Director Tom Hooper practically demands it with his big, loud,
blood-sweat-and-tears-filled interpretation of the venerated musical.

Opening: ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ / ‘Hitchcock’ / ‘Metropolitan Opera: Aida’

Opening: ‘Playing for Keeps’ / ‘A Late Quartet’

A cast of fine actors in near-perfect harmony: That’s ‘A Late Quartet.’

Gerard Butler dials down his swagger and charisma when the whole movie is utterly reliant on both.

Opening: ‘Killing Them Softly’ / ‘Anna Karenina’ / ‘The Collection’ / ‘Wuthering Heights’

In this hit-man thriller, we get a gritty, gory glimpse into ‘what these thugs do.’

Director Ang Lee vividly captures the spirit of Yann’s Martel’s best-selling novel about a boy who endures more than 200 days adrift in a lifeboat. With a tiger.

This is DreamWorks’ least entertaining film.

Opening: ‘Life of Pi’ / ‘Rise of the Guardians’ / ‘Red Dawn’