Reviews
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‘Allied’ Review: Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard Rarely Intrigue as Spies in Love
Robert Zemeckis’ WWII espionage tale evokes classic Hollywood but struggles to balance glamour, suspense and starry romance
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‘Bleed for This’ Review: Miles Teller Can’t Punch His Way Out of a Routine Boxing Movie
True story of Vinny Pazienza has lots of potential, almost none of which is realized in Ben Younger’s biopic
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‘Best Worst Thing’ Review: Sondheim’s Beloved Flop Recalled in ‘Merrily’ Bittersweet Documentary
Original “Merrily We Roll Along” cast member Lonny Price revisits Stephen Sondheim’s notorious classic and captures something timeless about showbiz ecstasies and agonies
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‘Manchester by the Sea’ Review: Casey Affleck Excels in Mournful Family Tale
A New England fishing town is the chilly backdrop for Kenneth Longergan’s psychologically astute, beautifully acted story of one man’s crushing grief
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‘Fantastic Beasts’ Review: JK Rowling Reveals She’s a Creature of Habit
Despite immaculate design and splashes of wonder, a touch of magic is missing in this “Harry Potter” prequel
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‘Shut In’ Review: Naomi Watts Literally Skypes It In for This Dull Thriller
This tale of a child psychologist torn between her comatose son and her troubled patient generates zero shocks
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‘Elle’ Review: Isabelle Huppert Is No One’s Victim in Paul Verhoeven Rape Drama
As the survivor of a sexual assault who makes unpredictable choices, Huppert plays this provocative and potentially troubling role to the hilt
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‘No Pay, Nudity’ Review: Gabriel Byrne Shines as a Struggling Actor
A strong ensemble (including Nathan Lane and Frances Conroy) and a loving attitude toward Broadway’s also-rans fuels this slight but sweet comedy
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‘The Love Witch’ Review: Sumptuous Horror Indie Is a Retro Blast
A sexy sorceress lures men into lethal love traps in multi-talented Anna Biller’s feminist-tinged, exquisitely designed homage to Technicolor melodrama
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‘Dog Eat Dog’ Review: Nicolas Cage, Paul Schrader Reteam for Empty Crime Drama
Cage leads a trio of baddies, including Willem Dafoe, in this coldly stylish, ineffectual pulp ride
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‘The Pass’ NewFest Review: Russell Tovey Dominates Sexy, Stagey Adaptation
Tovey and Arinzé Kene play soccer stars with an unspoken mutual love in a film that never opens up from its theatrical roots
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‘American Pastoral’ Review: Ewan McGregor Mis-Adapts Philip Roth’s Novel
You can usually rely on an actor-turned-director to elicit fine performances, but even Jennifer Connelly and Dakota Fanning are ill-used here
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‘The Handmaiden’ Review: Park Chan-wook Weaves a Sumptuous, Erotic Crime Story
A scheme to bilk a lonely heiress turns into a knotty mix of sex, secrets and spite in this rapturously conceived, committedly pervy period tale
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‘In a Valley of Violence’ Review: John Travolta and Ethan Hawke Square Off in the Old West
Indie director Ti West (“The House of the Devil”) brings the violence to this Western, all right, but it finds its tone far too late
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‘We Are X’ Review: Rock Doc Celebrates Japan’s Greatest Band You’ve Maybe Never Heard Of
Passionate fans (including Gene Simmons and Stan Lee) and the driven musicians themselves may just make you an X Japan convert
