The Babymakers2012
Viewers may suspect the filmmakers have no clue about the actual operation of fertility clinics and sperm banks (the plot depends on some pretty dubious practices, particularly involving donor anonymity), but most will be laughing too hard to care.
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Beauty Is Embarrassing2012
Painter Wayne White emerges as an unsung force of nature in Neil Berkeley's zippy, delightful Beauty is Embarrassing.
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Burning Man2012
The extremity of the film's slice-and-dice approach is invigorating at the outset but may also prompt viewers to suspect they're being challenged for no good reason.
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The Giant Mechanical Man2012
A romance whose anodyne find-your-bliss theme is likeable but underwhelming, Lee Kirk's The Giant Mechanical Man doesn't fully exploit its premise's charms.
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God Bless America2012
Semi-comic fantasia of violence against vapid pop culture can't do justice to its own ideas.
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Grassroots2012
Poli-sci students may roll their eyes at true story of an upstart campaign for Seattle City Council.
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The Island President2012
A portrait of defiant optimism as a last-chance means of survival, Jon Shenk's The Island President offers not only a Mandela-like tale of political heroism but a much-needed perspective on climate change.
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Jesus Henry Christ2012
Mildly nutty comedy about a teen prodigy suffers from an underwritten script and overstylized gags.
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Kill List2012
Deeply edgy, gory crime film maintains perfectly calibrated tension before dropping a bombshell that will be too much for some viewers.
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Little Birds2012
Debut by writer/director Elgin James offers a sensitive but not fragile look at young friends in a crisis.
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Seeking Justice2012
Neither the script's conspiracies nor Nicolas Cage's performance is weird enough to trump the film's generic feel...
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Sleepless Night2012
Full-tilt French crime film weaves multiple threads of cat-and-mouse through the labyrinthine innards of a big nightclub.
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The Zen Of Bennett2012
Friendly doc offers plentiful guest stars but only one perspective on the singer's career.
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Angels Crest2011
Drama about the small-town aftermath of a child's accidental death can't match its sincerity with dramatic heft.
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Another Happy Day2011
Laugh-laced dark drama of family angst overcomes the hurdle of its wedding-weekend setting.
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Bellflower2011
Evan Glodell's uncategorizable debut mixes messy romance and ill-advised D.I.Y. obsessions into a knotty but compelling vision of pop culture-damaged youth.
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Sarah Palin: You Betcha!2011
Fleshing out now-familiar tales of misconduct and bad judgment, Palin investigation is entertaining but holds no dramatic discoveries.
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The Swell Season2011
Sensitive doc manages to show Once duo as both blissed-out lovers and post-romance partners without overdramatizing the transition.
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Vidal Sassoon: The Movie2010
Almost comically overconvinced of the importance of its subject, Vidal Sassoon: The Movie is nonetheless entertaining and comprehensive in its account of the man's career.
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