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What stands out first about Sleepwalk with Me is the confidence with which Mike Birbiglia establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Sleepwalk with Me asks Mike Birbiglia and Lauren Ambrose to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Sleepwalk with Me is established with useful clarity: A burgeoning stand up comedian struggles with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he

What stands out first about Renoir is the confidence with which Gilles Bourdos establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Renoir asks Michel Bouquet and Christa Théret to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Renoir is established with useful clarity: Set on the French Riviera in the summer of 1915, Jean Renoir son of the Impressionist painter, Pierre Auguste returns home to convalesce after being wounded in World War I. At h

What stands out first about No is the confidence with which Pablo Larraín establishes its historical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, No asks Gael García Bernal and Alfredo Castro to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of No is established with useful clarity: An advertising executive comes up with a campaign to defeat Augusto Pinochet in Chile's 1988 referendum. That direct approach lets No use its 1h 58m running time for character,

What stands out first about Ek Tha Tiger is the confidence with which Kabir Khan establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Ek Tha Tiger asks Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Ek Tha Tiger is established with useful clarity: India's top spy Tiger and his love Zoya battle the dark world of intelligence and espionage that forbids its soldiers from loving the enemy. That direct approach le

What stands out first about The Queen of Versailles is the confidence with which Lauren Greenfield establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Queen of Versailles asks Jaqueline Siegel and David Siegel to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Queen of Versailles is established with useful clarity: A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. That di

What stands out first about The Gatekeepers is the confidence with which Dror Moreh establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Gatekeepers asks Ami Ayalon and Avraham Shalom to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Gatekeepers is established with useful clarity: A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely he

What stands out first about The Sapphires is the confidence with which Wayne Blair establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Sapphires asks Chris O'Dowd and Deborah Mailman to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Sapphires is established with useful clarity: In 1968, four talented young Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship, and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the US troops i

What stands out first about Dabangg 2 is the confidence with which Arbaaz Khan establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Dabangg 2 asks Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Dabangg 2 is established with useful clarity: Chulbul Pandey invites a fresh trouble when he kills the brother of a notorious politician and the former swears to wreak havoc in his life. That direct approach lets Dabangg

What stands out first about Ruby Sparks is the confidence with which Jonathan Dayton establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Ruby Sparks asks Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Ruby Sparks is established with useful clarity: A novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence. That

What stands out first about Girl in Progress is the confidence with which Patricia Riggen establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Girl in Progress asks Eva Mendes and Cierra Ramirez to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Girl in Progress is established with useful clarity: As single mom Grace juggles work, bills, and her affair with a married doctor, her daughter, Ansiedad, plots a shortcut to adulthood after finding insp

What stands out first about Barfi! is the confidence with which Anurag Basu establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Barfi! asks Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra Jonas to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Barfi! is established with useful clarity: Three young people learn that love can neither be defined nor contained by society's definition of normal and abnormal. That direct approach lets Barfi! use its 2h 31m running

What stands out first about Filly Brown is the confidence with which Youssef Delara establishes its music drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Filly Brown asks Gina Rodriguez and Jenni Rivera to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Filly Brown is established with useful clarity: A promising hip hop rhymer from Los Angeles finds herself in a gray area when a record producer offers her a compromising shot at stardom. That direct approach