Riff
From Tweet to Ad to Mini Modern Scandal
By A. O. SCOTT
A descent into the wormhole created by the collision of movie-awards campaigning and paracritical chirping.
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Warner Brothers/Kobal Collection
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in “Bonnie and Clyde,” a top nominee but best picture Oscar loser.
The movie industry awaits the announcement, on Thursday, of Oscar nominees, though the movie with the most nods is no longer guaranteed to win best picture.
As Indies Explode, an Appeal for Sanity
By MANOHLA DARGIS
Daniel McFadden/Relativity Media
"Don Jon," with Scarlett Johansson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was a recent standout at the Sundance Film Festival.
Flooding theaters isn’t good for filmmakers or filmgoers.
The Carpetbagger
My, How You’ve Changed!
By MELENA RYZIK
Supporting actor Oscar hopefuls like Jared Leto, Bradley Cooper and Jonah Hill underwent a raft of physical transformations for their roles.
The Carpetbagger
Teller on Penn’s Idea, Tim’s Hypothesis and Vermeer’s Painting
By LARRY ROHTER
The silent half of the illusionist duo has a lot to say about making a film about a hypothesis that Vermeer used optical equipment for his paintings.
The Carpetbagger
Wong Kar-wai on ‘The Grandmaster’
By LARRY ROHTER
The director discusses why he took on a martial arts film, why he shortened it for American audiences and what it’s like being a newcomer to the Oscar process at 55.
The Carpetbagger
Suzanne Vega Has Her Own Issues With ‘Llewyn Davis’
By MELENA RYZIK
The musician says the film lacks the optimism that she recalls from the folk scene.
Movie Reviews
Movie Review 'The Legend of Hercules'
Wrestlers in Leather: What More Is Required?
By A. O. SCOTT
“The Legend of Hercules,” directed by Renny Harlin, has lots of abs and Kellan Lutz as the title demigod.
Movie Review 'Cold Comes the Night'
She’s Hard as Nails, He’s Noir and Nasty
By MANOHLA DARGIS
“Cold Comes the Night” pits a young motel owner against a criminal who takes her and her daughter hostage to recover a fortune in cash.
Movie Review | 'In Bloom’
Coming-of-Age in Wartime
By A. O. SCOTT
“In Bloom,” Georgia’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, tracks the lives of two girls in Tbilisi in 1992, during the newly independent country’s civil war.
Movie Review 'The Rocket'
If Bad Things Happen, Blame the 10-Year-Old
By MANOHLA DARGIS
In “The Rocket,” a Laotian boy’s family faults him for the terrible circumstances they face when they are forced to relocate.
Movie Review 'Free Ride'
I Remember Mama, the Pot Smuggler
By STEPHEN HOLDEN
A mother with two daughters finds work in Florida as a marijuana smuggler, in this semiautobiographical drama written and directed by Shana Betz.
Movie Review 'Dumbbells'
No Heavy Lifting for These Gym Rats
By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Were you longing for a gross-out comedy about fitness centers? Do you need to see more Fabio on screen? “Dumbbells” is here.
Movie Review 'Raze'
And You Thought Cockfights Were Brutal
By NEIL GENZLINGER
In “Raze,” abducted women are obliged to fight each other to the death if they want a loved one to survive.
Movie Review 'Loves Her Gun'
Buying Peace of Mind With a Pistol
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
After a violent mugging, a young New York woman moves to Austin, Tex., in search of peace and security in “Loves Her Gun.”
Movie Review 'Return to Nuke ’em High: Volume 1'
An Unpleasant Surprise on Taco Tuesday
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
In “Return to Nuke ’Em High,” the consumption of, er, foodstuffs causes the glee club to mutate into a vicious gang.
Movie Review 'The Grounded'
Take Two Aspirin, Then Roll in the Mud
By MIRIAM BALE
The documentary “Grounded” claims that bare-skin contact with the earth can cure a variety of common ills.
Movie Review 'if You Build It'
Today, a Chicken Coop; Tomorrow, the World
By NICOLAS RAPOLD
In the documentary “If You Build It,” two activists help North Carolina students reinvent their surroundings by teaching them design and construction skills.
Movie Review 'Truth'
Aw, He Seemed So Nice and Sexy
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
“Truth” focuses on a troubled young man who gives into his dark side after falling for someone he met on the Internet.
Movie Review 'Chander Pahar'
It’s a Jungle Out There, From Snakes to Mine Monsters
By RACHEL SALTZ
“Chander Pahar” centers on a Bengali boy who sets out in search of gold and diamond mines and confronts a cave monster.
Movie Review 'The Truth About Emanuel'
Everyone’s a Drag, Except That Cool New Neighbor
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
“The Truth About Emanuel,” a difficult teenager becomes fascinated with a mysterious woman who moves in next door with her new baby.
Movie Review 'The Suspect'
A Korean Who’s More Than He Seems
By ANDY WEBSTER
“The Suspect” centers on a former North Korean operative who is on the run after being framed for the murder of his boss.
Movie Review 'Divorce Corp.'
Splitsville, a Land of Diabolical Lawyers
By NICOLAS RAPOLD
The documentary “Divorce Corp.” argues that lawyers and courts collude to make divorces as expensive and drawn-out as possible.
Movie Review 'Hamlet'
The Danish Prince and His Family Drama
By NICOLAS RAPOLD
Bruce Ramsay’s “Hamlet” is set in an upper-class, buttoned-down home in postwar London.
Movie Review 'The Great Flood'
Recalling a Disaster Without Uttering a Word
By NEIL GENZLINGER
“The Great Flood” uses music and stark images to tell about the destruction and aftermath of the 1927 Mississippi River flood.
News & Features
Horror Thriller Has Major Bite in Israel
By JOHN ANDERSON
The Israeli directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado have been winning awards in their country for their thriller “Big Bad Wolves.”
On Video
More Naked Heathen Romps
By ANDY WEBSTER
“The Wicker Man” became a horror classic after enduring production troubles. A new Blu-ray version restores some footage.
Searching for Philomena’s Real Son
By JACOB BERNSTEIN
The story of the woman who inspired the film “Philomena” is heartbreaking. But so is that of the man who was her real-life son.
Film
Blood Ties and Crossed Wires
By NEIL GENZLINGER
Years after the fact, two children are found to have gone home from the maternity ward with the wrong parents.
ArtsBeat
Jon Favreau’s ‘Chef’ to Open South by Southwest Film Festival
By MEKADO MURPHY
The South by Southwest film festival announces its opening-night film, written, directed by and starring Jon Favreau.
The Carpetbagger
Below the Line: The Makeup of ‘Bad Grandpa’
By MEKADO MURPHY
Stephen Prouty discusses his makeup design for “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa,” which is on the Oscar shortlist in that category.
The Carpetbagger
Clothes and Character: ‘American Hustle’
By RACHEL LEE HARRIS
The costume designer Michael Wilkinson discusses his inspirations for the looks in “American Hustle.”
The Carpetbagger
The Meryl Streep-Emma Thompson Show
By MELENA RYZIK
Ms. Streep had the audience roaring when she presented a National Board of Review award to Ms. Thompson, who was in equally fine form.
The Carpetbagger
From Denmark, a Hopeful Contends With His Own Legacy
By LARRY ROHTER
Thomas Vinterberg, director of Denmark’s foreign-language Oscar hopeful, “The Hunt,” speaks about his involvement with the Dogma 95 movement and how his new film grew out of an earlier success.
Advertising
Agency to Stream a Daily Show About the Sundance Festival
By STUART ELLIOTT
Weber Shandwick will join the Sundance Institute in producing “Live@Sundance,” an hourlong show, on YouTube.
Chinese Film Director Fined for Exceeding Child Limits
By CHRIS BUCKLEY
The director, Zhang Yimou, and his wife were ordered to pay $1.24 million as a penalty for having three children.
The Carpetbagger
On McQueen’s Night, Belafonte Steals the Show
By CARA BUCKLEY
At the New York Film Critics Circle dinner, Harry Belafonte’s tribute to “12 Years a Slave” brings the room to a standstill.
Run Run Shaw, Chinese-Movie Giant of the Kung Fu Genre, Dies at 106
By JONATHAN KANDELL
Mr. Shaw and his older brother, Run Me, were movie pioneers in Asia, producing and sometimes directing films like “Five Fingers of Death.”
The Carpetbagger
In Palm Springs, 2 Bonos and Many Hopefuls
By BROOKS BARNES
The film festival there is a chance for Oscar contenders facing long odds to make headway, and that’s just what Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and others did.
The Carpetbagger
A Folkie Takes Issue With ‘Llewyn Davis’
By MELENA RYZIK
Don’t count the singer-songwriter Christine Lavin among the fans of “Inside Llewyn Davis.” “I hate this film,” she tells the Bagger.
More News & Features
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The Woody Allen Genome
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‘It’s Just How He Carries Himself’
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The Carpetbagger: Asking Siri About ‘Her’
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A Circuitous Route to Outer Space
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Not Quite All Spoonfuls of Sugar
-
ThinkFilm, a Short-Lived but Wily Distributor, Still Influences Industry
-
Saul Zaentz, Producer of Oscar-Winning Movies, Dies at 92
-
Love, the Universal Scenario
-
Modesty, With a Little Smoldering
-
Film: Festival Opens With Soviet Tale
-
Juanita Moore, Oscar-Nominated Actress, Dies at 99
More Reviews
Special Section
The Oscars Issue
Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson on "Saving Mr. Banks," Alfonso Cuarón on "Gravity," Chiwetel Ejiofor on "12 Years a Slave," the Woody Allen genome and more.
An Anxious Sally Hawkins, Onstage and in Auditions
January 10, 2014
‘Captain Phillips’ Gets Another Vote of Confidence
January 9, 2014
How British Members of the Academy May Be Leaning
January 9, 2014
Photos & Video
This Week's Movies: Jan. 10, 2014
The New York Times movie critics on "The Rocket," "Cold Comes the Night" and "In Bloom."
Anatomy of a Scene: ‘Philomena’
Stephen Frears narrates a scene from his film featuring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan.
Bare Knuckles and High Heels
The supporting actor race is expected to be crowded. Jared Leto, Casey Affleck and Jake Gyllenhaal all underwent dramatic transformations to get into character and their work could mean an Oscar.
Dressing Gatsby
Catherine Martin, the costume and production designer for ‘The Great Gatsby,’ says a key to keeping the costumes exciting was not to rely only on old standbys like the beaded flapper dress.
The Year in Film
The Festival World, and What’s Beyond
By MANOHLA DARGIS
“American Hustle” and “12 Years a Slave” are among a critic’s favorite films of the year.
Feasts for the Eyes, 1,001 Nights’ Worth
By A. O. SCOTT
The film critic A. O. Scott picks his favorites of 2013 from an ever-broadening field.
Escapism at the Movies? Not Exactly
By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Movies like “Nebraska,” “Gravity” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” express a creeping sense of powerlessness in modern society.
From the Magazine
Making a Scene
A video gallery of one-line films starring the actors who gave the year’s best performances.
Video reviews of ‘The Rocket,’ ‘Cold Comes the Night’ and ‘In Bloom’
January 10, 2014
So Many Indie Films, So Many Reasons
January 9, 2014
‘The Good Wife’ and Peter Bogdanovich’s Surprise Cameo
January 6, 2014
Photos & Video
Anatomy of a Scene
In this series, directors discuss ideas and techniques behind moments in their films.
Movies Update
Movies Update Newsletter
Sign up here for our Movies Update e-mail, delivered each Friday, and stay on top of Critics’ Picks, blockbusters and independent films.
Times Pulse
The most popular movies among NYTimes.com readers.
This guide includes links to the original reviews from the archives of The New York Times.
MOST POPULAR - MOVIES
- As Indies Explode, an Appeal for Sanity
- Anatomy of a Scene: ‘Philomena’
- Oscar Hunt: Just Being Top Nominee Can Be a Prize
- Movie Review | 'In Bloom’: Coming-of-Age in Wartime
- Movie Review | 'Divorce Corp.': Splitsville, a Land of Diabolical Lawyers
- The Carpetbagger: My, How You’ve Changed!
- Movie Review | 'The Great Flood': Recalling a Disaster Without Uttering a Word
- Movie Review | 'August: Osage County': Home Fires, Acridly Burning
- Movie Review | ‘Her’: Disembodied, but, Oh, What a Voice
- Run Run Shaw, Chinese-Movie Giant of the Kung Fu Genre, Dies at 106
- 'Avatar' Director James Cameron Builds in New Zealand
- Warner Brothers and Its Decades of Violent Films
- Chris Marker, Enigmatic Multimedia Artist, Dies at 91
- Kirk Douglas's Film 'Lonely Are the Brave'
- Oscar Hunt: Just Being Top Nominee Can Be a Prize
- As Indies Explode, an Appeal for Sanity
- The Carpetbagger: My, How You’ve Changed!
- Movie Review | 'Cold Comes the Night': She’s Hard as Nails, He’s Noir and Nasty
- Movie Review | 'Grudge Match': Old Resentments Come Up Swinging
- Movie Review | 'In Bloom’: Coming-of-Age in Wartime
- Movie Review | 'Raze': And You Thought Cockfights Were Brutal
- Movie Review | 'Free Ride': I Remember Mama, the Pot Smuggler
- Movie Review | ‘Her’: Disembodied, but, Oh, What a Voice
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