8. The Hunger Games 2012 Director Gary Ross generally avoids the elaborate exterior shots and special effects that dominate high-concept blockbusters. full review
9. Kill List 2012 Wheatly aims for something like moral complexity by having one of the killers believe in God and the other aspire to be a good husband and father, but once the graphic violence starts, it upstages everything else. full review
10. L!fe Happens 2012 Set in Los Angeles, this unfunny comedy succeeds only in perpetuating the worst stereotypes about that city. full review
11. Nobody Walks 2012 This dreary independent drama is essentially an art-world soap opera, but without the melodramatic verve that makes some soap operas interesting. full review
12. North Sea Texas 2012 This debut feature by noted short-film director Bavo Defurne emphasizes ambiance over storytelling, but that ambiance is so flavorsome you might not mind. full review
13. Seeking Justice 2012 There's plenty to enjoy in this old-fashioned exploitation movie. full review
14. The Snowtown Murders 2012 Your appreciation of this Australian horror movie will depend on whether you think its artistry justifies its unrelenting ugliness. full review
15. Somewhere Between 2012 There's not much interpersonal drama here, and the little that materializes gets promptly resolved. full review
16. Unforgivable 2012 It's clearly the work of a master storyteller, conveying a rich, novelistic sense of character and a poetic feeling for the passing of time. full review
17. We Have a Pope 2012 Though skeptical, the film isn't at all mean-spirited. full review
18. The Woman in the Fifth 2012 The movie casts such a seductive air of mystery that the resolution feels anticlimactic, yet there's plenty to enjoy along the way, particularly Hawke's nuanced lead performance as a quiet man with secrets of his own. full review
19. Gerhard Richter Painting 2011 The works in question express a delicate balance between spontaneity and rigid formal control -- seeing Richter at work is a bit like watching a great trapeze artist. full review
20. House of Pleasures 2011 It emphasizes setting over character and plot; and it casts a mood that's both eerie and entrancing. full review
21. The Kid with a Bike 2011 Makes a powerful statement about the plight of unwanted children. But it also incorporates elements of melodrama, film noir, and even the fairy tale that engage our empathy and confirm the Dardennes' great compassion. full review
22. Make Believe 2011 This tension between self-expression and professional advancement is fascinating material, but first-time director-editor J. Clay Tweel avoids the nuance that might have brought it to life. full review
23. No Strings Attached 2011 The charismatic leads keep this watchable, but it's a waste of their talents. full review
24. Polisse 2011 Rarely does one see a movie so knowing in some respects and so clueless in others. full review
25. Scream 4 2011 This is quite effective as horror filmmaking and more pungent than anything [Craven's] done in a while. full review
26. Stake Land 2011 Mickle's observation of a devastated working-class America is so sharp that the horror elements, though effectively handled, come to feel like an afterthought. full review
27. This Must Be The Place 2011 Writer-director Paolo Sorrentino handles the story with surprising thoughtfulness. full review
28. Young Goethe In Love 2011 Like a porcelain dish commemorating a famous person, this biopic has little to teach us about the great German writer but sure makes him look adorable. full review
29. Cave of Forgotten Dreams 2010 This is one of the few films to use the [3D] format for intellectual, even philosophical ends: the added depth parallels the deeper understanding of humanity that the paintings inspire. full review
30. Centurion 2010 Auteur cinema of a very narrow stripe, this personalizes a familiar genre to advance a singularly pessimistic view of humanity. full review
31. Senna 2010 Most interesting for the way its construction builds on the inherent austerity of auto racing. full review
32. The Whistleblower 2010 Larysa Kondracki's first feature successfully avoids the major pitfalls of the activist docudrama: the main character's heroism never overshadows the larger issue at hand, nor does exposition gum up the storytelling. full review