instantwatcher.com

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

1. 17 Girls 2012 "17 Girls" doesn't try to explain its many mysteries. That would have made for a better film, but this one does a nice job showing its effects. full review
2. 30 Beats 2012 It means to be an interconnected story, in which one coupling leads to another in increasingly ridiculous fashion, until you're not only no longer interested, you're grinding your teeth, hoping it will end. full review
3. The Awakening 2012 There is nothing in the film that will keep you awake at night. Instead, "The Awakening" works much more subtly, with a profound sense of dread and resignation, a death-obsessed movie given life by Hall's performance. full review
4. Bernie 2012 A dead-solid-perfect depiction of small-town life. full review
5. Compliance 2012 This is one insistent film, more evocative of human behavior than movies that take fewer risks ever could be. full review
6. Dark Horse 2012 That Gelber can make Abe appealing in any way is a triumph. That Solondz can orchestrate such a feat is an even bigger one. full review
7. The Deep Blue Sea 2012 The best parts of the movie, like the scene with William's mother, involve isolated set pieces in which Weisz interacts with another actor. full review
8. The Do-Deca-Pentathlon 2012 Even as small movies go, it's tiny, with a budget to match. But it's got a big heart. full review
9. Elena 2012 It's a sort of slow-boil Russian noir, if that genre exists, and if it doesn't, it does now. full review
10. God Bless America 2012 Interesting, sometimes kind of fun but, ultimately, not as satisfying as it might have been. full review
11. Grave Encounters 2 2012 "Grave Encounters 2" is a miserable affair, a sequel to a movie that drummed up most of its attention online but one that had a few starts and scares along the way. full review
12. Headhunters 2012 "Headhunters" is an absurd amount of grisly fun, which is a good thing, since, looked at in any great detail, it probably doesn't hold up all that well. full review
13. The Highest Pass 2012 It's nice that these people found peace on their motorcycles on top of the world. But for the rest of us, it never really gets off the ground. full review
14. Holy Motors 2012 Leos Carax's surreal ode to ... identity? Movies? Performance? Identity and performance in movies, or movies and performance in identity, or some other combination that will come to mind upon further viewings? full review
15. I Wish 2012 What's so remarkable about the happiness the film brings is its simplicity. full review
16. The Imposter 2012 "The Imposter" becomes more than just a missing-persons drama. It hints at something much darker: a real-life horror story, the full truth of which may never be known. full review
17. The Innkeepers 2012 "The Innkeepers" is a nifty little scary movie with slacker trappings, another winning deconstruction of a genre film by writer and director Ti West. full review
18. Intruders 2012 "Intruders" promises much but delivers relatively little. full review
19. Jiro Dreams of Sushi 2012 Obsessive, we were saying? Oh my, yes, and that's what makes the film so compelling. full review
20. L!fe Happens 2012 It's more like watching an extended sitcom than a movie. full review
21. Marley 2012 Clocking in at nearly two and a half hours, it is gripping from the start, not just because of the quality of the music, but because of Marley's magnetic, challenging personality, as well. full review
22. Monsieur Lazhar 2012 A gentle film can still be searing in its effect on an audience, something that "Monsieur Lazhar" proves emphatically. full review
23. My Way 2012 They should have spent more on the screenplay. full review
24. October Baby 2012 Directors Andrew and Jon Erwin, who also contributed to the story, rarely let their film get didactic, instead going for a more low-key approach. full review
25. Oslo, August 31st 2012 Te movie seems more like a searing portrait of self-discovery and realization, with the understanding that not everything you learn about yourself will be pleasant. full review
26. The Queen of Versailles 2012 "The Queen of Versailles" is funny, sad, infuriating, instructive. It's the American Dream inflated to ridiculous extremes, until it bursts. full review
27. Red Hook Summer 2012 For the most part it's all rather pleasant, if somewhat aimless. full review
28. Red Lights 2012 A lot of talent comes up empty in "Red Lights," a thriller that doesn't thrill. full review
29. A Royal Affair 2012 Director Nikolaj Arcel gets outstanding performances from all three of the principals, which enlivens the whole affair considerably. full review
30. Safe 2012 Yakin, who wrote and directed the film, keeps things moving with ever-inventive ways to kill and maim. full review
31. Safety Not Guaranteed 2012 A charming movie that blends comedy, romance and science fiction -- not necessarily the most obvious combination of genres, but one that director Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly manage with assured ease. full review
32. Seeking Justice 2012 It's a crime thriller starring Nicolas Cage, but it's not as bad as that phrase implies. full review
33. Side by Side 2012 It's this simple: If you like movies, you need to see "Side by Side." full review
34. Take This Waltz 2012 If uncompromising honesty is the quality you seek for a film, Michelle Williams is your go-to star. full review
35. Tyler Perry's Good Deeds 2012 There aren't a lot of laughs in "Good Deeds," and it could have used more of them. full review
36. Waiting For Lightning 2012 A kind of "Behind the Music" for the skateboard set (only without much input from the main songwriter, as it were). full review
37. Albert Nobbs 2011 [Close gives] an intriguing performance, technically flawless, if by necessity distant. full review
38. The Artist 2011 "The Artist" is such an engaging, delightful film that, if you like movies, you will walk out of the theater with a smile. You just will; it's that inspired. full review
39. Bellflower 2011 "Bellflower," writer, director and star Evan Glodell's debut, bursts at the seams with wild creativity. full review
40. Buck 2011 full review
41. Conan O'Brien Can't Stop 2011 It's hard to feel sorry for a guy who banked millions for not hosting "The Tonight Show" anymore, but it's also fascinating to see a man this compulsively driven to get back in front of people and tell jokes, to hear the laughter, to soak in the applause. full review
42. The Hedgehog 2011 A satisfying emotional experience. full review
43. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer 2011 The move is just begging the audience to think of it as cool and falls as flat as hearing your parents sing along to songs you like on the radio. full review
44. Like Crazy 2011 What could have come off as stilted and artificial is instead genuine and natural. full review
45. Machine Gun Preacher 2011 Butler acts the role within an inch of its life. full review
46. Margin Call 2011 A terrific piece of entertainment. full review
47. The Names of Love 2011 It's always entertaining, and it boasts a terrific performance from Sara Forestier. full review
48. Page One: Inside the New York Times 2011 The film is interesting and at times enlightening, but it's all over the map. full review
49. Paranormal Activity 3 2011 It's not so much a movie as it is a cinematic cardio exam, with directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the guys who made "Catfish," pounding away again and again to see how much your heart can take. full review
50. Sarah Palin: You Betcha! 2011 We don't learn anything really new about Palin's politics or her personality, save for a few details that don't shed much light on her thinking (or lack thereof). full review
51. Seven Days In Utopia 2011 [It's] told in such predictable and bland fashion it dulls the effect. And this in a movie with Robert Duvall, Lucas Black and Melissa Leo. full review
52. Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview 2011 It's just a static shot, the same angle, one guy talking. But what a guy. full review
53. There Be Dragons 2011 full review
54. This Must Be The Place 2011 The cast ... is outstanding, dragging the offbeat story through the occasional look-at-me distractions. full review
55. Undefeated 2011 What makes this a terrific film is how much we care about the players. full review
56. Young Adult 2011 Reitman makes bold choices with the story. Not all are fun to watch in the moment, but they add up to a satisfying portrait of a woman off the rails, someone we can laugh at even when we're horrified. full review
57. Young Goethe In Love 2011 The story of a talented but not yet mature young man who stumbles upon the topic that would lead to his fame: love, and the loss of it. full review
58. Bill Cunningham New York 2010 It's not just what he does. It's who he is. And he approaches it with such unbridled passion and joy that you can't help but sharing in it; absolutely no knowledge or love of fashion is required. full review
59. Biutiful 2010 Bardem's performance makes it not just bearable but rich and compelling. full review
60. Blue Valentine 2010 A searing portrait of the disintegration of not just a marriage but, more importantly, the love that once fueled it. full review
61. Casino Jack And The United States Of Money 2010 Abramoff documentary is appalling, entertaining full review
62. The Company Men 2010 [It's] not a pretty story, of course. But it's a compelling one and, thanks to Wells and a cast that includes Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper, an entertaining one. full review
63. Henry's Crime 2010 Go for Caan and Farmiga, and stay to be surprised by Reeves. full review
64. Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work 2010 A compulsively watchable look at Rivers, show business and the price one pays to try to continue succeeding in it. full review
65. The King's Speech 2010 OK, sure, "The King's Speech" obviously is feel-good Oscar bait, but who cares? It's also a terrific movie with two fantastic performances at its heart. full review
66. A Little Help 2010 It's no disaster, just OK, with Fischer boosting it a notch or two from what it otherwise would be. full review
67. Nowhere Boy 2010 Although he doesn't look much like Lennon, Johnson captures that essence perfectly; the future icon is here a confused, hurt boy. full review
68. Rabbit Hole 2010 The film is quiet, patient, allowing for lived-in performances that get at the enormous change in the characters' lives. full review
69. Restrepo 2010 The reaction of a soldier to the death of another - unvarnished, disbelieving grief so raw it's difficult to watch - is among the most moving footage of war and its cost imaginable. full review
70. Rubber 2010 Your enjoyment of French filmmaker Quentin's Dupieux's movie depends in large part on your capacity to enjoy the absurd. I enjoyed it quite a bit. full review
71. Senna 2010 You don't have to know anything about car racing at all. Instead, you simply have to like a great story, one that has all the elements: drama, inspiration, competition, victory, defeat, betrayal and, looming above it all, tragedy. full review
72. Waiting for Forever 2010 "Waiting for Forever" evidently is an attempt to portray love as purest when expressed by those who are most innocent, untainted by the ugliness of the real world. But it misses the mark completely, coming off instead as creepy. full review
73. Antichrist 2009 Of course, von Trier wants us to react, to be repulsed, shocked, offended. Mission accomplished. full review
74. The Boys Are Back 2009 If The Boys Are Back takes some emotional shortcuts, it still manages to convey some of the more mystifying aspects of parenthood. full review
75. Crossing Over 2009 There are good performances here, but the sheer number dilutes their power, leaving the movie a bit of a mess. full review
76. The Joneses 2009 There's a nicely cynical streak at the heart of The Joneses, until Borte goes soft and lets the audience off the hook. full review
77. When You're Strange 2009 Although Doors fans will drool over the prospect of the previously unseen footage, they are unlikely to find anything new here. full review
78. Elegy 2008 Elegy is a rare treat: a serious film that, thanks to Kingsley and the rest, doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. full review
79. Happy-Go-Lucky 2008 Expertly directed by Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky is not only joyous but substantial. full review
80. Let the Right One In 2008 John Ajvide Lindqvist's script (from his novel) nails adolescent pain perfectly and is realized by Tomas Alfredson's expert direction. full review
81. The Square 2008 A perverse delight, the rare film that makes you feel good about feeling bad (or at least watching others do so). full review
82. Closing Escrow 2007 Amid the laughs, the one thing Closing Escrow proves is this: It's a lot more fun watching other people trying to buy or sell a house than going through it yourself, particularly if Realtors like the ones here are involved. full review
83. Lars and the Real Girl 2007 Sweet, moving and heartfelt aren't necessarily the first words that come to mind when describing the tender tale of a young man and his sex doll, yet all three apply to Lars and the Real Girl. full review