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Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

1. Bachelorette 2012 Even in this dreary, going nowhere role, Dunst is fascinating to watch. full review
2. The Cabin in the Woods 2012 All the actors do a decent job with whatever is thrown at them - usually sharp objects. full review
3. Cosmopolis 2012 DeLillo's brilliant analysis of the destructive power of wealth that took such seductive hold on page has a tough time gaining traction on screen. full review
4. The Cup 2012 A tale of heart-wrenching tragedy and uplifting triumph that never quite hits its stride. full review
5. Deadfall 2012 At times it is riveting stuff and at times ridiculous. full review
6. Detropia 2012 City services are shutting down, schools are closing, houses are being demo'd by the thousands - like lights being turned out one by one, "Detropia" powerfully captures a city fighting not to go dark. full review
7. The Do-Deca-Pentathlon 2012 "Do-Deca" can't always overcome the sensation that this is as much a no-budget as it is a no-holds-barred affair. But the sardonic slights and crafty insights are steadily there. full review
8. The Forgiveness of Blood 2012 More a story of whispers when cries are what's called for with lives, livelihoods and family honor on the line. full review
9. God Bless America 2012 This funny, sick twist of social satire is certainly locked and loaded, even if its aim is sometimes off. full review
10. Haywire 2012 Watching Carano kick, spin, flip, choke, crack and crush the fiercest of foes - mostly men about twice her size - is thoroughly entertaining, highly amusing and frankly somewhat awe-inspiring. full review
11. I Wish 2012 There is a lot of hope in the air in "I Wish," but the film never feels sappy. full review
12. Kill List 2012 The camera is unflinching, and so is Wheatley, as the story moves toward the unthinkable. It's left to you when and whether to look away. full review
13. Lay the Favorite 2012 What has happened to director Stephen Frears? full review
14. Little Birds 2012 Though the plotting is problematic and at times as lost as the kids, there are bursts of brilliance and moments of aching vulnerability in "Little Birds" that make you wonder what the filmmaker might do next. full review
15. The Loneliest Planet 2012 Shot on location by cinematographer Inti Briones, "Planet" is a piece of art even without Bernal and Furstenberg, who are like moving portraits of themselves in this film. full review
16. Nobody Walks 2012 If you allow yourself to drift with it, rather than get frustrated by all the non sequiturs, "Nobody Walks" becomes a more enjoyable film. full review
17. ParaNorman 2012 It may be the most fun you'll have with ghosts and zombies all year. full review
18. The Perfect Family 2012 The film's single saving grace is Turner, who channels that legendary Catholic guilt like there is no tomorrow. full review
19. The Raven 2012 It's neither grand nor grisly enough to seriously satisfy Poe-ish cravings for murder, mystery and literary allusions. full review
20. Red Hook Summer 2012 In truth, the film fizzles as much as it fumes. There is a kind of lassitude that sets in, even as it builds toward some kind of reckoning. full review
21. Sleepwalk With Me 2012 "Sleepwalk With Me's" transition from stage to screen primarily works because Birbiglia continues to carry the weight. full review
22. Take This Waltz 2012 Somehow it is the waiting - for the fall that you expect is coming, for the marriage you figure will fall apart - that makes "Take This Waltz" one to make room for on your dance card. full review
23. The Turin Horse 2012 Starkly beautiful and exceedingly demanding, "The Turin Horse," which Hungarian master Bela Tarr has said will be his last film, is both easy and impossible to define. full review
24. What to Expect When You're Expecting 2012 Cute couple Kendrick and Crawford are completely lost at sea. But the guys in the Dudes Group have the worst of it - they are a whiny, unappealing bunch through and through. full review
25. Another Happy Day 2011 For all of difficulties, there is an authenticity in Levinson's work that you can see in the film, and his is a compelling voice playing in that minor key. full review
26. Bones Brigade: An Autobiography 2011 Like a high school reunion, filled with affectionate memories of an earlier, more innocent, time. full review
27. Buck 2011 What a relief in times saturated with news of the worst of humanity to see something of the best. full review
28. Conan O'Brien Can't Stop 2011 The film, like the tour, will satisfy the Conan cravings of hardcore fans the most, and prove an enjoyable enough diversion for the rest. full review
29. A Good Old Fashioned Orgy 2011 More amusing than you might expect, but probably not by much. full review
30. Into The Abyss 2011 What is missing is something new - clarity, insight, outrage. Instead, its understatement is ultimately its undoing. full review
31. The Kid with a Bike 2011 A wonderfully human and humane story about one of those lost-and-found children who tend to slip through society's not-so-safe safety nets. full review
32. Knuckle 2011 Though you will wish for more polish and insight, its unruly action is hard to resist. full review
33. No Strings Attached 2011 Sadly, an obsession with raunchy one-liners trips everything up, turning a clever conceit into something closer to a sleazy, cheesy affair. full review
34. Sarah Palin: You Betcha! 2011 The barbs feel stale at best, squandered at worst, and the ominous music that accompanies each sounds as if it has been lifted from the silent movie era. full review
35. Scream 4 2011 "Scream 4" finds a way to live up to its gory past while it carves out new terrors in new ways (new media helps). full review
36. The Swell Season 2011 It's an accomplished piece of filmmaking from the trio, who are making their feature-length documentary debut. full review
37. There Be Dragons 2011 The film's title, "There Be Dragons," is lifted from the way ancient maps warned of dangers to be found within uncharted territory. Joffe should have paid heed. full review
38. Transformers: Dark of the Moon 2011 Between Bay's obsession to make his 3-D matter and the artistry of the special effects legions amassed for the project, the visual payoff is striking. full review
39. Young Adult 2011 There is a brashness of style that both Cody and Reitman embody - almost demanding that we not only laugh at, but like the unlikable side of the human condition. full review
40. All Good Things 2010 Gosling is given the barest blueprint of a life gone terribly wrong and the actor struggles to make something out of nothing, though he does manage to give the older David an aura of weirdness that is downright creepy. full review
41. Casino Jack 2010 Though the film is peppered with one-liners tailor-made for Spacey to sling with stinging effect, it doesn't so much leave you laughing as just weary, and wishing this weren't a true story at all. full review
42. Centurion 2010 By turns heroic, fearsome, funny, fateful and, oh, so brutal, with swords hacking off heads at every turn. full review
43. Heartbeats 2010 Dolan is proving to be adept at and unafraid of teasing out the flaws of his characters, seemingly more concerned with whether they are interesting than whether an audience will like them. full review
44. Restrepo 2010 Just how close the filmmakers were to the action, and the risks they took with the project, filter into virtually every scene. We hear the bullets whizzing past, breaking branches in nearby trees. full review
45. The Switch 2010 More his journey than hers, more satire than slapstick, the film is that rare example of rom-com about men, which turns out to be a nice switch indeed. full review
46. Vanishing On 7th Street 2010 Anderson spends most of his energy creating a mood - making "Vanishing" more cerebral than white-knuckle, though a few more shrieks (mine) might have been nice. full review
47. The Proposal 2009 The Proposal is just a good old-fashioned romance, one in which people actually bring out the best in one another rather than the worst. How novel is that? full review
48. An American Affair 2009 There are scenes that work here and there, but regrettably not nearly enough to hold the film together. In the end, this affair is definitely not one to remember. full review
49. The Boys Are Back 2009 The Boys Are Back is a bit like the parenting it portrays -- at times there is pain, mistakes will be made, but if you can get beyond that, there is pleasure to be found. full review
50. Breaking Upwards 2009 Comes knocking at the door like a wolf in sheep's clothing, draping reality in a fictional romantic comedy about a twentysomething NYC couple named Daryl and Zoe whose relationship is coming apart. full review
51. Bruno 2009 Baron Cohen's instincts for outrage are spot on. It's not insight we need at all right now, but a very sharp bonk on the head. full review
52. Extract 2009 While Extract is mildly amusing and a slice of a mostly working-class world that doesn't make it into comedy that much anymore, it's not completely convincing as a movie. full review
53. Fish Tank 2009 The brilliant power of the film comes from the gritty reality Arnold creates. full review
54. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest 2009 An extremely satisfying ending to the story of Lisbeth Salander, the tough Swedish cyber punk that actress Noomi Rapace has turned into an iconic New Age heroine. full review
55. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2009 Everyone has secrets in the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, a mind-bending and mesmerizing thriller that takes its time unlocking one mystery only to uncover another, all to chilling and immensely satisfying effect. full review
56. The Good Guy 2009 Drawing on his stint at a Chicago investment firm, DePietro creates characters, dialogue and situations that feel authentic, which makes the film relevant in unexpected ways, though not as deeply as you hope he'll do in the future. full review
57. The Good Heart 2009 If you're in the mood for a splash of dark drama, a bit of humor, very dry, on the rocks, with a twist, this will come close to satisfying. full review
58. The Limits of Control 2009 Instead the film is like a series of sun-saturated French impressionist paintings, so beautifully is it shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle and so soft-focus is its narrative. full review
59. Ondine 2009 There is enough saving grace on these craggy shores to let the mists and the legends roll in and envelop you for a while. full review
60. Serious Moonlight 2009 Serious Moonlight has its flaws, but then what marriage doesn't? full review
61. Vincere 2009 An intense and intriguing, if at times uneven, film with Italian director Marco Bellocchio wringing every drop of emotion out of his actors and his audience before it is over. full review
62. Wild Target 2009 Since irony is so often director Jonathan Lynn's weapon of choice, Wild Target should have been a good fit. It's not quite. full review
63. American Violet 2008 The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more. full review
64. Management 2008 Though it doesn't always work, it's an idea with its heart in the right place and, paired with nonshock comedy, it's a nice change of pace. full review
65. New York, I Love You 2008 Even the more predictable prove pleasurable. full review
66. We Live in Public 2008 If anything, the film is a reflection of the Web zeitgeist, where observation comes easily but insight is rare. What saves the documentary from becoming a complete frustration is the sheer, stunning prescience of Harris. full review
67. Owl and the Sparrow 2007 What [director] Gauger has created is a quietly affecting fairy tale. full review