2011 All Films Watched

!WOMEN ART REVOLUTION (d. Lynn Hershman-Leeson) V. Polemic docu 40 years in work on women in art. Moving ending saved film from didacticism. ** 1/2

50/50 (d. Jonathan Levine) Great screwball chemistry between flawlessly convincing Gordon-Levitt & Anna Kendrick elevates a so-so, if heartfelt script. *** 1/4

71 - INTO THE FIRE (d. John H. Lee) *** 1/4

72 DAYS (d. Danilo Serbedzja, Croatia) * 1/2

ABEL (d. Diego Luna) Crazy 10-year old boy wrecks havoc with his already splintered Mexican family. Psychologically suspect; but involving & well acted. ***

ABOVE US ONLY SKY (d. Jan Schomburg) *** 1/4

ABSENT (d. Marco Berger) ***

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (d. Julie Taymor) V.+++ Still amazing evocation of the '60 and remarkable showcase for immortal Beatles songs. Fab, gear, hyperbolic. ****

ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, THE (d. George Nolfi) Phil Dick story ridiculously surreal. Glossy; but boring since I didn't believe a bit of it. **

ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, THE (d. Spielberg & Jackson) Non-stop action to the point of serious fatigue. Very convincing mot. capture characters. **

AFRICAN ELECTION, AN (d. Jarreth Merz) ** 1/2

ALBERT NOBBS (d. Rodrigo Garcia) Well intentioned, nicely acted, if stogy story of women living as men in old Ireland. ** 3/4

ALL GOOD THINGS (d. Andrew Jarecki) V. The stranger than fiction life of Robert Durst as brought chillingly to screen by another great Gosling perf. *** 1/4

ALMANYA (d. Yasemin Samdereli) *** 1/4

ALOIS NEBEL (d. Tomas Lunak, Czech Republic) ** 3/4

ALONG THE RIDGE (Anche libero va bene) (d. Kim Rossi Stuart) + *** 1/2

AMADOR (d. Fernando León de Aranoa) *** 1/4

ANGÈLE AND TONY (d. Alix Delaporte) ** 1/2

ANGELS OF EVIL (Vallanzasca - Gli angeli del male) (d. Michele Placido) *** 1/2

ANONYMOUS (d. Roland Emmerich) Interestingly structured costume epic. Ridiculous history; but lots of fun to watch fine actors trying hard. ***

ANOTHER EARTH (d. Mike Cahill) ** 1/4

ANOTHER HAPPY DAY (d. Sam Levinson) Ups the ante for most dysfunctional family wedding ever. Wonderful, if uneven, acting. Ezra Miller rules! ** 3/4

ANY HUMAN HEART (d. Michael Samuels) V. Superbly acted (Broadbent, Macfadyen) 20th century life story as philosophical passage. *** 1/4

APART TOGETHER (d. Wang Quan'an) ***

APPLAUS (d. Martin Zandvliet) Tense Danish film about middle age actress's life crisis, with a raw nerve perf. by Paprika Steen as estranged mother of small boys. ***

ARBOR, THE (d. Clio Bernard) V. Docu of British projects poet/playwrite Andrea Dunbar & her screwed up children. Interesting, novel subject...not well organized. ** 3/4

ARTIST, THE (d. Michael Hazanavicius) Convincingly authentic take on silent film tropes, but predictable seen-before plot did nothing for me. ** 1/2

AS IF I AM NOT THERE (d. Juanita Wilson) *** 1/4

ATALANTE, L' (d. Jean Vigo) V. Seminal film gorgeously remastered & recut to original intent. Simple story sort of eliptical narrative, but beautiful. *** 1/4

ATLANTIS DOWN (d. Max Bartoli) W/O

ATTENBERG (d. Athina Rachel Tsangari, Greece) W/O

AUGUST (d. Eldar Rapaport) ** 3/4

BACK DOOR CHANNELS: THE PRICE OF PEACE (d. Harry Hunkele) V. Fascinating, often moving behind scenes docu of Egypt-Israel negotiations. Important. *** 1/2

BACK TO YOUR ARMS (d. Kristijonas Vildzunas, Lithuania) ** 1/2

BAG OF BONES (d. Mick Garris) V. Instantly forgettable miniseries about ghosts & revenge for old murders in rural Maine. Waste of time. **

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN (d. Galinsky & Hawley) V. Slow to start 6-yr. in making docu, gathers power of disgust at the toady political establishment. *** 1/4

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (d. Jonathan Liebesman) Bombast for days; but this 21st Cent. redo of Independence Day rocks. Convincing, stirring. Am I nuts? *** 1/4

BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE (d. Michael Rapaport) V. Rock docu of seminal, troubled hip-hop group "A Tribe Called Quest". Interesting new-to-me stuff, but just ok. ** 1/2

BEAUTY (d. Oliver Hermanus, South Africa) *** 1/4

BEGINNERS (d. Mike Mills) Finally a truthful film about an elderly gay man, lovingly made, emotionally satisfying. The son's story (film's center) not so well written. Still... *** 1/2

BELLE EPINE (d. Rebecca Ziotowski) **

BELLFLOWER (d. Evan Glodel) ** 3/4

BETTER LIFE, A (d. Chris Weitz) An L.A. story of depth & immediacy about illegal Mexican worker & his love for his US born son. Fine perfs, moving and suspenseful. *** 1/4

BEYOND (d. Pernilla August, Sweden) ** 3/4

BICYCLE, SPOON, APPLE (d. Carlos Bosch) *** 1/4

BIG FIX, THE (d. Joshua Tickell) V. Another earnest & vital docu about evil corporations (esp. BP & the recent oil spill's continuing effects.) Nicely structured. *** 1/2

BIG PICTURE, THE (L'Homme qui voulait vivre sa vie) (d. Eric Lartigau) ***

BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK (d. Richard Press) V. Entertaining, well made docu of life & times of vivacious old coot street fashion photog. *** 1/2

BLACK BREAD (Pa Negre) (d. Agusti Villaronga) ** 3/4

BLACK FIELD (Mavro Livadi) (d. Vardis Marinakis) **

BLACK POWER MIX TAPE, THE 1967-1975 (d. Göran Olsson) Interesting Swedish docu with some fine new footage; but also somewhat familiar territory. ** 3/4

BLACK SWAN (d. Darren Aronofsky) V. + Still hysterical & overwrought. But gorgeous with phenominal acting, camera, design. Even works on small screen. *** 1/4

BLACK TULIP (d. Sonia Nassery Cole; Aphghanistan) ** 3/4

BLACK, WHITE & BLUES (d. Mario Van Peebles) **

BLESSED EVENTS (Glückliche fügung) (d. Isabelle Stever) ** 1/2

BONNES FEMMES, LES (d. Claude Chabrol) ** 1/4

BOY MEETS BOY (Shorts) (d. various) *** 1/4 (on average)

BREATHING (ATMEN) (d. Karl Markovics, Austria) *** 1/2

BRIDESMAIDS (d. Paul Feig) Almost too transgressive and female humor oriented for me; yet I laughed and Chris O'Dowd is quite good. ** 3/4

BRIGHTON ROCK (d. Rowan Joffe) Stylish, noirish remake of '47 flick set in '64. Riley is convincingly twitchy, Riseborough a find! Disappointing climax. ***

BUCK (d. Cindy Meehl) *** 1/4

BURLESQUE (d. Steve Antin) Fab costumes & production. Less than fab script (clichés abound). Aguilera is great. Gigandet to die for. Cher is mummified. Loved it. ** 3/4

BURNT BY THE SUN 2: THE CITADEL (d. Nikita Mikhalkov, Russia) ** 3/4

CADO DALLE NUBI (d. Gennaro Nunziante) ***

CAPTAIN AMERICA: 1ST AVENGER (d. Joe Johnston) At last a movie from the comics that's well plotted & directed by a guy who knows what to do with 3D. ***

CARNAGE (d. Roman Polanski) Best 4-actor filmed play since V. Woolf, actors eat up the screen & each other. f/x of the year: Polanski's Brooklyn. *** 1/2

CARRIER, THE (d. Maggie Betts) V. Slowly developing, gorgeous, moving docu of polygamous Zambian family suffering effects of AIDS & still having babies. *** 1/4

CEDAR RAPIDS (d. Miguel Arteta) OK funny mashup of Hangover & any Alex Payne joint about prairie rubery. Arteta's good with actors, not prod. design. ** 3/4

CEREMONY (d. Max Winkler) ** 1/4

CERTAIN PREY (d. Chris Gerolmo) V. TV movie of a pretty good book; entertaining, comic policing with a little more grit than "Psych" also on USA. ** 1/2

CERTIFIED COPY (d. Abbas Kiarostami) Enigmatic, talky, strangely involving film about 2 people wandering a Tuscan town who may or may not be married. ***

CHANGE-UP, THE (d. David Dobkin) Very unpleasant raunchy, adult, identity change story. Reynolds and esp. Bateman were good, but the film? Ugh! * 1/2

CHAOS (d. Tony Giglio) V. Time to waste on a watchable, if cliched STV heist thriller with Stratham & Phillippe. Too labyrinthine for its own good. ** 1/2

CHE BELLA GIORNATA (d. Gennaro Nunziante) incomplete due to broken digital projector

CHILD PRODIGY, THE (L'enfant prodige) (d. Luc Dionne) *** 1/2

CIGAN (GYPSY) (d. Martin Sulik, Slovak Republic) ***

CINÉASTES DE NOTRE TEMPS (d. Jacques Rozier) V. Informative 98 minute docu made for tv in the '60s interviewing people involved with Vigo. ***

CINEMA VERITÉ (d. Berman & Pulcini) V. Superbly acted re-creation of the behind the scenes of An American Family. 40 years ago never seemed so fresh. *** 1/2

CIRCO (d. Aaron Schlock) V. Docu about a Mexican circus family & their heartbreaking problems in the 21st century. Nicely constructed to involve the audience. *** 1/4

CLINK OF ICE, THE (Le Bruit des glaçons) (d. Bertrand Blier) ** 1/2

COLD CUTS (Buffet froid) (d. Bertrand Blier) **

COLORS OF THE MOUNTAINS, THE (d. Carlos César Arbeláez, Colombia) ***

CONSPIRATOR, THE (d. Robert Redford) Somber history of injustice, great cast, the Civil War still resonates. Robin Wright & James McAvoy stand out. *** 1/2

CONTAGION (d. Steven Soderbergh) Suspenseful, realistic, well acted and directed. Only a too pat, unrealistic resolution mars an excellent effort. *** 1/4

COPACABANA (d. Marc Fitoussi) ***

CORIOLANUS (d. Ralph Fiennes) Fabulous concept, great acting; but Shakespeare's language doesn't work for me in this context. ** 1/2

COUNTRY STRONG (d. Shana Feste) Weak script (seen it before). Can't blame actors...Paltrow really fine & Hedlund has charisma to burn. Music a plus. ** 1/2

COWBOYS & ALIENS (d. Jon Favreau) Liked the Western, hated the Aliens...Well cast; but silly plotting ruined any chance of not disappointing. **

CRAZY, STUPID LOVE (d. Ficarra & Requa) Diverting rom-com with Carel's best perf to date; I wanted to love it...but predictable plot twists just not funny enough. ** 3/4

CRYING OUT (d. Robin Aubert) ***

DANCE TOWN (d. Jeon Kyu-hwan) ** 3/4

DANGEROUS METHOD, A (d. David Cronenberg) Talky, even stagey ultra-smart film about Jung & Freud falling out. Knightley is spectacularly good. ** 3/4

DANIEL DERONDA (d. Tom Hooper) V. Nicely mounted costumer: love thwarted & Jewish identity found. Stolidly underplayed by good cast. Hooper? hmmm. ** 3/4

DARKEST MATTER, THE (d. James Fox) 1/2*

DAYBREAK (d. Michael Rymer) V. Final ep. of Battlestar Galactica as a 2 1/2 hr. film on DVD. Lovely blue & green ending to a fascinating series. *** 1/2

DAYDREAM NATION (d. Mike Goldbach) ***

DEBT, THE (d. John Madden) Dual stories of consequences of past. Both sets of actors convincing. *** 1/4

DECENDANTS, THE (d. Alexander Payne) A nice script, interesting characters & Hawaiian beauty make for an enjoyable, but minor, entertainment. *** 1/4

DECLARATION OF WAR (d. Valérie Donzelli, France) *** 1/2

DESTINY OF LESSER ANIMALS (d. Daron Albright) * 1/2

DETECTIVE DEE & THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME (d. Tsui Hark) *** 1/4

DETENTION (d. Joseph Kahn) ** 1/4

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES (d. David Bowers) OK for what it is, 7th grader adventures. I was mildly amused; but I'm not the right audience. ** 1/4

DO YOU SEE COLORS WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES? (d. Caleb & Joshua Young) *** 1/2

DOWNTON ABBEY (d. Percival, Bolt & Kelly) V. Julian Fellowes has written a superb Edwardian costumer. Maggie Smith is fabu; but so is everybody. *** 3/4

DRIVE (d. Nicholas Winding Refn) Nobody does stylized violence as good as Refn. Until disappointingly curtailed anti-climax great film; but ending disappointed. *** 1/4

DUSK (Schemer) (d. Hanro Smitsman) ***

DZI CROQUETTES (d. Alvarez & Issa) V. Entertaining docu of Brazillian 70's transgendered group modeled on Cocquettes. Haphazard editing, but fine perfs. ***

EAGLE, THE (d. Kevin Macdonald) Interesting historical plot marred by inauthentic details. Battles are horrendously edited & shot, acting wildly varied. ** 1/2

EASY MONEY (d. Daniel Espinosa) ***

ECUPID (d. JC Calciano) A gay romcom about a failing 7-year relationship of breathtaking banality and technical incompetence. Attractive cast, anyway. 1/2*

ELITE SQUAD 2: THE ENEMY WITHIN (d. José Padilha, Brazil) ** 1/2

EVERY SONG IS ABOUT ME (d. Jonas Trueba) ***

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE (d. Christoffer Boe) ** 1/2

EX (d. Heiward Mak) **

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (d. Banksy) + V. First time I was mystified, was this a mocumentary? Now I get it. Beautifully edited, entertaining docu. *** 3/4

EXPORTING RAYMOND (d. Philip Rosenthal) V. Brilliantly written & funny docu about Rosenthal's adventures adapting his tv series to Russian esprit. *** 3/4

EXTRATERRESTRIAL (d. Nacho Vigalondo) **

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (d. Stephen Daldry) Unfilmable 9/11 novel saved by outstanding script, direction & one great kid actor. *** 1/2

FAIR GAME (d. Doug Liman) V. Taut true life story which nails the rot in the Bush/Chaney White House & infuriates. Watts & Penn excell as usual. *** 1/4

FAMILY TREE (L'Arbre et la foret) (d. Ducastel & Martineau) ***

FAST FIVE (d. Justin Lin)

FATHER (d. Pasquale Squitieri) **

FEW DAYS OF RESPITE, A (Quelque jours de répit) (d. Amor Hakkar) A gay, Franco/Irani version of A Better Life, slow, arty, lovely, sad. ***

FIRE IN BABYLON (d. Steven Riley) * 3/4

FIRE OF CONSCIENCE (d. Dante Lam) ** 1/2

FIRST GRADER, THE (d. Justin Chadwick) ***

FISTS IN THE POCKET (d. Marco Bellocchio) *** 1/2

FLOWERS OF WAR, THE (d. Zhang Yimou, China) ** 1/4

FLYING FISH (d. Sanjeewa Pushpakummara) 1/2*

FOOTLOOSE (d. Craig Brewer) Why make this film? It has retro feel of '80s no different from orig. Lead actor can dance; but has no charisma. * 3/4

FOOTNOTE (d. Joseph Cedar, Israel) *** 3/4

FOUR MORE YEARS (d. Tova Magnusson-Norling) *** 1/2

FRONT LINE, THE (d. Jang Hun, Korea) *** 1/2

FUCK MY LIFE (d. Nicolás López) ***

FUNKYTOWN (d. Daniel Roby) *** 1/4

GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (d. David Fincher) For me the story was too familiar. But like Zodiac, nobody does epic thrillers as well as DF. *** 1/4+

GOOD NEIGHBORS (d. Jacob Tierney) Diverting, predictable urban bad neighbor flick spoiled by terribly written, truncated 3rd act. Baruchel fine here. **

GORBACIOF (d. Stefano Incerti) * 3/4

GUARD, THE (d. John Michael McDonagh) The "other" McDonagh bro even improves on In Bruges. Is there an auteur theory for brothers? *** 1/2

GUN HILL ROAD (d. Rashaad Green) ** 1/2

HANNA (d. Joe Wright) Wow! Exciting filmmaking, great score!, Run Lola Run with a dash of Welles & Kubrick, fabulous editing, Wright scores again! *** 3/4

HAPPY FEET TWO (d. George Miller) Loved the original; but this sequel adds nothing and was a confusing mess. * 3/4

HAPPY, HAPPY (d. Anne Sewitsky) *** 1/4

HARRY POTTER 8 (d. David Yates) Non-stop, propulsive action. Total immersion into the story, really splendid f/x, solid acting. Best Potter flick; but sort of predictable. *** 1/4

HAVANASTATION (d. Ian Padrón, Cuba) ** 1/4

HAVRE, LE (d. Aki Kaurismaki, Finland) ** 1/2

HAYFEVER (d. Laura Luchetti) ** 1/4

HEADING WEST (d. Nicole van Kilsdonk) ** 1/2

HELL AND BACK AGAIN (d. Danfung Dennis) V. Weirdly edited docu of marines in Afghan. & one wounded man's scary life after coming home. ** 1/2

HELP, THE (d. Tate Taylor) Beautifully acted, somewhat pat and predictable, but ultimatelly affecting story. Olivia Spencer just about steals the picture. *** 1/4

HERMANO (d. Marcel Rasquin; Venezuela) *** 1/2

HIGH ROAD (d. Matt Walsh) **

HIS MOTHER'S EYES (Les Yeux de sa mère) (d. Thiery Klifa) *** 1/4

HIS WAY (d. Douglas McGrath) V. Docu about Jerry Weintraub. Interesting life, big stars, unconventioinal mogul, boringly made documentary. ** 1/2

HIT SO HARD (d. David Ebersole) ** 1/4

HOOKED (d. Pavel Sanayev) ***

HORRIBLE BOSSES (d. Seth Gordon) For 3/4 it was one hell of a funny, inventive R-rated comedy with some marvelous comic acting. Script loses bite final 1/4. ***

HOUSE OF BOYS (d. Jean-Claude Schlim) Earnest, glossy gay film about boy dancers in 1984 Amsterdam, sort of sexy, sort of truthful of that era (AIDS etc.) ** 1/2

HOW FUNNY (OUR COUNTRY IS) (d. Deddy Mizwar; Indonesia) W/O

HOW TO DIE IN OREGON (d. Peter D. Richardson) *** 1/2

HUGO (d. Martin Scorsese) Gorgeous paean to early days of cinema. Fabulous visuals & director's style make up for simplistic plot. *** 1/2

HUNGER (d. Steve McQueen) V. Fascinating direction: contrast between vivid acting and still compositions. Hard stuff to watch; but Fassbender scintillating. ***

HUNTER, THE (d. Rafi Pitts) * 3/4

I AM NUMBER 4 (d. D.J. Caruso) This year's Jumper, alien teen with superpower. Plot barely holds together. Olyphant wasted; but young actors are attractive. ** 1/2

IDES OF MARCH (d. George Clooney) Cynical look at presidential politics. Strong perfs at all levels, with a relevant script developing in surprising ways. *** 1/2

IF A TREE FALLS: STORY OF EARTH LIBERATION FRONT (d. Curry & Cullman) V. Terrorists? or Eco-freedom fighters? Involving people story. *** 1/2

IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE (d. Florin Serban; Romania) *** 1/2

IMMORTALS (d. Tarsem Singh) Bombastic, but approaching perfection for what it is. Henry Cavill's sculptured body a work of art in 3D. ***

IN A BETTER WORLD (d. Susanne Bier; Denmark) ****

IN DARKNESS (d. Agnieszka Holland, Poland) *** 3/4

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY (d. Angelina Jolie) V. Romeo & Juliette Bosnian war story, nicely underplayed and well directed. *** 1/4

INCENDIARY: THE WILLINGHAM CASE (d. Bailey & Mims) V. Strong pov docu that Texas (and Gov. Perry) quashed investigation of execution of innocent man. *** 3/4

INCEPTION (d. Christopher Nolan) + 2nd time I followed it better. One speedy, propulsive movie with great f/x & design, stalled by constant necessary exposition. ***

IRON LADY, THE (d. Phylida Lloyd) Streep's Thatcher her meatiest role in years & she attacks it with rare gusto. Film structured better than expected. ***

ISLAND PRESIDENT, THE (d. Jon Shenk) V. Vitally informative docu of Pres. Nasheed of the Maldives and his quest to save his nation from global warming. *** 1/2

J. EDGAR (d. Clint Eastwood) Well made - DiCaprio is fine; but its mild whitewash of Hoover & his life was unsettling. ***

JAMES DEAN (d. Mark Rydell) V. ++ If this nifty tv biopic is a tad overdramatized, it still doesn't detract from 22 yr.-old James Franco's fabulous perf. *** 1/4'

JANE EYRE (d. Cary Fukunaga) My problem is that I'd always choose Jamie Bell over Michael Fassbender. Great sets & costumes, tho! Story...eh. ***

JANE'S JOURNEY (d. Lorenz Knauer) V. Jane Goodall is doing wonderful stuff with kids & for environment at age 77. Still too hagiographic for me. ** 3/4

JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME (d. Jay & Mark Duplass) *** 1/4

JESS + MOSS (d. Clay Jeter) ** 1/4

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (d. David Gelb) V. Beautifully shot docu about 85 yr. old sushi master Jiro Ono & his obsessiveness. Phil Glass score drones. *** 1/4

JO'S BOY (Le Fils à Jo) (d. Philippe Guillard) ** 1/2

KABOOM (d. Gregg Araki) Old style pan-sexual Araki, starts promisingly with some wonderfully kooky perfs (Dekker so fine). Devolves to 3rd act ridiculousness. *** 1/4

KID WITH A BIKE (d. Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne) Continuing Dardennes' obsession with dysfunctional kids and tracking shots. Still, very affecting stuff. ***

KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, THE (d. Lisa Cholodenko) V.+ Superb script & acting undiminished on video. This time Moore's perf. stood out (!) *** 3/4

KILLING BONO (d. Nick Hamm) ***

KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND (d. Marius Holst) *** 1/2

LADY, THE (d. Luc Besson) Conventional, old fashioned biopic of important Myanmar rebel lady with fine perfs by Yeoh and Thewlis. ***

LAREDOANS SPEAK: VOICES ON IMMIGRATION (d. Martinez & Schafer) V. Interview heavy pov docu about fallacies of US southern border policy. ** 1/4

LAST MOUNTAIN, THE (d. Bill Haney) *** 1/2

LEDGE, THE (d. Matthew Chapman) Existential moral dilemma drama with luminous perf. by Charlie Hunnam. Somewhat pat - but suspensful & moving. *** 1/4

LES MISERABLES: 25th ANN. CONCERT (d. Nick Morris) V. I adore the musical and this concert version does it wonderfully. Even Nick Jonas & Matt Lucas. *** 1/2

LESSON PLAN (d. Philip Neel, David H. Jeffrey) *** 1/4

LETTERS FROM THE BIG MAN (d. Christopher Münch) ***

LETTERS TO ANGELS (d. Sulev Keedus, Estonia) 3/4*

LEWIS: DARK MATTER (d. Bille Eltringham) V. Usually competent mystery Oxford whodunit with multiple suspects & MacGuffins. ** 3/4

LIFE, ABOVE ALL (d. Oliver Schmitz; South Africa) *** 1/4

LIGHT OF MINE (d. Brett Eichenberger) ** 1/2

LIKE CRAZY (d. Drake Doremus) Predictable, depressing mash-up of 500 Days of Summer & Green Card. Well acted, if lacking chemistry. ** 3/4

LILY SOMETIMES (Pieds nus sur las limaces) (d. Fabienne Berthaud) ** 1/2

LIMITLESS (d. Neil Burger) Visually inventive, even exciting. Total wish-fulfillment flick with major plot hole at the center. Still, one of those films down my alley. *** 1/4

LINCOLN LAWYER, THE (d. Brad Furman) Nicely constructed, ironic lawyer flick. Phillippe & McConaughey well matched. But direction nothing special. ** 3/4

LITTLE WHITE LIES (Les Petits mouchoirs) (d. Guillaume Canet) ** 3/4

LOLA (d. Jacques Demy) + ***

LONELIEST PLANET, THE (d. Julia Loktev) ** 1/4

LONG FALLING, THE (Où va la nuit) (d. Martin Prevost) *** 1/4

LOPE (d. Andrucha Waddington) ** 1/4

LOVE CRIME (d. Alan Corneau) *** 1/4

LOVE LIKE POISON (Un Poison violent) (d. Katell Quillévéré) **

LOVING STORY, THE (d. Nancy Buirski) V. Outstanding, emotionally satisfying docu about interracial couple whose fight changed America. *** 3/4

LOW COST (d.Maurice Barthelemy) ***

LUCKY ONES, THE (d. Neil Burger) V. Touching, beautifully acted, unpredictable road trip of 3 soldiers on leave. McAdams, Peña & Robbins perfect. *** 1/2

LYS (d. Krystof Zlatnik) *

MAGIC TRIP: KEN KESEY'S SEARCH FOR A KOOL PLACE (d. Alison Ellwood & Alex Gibney) *** 1/2

MAJORITY, THE (d. Seren Yüce) ***

MAN WHO WILL COME, THE (d. Giorgio Diritti) *** 1/4

MARATHON BOY (d. Gemma Atwal) V. Docu "thriller" about massive political controversy surrounding slumdog, Indian 4-year old boy marathon runner. ***

MARGARET (d. Kenneth Lonergan) A young Anna Paquin plays an unsympathetic, spoiled teenager in this overlong, well-intentioned drama. ** 1/2

MARGIN CALL (d. J.C. Chandor) Talky, stagy film about cut-throat Wall St. firm central to recent derivitive meltdown. Great cast & smart dialog keep it interesting. ***

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (d. Sean Durkin) Creepy, parania inducing, open-end story of girl escaping cult to stay with middle class sister & husband. ***

MATCHMAKER, THE (Pa'am ha'yi'ti) (d. Avi Nesher) *** 1/2

MATTER OF TASTE, A (d. Sally Rowe) *** 1/2

MEEK'S CUTOFF (d. Kelly Reichardt)

MELANCHOLIA (d. Lars von Trier) Unremitting, lugubrious, if watchable, downer where end of the world comes as a blessed relief. ***

MEN AT BATH (d. Christophe Honoré) *** 1/4 (personal rating); * 3/4 (objectively as a film)

MICHAEL (d. Marcus Schleinzer) *** 1/4

MICROPHONE (d. Ahmad Abdalla) ** 1/4

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (d. Woody Allen) Historical, timebinding whimsy, Allen style. Owen Wilson didn't cut it, imo; but the script is clever & costumes great. *** 1/4

MIRAL (d. Julian Schnabel) Arty film about Palistinian travails from 1947 to Oslo accords, political, a tinge of anti-Israel; but I was moved despite myself. ***

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL (d. Brad Bird) Great stunts, lousy film. I didn't believe one minute of realistic possibility. * 3/4

MITCHELL 20 (d. Murray & Benson) V. Effective, moving & important advocacy docu for teachers in poor districts progressing from below by board certification. *** 1/2

MONEYBALL (d. Bennett Miller) Pitt & especially a subdued Jonah Hill are wonderful. Sorkin's hand is obvious: more Social Network than baseball flick. *** 1/2

MONSIEUR LAZHAR (d. Philippe Fatardeau, Canada) *** 1/2

MONSIEUR PAPA (d. Kad Merad) ***

MONTE CARLO (d. Thomas Bezucha) Thoroughly mediocre "teen girls adventures in France" flick. Yet, some fresh faces & an ok script...I enjoyed it. ** 1/2

MONTEVIDEO: TASTE OF A DREAM (d. Dragan Bjelogrlic, Serbia) ** 1/2

MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE IS NOT BEING DEAD, THE (d. Pictel, Torrado, Recuenco) ** 1/4

MOTHERS (d. Milco Mancevski; Macedonia) ** 3/4

MOUNTAIN, THE (d. Ole Glaever) ** 3/4

MUPPETS, THE (d. James Bobin) Cleverly meta, nice musical numbers, altogether delightful film even if Muppets have no nostalgic value for me. *** 1/4

MY AFTERNOON WITH MARGUERITTE (La Tête in friche) (d. Jean Becker) *** 1/4

MY BOY JACK (d. Brian Kirk) V. + Watched again for Daniel Radcliffe. Admirable, poetic script about war and loss, and misplaced patriotism (?). ***

MY PIECE OF THE PIE (Ma Part du gâteau) (d. Cédric Klapisch) *** 1/4

MY SO CALLED ENEMY (d. Lisa Gossels) ***

MY SOUL TO TAKE (d. Wes Craven) Silly horror genre flick obvious & predictabile. But Max Thieriot & John Magaro's chemistry almost make it worth watching. **

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (d. Simon Curtis) Williams' Monroe is an amazing characterization, and Redmayne sold the truth of the story. *** 1/4

MYSTERIES OF LISBON (d. Raul Ruiz) ***

NAMES OF LOVE, THE (d. Michel Leclerc) ** 3/4

NATURAL SELECTION (d. Robbie Pickering) * 1/4

NIGHT CLERK, THE (Avant l'aube) (d. Raphaël Jacoulot) *** 1/4

NOBODY (d. Christos Nikoleris) ***

NORMAN (d. Jonathan Segal) *** 1/2

NOTHING TO DECLARE (Rien à déclarer) (d. Dany Boon) ***

NOTHING'S ALL BAD (d. Mikkei Munch-Fals) + ** 3/4

NUUMMIOQ (d. Torben Bech, Otto Rosing; Greenland) ** 1/4

OCTOBER (d. Daniel Vega Vidal, Peru) ** 3/4

OFF HOURS, THE (d. Megan Griffiths) **

OLD GOATS (d. Taylor Guterson) *** 1/4

OLIVER SHERMAN (d. Ryan Redford) ** 3/4

ON THE ICE (d. Andrew Okpeaha MacLean) ***

ON TOUR (d. Mathieu Amalric) *** 1/4

ONE DAY (d. Lone Scherfig) Old fashion star power can't elevate contrived script. But Jim Sturgess is truly wonderful, Hathaway's Brit accent distracting. ** 3/4

ORATOR, THE (d. Tusi Tamasese, New Zealand) W/O

OSLO, AUGUST 31 (d. Joachim Trier) *** 3/4

OUR DAY WILL COME (Notre jour viendra) (d. Romain Gavras) ** 1/4

OUR IDIOT BROTHER (d. Jesse Peretz) Rudd is especially fine, but film sputters from unrealistic relationships & situations. ** 3/4

OUR LIFE (d. Daniele Luchetti) *** 1/2

OUTRAGE (Autoreiji) (d. Takeshi Kitano) ** 1/2

OVER YOUR CITIES GRASS WILL GROW (d. Sophie Fiennes) * 3/4

PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES (d. Andrew Rossi) *** 1/4

PAPER BIRDS (d. Emilio Aragón) *** 1/2

PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY (d. Berlinger & Sinofsky) V. That rarity, a docu series that changed history. Perfect filmmaking at every level. ****

PATAGONIA (d. Marc Evans, United Kingdom) + ***

PERFECT AGE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL, THE (d. Scott Rosenbaum) Jason Ritter is enormously likable & Zegars is sexy; RnR film works until unmotivated ending. ***

PERFECT SENSE (d. David Mackenzie) ** 3/4

PHNOM PENH LULLABY (d. Pawel Kloc) V. Stressful docu follows poor Israeli man & Cambodian woman as they try to find a home for one of their daughters. ** 1/4

PIANO SOLO (d. Riccardo Milani) *** 1/4

PINA (d. Wim Wenders, Germany) *** 1/4

PINOY SUNDAY (d. Wi Ding-Ho) ** 3/4

POINT BLANK (d. Fred Cavayé) Non-stop action thriller with crooked Parisian police, pregnant wife in peril, kitchen sink stuff; but well mounted. *** 1/4

POLL DIARIES, THE (d. Chris Kraus) *** 1/2

POR EL CAMINO (d. Charly Braun) ** 3/4

POSTCARD (d. Kaneto Shindo, Japan) ** 1/2

POTICHE (d. François Ozon) ** 3/4

POUPOUPIDOU (Nobody Else But You) (d. Gerald Hustache-Mahieu) *** 3/4

PRIME SUSPECT (d. Christopher Menaul) V. Catching up in order. 1st series about female cop empowerment. Mirren truly a revelation. *** 1/2

PRIME SUSPECT 2 (d. John Strickland) V. Nicely twisty, turny policier with a racial element. Intricate police work, marred by predictable, messy resolution. ***

PRIME SUSPECT 3 (d. David Drury) V. Complex rent boys plot with nothing neatly sewn up. Some fascinating future stars in minor roles. I expected more. ***

PRIME SUSPECT 5 (d. Philip Davis) V. Steven Mackintosh makes a convincing prime suspect, D.S. Tennison banashed to the sticks. Predictable script. ** 3/4

PRIME SUSPECT: INNER CIRCLES (d. Sarah Anderson) V. Minor, not very involving story of political corruption & murder. ** 1/4

PRIME SUSPECT: LOST CHILD (d. John Madden) V. Well acted policier of a pedophile accused of kidnapping a baby. ** 3/4

PRIME SUSPECT: SCENT OF DARKNESS (d. Paul Marcus) V. Police intrigue & infighting over copycat murders. Gripping & best of current (#4) group. *** 1/4

PRINCE & THE PAGODA BOY, THE (d. Luu Trong Ninh, Viet Nam) * 1/2

PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER, THE (d. Bertrand Tavernier) + Even better on 2nd viewing, superbly written & acted costume drama of French court amours. *** 3/4

PROJECT NIM (d. James Marsh) V. Involving docu with so many re-creations that it comes off as a clone of new Planet of the Apes flick. ***

PULSAR (d. Alex Stockman) Belgian Matthias Schoenaerts plays internalized paranoia to perfection in this weird, aimless film about a rampant computer intrusion. ** 1/2

PUNK IS NOT DEAD (d. Vladimir Blazevski, Macedonia) **

QUEEN OF THE SUN: WHAT BEES ARE TELLING US? (d. Taggart Seigel) Beautifully shot, on nose docu of yet another horrible example of man vs. nature. ***

QUIET LIFE, A (d. Claudio Cupellini) *** 1/4

RAMPART (d. Oren Moverman) V. Subdued, minimalist corrupt policeman story with fine naturalistic perfs. But doesn't really go there. ** 3/4

REAL STEEL (d. Shawn Levy) Predictable script (sci-fi re-imagining of The Champ) trumps nicely done f/x and effective robot boxing scenes. ** 1/2

REBEL TRUCE: HISTORY OF THE CLASH (d. Alan G. Parker) Not my band at the time, their story is tragic & still fresh. Too sketchy; but made its points. ***

REBIRTH (d. Jim Whitaker) V. Mostly interview docu showing 10 years progression of several survivors of 9/11. Great time lapse of site, interesting & moving*** 1/4

RED EYES (d. Juan Pablo Sallato, Ismael Larrain, Juan Ignacio Sabatini) * 1/2

RED (d. Robert Schwenke) V. Idiosyncratic actioner with a top cast...but a narrative mess. ** 1/4

REDLAND (d. Asiel Norton)

RESTLESS (d. Gus Van Sant) Terrible script, maudlin, precious dialog that no actor should have to deliver. But Henry Hopper is an interesting young actor. * 3/4

RETURNING TO THE "A" (d. Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky, Kazakhstan) *

REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR, THE (d. Chris Paine) *** 1/4

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE (d. Rupert Wyatt) The best of the summer tentpoles with a clear narrative & excellent f/x. *** 1/2

ROADIE (d. Michael Cuesta) *** 1/2

ROMAN ARK [short] (d. Seth Larney) **

ROMEOS (d. Sabine Bernardi) ***

ROSARIO (d. Alberto Martinez) *** 1/4

RUMBLE OF THE STONES (d. Alejandro Bellame Palacios, Venezuela) ***

RUNWAY, THE (d. Ian Power) ** 1/2

SAIGON ELECTRIC (d. Stephane Gauger) ** 1/4

SALVATION BOULEVARD (d. George Ratliff) ** 1/2

SARAH'S KEY (d. Gilles Parquet-Brenner) Another moving take on Holocaust story in France, with interesting contemporary angle. Good cast, well directed. *** 1/4

SECRET FESTIVAL #2 + Seen before in a shorter version; liked it much more this time. ** 1/2

SECRET FESTIVAL #3 *** 1/4

SECRET FESTIVAL #4 ** 1/2

SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL (d. Hardmon & Libert) V. Case of docu with important eco message in a pedestrian production. ** 3/4

SENNA (d. Asif Kapadia) V. Fascinating, suspenseful docu about Formula One driver Ayrton Senna. I knew *nothing* of him & his sport, but was blown away. *** 3/4

SEPARATION, A (d. Asghar Farhadi, Iran) *** 1/2

SEVDAH FOR KARIM (d. Jasmin Durakovic) ** 1/2

SHAME (d. Steve McQueen) Story of sexual predator psychopath...yet Fassbender (and Carrie Mulligan) give the story vibrant sympathy. *** 1/4

SHOCKING BLUE (d. Mark de Cloe) ** 1/2

SILENT HOUSE, THE (d. Gustavo Hernandéz, Uruguay) **

SILENT SOULS (d. Aleksei Fedorchenko) ***

SIMPLE LIFE, A (d. Ann Hui, Hong Kong) *** 1/2

SIMPLE SIMON (d. Andreas Ohman; Sweden) *** 1/2

SING YOUR SONG (d. Susanne Rostock) V. Effective, if perhaps excessively hagiographic, bio of Belafonte. Nicely edited & does make its point. ***

SKIN I LIVE IN, THE (d. Pedro Almodóvar) Creepy gothic film with Almodovar's patented gender-tripping. Excellent music & prod. design. Script, not so great. ***

SLEEPING BEAUTY, THE (La Belle endormie) (d. Catherine Breillat) * 1/2

SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS (d. Ed Gass-Donnelly) ***

SOCIAL NETWORK, THE (d. David Fincher) V.++ A rarity: a smart movie about smart people which is totally absorbing & finely crafted. Still, even 3rd time: ****

SOMETHING VENTURED (d. Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine) ** 3/4

SONNY BOY (d. Maria Peters, Netherlands) ***

SORELLE MAI (d. Marco Bellocchio) ** 1/2

SOUND OF NOISE (d. Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson) ***

SOURCE CODE (d. Duncan Jones) Nifty script, well executed by Jones who has stepped up in class. Some niggling temporal problems; but hugely fun. *** 1/4

SPUD (d. Donovan Marsh) *** 1/4

STOOL PIGEON (d. Dante Lam) *** 1/4

STREET DAYS (d. Levan Koguashvili ; Georgia) *** 1/2

SUBMARINE (d. Richard Ayoade) ** 3/4

SUMMER CODA (d. Richard Gray) ***

SUPER (d. James Gunn) Gory & mildly amusing, film looks terrible (shot on old stock?). Some fine actors stretching...but too weird for me. **

SUPER-8 (d. J.J. Abrams) Very ET-retro; high expectations not completely met by script deficiencies. End credit 8mm "film" better than rest. ***

SUPERCLASICO (d. Ole Christian Madsen, Denmark) ** 3/4

SUSHI: THE GLOBAL CATCH (d. Mark Hall) *** 1/4

TABLOID (d. Errol Morris) ** 3/4

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT (d. Michael Dowse) I don't get Dan Fogler...but Topher Grace and Faris are fine. Adult Superbad set in '80s & surprisingly fun. ** 3/4

TAKE SHELTER (d. Jeff Nichols) Effective story of obsession & paranoia, well acted by Chastain & Shannon; but Apocolyptic plot strained my credulity. ** 3/4

TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 (d. Tony Scott) V. Skillful, involving thriller which falls apart at end. Denzel & Travolta have star power. ** 3/4

TATSUMI (d. Eric Khoo, Singapore) *** 1/4

TEENAGE PAPARAZZO (d. Adrian Grenier) V. The ultimate meta-docu, celebrity making a doc about a 14-year old kid paparazzo. But smart & fun & relevant. *** 1/2

TERRAFERMA (d. Emanuele Crialese, Italy) ** 1/2

TERRI (d. Azazal Jacobs) *** 1/4

THOR (d. Kenneth Branagh) Not terrible. The f/x & prod. design a little cheesy, acting ok, script barely ok. Chris H. perfect Thor. ** 1/2

THOUSAND FOOLS, A (d. Ventura Pons) ** 3/4

THOUSAND TIMES STRONGER, A (d. Peter Schildt) ***

TILT (d. Viktor Chouchkov) *** 3/4

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (d. Tomas Alfredson) Subdued thriller to the point of somnambulance, yet acting (esp. Tom Hardy) at high level. ** 3/4

TIRZA (d. Rudolf van den Berg; The Netherlands) ** 3/4

TO DIE LIKE A MAN (d. João Pedro Rodrigues; Portugal) ** 1/4

TOAST (d. SJ Clarkson) *** 1/4

TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER (d. Dorota Kedzierzawska) ***

TOUCH (d. Minh Duc Nguyen) ***

TRANSFORMERS 3 (d. Michael Bay) Even for Bay this is terrible: assinine script, horrible 3D (except for the CGI effects which are fine), empty clammor. Ugh! * 1/4

TREATMENT (d. Steven Schardt, Sean Nelson) ** 1/2

TREE OF LIFE, THE (d. Terrence Malick) Georgeous, ambitious paean to...what? parenthood? god? the universe? Like 2001...maybe I'd grok it better on LSD. *** 1/4

TRESPASS (d. Joel Schumacher) Graphic story of druggies home invading dysfunctional family situation. Top actors & effective direction can't rescue plot miscues. ** 1/4

TRIP, THE (d. Michael Winterbottom) ***

TRUST (d. David Schwimmer) Parents do you know who your daughter is chatting and texting? Well crafted message film; creepy and disturbing. ** 3/4

TURIN HORSE, THE (d. Bela Tarr) ** 3/4

TWELVE THIRTY (d. Jeff Lipsky) Fascinating, if talky character study. Groff is fine playing full-frontal, straight seducer of mom & 2 daughters! (Teorema lite!) *** 1/4

TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (d. Bill Condon) Silly, makes-no-sense plot. Even usual eye candy subdued. * 3/4

TYRANNOSAUR (d. Paddy Considine) *** 1/4

UNDEFEATED (d. Lindsay & Martin) V. Emotionally affecting docu about a black E. Memphis high-school football team & white coach. Immaculately edited. *** 1/2

UNDER FIRE: JOURNALISTS IN COMBAT (d. Martyn Burke) V. Vivid interviews with war correspondents, emotionally resonant, but scattered. ***

UNEVEN ROME (La vita dispari) (d. Luca Fantasia) * 1/2

UNFINISHED SPACES (d. Murray & Nahmias) V. Uplifting if dry docu of monumental '60s project School of Arts buildings that politics ruined. ** 1/2

UNSTOPPABLE (d. Tony Scott) Surprisingly affecting and tense film with some dynamite f/x and great sound. Chris Pine is quite likable. *** 1/4

UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS (d. Lyn & Metzstein) V.

VAMPIRE (d. Iwai Shunji) ** 1/2

VENICE (d. Jan Jakub Kolski) ** 3/4

VIOLETA WENT TO HEAVEN (d. Andrés Wood, Chile) ** 1/2

VIVA RIVA! (d. Djo Tunda Wa Munga) **

W.E. (d. Madonna) Interesting structure and romantic lushness; but current story more cliche filled than historical story. Oscar Isaac one to watch. ***

WANDERING STREAMS (Les Petits ruisseaux) (d. Pascal Rabaté) ***

WARHORSE (d. Steven Spielberg) Old fashioned epic, moving even thrilling at times. Great cinematography, especially the well blocked war scenes. *** 1/2

WARRIOR (d. Gavin O'Connor) Cliché ridden plot mars otherwise well acted & directed fight flick. Edgerton especially good, Hardy mannered, but hot. ** 3/4

WASTED ON THE YOUNG (d. Ben C. Lucas) ***

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (d. Francis Lawrence)

WAY, THE (d. Emilio Estevez) A "Bucket List" type film of man following a pilgrimage road through Spain. Lovely travels, affecting personal story. ***

WE BOUGHT A ZOO (d. Cameron Crowe) Predictable "family recovering from mother's death" film with one great scene & a lot of synthetic emotion. ** 1/2

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (d. Lynne Ramsay) V. Modern "Bad Seed", hard to watch, but excellent acting & script make for fascination. *** 1/4

WE WERE HERE (d. Weissman & Weber) V. Important, truthful docu of S.F. during the AIDS epidemic. About as resonant for me as docus get. *** 3/4

WEATHER GIRL (d. Blayne Weaver) Nice buddies romcom script, great chemistry between faves Patrick Adams & Ryan Devlin. Lead Tricia O'Kelley weak link. ***

WEDDING DIRECTOR, THE (d. Marco Bellocchio) ** 1/4

WEEKEND (d. Andres Haigh) *** 3/4

WEEKEND (d. Andres Haigh) + 2nd time even better than first time. Most relevant gay relationship film I've ever seen. Powerful, poignant & truthful. *** 3/4

WELCOME TO THE SOUTH (d. Luca Miniero) ** 3/4

WHERE DO WE GO NOW? (d. Nadine Labaki, Lebanon) ** 1/2

WHISTLEBLOWER, THE (d. Larysa Kondracki) *** 1/4

WHITE IRISH DRINKERS (d. John Gray) *** 1/4

WHITECHAPEL (d. SJ Clarkson) V. Superbly written British policier chasing a serial killer Jack the Ripper copycat. Rupert Penry-Jones is excellent. *** 1/2

WILD TARGET (d. Jonathan Lynn) V. A truly ridiculous, but watchable, British caper comedy with an A cast but a D- plot. Rupert Grint needs to chose better scripts. * 1/2

WIN WIN (d. Thomas McCarthy) Fine feel-good film with some excellent acting. Formulaic, but rings with truth. Alex Shaffer is a find as the teenage wrestler. *** 1/4

WIN/WIN (d. Jaap van Heusden) ***

WOLFMAN, THE (d. Joe Johnston) Great production design, sets, authentic 1891 period details don't make up for crappy, cliché ridden script & overacting. ** 1/4

WOMB (d. Benedek Fliegauf) *** 1/4

WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR, THE (Service Entrance) (d. Philippe Le Guey) *** 1/4

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (d. Matthew Vaughn) Superior origins film with a fine, albeit historically silly, script and successful casting. Best of the series by a good deal. ***

YOUNG ADULT (d. Jason Reitman) Another overly clever Cody script with a fine male "buddy" perf by Patton Oswalt & Theron is convincing. But... **

YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE (was GOETHE) (d. Philipp Stolzi) ** 3/4

ZÉRO DE CONDUITE (d. Jean Vigo) V. I can see where Truffaut was influenced; but honestly Vigo's anarchism & style of filmmaking doesn't appeal in this film. ** 1/2