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What stands out first about Only God Forgives is the confidence with which Nicolas Winding Refn establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Only God Forgives asks Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Only God Forgives is established with useful clarity: Julian, a drug smuggler thriving in Bangkok's criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels

What stands out first about Nymphomaniac: Vol. I is the confidence with which Lars von Trier establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Nymphomaniac: Vol. I asks Charlotte Gainsbourg and Stellan Skarsgård to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Nymphomaniac: Vol. I is established with useful clarity: A self diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating. That direct approach let

What stands out first about Generation Iron is the confidence with which Vlad Yudin establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Generation Iron asks Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mickey Rourke to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Generation Iron is established with useful clarity: A documentary that follows top bodybuilders as they train to compete in the Mr Olympia competition. That direct approach lets Generation Iron us

What stands out first about Particle Fever is the confidence with which Mark Levinson establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Particle Fever asks David Kaplan and Fabiola Gianotti to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Particle Fever is established with useful clarity: As the Large Hadron Collider is about to be launched for the first time, physicists are on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of all time o

What stands out first about Alone Yet Not Alone is the confidence with which Ray Bengston establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Alone Yet Not Alone asks Kelly Greyson and Natalie Racoosin to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Alone Yet Not Alone is established with useful clarity: Alone yet Not Alone is based on the inspirational, true story of Barbara and Regina Leininger, two immigrant sisters forced to embark o

What stands out first about Raanjhanaa is the confidence with which Aanand L. Rai establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Raanjhanaa asks Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Raanjhanaa is established with useful clarity: Kundan, the son of a Hindu pundit, discovers that his childhood sweetheart Zoya loves city bred Akram and wants to marry him. That direct approach lets Raanjhanaa use its 2h 2

What stands out first about The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is the confidence with which Felix Herngren establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared asks Robert Gustafsson and Iwar Wiklander to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is established with useful clarity: Afte

What stands out first about The Tale of The Princess Kaguya is the confidence with which Isao Takahata establishes its animated adventure identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya asks Chloë Grace Moretz and James Caan to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya is established with useful clarity: Kaguya is a beautiful young woman coveted by five nobles. That direct approach lets The Tale

What stands out first about Enemy is the confidence with which Denis Villeneuve establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Enemy asks Jake Gyllenhaal and Mélanie Laurent to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Enemy is established with useful clarity: A man seeks out his exact look alike after spotting him in a movie. That direct approach lets Enemy use its 1h 31m running time for character, atmosphere and consequence. ⁠ Th

What stands out first about Short Term 12 is the confidence with which Destin Daniel Cretton establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Short Term 12 asks Brie Larson and Frantz Turner to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Short Term 12 is established with useful clarity: A 20 something supervising staff member of a residential treatment facility navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co worker and longtim

What stands out first about Stalingrad is the confidence with which Fedor Bondarchuk establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Stalingrad asks Mariya Smolnikova and Yanina Studilina to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Stalingrad is established with useful clarity: A group of Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply c

What stands out first about Third Person is the confidence with which Paul Haggis establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Third Person asks Liam Neeson and Mila Kunis to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Third Person is established with useful clarity: Three interlocking love stories involving three couples in three cities: Rome, Paris, and New York. That direct approach lets Third Person use its 2h 17m running time fo