Movies

Times Pulse

Last Updated: Jan 13, 7:00 AM ET Denotes a New York Times Critic's Pick

1. 

   There Will Be Blood

   (2007, Paul Thomas Anderson,  R)

   “There Will Be Blood,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic American nightmare, arrives belching fire and brimstone and damnation to Hell.

2. 

   Juno

   (2007, Jason Reitman,  PG13)

   “Juno” respects the idiosyncrasies of its characters rather than exaggerating them or holding them up for ridicule.

3. Atonement

   (2007, Joe Wright,  R)

   “Atonement” is an almost classical example of how pointless, how diminishing, the transmutation of literature into film can be.

4. I Am Legend

   (2007, Francis Lawrence,  PG13)

   In spite of its third-act collapse into obviousness and sentimentality, “I Am Legend” is among Will Smith’s better movies.

5. 

   No Country for Old Men

   (2007, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen,  R)

   For formalists — those moviegoers sent into raptures by tight editing, nimble camera work and faultless sound design — “No Country for Old Men” is pure heaven.

6. 

   Across the Universe

   (2007, Julie Taymor,  PG13)

   Somewhere around its midpoint, “Across the Universe” captured my heart, and I realized that falling in love with a movie is like falling in love with another person.

7. In the Name of the King

   (2008, Uwe Boll,  PG13)

   Like actors in an amateur stage play, the large, mostly all-star — or has-been star — cast of “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale” look, rather dazedly, to be playing dress-up.

8. 

   Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

   (2007, Tim Burton,  R)

   “Sweeney Todd” is as much a horror film as a musical. It is also something close to a masterpiece.

9. 

   Woman on the Beach

   (2006, Hong Sang-soo,  NR)

   “Woman on the Beach” is a bittersweet accounting of the geography of desire.

10. National Treasure: Book of Secrets

    (2007, Jon Turteltaub,  PG)

    The hyperactive sequel “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” sends its archaeologist hero on a globetrotting quest that might have been devised after a long night of Wikipedia surfing.

11. First Sunday

    (2008, David E. Talbert,  PG13)

    In “First Sunday,” Ice Cube departs a bit from the upright-citizen persona, playing a man driven to crime by desperate circumstances.

12. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie

    (2008, Mike Nawrocki,  G)

    You don’t have to go far into the press material for “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie” before you hit the phrase “faith-and-values-based property.” It is used to describe this and earlier offerings from the VeggieTales franchise, but the “faith” component of this rather ordinary film for children doesn’t make itself readily apparent.

13. One Missed Call

    (2008, Eric Valette,  PG13)

    “One Missed Call” is the latest Japanese knockoff to fetishize death by technology.

14. The Dark Knight

    (2008, Christopher Nolan,  NR)

15. The Orphanage

    (2007, Juan Antonio Bayona,  R)

    “The Orphanage,” a diverting, overwrought ghost story from Spain, relies on basic and durable horror movie techniques.

16. The Bucket List

    (2007, Rob Reiner,  PG13)

    “The Bucket List” operates on the hope that two beloved stars rubbing their signature screen personas together can spark warm, fuzzy box office magic.

17. 

    Charlie Wilson's War

    (2007, Mike Nichols,  R)

    “Charlie Wilson’s War” may be more of a hoot than any picture dealing with the bloody, protracted fight between the Soviet Army and the Afghan mujahedeen has any right to be.

18. Lake Placid 2

    (2007, David Flores,  NR)
19. 

    Persepolis

    (2007, Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud,  PG13)

    “Persepolis,” austere as it may look, is full of warmth and surprise, alive with humor and a fierce independence of spirit.

20. When Night Is Falling

    (1995, Patricia Rozema,  R)

21. 3:10 to Yuma

    (2007, James Mangold,  R)

    Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are the main reasons to see “3:10 to Yuma,” a serviceable addition to the current western revival.

22. Alvin and the Chipmunks

    (2007, Tim Hill,  PG)

    Hollywood continues its tired milking of old television properties with “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” a slick updating of the musical-cartoon franchise.

23. 

    The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

    (2007, Julian Schnabel,  PG13)

    With “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” Julian Schnabel demonstrates his own imaginative freedom in every frame and sequence.

24. The Kite Runner

    (2007, Marc Forster,  PG13)

    In both novel and film form, “The Kite Runner” recounts a simple yet shrewd story about that favorite American pastime: self-improvement.

25. Love Lies Bleeding

    (2008, Keith Samples,  R)