• Uggie the Dog leaves mark on Hollywood sidewalk

    But not how you thought. Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier […]

  • The Artist slays the Oscars nominations

    What a coup for Michel Hazanavicius & Co! The French […]

  • What mattered in 2011

    Time to take stock, filmwise, of the year that was. My grading system (from 0—none this year though I could barely bring myself to give a 6 to the much-applauded Tree of Life—to 20) helps do a quick scan of the hundreds of films I’ve seen in 2011. What does a film have to be and do to get 20? Keep me consistently engaged, not have any off moment, not have any special goofs or anachronistic touches, offer intelligent writing

  • The Artist

    American audiences who would pass on Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist because a) it’s a silent movie and b) it’s in black and white, will be missing one of the best films in decades. Just like some of its unforgettable elders in the silent-film era, The Artist is funny, touching without being sentimental, with story line and feelings perfectly conveyed without words. If you ever wondered how the great stars of day before yesterday