Movies

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Movie Review | 'Precious'
Howls of a Life, Buried Deep Within
Howls of a Life, Buried Deep Within
Lionsgate
Precious: Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, with Gabourey Sidibe in the title role, opens Friday in selected cities.

“Precious” is a hybrid, a mash-up that might have been ungainly, but that manages to be graceful instead.

A Tragic Ballerina Dances Again, Her Shoes Now Redder Than Ever
A Tragic Ballerina Dances Again, Her Shoes Now Redder Than Ever
MGM
Moira Shearer in the 1948 ballet classic “The Red Shoes,” now newly restored and showing for two weeks at Film Forum.

The colors in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s masterpiece “The Red Shoes” don’t just exist, they also express.

Movie Review | 'The Box'
Simplifying One Life, Complicating Another
Simplifying One Life, Complicating Another
Warner Brothers Pictures
Frank Langella, left, with Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, who play a couple in Richard Kelly's new film, “The Box.”

“The Box” is sincere and sinister and inevitably ambitious.

Ghosts of Technology Present
Ghosts of Technology Present
ImageMovers Digital/Walt Disney Pictures
"Disney’s A Christmas Carol," starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge, opens on Friday nationwide.

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, is a branded piece of shiny seasonal entertainment.

Movie Reviews
Movie Review | 'That Evening Sun'
Reclaiming a Home at the Sunset of Life

In “That Evening Sun,” Hal Holbrook strips the stereotype of the grumpy old man of sentimental shtick.

Movie Review | 'Collapse'
Single Focus: An Outsider With Doomsday Vision

A chilling monologue of imminent catastrophe, “Collapse” is not just sobering; it’s a full-on assault.

Mission Mind Control in Defense of America

“The Men Who Stare at Goats” is a likable, lightweight, absurdist comedy.

Movie Review | 'The Fourth Kind'
Even Insomniacs Can Have Nightmares

“The Fourth Kind” may be humorless, paranoid nonsense, but its biggest failure is its inability to scare.

Movie Review | 'Splinterheads'
Casual Quest for Meaning, Aided by GPS

“Splinterheads” is a shaggy comedy with more heart than heft.

Creating Dialogue From Body Language

“La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet” is one of the finest dance films ever made, but there’s more to it than that.

Movie Review | 'Act of God'
Trying to Find Meaning in a Bolt From the Blue

In the wispy documentary “Act of God,” survivors of lightning strikes find metaphysical meaning in meteorological phenomena.

News & Features
A New Attack on the Iraq War Film

“The Messenger” portrays conflict on the home front: the struggles of those who tell the next of kin their loved ones are dead.

Arts & Leisure Preview
Unleashing Life’s Wild Things

A new breed of children’s movies play a kind of reverse dress-up, disguising adult anxieties in the costumes of innocent make-believe and fanciful spectacle.

It’s Nearly a Wrap for Hollywood Power Lunches at Orso

With the closing of Orso, producers will need another place to meet smoking stars.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to Host the Oscars

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were named next year’s Academy Awards hosts days after the Golden Globes landed the comedian Ricky Gervais as its host.

ArtsBeat Blog
Date Set for Oral Arguments in Polanski Case

A California appeals court in Los Angeles has scheduled oral arguments in its review of Roman Polanski's three-decade-old sex case for Dec. 10.

ArtsBeat Blog
For Sale: One Humanity-Wasting Robot, Answers to the Name 'Terminator'

The Halcyon Company, which owns the rights to the “Terminator” movies and related assets, plans to sell the franchise at an auction in January.

Photos and Video
Anatomy of a Scene: 'Precious'

Lee Daniels, the director of "Precious," discusses a scene from the film.

Critics' Picks: 'The Verdict'

A. O. Scott reviews Sidney Lumet's film about an alcoholic trial lawyer on a medical malpractice case.

Trailer Premiere
‘The White Ribbon’

The debut of the trailer for “The White Ribbon,” Michael Haneke’s new drama that won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Trailer Premiere
‘La Belle Personne’

The trailer premiere of “La Belle Personne,” Christophe Honoré‘s latest drama available on demand from IFC Festival Direct.

Neorealism in Focus

A look at some of the films appearing in the retrospective “Italian Neorealism and the Birth of Modern Cinema” at Walter Reade Theater.

The Critters

A look behind the scenes of "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

Breakout Performances

A look at some of the most striking performers of the season.

Holiday Movies

Pedro Almodóvar and Penélope Cruz reunite, Matt Damon sinks into another role, Peter Jackson cooks up a ghost story and more.

Readers' Reviews
‘Precious’

“A brave film that doesn’t falsely manipulate one’s emotions. Each character’s flaws and virtues are presented matter-of-factly and realistically,” writes Michael in London.

The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made

This guide includes links to the original reviews from the archives of The New York Times.

Go to The Best 1,000 Movies »





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