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Michelle Orange, Village Voice

1. Art Is...The Permanent Revolution 2012 [A] lightly argued but forcefully illustrated look at the historical and philosophical interplay between the artisanal process and political art. full review
2. Girl Model 2012 The radiant sadness of its two subjects-one a soulfully impassive stripling, one a symmetrical husk-forms the center of Girl Model, and that is enough. full review
3. Hitler's Children 2012 Hitler's Children is a powerful and well-judged presentation of the stories and their impossibilities. full review
4. Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet 2012 Jesse Vile's expertly measured, emotional look at the life of a guitar prodigy cut down by ALS ... full review
5. October Baby 2012 A slick piece of pro-life propaganda, it has relatively luxe production values, painfully earnest performances, and a drippy "inspirational" score. full review
6. Scalene 2012 Strong performances and a Hitchcock-trained eye build unnerving tension into its depiction of the intimate stress of caring for an invalid and the ways people might or might not crack under it. full review
7. Side by Side 2012 Even disinterested viewers will have complicated feelings about the aesthetic, practical, and philosophical questions director Chris Kenneally poses about his subject. full review
8. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap 2012 Rap confirms the art of the form from the inside. Only time can sort out the rest. full review
9. Cat Run 2011 Director John Stockwell uses split screens, a blaxploitation soundtrack, and hammy, Get Smart sound effects to put some old-school spring in Cat Run's step. It makes for an odd combination with the film's ecstatic, viscera-laden violence. full review
10. Echotone 2011 Too vital for elegy, Echotone tells an old story whose beginning -- the inception of a vibrant creative hub -- remains mysterious, although the end is easy to predict. full review
11. Going Down In La-la Land 2011 A lo-fi feature blend of True West Hollywood Story and a gay fairy tale. full review
12. Hell and Back Again 2011 Working alone with a camera and his ingenuity, Dennis captured the surreality of firefights with an invisible enemy and the frustration of displaced civilians. full review
13. Make Believe 2011 Make Believe pairs a newly entrenched formula with old-fashioned, artisanal illusion. full review
14. Revenge of the Electric Car 2011 In lieu of a business case for ethics, it tells the story of that rare moment when the bottom line finally dovetails with the greater good. full review
15. Surrogate Valentine 2011 Cultivates a sweet, shucksy tone that wears thin in some of the early scenes but ultimately deepens into genuine heart. full review
16. Tatsumi 2011 If the structure sometimes disrupts the story of his life, the strong lines and melancholy sensibility of the illustration form an anchor that keep the power of Tatsumi's work firmly in view. full review
17. A Bag of Hammers 2010 A few striking performances-Ritter, Preston, and Canterbury are especially great-smooth out what might have been a much bumpier ride. full review
18. Beneath the Dark 2010 Beneath the Dark deserves better than its straight-to-basic-cable title, but not a whole lot better. full review
19. Henry's Crime 2010 Henry's Crime has a little too much in common with its aimless namesake. full review
20. Knucklehead 2010 A schmaltzy family comedy that won't pass the smell test for kids, parents, or even stoner second cousins. full review
21. The Lottery 2010 Sackler reframes education reform as a moral issue, and it's impossible to look at the fallen faces of kids turned away from a school -- of all things -- and disagree. full review
22. Today's Special 2010 Cheerful in outline and yet prone to maudlin bulges in its middle. full review
23. Paper Man 2009 An artist-in-crisis piece run through a drab but quirk-conscious indie processor. full review
24. Finding Bliss 2008 It is particularly painful to watch Sobieski -- whose unnervingly symmetrical, Botticelli face and supernatural poise can't help but hold the screen -- put through the paces of Davis's almost unbearably labored script. full review
25. I.O.U.S.A. 2008 Both a handy election primer and a bowel-rattling cry of fiscal doom. full review
26. The Rape of Europa 2007 The doc is an excellent survey of the techniques employed by the Third Reich to not just demoralize but de-historicize the countries they invaded. full review
27. Crossing the Line 2006 The reflective sequences veer between stylishly effective and drearily overstated. full review
28. Into Great Silence 2005 Into Great Silence moves into the realm of humble observation. Groning traces the passing of the seasons with beauty shots of God's creations, from snow drifts and rain puddles to flower petals and kitten whiskers. full review