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Cynthia FuchsPopMatters Film and TV EditorAbout Cynthia Fuchs Cynthia Fuchs is director of Film & Media Studies, as well as Associate Professor of English, African American Studies, and Film & Video Studies, at George Mason University. She has published articles on Buffy and Dark Angel; Shakira; Jay-Z; Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise; Taxi Driver; hip-hop, Michael Jackson, Prince, Juvenile and Cash Money, “gangsta rap”, the Spice Girls, queer punks, alternative masculinities in rock, “bad” kids in Bully and George Washington, the war in Iraq, and Vietnam war movies. She edited Spike Lee: Interviews (University of Mississippi Press 2002), and co-edited Between the Sheets, In the Streets: Queer, Lesbian, and Gay Documentary (University of Minnesota 1997). She is currently co-editing “Iraq War Cultures” and writing a book on Iraq war documentaries. Features
Best Complexities in 2008The most remarkable films of 2008 were small, smart, and complicated. While they're surely worth seeking out for their own pleasures, they also represent the sort of movies that will find theatrical releases even harder to manage in the shrinking economy. [16 January 2009] The Best Movies of 2007Fuchs' picks for the year's best movies reveal the difficulty of the quest, uncovering in their seeming failures more remarkable potentials. [18 January 2008] Ken Burns’ Arithmetic of War: ‘The War’ Premieres TonightTo its credit, The War considers the terrible effects of difference. But even as it argues that representations can make differences, it also exemplifies how limited vision can reinforce them. [21 September 2007] “God’s Warriors”: Raging FiresChristiane Amanpour does not back down from difficult questions. She opens her six-hour report, airing over three nights on CNN, by noting that Jerusalem, the "so-called city of peace, has been torn by centuries of war." [21 August 2007] Time Is Standing Still: White Light/Black RainHBO's new Hiroshima and Nagasaki documentary is at once simple and infinitely complex. The atomic bombs were disasters both man-made and calculated. [6 August 2007] Unbridled with Life: Interview with Mira NairWith The Namesake, based on Jhumpa Lahiri's popular novel, Mira Nair has found an ideal subject -- a family full of complex characters who spend their lives traversing traditions and expectations. [22 March 2007] Paul Robeson: Showing a Little GritToday, Paul Robeson seems impossible. How could one man have accomplished so much, commanded such respect, be so large and legendary, even during his lifetime? [8 March 2007] Dixie-chickedIntroducing the Chicks' Grammys performance, Joan Baez called them "three brave women who are still 'not ready to make nice.'" It may be the long way, but it's the right way too. [20 February 2007] A Symbol of Transition: Interview with Guillermo del ToroGuillermo del Toro: It's not like there was no cruelty before or no brutality before. But the fact that now people can go out in the open about it, publicly, and not be shamed, even be proud of it!? I think it's a very dark time right now. [11 January 2007] War Stories: Top 12 Films of 2006You hardly needed to duck into theaters to see war images this year. And yet, there it they were. War stories made for some of the most gripping, provocative, and outraged offerings of 2006. [10 January 2007] Ballers, Shot CallersThe 'problem' of hip-hop thus seems inherent -- it's a means to sell something, consumption as a means to identity, for players as much as fans. While most consumers presume they make choices, this circulation of signs suggests otherwise. [2 December 2004] Real NewsPerhaps Stewart and the Daily Show faux journalists offer something more like a traditional Fourth Estate's resistance to spin and message. Occasionally, they even push boundaries of what 'news' might do, encourage consumers to be skeptical and pissed off. [2 November 2004] PopMatters Television Feature'I believe that George Bush and Saddam Hussein are both behaving in an irresponsible manner,' says Madonna. 'So, in that respect, they're alike.' [22 June 2004] Distraction TVWith the little matter of the Super Bowl Halftime Show to get over, Janet Jackson did what she had to do. She returned to TV. [19 April 2004] You Gotta Work Your JellyThe newest video, for 'Crazy in Love,' begins with a hailing by Jay: 'History in the making.' Again, the process of work comes into focus, and again, Beyoncé's body becomes its undeniable emblem. [24 July 2003] And Now He’s Got the StubbleWhen Michael Jackson calls Tony Mottola 'devilish' or dangles his baby, the media grind into high gear for weeks. [10 February 2003] Killing MachineThis past weekend's TV (25-27 Oct 2002) has been rife with efforts to describe, reframe, and sensationalize the sniper story. [28 October 2002] Ain’t Trickin’ MeAs soon as word got out that Left Eye was dead, the news-and-entertainment industry kicked into a depressingly familiar gear. [2 May 2002] It goes on and on and onCriticism is product too, absorbed and deployed by the machine, as a sign of genius and innovation (like Cobain or Biggie Smalls), and also as a product to be sold, to be sucked back into the ever-envelope-pushing machine. Aaliyah is part of it, yes. [10 September 2001] The Zen of Mike Tyson'What in the world is fascinating about me, besides I fight and beat people spectacularly. Other than that, what's so fascinating about me?' You have to hand it to Mike Tyson -- this is exactly the right question to ask. [26 April 2001] No More Puff DaddyBut even if we can see that hiphop has survived even Puff Daddy, an obvious, if not exactly pressing, question remains: how did he ever sell so many records? [11 April 2001] Juvenileworks hard. And he sounds tired: his voice is low and slow, his manner wary. He's talking to me on the phone from Louisiana's Cash Money Records office, where he's been at it all day, being polite with interviewers and promoting his third Cash Money solo album, Tha G-Code. [1 January 1995] Rapping is Good Therapy: Interview with Ice CubeThe music legends talks to PopMatters about hip-hop in culture, sports brawls and his successful acting career. “Words Won’t Bring Us Down”: Best Music Videos of 2002Music videos are an ever-evolving means of self-representation and social commentary. They're here and gone so quickly, it's sometimes difficult to keep track, especially of the ones that MTV doesn't deign to rotate ad nauseam. Still, exceptional vids keep coming. The Emotion of History: Interview with Rob Cohen, Director of StealthWe're at a crossroads in terms of how American policy will be affected by technology in war. There Wasn’t a Front Line: Interview with Michael Tucker and Jon PowersThe director discusses his new film Gunner Palace, a documentary about U.S. troops in Baghdad, during two months in 2003. The Wedding PlannerMatthew McConaughey has been a Redskins fan since he was four years old. He thinks it started with watching late-night movies on tv, when he rooted for the 'Indians' against the cowboys. Boys Don’t CryKimberly Peirce looks right at you when she talks. And it's hard to look away from her, with her striking eyes and cool blue streaks in her near-black hair. She likes to talk, too. Really talk. She laughs easily, thinks hard, and wants to ask questions as much as answer them. She's talking a lot these days, promoting her first feature, . Love & BasketballOmar Epps has his hotel bed pillows on the sofa, so he can lean into them while he talks to you. But two minutes into the interview, he's sitting up and facing you, enthusiastically punctuating his points with his hands. Made: When you hear the name Jon Favreau, you'll probably remember that he's the guy who wrote and starred in 'Swingers'. Something Else New: Interview with John SingletonNobody wanted to make this movie because it was about a pimp. So I gave them the finger and said, I'm doing it anyway. The VisitSmooth and unstoppable, he's not one to rest on his laurels, but likes to stay busy. Before Night FallsJulian Schnabel is what you might call an intense personality. He talks in large hunks of prose, language that is layered roaming, attentive to the details of the surfaces around him. He has a grand sensibility, full of passion and unstoppable opinion. Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiForest Whitaker is as cool as you'd want him to be, thoughtful and wise, of course, but also attentive and gracious. The BrothersIn person, Morris Chestnut looks a lot like he does on magazine covers and on movie screens -- good-looking of course, but also self-confident and relaxed. Sunshine StateSayles has been praised for his independence and his enthusiasm for his work; he is also, unusually, a white filmmaker who deals consistently and repeatedly with race, as well as class, sex, and other issues. PiñeroThat's really the problem that people of color are up against: they're working within a system that still doesn't acknowledge them as equal. Faith in Free Trade: Interview with the Yes MenThey're campaigning for the President, on a bus for Bush, soliciting pledges from patriots. Look out. Hedwig and the Angry Inch', is his first, and he is its director, writer, and star. Scary Movie 2: Shawn puts it this way: ''Scary Movie' is about pop culture, 'Menace' is about urban culture, and 'I'm Gonna Get You Sucka' is about urban throwback.' The Ninth GateRoman Polanski is gracious and soft-spoken on the telephone from Paris. Once notorious for his eccentricity, ego, and offscreen misfortunes, the Polish director-writer-actor now seems, at 67, almost serene, or comfortable, as if he's come to terms with his genius and his excess. Bring It to People: Interview with the Murderball FilmmakersAlternately slouching, perched forward, and animated in their chairs, the filmmakers pick up on one another's points, ask each other questions. At the moment, they're talking about Murderball, their documentary about quadriplegic rugby. ThirteenCatherine Hardwicke talks about her film Thirteen, which is so different from other teen movies, except that the characters are flawed (and remain so), and the adults actually care about what the kids are going through. The Caveman’s Valentine'' is populated with characters who don't get much play in mainstream movies -- the homeless, a crazy man, sexualized middle-aged characters, interracial sex, a black woman with a gun, gay men, and an upscale art scene, all in a film that's considerably bigger than your first one. Was it difficult to put all these elements together. The Green MileMichael Clarke Duncan is happy. He's happy to be starring in with Tom Hanks, to be sitting in a nice hotel room wearing white socks and designer jeans and no shoes. He's especially happy with his role in the film... GirlfightAt first glance, Karyn Kusama's looks like a pretty regular festival 'darling' picture: it's the writer-director's debut feature, it's about a young Latina in the projects who overcomes her unhappy home situation to succeed in an unusual and topical arena (boxing), and finds true love to boot. The Way of the GunRyan Phillippe has the new Wyclef CD on the coffee table in his hotel room. He likes the album, especially the Mary J. Blige track, but thinks the Kenny Rogers is a little silly. Save the Last DanceSean Patrick Thomas is one of the more genuinely polite people I've met. He stands up to shake my hand when I arrive and leave. He acts as if he actually wants to be here, in this hotel lobby two days after Christmas, talking about his job. 15 MinutesFormer Chicago cop Dennis Farina still lives on the Windy City's North Side, because, he says, there's no other place like it. It's clear, though, from his relaxed posture in a sitting room at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons, that he also doesn't mind traveling. Bend it Like BeckhamI came into films initially on this platform to challenge the representation of women and people of color in the media. A Garrison State: Interview with Eugene Jarecki, Why We Fight'What kind of society are we living in when the best opportunity for a young person is to take a job that might cost the life of himself or of another?' Series 7: The ContendersDaniel Minahan and Brooke Smith sit across from me in one of those bizarre hotel suites that are part comfy lounge area, part board room. Biggie & TupacAll of these stories in 'Biggie & Tupac' are about the same thing: the position of black Americans has not moved enormously from the Civil Rights days. Kissing Jessica SteinWestfeldt and Juergensen are very easy with each other, a result of spending lots of time together since they met at a 5-day theater lab in 1996. BlowI walk in on Ted Demme as he's wolfing down a sandwich. An Absence of Framework: An Interview with Michael WinterbottomThe 'war on terror' allows them to keep keeping people at Guantánamo until they decide the war on terror is over. So they've taken something that's an abstract idea that can actually go on forever, and that will, on a policy level, affect when people can be released. Reindeer GamesJohn Frankenheimer has been making movies for over thirty years, and yet he remains passionate about his work. Dogtown and Z-BoysStacy Peralta, winner of the 2001 Sundance Film Festival Director's Award, wears a sweatshirt and sneakers. BamboozledSpike Lee has established a reputation as an innovative and intelligent artist and provocative cultural critic. Judy BerlinEric Mendelsohn is a quiet guy, thoughtful and self-reflective. His first feature film - which won the 35-year-old Mendelsohn the Directing Award at 1999's Sundance Film Festival and was an official selection in the Cannes Festival's 1999 Un Certain Regard - is a carefully observation of suburban self-delusions and truths. Drumline[As a director,] you have to let spontaneity and chaos live with you, and be able to pick and choose. A More Athletic Approach: An Interview with Werner HerzogThe 63-year-old filmmaker doesn't count talking about his work among his favorite activities -- as he puts it, 'I have a more physical approach than a cerebral approach, a more athletic approach' -- but he remains enthused about his new documentary, Grizzly Man. UrbaniaMade for only $225,000 and shot in 18 days, '' tells the story of a young man, Charlie (Dan Futterman), recovering from a terrible trauma, trying to make sense of the loss of control that he's feeling, and for Shear, New York offered appropriate mystery, randomness, and danger. Sugar & SpiceMarla Sokoloff may be best known for playing the sorta punky Lucy Hatcher on David E. Kelley's popular series, 'The Practice'. The PianistRoman doesn't even like using a stand-in. The Caveman’s ValentineThe difficult part for me was that Sheila was so isolated. She would always appear in the scene, and everything would go into an extremely slow motion. AraratAll this is new for the 42-year-old Egoyan, whose work is characteristically deliberate, elegant, and above all, exploring relationships between art and interpretation. Bowling for ColumbineI ask myself, 'Are you sitting at the Ritz doing interviews or are you working on that 9-11 film you're supposed to be making, to make sure that Bush isn't returned?' The Way of the GunChris McQuarrie doesn't look like someone from Hollywood. He doesn't wear black, his face is pleasant and his voice soft and deliberate, without the speed and breathlessness that afflict folks who spend too much time inside the business. Atanarjuat, The Fast RunnerThe John Wayne figure, in Inuit culture, is socially irresponsible. The Way of the GunChris McQuarrie doesn't look like someone from Hollywood. He doesn't wear black, his face is pleasant and his voice soft and deliberate, without the speed and breathlessness that afflict folks who spend too much time inside the business. Better Luck TomorrowI didn't want the characters to have to explain why they exist. I don't feel like I have to do that. The Time MachineSamantha Mumba sits in a hard-backed chair: perfect posture, perfect makeup, perfect smile. Everybody’s Famous!Dominique Deruddere seems like the ideal dad. Jackpot. BrotherThe 28-year-old Brooklyn native began writing plays when he was just ten years old, and his first starring film role was also his first film role. Kingdom ComeSmooth and unstoppable, he's not one to rest on his laurels, but likes to stay busy. EvolutionSean Patrick Thomas is one of the more genuinely polite people I've met. He stands up to shake my hand when I arrive and leave. He acts as if he actually wants to be here, in this hotel lobby two days after Christmas, talking about his job. Focus. Genghis BluesThe story of San Francisco-based blues singer Paul Pena's journey to Tuva, a teeny republic in the heart of Asia, is certainly strange and wondrous. Still, given the obscurity of almost every element involved, the story probably wouldn't strike most people as the ideal material for a first film. Sexy BeastIt was a little alarming playing a bad actor, because I used to be a bad transvestite, and I've spent years trying to get away from that, trying to be someone whom people might look at and say, 'Hey, I wish I could have that look! The ReplacementsOrlando Jones is a bit of a surprise. The Princess and the Warrior: For their new movie, 'The Princess and the Warrior', Tykwer and Potente worked together on the script, developing the complicated relationship between her character, the psychiatric nurse Sissi, and an emotionally damaged ex-soldier named Bodo (Benno Furmann). Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter Jr.Errol Morris makes disturbing, lyrical, powerful nonfiction films, and he has a lot to say about them. MagnoliaPaul Thomas Anderson describes his new film, , in language that only seems simple. He's obviously excited about it, glad to have it released and to be talking about it, which, he observes, is part of the process. The Luzhin DefenceIt wasn't actually the novel that attracted me, it was the script. Bring It Alive: Interview with Michael RadfordThe director of Il Postino talks to PopMatters about his new Shakespeare adaptation The Merchant of Venice. The Five SensesJeremy Podeswa speaks softly and wears dark clothes. He looks like an artist, like he lives in the city and spends his time in galleries or movie theaters, feeling super-aware of his environment and the people in it, as sounds, colors, and lines, mysteries and motivations. Auto Focus'Hollywood didn't make Good Bob go bad, but it helped Bad Bob come out.' Lost in a Sea of Trivia: Interview with Niels MuellerThe director of the new Sean Penn film, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, talks to PopMatters about his interests in history and the kind of hopeless rage that erupts in violence. Rat Race. The Deep EndTilda Swinton likes to talk, laugh, and make jokes about the strange and wonderful business she's in. She's a lot of fun. A Knight’s TaleIt was a little alarming playing a bad actor, because I used to be a bad transvestite, and I've spent years trying to get away from that, trying to be someone whom people might look at and say, 'Hey, I wish I could have that look! Down to EarthChris Rock comes into the Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency in Washington DC. His 'people' are already there, the people who set up his schedule and look out for him. About A BoyDifferent as they may be, and they are, Chris and Paul Weitz appreciate the specific weirdness that each brings to their relationship, as brothers and filmmakers. The Cat’s MeowOnce touted as a brilliant young artist, whose 'The Last Picture Show' (1971) evidenced both a youthful sensibility and tender nostalgia, Bogdanovich counted among his friends Orson Welles and John Ford. All the Real GirlsPeople think the movie's supposed to come to you. But we're more like, 'We're going to wait over here, and if you want to come in, okay.' The Good GirlI like it when a character is irrational, when a character does contradictory things. I feel like it wakes you up, because you're trying to connect the dots. The Good ThiefI find it very easy to go from, say, a lit, pleasurable environment, to a very dark place. Shadow of the VampireIt was a little alarming playing a bad actor, because I used to be a bad transvestite, and I've spent years trying to get away from that, trying to be someone whom people might look at and say, 'Hey, I wish I could have that look! Like Zorro’s Mask: An Interview with Wim WendersWenders' new film Don't Come Knocking, his second project with Sam Shepard, 'deconstructs' the myths of the American West, this time with Shepard starring as cowboy movie star Howard Spence, as well as a writing the script. Thirteen DaysSean Patrick Thomas is one of the more genuinely polite people I've met. He stands up to shake my hand when I arrive and leave. He acts as if he actually wants to be here, in this hotel lobby two days after Christmas, talking about his job. SnatchFormer Chicago cop Dennis Farina still lives on the Windy City's North Side, because, he says, there's no other place like it. It's clear, though, from his relaxed posture in a sitting room at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons, that he also doesn't mind traveling. Reviews
The Twilight Saga: New MoonAs she ponders her future, Bella is less aware than you are that she has very similar effects on the monster boy rivals for her affection -- glowing eyes, rising tempers, pronounced teeth, ungodly strength, usually demonstrated on others of their ilk or furniture. [20 November 2009] 
The Blind SideThe pile-on of big emotional moments, accompanied by big music, is overwhelming. This is a movie demanding to be loved. 
Terror in MumbaiDan Reed's documentary traces the events of those three days in Mumbai last November by using the recorded conversations as well as local footage, some shot by the journalists who arrived on the scene long before police or the Indian Coast Guard or Navy appeared. [19 November 2009] Independent Lens: No Subtitles Necessary: László & VilmosTracing the entwined careers of influential cinematographers Vilmos Zsigmond and László Kovács, No Subtitles Necessary: László & Vilmos is entertaining, sometimes flatfooted, and often illuminating. [18 November 2009] Frontline: A Death in TehranA Death in Tehran pieces together the short life of 26-year-old Neda Soltan, but mostly considers the effects of her death, captured by a cell phone camera. [17 November 2009] Margaret Mead Film & Video FestivalThe documentaries of this year's Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival show more than they tell, underlining how each story is shaped not only by subject's self-presentations, but also by the films' frames. [16 November 2009] The PrisonerAs soon as Six asks how to get out, at the start of AMC's The Prisoner, you know where he's headed. 
Fantastic Mr. FoxIntergenerational dilemmas -- how to be foxes, to be individuals and also parts of communities -- form the complicated heart of Fantastic Mr. Fox. [13 November 2009] 
2012As the action becomes less fabulous and more repetitive over 2012's 150 minutes, the philosophical debate ratchets up. 
Pirate RadioPirate Radio leaves out any mention of the usual historical and cultural background, say, sex as a potential means of mixing races and classes. 
Tattooed Under FireThe idea of an uncertain future affects most of the soldiers in Tattooed Under Fire, whether looking back on their recent service or forward to a first or next tour. [12 November 2009] 
Pray the Devil Back to HellPray the Devil Back to Hell vividly conveys the pain endured and resistance mounted by women of diverse backgrounds and faiths during Liberia's civil war. 
The Good SoldierThe familiar format of The Good Soldier helps to underscore what's extraordinary about the veterans' stories. [11 November 2009] 
POV: The Way We Get ByThe Way We Get By focuses on the troop greeters' mix of loneliness and determination, the pleasure of feeling needed and the pain of growing old. Copyright CriminalsComprised of split screens, overlapping and overlaid sounds, an assemblage of images and noise, Copyright Criminals effectively stages its argument even as it makes it. [10 November 2009] 
Death Bell (Gosa)Death Bell's tight focus on students' fears embodied is elegant even as it's unsettling. [9 November 2009] 
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by SapphirePrecious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is concerned with lasting effects -- on individuals and especially, on communities. [6 November 2009] 
The Men Who Stare at GoatsSetting up easy targets, The Men Who Stare at Goats seems less clever than behind the times. 
Act of GodIt's all but impossible to represent randomness. And yet this is the task taken up by Act of God, Jennifer Baichwal's documentary on lightning. [5 November 2009] 
La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet (La danse: Le ballet de l’Opéra de Paris)Work is at the center of Frederick Wiseman's absorbing documentary, La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet. [4 November 2009] 
By the People: The Election of Barack ObamaNow that the U.S. government looks mired in acrimony and frustration, it's good to remember when change seemed inevitable. [3 November 2009] 
The Maid (La Nana)Full of tension, the first scene in The Maid (La Nana) sets up Raquel's grim and limited world. [2 November 2009] 
The People v. Leo FrankThe People v. Leo Frank indicts not only the shoddy police work and lawyering, but also the public hysteria advanced by local newspapers. 
LootA treasure hunter who has travelled far and wide looking for long-lost fortunes, Lance Larson's questing serves as point of departure for the beguiling documentary, Loot. 
Labor DayLabor Day celebrates the work of SEIU toward getting Barack Obama elected. [30 October 2009] 
The House of the DevilWhile Sam's retaliation offers its own pleasures, her fundamental good-girlness, like Laurie Strode's or Rosemary Woodhouse's, also makes her abuse seem broadly meaningful. Independent Lens: Journals of a Wily SchoolThe first shot in Journals of a Wily School is filled with pockets, in motion, on a crowded sidewalk in Kolkata. [29 October 2009] 
This Is ItAs much as This Is It recalls Jackson's genius, it perpetuates the exploitation that shaped his life. [28 October 2009] Frontline: Close to HomeLike many of the subjects in this week's Frontline, Close to Home, Emma and Andy are surprised to feel uncertain about money. [27 October 2009] 
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon PapersThe Most Dangerous Man in America traces Daniel Ellsberg's decision to release the Pentagon Papers, as it also raises questions concerning government and citizens' responsibilities and rights. [26 October 2009] 
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s AssistantNot a thing in this movie is subtle, from its cheesy special effects to its by-the-numbers storyline to its cardboard cutout characters. [23 October 2009] 
AmeliaAmelia provides only a cursory look at Earhart's commercialization, more a way to delineate her marriage troubles than investigate her self-image or her treatment as a pop star. 
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius ShulmanThe notion of romance -- elusive and resonant -- may be the most productive way to think about the relationship between Julius Shulman's photos and their architectural objects. [22 October 2009] Independent Lens: Butte, AmericaButte, America shows that as copper mine owners focused on exploiting resources, relations with workers deteriorated over decades. [21 October 2009] Frontline: The WarningThe Warning reveals that at least one person, CFTC head Brooksley Born, spoke out against OTC derivatives, over a decade ago. [20 October 2009] Still BillStill Bill underscores that Bill Withers and others were advised on how to sell their "blackness," a concept premised on adhering to white conventions and mainstream expectations. Schmatta: Rags to Riches to RagsAccording to Schmatta, the garment industry's early energy and hopefulness had roots in the workers themselves, their immigrant backgrounds, their ambitions, and their loyalties to one another. [19 October 2009] OccupationTensions between beliefs -- business and family, religion and nation -- provide a thematic focus for Occupation, a four-hour miniseries airing on BBC America. [18 October 2009] 
Where the Wild Things AreFeelings of loss and frustration, acted out so loudly, raucously, and repeatedly, are at the center of Where the Wild Things Are. [16 October 2009] 
Law Abiding CitizenJamie Foxx's Nick mostly repeats the part played by Denzel Washington in Ricochet, the superior first incarnation of Law Abiding Citizen. Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution (Nos enfants nous accuseront)Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution means to alarm and move viewers, to urge action or at least reaction. [15 October 2009] Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice SendakTell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak is appropriately erratic and weird, part documentary, part video diary, and part cunning fantasy. [14 October 2009] Frontline: Obamas WarBeyond daily and continually mutating concerns in Afghanistan, the intelligent and unsettling Obama's War looks at big-picture questions. [13 October 2009] Independent Lens: Herb & DorothyThe first film in the new season of PBS' exceptional series, Independent Lens, Herb & Dorothy presents the Vogels with a mix of wonder and affection. The HereticsThe political excitement of the 1970s, according to Joan Braderman's The Heretics, emerged from a belief that "everything was possible." [12 October 2009] 
An EducationIf the story of Jenny's inevitably hard lesson is standard, An Education comes up with a few moments that give pause. [9 October 2009] 
Paranormal ActivityThe titular and sometimes distressing activity in Paranormal Activity serves as a mostly banal metaphor for the couple's relationship. 
After the StormIn After the Storm, the young performers embody the complications of survival, the mixed sensations of pride, worry, and hope that shape their new world after Katrina. [8 October 2009] October CountryOctober Country focuses on the Mosher family to explore the many ways that patterns shape lives and expectations. [5 October 2009] 
Outrage"It's kind of hard to be public and closeted," quips Barney Frank, though Outrage shows repeatedly that this is exactly how best to describe secretly gay politicians. Locks of Love: The Kindest CutIt's hard to lose your hair any time, of course, but when you're eight years old, the resulting feelings of strangeness and isolation can be devastating. [4 October 2009] 
ZombielandZombieland does well enough in its early minutes, then picks up a little unexpected speed when Columbus meets another "noncannibal survivor" (played by a perfect Woody Harrelson). [2 October 2009] 
Whip ItWhat Whip It does make clear is that all girls are expected to perform, whether expectations are embodied by parents or audiences. 
The Invention of LyingThe Invention of Lying's conventionally gendered division of rom-com labor is not exactly ameliorated by Mark's good intentions. Finishing HeavenFinishing Heaven gives Robert Feinberg enough rope to dangle his own self-image -- as lifelong rebel, precocious artist, and misunderstood genius. [1 October 2009] 
The Horse BoyFollowing Rupert Isaacson's best-selling book, also called The Horse Boy, the movie delivers his family's adventure in Mongolia with a syrupy guitar soundtrack, as well as traveloguey maps and explanations. [29 September 2009] 
Lie to Me: Season Two PremiereThe very notion of truth as conveyed by a "real" or "true" self now seems almost quaint. [28 September 2009] 
Coco Before Chanel (Coco avant Chanel)Coco Before Chanel cannot get out from under the romantic fabrications and excesses that ostensibly annoyed its subject. [25 September 2009] 
Medium: Season Six PremiereThe many threads of trust and logic that inform this "conversation" about time, memory, and illogic are vintage Medium. The Forgotten: Series PremiereThe Forgotten's slick look doesn't exactly make up for its dearth of originality. [22 September 2009] 
The Good Wife: Series PremiereJulianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi's performances -- crisp and nuanced -- go a long way toward smoothing over the rough edges of their characters' obvious "types." Independent Lens: Our Disappeared / Nuestros DesaparecidosThis idea of "looking into" a painful history permeates Juan Mandelbaum's documentary, Our Disappeared/Nuestros Desaparecidos. [21 September 2009] POV: The Principal StoryIn The Principal Story, premiering tonight as part of PBS' POV series, principal Tresa Dunbar is visibly empathetic with her stressed out faculty members. [15 September 2009] 
Heart of StoneIn the olden days, long before Principal Stone's arrival, reports Beth Toni Kruvant's documentary, Weequahic High Scool was indeed a kind of beacon. [11 September 2009] 
The Last TruckThe Last Truck seems like the GM plant workers' own creation, a commemoration of their devotion to their work and one another. [8 September 2009] 
ExtractIn Extract, Joel learns a frankly banal lesson with help from Cindy, who can't imagine holding down a real job and incarnates all that is ersatz. [4 September 2009] 
American CasinoAmerican Casino opens with a question: "The U.S. government has pledged over $12 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers to bail out Wall Street. Most people would like to know why." [2 September 2009] POV: Ella Es El Matador (She Is the Matador)One of two women at the center of Ella Es El Matador (She Is the Matador), Eva Florencia is visibly determined even as the reasons for her infatuation remain elusive. [1 September 2009] 
We Live in PublicIt's appropriate that We Live in Public is caught up in its own circle of consumption and regurgitation. [31 August 2009] 
Taking WoodstockThe Ang Lee take on Woodstock never gets much beyond these clichés: hippies took drugs, rain made mud, the music was great and crowds were huge. [28 August 2009] 
Cold SoulsEqual parts poetic drama, Charlie-Kaufmanny comedy and wholly strange anxiety-fantasy, Sophie Barthes' movie is premised on the non-answer, that is, the search that cannot be resolved by definition. [27 August 2009] Wide Angle: Once Upon a CoupOnce Upon a Coup submits that the West interfered and even orchestrated the near-coup in Equatorial Guinea and backed off without much forethought or planning. [26 August 2009] POV: This Way UpThe Wall on the West Bank is pervasive in This Way Up, Georgi Lazarevski's superb documentary about the effects of politics on everyday lives. [25 August 2009] Which Way HomeThe children interviewed for Rebecca Cammisa's film have fantasies, born of movie and TV images of the States, where kids have parents and ambitions. [24 August 2009] 
ShortsThe chaos of Shorts is amplified when Toe finds a magic rainbow-colored wishing rock, which lets whoever has it have whatever he wants. 
Inglourious BasterdsInglourious Basterds' interest in rumors and reputations and their effects is complicated, both narrative and thematic. [21 August 2009] 
World’s Greatest DadIndicting social media networks, TV talk shows, self-help books, and creative writing classes that encourage students to "express themselves," World's Greatest Dad appears determined to rehash clichés. 
The Headless Woman (La mujer sin cabeza)Lucretia Martel's third feature is a story of breakdowns, part dark comedy, part social analysis, and part brilliant abstraction. [20 August 2009] Wide Angle: Eyes of the StormAs Eyes of the Storm reports, the storm left over 130,000 Burmese dead and another two million homeless, among them thousands of young children. [19 August 2009] 
YasukuniLi Ying's superb documentary focuses on swordmaker Kariya's work for the Yasukuni Shinto Shrine in Tokyo, said to house 2.5 million souls. [18 August 2009] POV: Shorts ProgramElegant, elegiac, and weirdly enthralling, Eva Weber's City of Cranes is one of four short documentaries featured in POV's "Shorts Program." 
Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal NaqshbandiAs Fixer shows, Afghanistan was conceived and sustained by opportunists, and is to this day a kind of wild zone, where deals are continually made and broken. [17 August 2009] 
District 9In District 9, racism provides the white guy with a very special growth experience. [14 August 2009] 
Lorna’s Silence (Le silence de Lorna)Even as the camera follows Lorna, it never quite keeps up, though it's unclear whether she's eluding your interpretation or her own. 
BandslamKnowing that you know the drill, Bandslam leaves out most too-explanatory details, and lets the kids be kidlike rather than movie-kidlike. 
The Time Traveler’s WifeThe question of her own "free will" niggles at the edges of Clare's experience throughout the movie named for her. 
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell HardThe Goods' vulgarity is not new or clever or even comically shocking. It is, instead, prosaic and repetitive. 
Paper HeartPaper Heart is increasingly focused on the tension between Cera and Yi's supposedly real romance and the camera's imposition of structure and self-consciousness. [13 August 2009] Wide Angle: Victory is Your DutyVictory is Your Duty shows vivid contrasts in Cuba's national boxing program, between dreams and daily hardship, poetry and poverty. [12 August 2009] 
The Nine Lives of Marion BarryAs Marion Barry talks, he remains fascinating, in a train-wreck kind of way. [10 August 2009] 
Julie & JuliaJulia Child's letters home are vivacious, illustrating her generosity and wit, her resolve and sense of humor. [7 August 2009] 
A Perfect GetawayThe home video sets up A Perfect Getaway's frank understanding of itself as formula. 
BeeswaxIf it's rare to see sisters at the center of a smart, mature, and artful movie, it's even more surprising to see them so keenly in tune. [6 August 2009] 
Thirst (Bakjwi)Full of ache and desire, Tae-ju seems the ultimate embodiment of the title of Park Chan-wook's new film, Thirst (Bakjwi). [5 August 2009] 
Flame & Citron (Flammen & Citronen)Throughout this compelling film, the assassins want to believe they're doing righteous work: they're fighting Nazi occupation forces, after all. [4 August 2009] 
Boy InterruptedBoy Interrupted offers visual correlatives for Dana's memories, juxtaposing snapshots of the sweet child with those of the scary one. [3 August 2009] Defying GravityDefying Gravity goes on to grant Maddux a chance to redeem himself. Good thing, because his needs are vast, both melodramatic and action-heroic. [2 August 2009] 
The CoveIn between the exciting sequences of the team setting up equipment and being nearly captured, The Cove includes interviews with persuasive sea life experts and not-so-convincing local Japanese authorities. [31 July 2009] 
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!Russell Mulcahy and other artists look back fondly on Australian exploitation films for Not Quite Hollywood, sometimes wondering just how they were able to get away with it. 
FragmentsEven as it makes a show of complexity Fragments seems determined to pull together its various story strands. 
The Girl by the Lake (La Regazza Del Lago)The mystery of The Girl by the Lake revolves around fathers, struggling to live in between eras, when their authority is questioned, their desires challenged, and their efforts deemed inadequate. [30 July 2009] Wide Angle: Contestant No. 2In Contestant No. 2, Duah serves as representative and representation. If she can be made a symbol of submission, good for the conservative religious elders; if she can win a beauty contest, she seems a sign of liberation. Maybe. [29 July 2009] POV: Hold Me Tight, Let Me GoIn Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go, the difference between "normalcy" and "deviance (or between feeling safe or hurting) is, at some fundamental level, a matter of performance. [28 July 2009] 
The Yes Men Fix the WorldAlternately funny, incisive, and ridiculous, The Yes Men Fix the World offers a range of Mike and Andy's performance-arty actions and inevitably inappropriate reactions. [27 July 2009] 
OrphanIt's not a bad idea for a horror movie, that the seeming victims are not innocent and their complicated past weighs on their present. [24 July 2009] 
G-ForceG-Force's dedication to egregious stereotypes is hackneyed and indefensible: this is how racism lives on. 
ShrinkAs all of Shrink's seemingly disparate stories begin to fall too cleverly into each other, it's easy to be distracted by some fine performances. [23 July 2009] 
Before the Fall (Tres días)The first shot of the earth in Before the Fall (Tres días) is long and abstract. [22 July 2009] 
Wide Angle: The Market MakerEleni Gabre-Madhin's plan to institute a commodities exchange has been in the works for years, since she saw the 1984 Ethiopian famine on TV. 
POV: The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)Nerakhoon looks forward to an unknown future as it also looks back on events obscured by history and media images. [21 July 2009] 
MoonshotEven as Moonshot commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moonwalk, it also underscores the essential mediation of that moment, the way it shaped and was shaped by TV. [20 July 2009] 
Prom Night in MississippiProm Night in Mississippi's use of drawings to make some contentious "incidents" visible reveals a central dilemma, how to represent what's not taped. 
We BelieveWe Believe shows that, whether they see their faith as a curse or a character-building adventure, Cubs fans assume their lot with each new season. [17 July 2009]
The Way We Get ByThe Way We Get By stays focused on the greeters' mix of loneliness and determination, the pleasure of feeling needed and the pain of growing old. 
Off Jackson AvenueIn Off Jackson Avenue, Olivia is gutsy, shrewd, and fed up in a way that makes her look ripe for a Quentin Tarantino movie. In Their Boots: Silent PartnersSilent Partners, like other other documentaries of In Their Boots, offers its subjects a chance to share their experiences with the current U.S. military. [16 July 2009] 
Dark Blue: Series PremiereAs the center of Jerry Bruckheimer's latest TV series, Dark Blue, Carter is predictably jaded, smart, and wounded. [15 July 2009] 
The DisappearedA complicated family dynamic is the point of departure for The Disappeared, part horror movie, part psychological study. 
POV: The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal CourtAs The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court observes, the ICC means to bring justice to populations long aggrieved and only rarely acknowledged. [14 July 2009] Teddy: In His Own WordsTeddy: In His Own Words illustrates Kennedy's dogged devotion to "public service," even as his narration avoids digging too deeply into causes and effects. [13 July 2009] Explorer: Inside Death RowInside Death Row's case against the death penalty is made repeatedly in images rather than explicit language. [12 July 2009] 
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. GoldbergYoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg is amiable and formally conventional, a portrait that doesn't mean to provoke, but to revere. [10 July 2009] 
HumpdayIn Humpday, Andrew can't help but compete with Anna, who has stolen his bro, or more precisely, his slowly receding notion of himself. 
MoonIn brief, stark moments, Duncan Jones' movie makes plain how awful it is to be so solitary, how utterly impossible it is to consider this existence a "living." [9 July 2009] 
Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed CountryBurma VJ articulates a circular, daunting, and inevitable logic: visibility = life. [8 July 2009] 
POV: Life. Support. Music.In Life. Support. Music., Jason Crigler's recovery is surely inspiring -- especially as it is attributable to the family's concerted efforts. [7 July 2009] 
The Beaches of Agnès (Les plages d’Agnès)In The Beaches of Agnès, the "game" of cinema is endlessly fascinating, as what was and what can be come together on screen. [6 July 2009] 
Lion’s Den (Leonera)Pablo Trapero's film slows down following the splattery whirlwind of plot pieces that gets Julia inside prison. [3 July 2009] 
Global Voices: Estilo Hip HopIn Estilo Hip Hop, Guerrillero explains, "Rap has become my political weapon of choice." 
Public EnemiesSensational and turbulent, the relationship between John Dillinger and Melvin Purvis sold newspapers and attracted newsreel audiences. It was good for business. [1 July 2009] POV: Beyond HatredAllusive and abstract, Beyond Hatred works something like a puzzle, examining the murder of a young gay man while never showing him or his killers. [30 June 2009] Shouting Fire: Stories from the EdgeLiz Garbus' documentary makes its case for free speech methodically, with examples ranging from notorious to obscure, that show the censoring of communications that lean both left and right. [29 June 2009] 
The Stoning of Soraya M.The gallant, educated, and sensitive outsider, will do right by Soraya, unlike the loathsome, fearful, and petty neighbors who killed her. [26 June 2009] 
Afghan StarAfghan Star explores this American Idol-like show's effects on singers, producers, and thrilled fans -- not to mention those who reject it as one more sign of debasing Western influence. [25 June 2009] Be Like OthersThe sex change business is legal and highly regulated in Iran. As revealed in Be Like Others, it is also full of obvious, painful contradictions. [24 June 2009] 
POV: New Muslim CoolA rapper, Muslim, and Puerto Rican, Hamza Pérez "sounds like America's worst nightmare." But in New Muslim Cool, he looks more like a best hope. [23 June 2009] Iran and the WestIran and the West looks back at the past three decades of tension and eruption. [22 June 2009] 
Dead Snow (Død snø)Dead Snow knows exactly what it is... a horror film with Nazi zombies as stars. [19 June 2009] Human Rights Watch International Film FestivalThe documentaries of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival grapple with profound dilemmas, yet make their cases through deeply personal perspectives. [18 June 2009] The Queen and IThe Queen and I shows Nahid Persson Sarvestani's investment in documenting Farah's present life, as well as her own childhood interest in the royal family. [17 June 2009] A Decade Behind Bars: A Return to The FarmIn A Decade Behind Bars: A Return to the Farm, inmates are moved when they watch the inauguration of Barack Obama on television. [16 June 2009] 
America at a Crossroads: The Mosque in MorgantownThe Mosque in Morgantown focuses on debates within an American Muslim community, as this involves a range of individuals and beliefs. [15 June 2009] 
True BloodTrue Blood's second season showcases the similarities between fundamentalisms -- whether Christian or pagan. [14 June 2009] 
The Taking of Pelham 123Nothing if not self-aware, this update of Joseph Sargent's 1974 thriller begins by rearranging the class dynamics. [12 June 2009] 
Food, Inc.As Food, Inc. shows, these pretty, red, genetically engineered tomatoes are signs of a dodgy future already here. 
Imagine ThatWhy anyone imagines children want to see Eddie Murphy's internal struggle may be the first question posed by Imagine That, but it's hardly the last.
The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal CourtThe Reckoning reveals that the ICC team -- attorneys, investigators, and analysts -- must work through thickets of denial, elusion, and obfuscation. [11 June 2009] 
Fear Me Not (Den du frygter)Fear Me Not offers an incessant, elegant visual rendering of Mikael's midlife dilemma. [10 June 2009] Herb & DorothyThe focus on seeing becomes Herb & Dorothy's most subtle insight regarding what the Vogels do with their art collecting. [9 June 2009] 
Fighting for LifeAiring on PBS through the month, Fighting for Life focuses on the many complexities of military medicine -- moral, procedural, and political. [8 June 2009] 
Land of the LostLack of understanding and planning is the unclever premise of Land of the Lost. [5 June 2009] 
Smile PinkiWith details of village life serving as helpful background, Smile Pinki keeps focused on the children's experiences. [3 June 2009] 
The Chaser (Chugyeogja)Surrounded by cops who mean well but have trouble keeping up, Jung-ho looks close to clever in The Chaser. [2 June 2009] LootLoot sneaks up on you, much as the treasure hunters' own histories sneak up on them. [1 June 2009] Global Voices: Rules of the GameThis is Rules of the Game's primary point, that Papua New Guinea is "one of the last places to join modern society," its progress retarded by lack of cohesive vision and long-term thinking. [31 May 2009] 
Drag Me to HellChristine's monstrosity is hardly so daunting as that of the evil spirit stalking her, but it's of a piece with Drag Me to Hell's mostly vague cultural critique. [29 May 2009] 
PontypoolIn Bruce McDonald's suitably weird zombie movie, the coin of the shock jock's own realm -- language -- is the source of all the trouble. Girls’ Night Out: Beginning Filmmaking, Kick Like a Girl, Hard Times for an American GirlGirls' Night Out is comprised of three short documentaries that feature lively subjects deeply engaged in their worlds, sometimes struggling, sometimes thrilled, always learning. [28 May 2009] 
Laila’s Birthday (Eid milad Laila)It's only the start of Abu Laila's long, long day in Laila's Birthday (Eid milad Laila), and already, he's impatient. [27 May 2009] Mental: Series PremiereJack is one of those evangelizing TV-show doctors, willing his compatriots and underlings to believe in him. [26 May 2009] Independent Lens: Steal a Pencil for MeMichele Ohayon’s film makes the couple's complicated experience visible in reenactments and via photos and historical footage. New World OrderFear and a sense of powerlessness shape perspective, incite rage, and inspire doubt. ObsessedObsessed's most disturbing moments approximate a point of view or state of mind. 
JerichowNo one here seems quite capable of feeling empathy or pity for anyone else. They're all too wrapped up in their own unfinished stories. [23 May 2009] 
Terminator SalvationIt's late in Terminator Salvation when Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his much-hyped non-appearance. [21 May 2009] 
Cadaver (The Cut)Cadaver is punctuated by intelligent, allusive imagery, compositions that offer up their own sort of hope. [20 May 2009] 
Independent Lens: Stranded: I’ve Come From a Plane That Crashed in the MountainsIn Stranded: I've Come From a Plane That Crashed in the Mountains, impressionistic reenactments don’t provide plot or solicit viewer sympathy so much as they evoke anxiety. [19 May 2009] Global Voices: Witnesses to a Secret WarQuietly and compellingly, Witnesses to a Secret War tells the stories of Hmong refugees in the U.S. and back in a Thai camp. [18 May 2009] 
The Brothers BloomOverrated as truth may be, in The Brothers Bloom, Penelope (Rachel Weisz) is supposed to signify it. [15 May 2009] 
The Song of Sparrows (Avaze gonjeshk-ha)The goldfish flopping in the sun is an image typical of Majid Majidi's films, fable-like and seemingly simple even as it is also complex. Museum of Modern Art Presents Kim LonginottoAs the MOMA series demonstrates, Kim Longinotto's films are verité, in the sense that they are comprised of handheld camerawork and affect an observational distance. But they are also, always, deeply involved in their subjects' experiences. [14 May 2009] Frontline: The Madoff AffairThe Madoff Affair submits that Bernie Madoff's deceptions -- in rationales and in business models -- are not his invention. [12 May 2009] 
Independent Lens: Crips & Bloods: Made in AmericaIn Crips & Bloods: Made in America, airing as part of Independent Lens, Kumasi's memories of rejection and resentment are typical of his generation. 
JuliaJulia is a mix of fantasy and tragedy, with the violence amped up and the background noisy and lurid. [11 May 2009] 
Rudo y CursiOnly a few minutes into Rudo y Cursi, the brothers are discovered playing grand and gloriously boyish fútbol. The Alzheimer’s ProjectThe Alzheimer's Project provides a helpful introduction to this most pervasive and distressing disease.
OutrageKirby Dick's documentary argues that it's long past time that the many stories that shape closeted gay politicians' lives and careers be sorted out. [8 May 2009] 
Star TrekThe much-anticipated movie reintroduces all the characters from the franchise’s first iteration, but its most intense and rewarding focus is friendship between Kirk and Spock. China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan ProvinceAt once intimate and devastating, China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province insists on tight framing of grieving faces. [7 May 2009] Dark MirrorAt the start of Dark Mirror, Deb is just looking at what will become her new home. [6 May 2009] Independent Lens: Wings of DefeatWings of Defeat shows that, then and now, the kamikaze pilots were complicated and diverse individuals, not stereotypical fanatics. [5 May 2009] 
White on RiceAs appealing and clever as little Bob is, his story is actually not at the center of White on Rice. [4 May 2009] 
The Limits of ControlThe limits of control are simultaneously intimate and global. And Isaac De Bankolé's face reveals just as much as you can know. [1 May 2009] IFC Media Project: Season 2 PremiereClever and quick, The IFC Media Project mostly respects viewers' savvy and intelligence. 
Ghosts of Girlfriends PastGhosts of Girlfriends Past submits that Connor deserves to be saved by Jenny. But it never shows how or why she should bother with him. 
Foul GestureAs much as Foul Gesture indicts the hyper-violence of a Walking Tall, it also indulges in it. [30 April 2009] CSI: New YorkNo matter the frequent testing of Mac's resolve in CSI: NY, he tends to remain brusque. [29 April 2009] Independent Lens: At Home in UtopiaMichal Goldman's film is a loving tribute to those hopes for a heaven on earth in the Coops. [28 April 2009] Frontline: The ReleasedHeartbreaking and clear-eyed, The Released submits that this system of incarcerating and releasing severely mentally ill offenders is obviously unsustainable. Oblivion (El Olvido)The essential case made by Oblivion is this, that the limbo ("el olvido") is a way of life in Peru. [27 April 2009] Global Voices: The Dictator HunterThe titular figure in Klaartje Quirijns' fascinating documentary, The Dictator Hunter, Reed Brody pursues Hissène Habré, deposed leader of Chad. [26 April 2009] 
The SoloistThe Soloist illustrates Nathaniel's internal life -- his music and his madness -- in reductive, sensational imagery. [24 April 2009] 
Treeless MountainSo Yong Kim's remarkable film never spells out exactly what Jin or Bin is thinking, the camera implies how they see. [23 April 2009] 
Trouble the WaterTrouble the Water reveals a vibrant mini-community of Nola residents, whose acute and often angry analyses of their circumstances put the so-called experts to shame. 
Tôkyô!Taken together, the three movies in Tôkyô! create a frightful, smart, and lingering impression. [22 April 2009] 
Frontline: Poisoned WatersPoisoned Waters makes the case that loss of clean water results from lagging efforts by government agencies, corporations, and individuals. [21 April 2009] The LinguistsThe young linguists here are charismatic, earnestly outgoing and even voracious when it comes to their life's work. [20 April 2009] 
State of PlayIn this new universe where facts are mutable and ends are means, so-called ethical triumphs can only be short-term. [17 April 2009] 
American VioletBased on the infamous Panhandle Regional Narcotics Task Force case in Tulia, Texas, American Violet makes clear the corruption and racism that pervades the official structures of its fictional town. 
New World OrderNew World Order is so carefully composed that the stories told by 9/11 truthers become both alarming and compelling. [16 April 2009] 
Independent Lens: Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari MaathaiAs much as she is celebrated by her constituents and the documentary, Taking Root, Wangari Maathai maintains her faith in "the people." [14 April 2009] 
Guest of Cindy ShermanPaul H-O's hurt feelings over being the overlooked man in a relationship with a famous woman, are surely familiar and not especially provocative. [13 April 2009] 
Forbidden Lie$As unusual, even sensational, images appear, it becomes clear that Forbidden Lie$'s more conventional images are also up for challenges, that they can no longer be assumed to be true. [10 April 2009] 
An Unlikely Weapon: The Eddie Adams StoryAn Unlikely Weapon remembers Eddie Adams as a pioneer, genius, and troublemaker, sharing his truths and challenging ours. Thrilla in ManilaThrilla in Manila argues that the fight's promotions were so obnoxious, the race-class-and-gender politics of the sport so backwards and oppressive, that neither Ali nor Frazier could emerge intact. The Unusuals: Series PremiereABC's new NYC cop show premieres tonight and Cynthia Fuchs says "it's not new or challenging or even very strange. It is, however, plenty quirky." [8 April 2009] Independent Lens: Milking the RhinoMilking the Rhino tracks the shifting relations among African wildlife, their human neighbors, and eco-tourists. [7 April 2009] Frontline: Black MoneyAs Frontline producer Lowell Bergman describes it, those who give and receive bribes function without worry that the rule of law, so-called, will ever quite apply to them. 
Who Does She Think She Is?Who Does She Think She Is? shows the daily chaos facing women artists trying to keep pace with families and ambitions, activist politics and personal choices. [6 April 2009] In Treatment: Season Two PremiereHBO's strangely beguiling series about therapy sessions reboots as Paul grapples with a new life, wondering how he's missed or misunderstood the rules. [5 April 2009] 
SugarIn this carefully observed and impressively minimalist movie, Sugar redefines and refines his art. [3 April 2009] 
Enlighten Up!Enlighten Up! is at least occasionally skeptical of the premise that true things might be articulated and disseminated. The Final InchEarnest and closely focused, The Final Inch follows the ongoing battle to eradicate polio from the world. [1 April 2009] 
InheritanceThis notion of "help" -- impossible, necessary -- colors Inheritance, a documentary about living with memories of a Nazi father. Independent Lens: RecycleAs the day dawns in the discerning and detailed Recycle, a bulldozer is pushing cardboard. [31 March 2009] Frontline: Sick Around AmericaSick Around America outlines the health care system, and its many contradictions. 
American SwingCertainly, the sex was exciting, as well as controversial. But Plato's Retreat also represented an effort to think through the mores behind monogamy, to challenge assumptions and imagine an alternative. [30 March 2009] The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective AgencyIn The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Precious (Jill Scott) is often complicated, sometimes subtle, and determinedly independent -- a few steps ahead of her series. [29 March 2009] BlindersSubtitled "The Truth Behind the Tradition," Danny Moss' Blinders lays out the many horrors and abuses of New York's horse-drawn carriage industry. 
Goodbye SoloAlmost as soon as he appears in Goodbye Solo, the optimistic Solo is confronted with another perspective, belonging to a weary fare named William. [27 March 2009] 
The Haunting in ConnecticutIn the poorly paced and ineptly edited Haunting in Connecticut, Matt is surrounded by dark shadows, ooky male choruses, and reflections of tortured corpses in dirty glass. 
The ObjectiveWhen the straggling survivors in The Objective learn they are expendable, they are also, much like the Nostromo crew, upset. [26 March 2009] They Killed Sister DorothyThey Killed Sister Dorothy extols the courage of Dorothy Stang in standing up to land management corruption in Brazil, while also continuing her fight. [25 March 2009] Independent Lens: Lakshmi and MeIn her remarkable documentary, Lakshmi and Me, Nishtha Jain proposes to "cross a line," to film her maid, Lakshmi. [24 March 2009] The Powder & The GloryThe Powder & The Glory follows the intertwined careers of Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein, settling for well-researched timelines and superficial correlations. [23 March 2009] 
DuplicityFor all its bright banter and flashbacky fanciness, Duplicity boils down to this rudimentary formula: morality and success are functions of beauty. [20 March 2009] 
Hearts and MindsThe urgency of Hearts and Minds, its anger and its articulation, its insistence that effects of war be visible, and its cogent analysis of connections among politics, media, and the military, all seem apt lessons for today. 
HungerThe focus of Hunger is emphatically the death of Bobby Sands, specifically, what happens to his body, viewed from a tragic outside and, to an imaginative extent, a determined inside. 
Alexander the LastIn this collaboration between IFC and SXSW starring Justin Rice from indie rock band Bishop Allen, questions of what's real or fake color the characters' experiences. [19 March 2009] 
Three Blind MiceThree Blind Mice follows the adventures of three 20something sailors in Sydney for one night. [18 March 2009] Independent Lens: Arusi Persian WeddingWhile the wedding provides compelling visuals and some minor melodrama, Arusi Persian Wedding is most interesting as it integrates its personal stories details within a broad historical context. [17 March 2009] 
Death on a Factory FarmIn exposing animal cruelty, Death on a Factory Farm inspires your outrage, a first step toward changing weak laws. [16 March 2009] 
Brothers at WarIt is striking that Brothers at War approaches this profound and complicated relationship between brothers by way of trauma and death. [13 March 2009] 
Robert Blecker Wants Me DeadIn the documentary, Robert Blecker Wants Me Dead, New York Law School professor and well-known retributivist Blecker submits he can measure -- in his gut -- who deserves to die. [12 March 2009] 
ZiftStrikingly composed and deeply shadowed, the treacherous world in Zift combines politics and pop, fantasies from history and movies. [11 March 2009] Castle: Series PremiereCastle establishes the attractive opposites at its center, the womanizing, resolutely unserious novelist and the stern, utterly dedicated cop. [9 March 2009] 
Everlasting Moments (Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick)Everlasting Moments is simultaneously epic and poetic, mostly predictable but punctuated by breathtaking images. [6 March 2009] 
Eleven MinutesJay McCarroll seems at home in front of the camera, and in Eleven Minutes, he's found an ideal situation: star of his own show. [5 March 2009] 
DisarmDisarm, Mary Wareham and Brian Liu's sober, intelligent documentary on landmines, includes interviews with anti-landmine activists as well as men who have set mines and men now engaged in demining. [2 March 2009] 
Cherry Blossoms (Kirschblüten - Hanami)As Cherry Blossoms (Kirschblüten - Hanami) begins, Trudi is surprised when she learns her husband is dying of an unnamed condition. [27 February 2009] Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New OrleansAs framed in Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, carpenter Irving Trevigne's will to preserve the past is admirable but also set against a series of challenges. 
An American AffairBefore An American Affair is over, you can be sure that Adam will learn a very familiar life lesson. The Black List: Vol. 2The sheer beauty of the images creates its own sort of narrative, a visual demonstration of The Black List's original impetus to recover the typically "negative" denomination of the "black list" and reframe it as positive and inspiring. [26 February 2009] 
Examined Life: Philosophy is in the StreetsIn Examined Life, a lively assembly of philosophers ponder the question: "What's at stake here?" [25 February 2009] 
Independent Lens: The Order of MythsIt's the careful, unsensational revelation of self-delusion that makes The Order of Myths so devastating. [24 February 2009] 
Gomorrah (Gomorra)As much as the victims and aggressors in Naples mafia movie Gomorrah seek to repress consequences of gangsterism, they are, of course embodying them. [23 February 2009] Taking ChanceYou don't see Chance Phelps die in Taking Chance. You do see how his body becomes meaningful for many others. [20 February 2009] 
Must Read After My DeathMust Read After My Death makes narrative sense out of experience, but also leaves much of the nonsense in place, not explaining or rationalizing. The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306In the Oscar-nominated The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306, Reverend Billy Kyles recalls seeing Martin Luther King, Jr's death. [18 February 2009] Frontline: Inside the MeltdownPart investigation, part damn scary story, Frontline: Inside the Meltdown suggests that events unfolded as they did largely because of the personalities involved. [17 February 2009] Right America: Feeling Wronged: Some Voices from the Campaign TrailRight America constructs a sort of intimacy with the "other side" while also maintaining its own recognizable political sensibility. [16 February 2009] 
Two LoversA wall of family photos, glimpsed briefly in an early scene of Two Lovers, lays out Leonard's too conventional dilemma. 
The InternationalTom Tykwer's thriller shrewdly introduces Lou (Clive Owen) as he observes rather than acts. [13 February 2009] 
Friday the 13thChewie knows his place in this determinedly un-new Friday the 13th: Asian Nerd About to Die. 
Dollhouse: Series PremiereEven as Dollhouse sounds like other TV shows and movies, it is also utterly strange, its premise literally ridiculous and intriguingly metaphorical. [12 February 2009] 
Gang Nation: Series Premiere"They look like a bunch of scared lads to me," says Ross Kemp of the MS 13 members he meets. Their longstanding poverty, he adds, belies the standard story that they're trafficking millions of dollars worth of cocaine. [11 February 2009] Independent Lens: Tulia, TexasAs Tulia, Texas follows the many turns of the Drug Task Force case, from the initial convictions to investigations of undercover agent Tom Coleman, it becomes a cautionary tale. [10 February 2009] American Experience: The Assassination of Abraham LincolnThe Assassination of Abraham Lincoln tracks the converging paths of the president and his killer, then tracks and draws connections between their last journeys, in the forms of Lincoln's funeral train route and Booth's desperate efforts to escape. [9 February 2009] 
Chocolate (Chokgohlaet)Chocolate (Chokgohlaet) offers sensational martial arts set pieces -- beautifully choreographed, exquisitely colored, and acrobatically shot. [6 February 2009] 
PushToo much explanation, of the sort Cassie is inclined to provide, only slows down the nonsense Push is pushing. 
California Dreamin’ (Nesfarsit)California Dreamin' mostly observes a series of complicated personal interactions, its point helped along by Doiaru's speeches concerning the ongoing American failure even to try to comprehend the populations it invades, assimilates, abuses, and buys off. [5 February 2009] Memorial DayFor all its visceral assaults and improv-ish aesthetics, in the end Memorial Day offers a conventional moral assessment. [4 February 2009] Independent Lens: Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey GreeneAs Adjust Your Color recounts, Petey Greene used his groundbreaking radio and television talk shows to influence millions, winning two Emmy awards and varieties of adulation over the years. [3 February 2009] Frontline: My Father, My Brother, and MeMy Father, My Brother, and Me leaves the ethical and religious debates over Parkinson's disease mostly untouched, focusing instead on immediate issues, specifically, how to "live with" the disease. The Trials of Ted HaggardThough Ted Haggard says he chooses not to be "a man of disrepute," The Trials of Ted Haggard suggests this is not his choice to make. [2 February 2009] 
Of Time and the CityThe effect of visual movements in Of Time and the City is fantastic. Even as it documents urban life and recalls events, it offers Terence Davies' analyses of the history that has shaped him. [30 January 2009] 
TakenThe melodramatic set-up takes little time in Pierre Morel's extra-actionated thriller. Almost as soon as Kimmie lands in Paris and neglects to call her father on the super-phone he's provided her, she's punished -- severely.
Crips and Bloods: Made in AmericaStacy Peralta's documentary traces the emergence of gangs in L.A., as well as their contexts and causes. [29 January 2009] 
Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah SeneshThe film makes clear in readings from Hannah Seneh's diaries and poems that her dedication to building a Jewish state has shaped her legacy. [28 January 2009] 
Trust Me: Series PremiereThe essential tension of Trust Me lies in two ad men who are creative, quick, and sardonic, ambitious and insecure. [26 January 2009] 
Waltz with Bashir (Vals Im Bashir)As Waltz with Bashir makes visible its distrust of imperfect history and daunting memory, it insists on their necessity. [23 January 2009] 
The LodgerDavid Ondaatje's movie offers up a series of potentially interesting meta-texts, concerning the significantly named Manning's obsession and aggression, his professional identity and, of course, masculinity. 
BallerinaThe visual arrangements of Ballerina reinforce its careful, respectful approach to documenting the experiences of five dancers in the Kirov Ballet. [22 January 2009] 
Lie to Me: Series PremiereThe start of Lie to Me introduces the expected tensions and identifications. The bomb is literally ticking, the villain is sincerely awful, and the doubters are rubes. [21 January 2009] Frontline: Dreams of ObamaThe "dreams of Obama" are partly his and partly his admirers', functions of his much-repeated story, his political ambitions and achievements, as well as the desires of his many and diverse supporters. [20 January 2009] 
CrawfordCrawford entertains and informs, exposing the crass stagecraft of the Western White House. [19 January 2009] 
NotoriousNotorious looks back on the day when hip-hop was coming into its seeming own, when telling stories was a way to make order from chaos, as well as money and, as Biggie saw it, mo problems. [16 January 2009] 
The Beast: Series PremiereEven when The Beast trots out clichés, Patrick Swayze is compelling, his many performances jaggedy and surprising, his rhythms weird, his sense of humor entertainingly bleak. [15 January 2009] 
The Secret of the Grain (Graine Et Le Mulet)Slimane's effort to adapt to changing times forms the center of Abdellatif Kechiche's lovely, mesmerizing The Secret of the Grain (Graine et Le Mulet). [14 January 2009] 
CheChe is about the dissemination of Che Guevara the icon, as it is also the saga of Che refashioned. [13 January 2009] 
24: Season Seven PremiereJack's interrogation of the suspect Tony, on behalf of the Bureau, is vintage 24, full of close-up grimaces and slams into walls. [11 January 2009] 
Silent Light (Stellet licht)Silent Light begins with Johan -- farmer, son of a Mennonite preacher, husband, and father -- looking very stuck. [9 January 2009] 
Bride WarsBride Wars is part cautionary tale, part fairy tale, and part Jerry Springer episode, as Liv and Emma's so-called dreams are wholly conventional and their antics are increasingly outrageous. 13 Fear is RealPity the contestants on 13 Fear is Real. First, they must travel to the Louisiana Bayou -- a place, intones the Mastermind, their narrator and host, that is "notorious for its ghosts and voodoo," not to mention its mud and insects. [7 January 2009] Frontline: The Old Man and the StormIncisive, heartrending, and beautifully crafted, The Old Man and the Storm reflects on how the "crippled city [has struggled] to right itself," despite insurmountable odds. [6 January 2009] Independent Lens: HelveticaHelvetica, the film's experts repeat, is sort of generic -- in the sense that it is familiar and enduring, making readers feel comfortable and reassured. At the Death House DoorIn At the Death House Door, Reverend Carroll Pickett's inspiring conversion story is balanced by Rose Rhoton's complicated response to her brother's wrongful execution. The Story of IndiaMichael Wood's style is typically breathless and impressed, following a general timeline and inviting you to feel his enthusiasm. [5 January 2009] 
DefianceDefiance's tendency to melodrama drags the rest of this ostensibly historical saga into a decidedly middling territory. [31 December 2008] 
Independent Lens: Operation FilmmakerOperation Filmmaker brilliantly reveals how films, politics, and desires do their work. [30 December 2008] Le Cirque: A Table in HeavenLe Cirque: A Table in Heaven follows Sirio Moccione, who has since 1974 maintained his restaurant as a super-upscale site for fine dining and celebrity hobnobbing. [29 December 2008] 
The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonIt's an inelegant but provocative means to measure Benjamin and Daisy's ostensibly transcendent connection: as he grows young and she grows old, they share but a single moment when their bodies and visions and hopes can easily coincide. [24 December 2008] 
Revolutionary RoadIn Revolutionary Road, April is turned into the prize Frank wants to own and the puzzle he seeks to solve. 
Marley & MeGranting Marley & Me's source in John Grogan's columns, the dog's service as metaphor in the movie is both obvious and uninspired. 
Bedtime StoriesBedtime Stories lumbers, repeating plot points and jokes, meandering from scene to scene and seeming to forget where it was headed. 
The SpiritThe Spirit (Gabriel Macht) lives in a dark, superficial, and exceedingly familiar place. [23 December 2008] 
ValkyrieValkyrie's forward motion is stalled repeatedly by hyperbolically symbolic images, which also undercut some nuanced performances. Independent Lens: Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to BroadwayA charming, if aptly peculiar, holiday treat, Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway focuses on the translation of the Maysles' beloved documentary into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. 
Nothing But the TruthRod Lurie's Nothing But the Truth looks at the compromises and complications that shape the "truth" in legal systems, media collusions, and politics in DC. [22 December 2008] 
The Class (Entre les murs)The Class (Entre les murs) effectively demonstrates that school can be as nervous-making and fraught for teachers -- first-time or veteran -- as for students. 
Seven PoundsEqually afflicted by an old-school weepies affect and new-agey self-righteousness, Seven Pounds is by turns clumsy and overbearing. [19 December 2008] 
Yes ManCarl (Jim Carrey) meets the incredible Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a girl so completely charming and dazzlingly unpredictable that he is instantly convinced of the rightness of yes. 
The Tale of DespereauxThe movie starts with a cute sleight-of-handy gimmick, the sort that assumes a canny audience who’s a step ahead of regular narrative conventions. The GardenThe Garden tracks the legal maneuvering, social organizing, and political activating on all sides of the South Central Garden controversy. [18 December 2008] 
The WrestlerJust four minutes into The Wrestler, it looks like Randy has good reason to cling to his past, as his present is so exceedingly unpleasant. [17 December 2008] Independent Lens: Wonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor AtomicThe challenges of portraying the Manhattan Project form the core of the excellent documentary Wonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor Atomic. [16 December 2008] 
Cat DancersIn Cat Dancers, Ron Holiday's story is full of exclamation points, signaling delight, intrigue, and tragedy. [15 December 2008] 
Gran TorinoAs Gran Torino breaks down the iconic Eastwood Movie, it recalls The Searchers, another timely evocation of collective wrongheadedness and terrible legacies. [12 December 2008] 
DoubtSister James (Amy Adams) embodies her historical moment, yearning to believe, adhering to tradition, and yet also inspired by a changing world. 
The Day the Earth Stood StillOn its face, casting Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, that most thoughtful visitor from another planet, seems inspired. Or maybe just obvious. 
Wendy and LucySurviving traumas, Wendy (Michelle Williams) serves as both detailed portrait and metaphorical expanse. Her pain is specific but also vague, her loss exact and all-encompassing. CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationEven if CSI won't articulate its race politics, the introduction of Laurence Fishburne into this whiter-than-white team of investigators can't help but call up memories of the long-troubled Warrick (Gary Dourdan). [11 December 2008] 
The ReaderMost obviously, Hannah is unfathomable, the feminine object Michael must figure out and overcome in order to "become a man." [10 December 2008]
POV: InheritanceThis notion of "help" -- impossible, necessary -- colors Inheritance, a documentary about living with memories of a Nazi father. LeverageEach week Nate (Timothy Hutton) oversees a masterful scheme to steal from skeevy rich people and give back to relatively and always ethically sound poor people. [9 December 2008] Independent Lens: DocSinuous, dynamic, and utterly compelling, Doc remembers the man as his own lifelong project. In Prison My Whole LifeIn Prison My Whole Life works through the contexts and details of Mumia Abu Jamal's experience, connecting it to other moments in recent American history. [8 December 2008] House of SaddamAt the start of House of Saddam, the Iraqi leader watches George W. Bush announce the coming war on TV, looking into a reflection of his own end, born of hubris and deception and decades of disloyalties. [5 December 2008] 
Cadillac RecordsIn the ambitious and cluttered Cadillac Records, Leonard Chess redistributes income among his artists, but the point is not lost on any of them that he decides who plays when and even how to play. 
Punisher: War ZoneThe premise is so awful it veers toward sublime: the angry white guy kills everyone. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His FatherThe links among truth, story, and memory come up repeatedly in Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. [4 December 2008] 
SpecialWhile Les works out his intriguing life puzzle, the film winds itself into some knotty plot points. [3 December 2008] Explorer: Marijuana NationMarijuana Nation is interested in what makes pot so "desired by so many." [2 December 2008] Dirty Driving: Thundercars in IndianaDirty Driving: Thundercars in Indiana, a subtle, provocative documentary that premiered last month on HBO, observes the complicated relationship between racers and the car industry. [1 December 2008] 
MilkMilk urges optimism and action, even as it also recalls the loss of its charismatic subject. [26 November 2008] 
AustraliaAustralia is both an epic and a post-epic epic: it understands what's at stake in such spectacle-making and wants to show you that it knows. 
Transporter 3As Frank discovers what's at stake and unravels who wants what, he devises first to get the job done and then, because he actually falls for his wet noodle of a passenger, to save her. 
Four ChristmasesMotherhood, Four Christmases submits, is all Kate needs to be happy. The husband, he's incidental. Frontline: The Hugo Chávez ShowThe television show that propels, shapes, and delivers Hugo Chávez remains odd and provocative. [25 November 2008] 
Independent Lens: The Atom SmashersScience, in a previous version of the United States, was part of daily, popular culture, a subject and career considered respectable, even admirable. 
The Rape of EuropaThe film contrasts remarkable footage of the Fuhrer leading tours of museums with images of the devastation his troops wrought. [24 November 2008] 
24: RedemptionIn Africa, where children are forced to soldier, Jack realizes, every day is full of terror -- not just the 24-hour spates he's used to confronting. [21 November 2008] 
TwilightFantasy rules in Twilight, fantasy simultaneously delicate and ravishing, chaste and utterly bloody.
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)In Nerakhoon, Thavi's memories are both poetic and harsh, tied up in the war he left behind but also never escaped. 
BoltBolt's faith in his fiction is slightly pathetic, but it's not unrelated to the ways that children (as well as pets) are regularly conditioned. 50 Cent: The Money and the PowerAlternately disconcerting and trainwreck-fascinating, 50 Cent's entry into reality programming is a mix of The Apprentice and ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show. [20 November 2008] Independent Lens: March PointMarch Point concentrates on the boys' way out, that is, the movie as a way to tell their story. [18 November 2008] 
We Are WizardsJosh Koury's documentary about hardcore Harry Potter fans, meandering and amiable, reveals that resistance to consumer culture is pretty much futile. [17 November 2008] 
Quantum of SolaceBond (Daniel Craig) seems done in by the notion that M is indeed his maternal superior, and so he must please her, or at least pretend that he's playing by rules that he and she and all the rest of us know he disrespects from jump. [14 November 2008] 
The Boy in the Striped PajamasBruno's education and his mother's regret are rendered with big music and zoomy close-ups, in the end, a story of the Holocaust that is less enlightening than melodramatic. Independent Lens: LionessLioness, Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers' understated, affecting documentary on women in combat in Iraq, shows how they operate in a "grey zone," not quite legal, but following orders. [13 November 2008] 
Slumdog MillionaireIn Slumdog Millionaire's riotous, luscious fantasy, Jamal responds to an astonishing series of game show questions -- each speaking directly and surreally to his own life experiences. [12 November 2008] 
Body of War: The True Story of an Anti-War HeroIn making "people like Tomas" visible, Body of War makes its most effective argument: wars cost more than we can know. [11 November 2008] 
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater StoryOf the many historic changes signaled by Barack Obama's election, the defeat of divide-and-conquer politicking is among the most profound -- even if this demise is temporary. 
Pray the Devil Back to HellLeymah's recollection serves as point of departure for Pray the Devil Back to Hell, Gini Reticker's low-key, affecting documentary on Liberia's Women's Peace Initiative. [10 November 2008] 
JCVDPart homage, part parody, and part surreal thought experiment, Mabrouk El Mechri's movie nimbly avoids categorization. [7 November 2008] 
Soul MenWhile it's surely moving to see the closing credits tribute to the much-missed Bernie Mac, the route to that end is slow going. 
Role ModelsRole Models invites you to celebrate "fantasy world where anything is possible", at least if you're a boy in need of approval. Independent Lens: Knee DeepKnee Deep is actually less interested in the details of who shot Janette Osborne than in the multiple stories that emerged from the crime. [6 November 2008] 
The MatadorMore observational than overtly critical, The Matador doesn't explore the ways that bullfighting marks the limits of a culture's self-image. [5 November 2008] 
The F WordIt so happens that Jed Weintrob's The F Word is airing on IFC this morning, the very morning that the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing FCC v. Fox Television Stations, the "fleeting expletives" case. [4 November 2008] 
Jesus PoliticsJesus Politics examines the complex relationship between religion and politics in the 2008 campaign for U.S. president. [3 November 2008] 
Zack and Miri Make a PornoAll the hubbub leads to a standard coupling, the regular boy wins the exceptional girl (because in the boy's mind, she is always exceptional, even if, in your mind, she's settling). [31 October 2008] Moving MidwayAs much as Moving Midway interrogates the past as myth, its inclusion of a direct expression of racism here and now is alarming. [30 October 2008] 
Good DickGood Dick is a familiar romance, in which seemingly mismatched misfits find solace and a kind of perfect harmony in each other. [29 October 2008] Independent Lens: Dinner with the President: A Nation’s JourneyDinner with the President: A Nation’s Journey finds a particular, recurring focus in the question of women's rights. [28 October 2008] 
Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in)If the display of violence is to be expected in a "vampire movie," the particular framings are striking. [27 October 2008] Inside New Orleans HighDisappointments abound in Inside New Orleans High. But hopes are also unstoppable. [24 October 2008] 
ChangelingA movie made with awards season in mind, Changeling offers extravagant affects and overwritten speeches. 
Synecdoche, New YorkMuch like protagonists in previous Charlie Kaufman scripts, Caden is an artist in search of his art. 
Pride and GloryBy the time Eladio (Rick Gonzalez) makes his single-scene appearance in Pride and Glory, the fate of his adversary has been exhaustively telegraphed. 
Fear(s) of the Dark (Peur[s] du noir)The fear described here is not visceral or familiar, but it is incisive. What if civilization is inexplicable? [23 October 2008] DeliverDeliver is a reworking of John Boorman's Deliverance in which Lou and her friends enter the woods in pursuit of an adventure outside their own routines. [22 October 2008] Independent Lens: Chicago 10Opening the Fall 2008 season of Independent Lens, Chicago 10 revises old ideas -- about what constitutes history and documentary. 
Stranded: I’ve Come From a Plane That Crashed in the MountainsIn Stranded, the endless whiteness of the plane crash survivors' new environment comes to reflect and affect their evolving "society." [21 October 2008] 
What Just HappenedLess an expose than a recap of what even casual observers of the industry know or intuit, What Just Happened relies on clichés even as it deplores them. [20 October 2008] 
W.The readymade caricature George Bush is as much a reflection of his moment as he is an occasion for Oliver Stone's latest stab at revisionist history. [17 October 2008] 
The Secret Life of BeesMay's wailing wall appears repeatedly in Gina Prince-Blythewood's The Secret Life of Bees, each time an invitation to reflect, to remember what was and hope for what might be. Crash: Series PremiereDespite his recent meandering through Ameriprise commercials on the beach, Dennis Hopper can still pull out an audacious Frank Booth-like performance when so moved. Crusoe: Series PremiereNBC's Crusoe will not have any black man calling a white man "Master." POV: Soldiers of ConscienceSoldiers' moral struggles tend to remain invisible, like the situations that drive them. Soldiers of Conscience shows the dilemmas and the costs of war. [16 October 2008] 
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater StoryLee Atwater is remembered as brilliant or shameful, effective or destructive, his life part American Dream, part horror movie. [15 October 2008] Frontline: The ChoiceAs The Choice points out, differences between candidates are useful selling points. [14 October 2008] Section 60: Arlington National CemeteryPoignant and subtle, Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery shows how mourners come together even as they maintain specific relations with their relatives and friends. Nights and WeekendsIn brief scenes, lovely or tense, mostly unresolved, Nights and Weekends indicates a slow, almost imperceptible evolution in the relationship. [10 October 2008] Saving MarriageHigh contrasts, as well as grays in between, structure John Henning and Mike Roth's moving 2006 documentary about the legal and political battles surrounding gay marriage in Massachusetts. 
Body of LiesBody of Lies grants Ferris the usual moral rightness -- even as he's committing questionable acts, he means well. 
The ExpressAgain and again, Ernie (Rob Brown) faces down racist thug defenders, his singular prowess signaled by the film's slow motion and big music. Life on Mars: Series PremiereHarvey Keitel makes a great entrance in Life on Mars. You expect as much, of course, because he's Harvey Keitel. But it is truly great. [9 October 2008] Eleventh HourIn Eleventh Hour, the FBI agents like to explain what they're doing and who they are -- repeatedly. POV: Up the YangtzeRespectful and riveting, Up the Yangtze reveals the complex effects of loss and fear, as well as a kind of relentless hopefulness. [8 October 2008] 
Rachel Getting MarriedIn Rachel Getting Married, Kym and Rachel's relationship is routinely rocky, abetted by what's unspoken by everyone else. [7 October 2008] How Ohio Pulled It OffThe style of argument in How Ohio Pulled It Off is methodical and dramatically shaped through a focus on then Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. [6 October 2008] 
How to Lose Friends & Alienate PeopleAs you and Alison wait for Sidney to come around, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People loses its way. [3 October 2008] 
ReligulousCertainty grants Bill Maher an easy target, especially as he is, he says, selling doubt: "That's my product." 
BlindnessIf its political metaphor is plain, the aesthetic allusions are more intriguing, as Blindness works to show what can't be shown, to find a visual language for what's not visual. 
Flash of GeniusRobert Kearns' saga is more complicated than its trite "stalwart individual against the system" scaffolding suggests. Still, the movie sticks mostly to the scaffolding. 
America BetrayedEarly in Leslie Cardé's smart, galvanizing documentary America Betrayed, Michael Grunwald calls Katrina "a manmade disaster." [2 October 2008] 
BallastThe first odd moments of Ballast drop you into a deeply felt, barely articulated plot. [1 October 2008] POV: In the FamilyJoanna Rudnick's documentary about BRAC genetic testing charts the complicated process of making decisions in her documentary, in ways alternately informative, distressing, and galvanizing. POV: Critical ConditionRoger Weisberg's documentary provides a devastating critique of the U.S. health care system by following four subjects through their daily efforts to find relief, work, or counsel. [30 September 2008] Taxi to the Dark SideAccording to Taxi to the Dark Side, Alex Gibney's Oscar-winning documentary, the torture of detainees has been ordained and conditioned by the Bush administration. [29 September 2008] LifeCharlie (Damian Lewis) teeters incessantly on the line between cocky and ridiculous, quirky and respectable -- as if he understands the differences. 
The Lucky OnesThe wars in the Middle East hang over The Lucky Ones like high cloud cover, coloring each event during the road trip, no matter how banal. Dexter: Season Three PremiereThe moral muddling is never resolved in Dexter. The more Dexter (Michael C. Hall) insists on his rightness, the more limited his vision appears. [26 September 2008] 
Miracle at St. AnnaSpike Lee's answer to the many WWII movies that have left out the experiences of black soldiers, Miracle at St. Anna is ambitious and ardent. 
ChokeIf Choke isn’t the first movie where a young narrator's self-pity, obsessiveness, and desperation are blamed on his mother, it is one of the more emphatic versions. 
Nights in RodantheIn an alternative universe, Jean (Viola Davis) does have a story -- one that you'd rather be seeing as Nights in Rodanthe descends into mundane melodrama. 
The DuchessThe movie, which surely celebrates Georgiana's (Keira Knightley) luxurious "hats and dresses," also solicits your sympathetic frustration and outrage over her oppression. [25 September 2008] 
The Mentalist: Series PremiereThe Mentalist uses Patrick's (Simon Baker) obnoxiousness to different effects. When he isn't pausing to consider himself, he's taking out opponents at the knees. [23 September 2008] 
Battle in SeattleEven as various people try to "do their jobs" in Battle in Seattle, they are repeatedly boxed in by lack of information and lack of power. [19 September 2008] 
Lakeview TerraceLisa (Kerry Washington) is Lakeview Terrace's most dislocated figure, caught between an overbearing father and a frenzied husband. 
Ghost TownAs you endure Ghost Town's unfunny "unfinished business," you can't help but be thankful for Téa Leoni's precision and classically screwballish physicality. 
The Poolin The Pool, Venkatesh's education appears in a series of brief, evocative scenes, he and his mentor gardening together as one or the other tells a story about his past. [18 September 2008] The Human CameraThe Human Camera suggests that Steven's "extraordinary" ability is therapeutic even as it is wondrous. [17 September 2008] POV: Calavera HighwayCalavera Highway considers the point where it becomes impossible to distinguish between reality and myth, experience and narrative. [16 September 2008] 
TowelheadAs viewers of Towelhead must know (and Jasira, eternally ripe and optimistic, will never know), the future has only become more constricted. [15 September 2008] 
Burn After ReadingOzzie (John Malkovich) embodies the problem of the CIA, of the "intelligence community," which is that it reacts to data, then fashions a story about it to comport with the reaction. [12 September 2008] 
‘Righteous Kill’: Attacked on All SidesRighteous Kill uses Karen (Carla Gugino) both to critique the male cops' sense of self-righteousness and be the victim. 
Flow: For Love of WaterFlow critiques the commodification of water, which has resulted in increased global inequities. [11 September 2008] 
The Grocer’s Son (Le fils de l’épicier)The plot of The Grocer's Son is familiar, but its impressionistic visual stylings are at once lyrical and precise, gestures toward character rather than pronouncements. [10 September 2008] 
Fringe: Series PremiereThe formula set in motion by the Fringe pilot is familiar, but also devious and delightful. [9 September 2008] Terminator: The Sarah Connor ChroniclesOn its face, casting Shirley Manson in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles appears a masterstroke. [8 September 2008] 
True BloodThe goofy vampire romance in True Blood is granted another perspective by Tara (Rutina Wesley), who at least seems aware of life outside of Bon Temps, Louisiana. [7 September 2008] 
Mister Foe (Hallam Foe)By the end of Hallam Foe, you've nearly forgotten his all-too-regular boy development. Now you're wondering, what's Kate doing when he's not looking? [5 September 2008] 
I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále)Using the absurd Díte to indict ambition, passivity, and willful ignorance, I Served the King of England is a familiar sort of comedy, equal parts farcical and musical. 
A Jihad for LoveParvez Sharma's documentary, A Jihad for Love, traces heartening, harrowing stories of Muslim gay men and lesbians. [4 September 2008] 
Babylon A.D.The fact that Aurora incarnates some extreme other possibility -- be it "light" or darkness, miraculous birth or genocide -- makes her one more "mother of the future." [2 September 2008] Raising the BarIn Raising the Bar, Gloria Reuben's savvy public defender spends too much time instructing eager white boys. [1 September 2008] Prison BreakPrison Break has never lacked for the burly grrr factor. 
No End in SightNow that "the "surge is working" and the Bush Administration is again claiming foresight, expertise, and accomplishment, it seems a good time to re-see Charles Ferguson’s smart, meticulous documentary No End in Sight. 
What We Do Is SecretThe faux interview preserves Darby Crash's self-image, the reenactment in What We Do Is Secret remembers the preservation. [29 August 2008] August the FirstLanre Olabisi's first feature offers an intricate portrait of relationships and individuals, histories and hopes. Documenting the Face of America: Roy Stryker and the FSA/OWI PhotographersJeanine Isabel Butler's film addresses an impressive range of issues -- focused through representation and responsibility -- germane for us today. [28 August 2008] 
TraitorWhile the film appears at first to be complicating the definition of "traitor," it's not long before the potential meanings are reductive and literal. [27 August 2008] 
I.O.U.S.A.In I.O.U.S.A. explains in clear and compelling terms fiscal problems that have been in motion for decades. [26 August 2008] 
The Black List, Vol. 1As Lou Gossett Jr. recalls his childhood and early career in Greenwich Village for The Black List, Vol. 1, he sits in a depthless space, a gray screen behind him. [25 August 2008]
Trouble the WaterTrouble the Water reveals not only the terrors of the hurricane but also the political and personal valences of its legendary mismanagement. [22 August 2008] 
Hamlet 2Dana's inability to parse the difference between acting and living is put to several tests in Hamlet 2, which is not only the name of his movie but also the title of the audacious play he writes for his students to perform. 
Stealing America: Vote by VoteNot talking about controversial election issues is a first target for Stealing America. [21 August 2008] 
The RockerThe Rocker is almost salvaged by the charming performances of its actual youngsters (as opposed to the adults doing youngster shtick). [20 August 2008] POV: The Judge and the GeneralThe Judge and the General gives Guzmán the opportunity to reflect on his part in the process of Pinochet's regime and to define the perpetrators. [19 August 2008] Wide Angle: Iraqi ExodusIn Iraqi Exodus, Aaron Brown is much like you remember him -- wry, insightful, and slightly sad -- as well as on top of a story that has not yet piqued the interest of the mainstream press. 
MirrorsWhile Ben's (Kiefer Sutherland) bouncing between selves is distracting, it's not nearly so irksome as Mirrors' general incoherence. [18 August 2008] Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White HouseAs Thank You Mr. President shows, Helen Thomas has covered nine presidents and made it her business to question every one of them, often irreverently. 
Bottle ShockThe international competition serves as backdrop for a cloying tale of underdogs inspired by rather sudden patriotic fervor. [15 August 2008] 
Vicky Cristina BarcelonaMaria Elena (Penélope Cruz) is the figure least obviously dictated by the Woody Allen template. And for that, you are eternally grateful.
The Order of MythsIt's the careful, unsensational revelation of self-delusion that makes The Order of Myths so devastating. [14 August 2008] 
Tropic ThunderTropic Thunder tells you that race and masculinity and class identity issues make men in this business mean and juvenile. And then it tells you again. [13 August 2008] POV: Belarusian WaltzIf Belarusian Waltz seems unsubtle, it also offers some surprises, most involving the women in Alexander Pushkin's life. [12 August 2008] Wide Angle: China PrepThe high school seniors at the center of China Prep are almost painfully dutiful and selfless. We Are Together: The Children of Agape ChoirCutting repeatedly between the Moya home and the choir, We Are Together never quite lets viewers feel settled. [11 August 2008] 
Man on WireIn Man on Wire, Philippe Petit's life story is set in a much broader context, both historical and immediate, a time recollected from so many angles that the reconstruction begins to feel like another sort of stunt. [8 August 2008] 
Patti Smith: Dream of LifeAs much as Steven Sebring's documentary reveals of Patti Smith, it never tries to define her or even make her its only focus. Larry Flynt: The Right to be Left AloneLarry Flynt means to offend. He also means to gain attention, make money, and, in his way, tell truth. [7 August 2008] 
Pineapple ExpressPineapple Express is mostly what you expect: bonding mechanics that are unsurprising and feebly unrebellious. [6 August 2008] 
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is so fixed on representing the range of the girls' experiences that they spend precious little time together. POV: Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His MusicWith his life and career in one of their several turnarounds, Cash is here an ideal documentary subject, self-aware, passionate, and glad to take the crew along on a tour of places and people that matter to him, [5 August 2008] 
Wide Angle: 18 With a BulletAgain and again, 18 With a Bullet reinforces this idea, that the rules are all important. Baghdad HighIf Baghdad High's verité is not exactly hands-off, it is respectful of the kids' own concerns. [4 August 2008] 
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorAmid all the poorly edited, atrociously written tumult, the silly CGI and the tragic misuse of Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, Rick remains an appealing throwback hero. [1 August 2008] 
Frozen RiverToo often burdened by its own symbolism, Frozen River is buoyed by Melissa Leo's nuanced performance. 
No Regret (Huhwihaji anha)Directed by the openly gay Leesong Hee-il, No Regret marks a series of firsts, all swirling around the concept of visibility. [31 July 2008] 
American TeenIn American Teen, Hannah is charismatic, bright, and entertainingly acerbic concerning her classmates' struggles with the high school's "total caste system." [30 July 2008] POV: Campaign (Senkyo)Kazuhiro Soda's excellent Campaign (Senkyo) is an "observational documentary," quiet and acute. [29 July 2008] Wide Angle: Lord’s ChildrenStartling and strangely poetic, Lord's Children focuses on three young victims' efforts to recover from their years with Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. The RecruiterIn The Recruiter, Staff Sergeant Clay Usie says he doesn't have a "pitch." Instead, he asserts, "I go out and look for patriots." [28 July 2008] 
The X-Files: I Want to BelieveIn The X-Files: I Want to Believe, ooky canted shots of trundling agents in "FBI"-emblazoned jackets seem like refreshing counterprogramming amid the rumble of the season's action movies. [25 July 2008] 
Brideshead RevisitedThe new Brideshead Revisited doesn't grapple much with Charles' disconcerting mix of nostalgia and odium regarding British aristocracy. 
Step BrothersIn Step Brothers, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen) is the ideal audience, the girl who can't fathom the anti-nuances of masculine ritual. 
DisfiguredDisfigured's focus on the friendship between Lydia (Deidra Edwards) and Darcy (Staci Lawrence) reveals they are not your average movie opposites who attract. [24 July 2008] 
Boy ABoy A, based on Jonathan Trigell’s novel, lays out an intricate map of how social expectations and limits shape individual horizons. [23 July 2008] Wide Angle: The Burning SeasonAiring as part of PBS' Wide Angle, The Burning Season examines the complex relationship among Indonesian farmers, global corporate entities, and earth's future. [22 July 2008] POV: 9 Star HotelThe possibility of panicky flight hangs over Ido Haar's affecting documentary, 9 Star Hotel. Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam of CrystalHeidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam of Crystal is not the documentary you might expect. [21 July 2008] 
Mamma Mia!Meryl Streep scampers and writhes with something like abandon in her tomboyish overalls, her glowing tan and perfectly arranged "wild" blond hair indicating Donna's stanch independence. [18 July 2008] 
TranssiberianTranssiberian makes provocative connections between external and internal states, the ways that composition can reveal character. 
The Dark KnightBatman's dilemma in The Dark Knight is how to use his bad press, whether he will embrace it or continue to fight it. [17 July 2008] The Cleaner: Series PremiereThe first episode of The Cleaner takes its self-appointed contextualizing very seriously. [15 July 2008] POV: The Last ConquistadorMethodically and cleverly, The Last Conquistador follows the controversy surrounding El Paso's commmisioned statue of Don Juan de Oñate. China’s Stolen ChildrenFor his remarkable documentary, filmmaker Jezza Neumann spent three and half months posing as a tourist in order to obtain undercover footage of victims, traffickers, and buyers. [14 July 2008] 
Generation KillThe start of HBO's Generation Kill lays out some essential points of focus: the Kuwaiti desert is hot, the firepower is awesome, and the kids in U.S. uniforms are exactly that: kids. [11 July 2008] 
Hellboy II: The Golden ArmyAs he loves Liz, life, and TV, Hellboy embodies possibility, faith, and imagination. BlogsConsuming Consumables: Iraq in Fragments [$29.99] [17 December 2007]Consuming Consumables: Shut Up & Sing [$19.95] [2 December 2007] |
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