Borrowing more than its title from the Frank Capra social comedy, this underdog tale is a rough gem.

The only criticism that seems to merit any real discussion is whether directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino actually did make real grindhouse-style fare. To whit, I can easily say: yes, they not only made two on-point grindhouse films, they did them to painful perfection.

Believe the hype, Knocked Up is one of the funniest films of 2007. It's too early in the year to crown it the supreme funniest title, but save for something so funny your head explodes in the theater, I think it'll take the title by year's end. Seth Rogen, we web slackers salute you!

More a celebration of movement and music than a parable for our over-communicative, friend-lite, acquaintance-rich society.

This is one of those films that will either hit it big as an indie crossover like "Little Miss Sunshine,” or just make some money and become a film nerd favorite. Either way I recommend you don’t miss this awkwardly fun gem.

Mangold has time to build sensational, studied characterizations, brilliant pacing (courtesy Mike McCuster, who also edited the director’s previous effort, the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line”), and blistering action.

If nothing else, Into the Wild is a beautiful film. Penn meticulously shot in the actual locations McCandless visited, and Eric Gautier's cinematography is breathtaking, many scenes are framed in such a way as to almost Hirsch entirely, further emphasizing how solitary his trek actually was.

Aside from being a captivating and highly interesting film, Bar-Lev's My Kid Could Paint That is also something extremely rare – a piece of honest journalism.

Everyone involved with the film brings their top talents to the fore, and the result is a touching, heartbreaking and an ultimately honest personal experience.

Bleak, weirdly witty at times and unrelentingly suspenseful, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is the cinematic equivalent of a perfect storm.

Like many of Claypools bands, Electric Apricot is bound to be a cult hit. I’m just hoping it will have the chance to play before a bigger audience as I feel the film is just plain hilarious and I was extremely impressed at the way Claypool pulled it all together in his first directorial effort.

A brilliantly executed film that, like many real-life family reunions, is alternately painful, funny, and moving.

The two actors (Hanks/Seymour Hoffman) have terrific chemistry and riff off one another like partners in a veteran comedy team.

I know a lot of people with no knowledge of Sondheim’s musical (much less Bond’s play) are going to buy tickets for a cute holiday movie starring that handsome Johnny Depp and end up experiencing something else entirely. Bon appétit.

"Taxi” captures the evil that many men do under the guise of American justice. Just as Bardem's menacing Chigurh approaches his targets in "No Country," American military administrators approached Afghan detainees with shackles and convoluted policy in their pockets.

With a deep understanding of his characters, Green has crafted a film that's devastating and uplifting without sounding a false note.

Bell's documentary is an absolute must see for anyone taking part in any kind of debate about steroids.

A thoroughly enjoyable film, and ranks with Pixar's best.

The final act is all but guaranteed to astonish and satisfy. See this movie.

A fresh and rewarding take on cinematic terror.

The Dark Knight may not be a masterpiece, but it easily vaults to the top of any list of "best superhero movies."

Here Breillat directs one of the most thrilling actresses working today, and the latter makes this calculated study into a tale brimming with passion and sorrow.

The July 4th release is fitting, for Thompson was a true patriot. His longstanding association with the counterculture notwithstanding, Thompson loved this country and the things it once stood for, and his voice is sorely missed today, and whether you were a fan of his work or not, you'll find Gonzo well worth your time.

Never has a film captured the spirit of being a teenager better.

Smartly edited, utterly engrossing, and as intelligent an examination of American race relations as I've seen.

A roller coaster of emotions that will have you laughing one moment and gasping in shock the next.

This is what "Nightmare" fans have been waiting fifteen years for.

What they produced is something that is true not just to this place or to these people's lives, or to the lives of poor people or black people, but to the experience of being human.

As successful as this family drama is, Demme proves himself to be quite a multitasker. With the skill of an ethnographer and the passion of a sentimentalist, he celebrates the traditions of marriage in a handful of tender set pieces.

If FrontRunners doesn't teach you something about politics, at least it will entertain you.

The best fairy tales always have so much darkness in them. That's why they resonate so deeply. This is a magnificent film.

The film's overall result is a document of towering, devastating emotional impact.

Exhausting yet invigorating, it's a drama one witnesses more than just views.

On top of the tried-and-true prison genre formula coupled with the misfit gang formula, Rupert Wyatt's "he Escapist flips everything on its ear by playing out in two timelines simultaneously.

From the film's opening moments you won't be able to guess where the whole thing ultimately ends up and that's one of the many endearing qualities of Revanche.

Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is a grinding, nightmarish machine.

His film captures the wonderment of dreaming - and the reality of waking.

On its own terms, Departures is a thing of rare and remarkable beauty.

Thankfully there's nothing remotely serious about Zombieland. It's just a heck of carnival attraction (Shoot the ducks/Shoot the zombies) on a roller coaster filled with laughs.

Imagination spills across the screen in a bold, undeniable presence.

Cera once again does his "Michael Cera thing." Personally, I love his "thing" but know it’s not for everyone, and I agree that it doesn’t always work contextually. But trust me, here it really works.

A very funny comedy. It’s a very funny comedy that almost made me cry.

A wonderful film, and one with vast appeal. Giving us everything we have come to expect from our fashion-centered programming and more, we are left with the sense that we have uncovered a mystery.

In The Burning Plain, another directorial debut, sensationalism is on order, but it's buttressed by fear, suffering, and desire – the schizo-blend that makes Arriaga's scripts so unique.

Technical elements are among the best this year. Photography, editing, music, production design, and costumes all add seamless period flavor to the puritanical stew that was London almost a half-century ago.

Once you get into the groove of Harmony and Me and realize the film is not only very tightly scripted, hilarious, and quite brilliantly acted, you’ll quickly be won over.

This is a brutal, exhausting, and genuinely horrifying little ghost flick.

Elevates a significant moment in the history of this massively passionate spectator sport.

Halbrook absolutely nails the lead role of Mr. Abner Meecham, the headstrong farmer whose lips can’t form the words “give up.”