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What stands out first about I'm So Excited! is the confidence with which Pedro Almodóvar establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, I'm So Excited! asks Javier Cámara and Pepa Charro to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of I'm So Excited! is established with useful clarity: When it appears as though the end is in sight, the pilots, flight crew, and passengers of a plane heading to Mexico City look to forget the anguish of the

What stands out first about Locke is the confidence with which Steven Knight establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Locke asks Tom Hardy and Olivia Colman to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Locke is established with useful clarity: Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence. That d

What stands out first about Finding Vivian Maier is the confidence with which John Maloof establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Finding Vivian Maier asks Vivian Maier and John Maloof to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Finding Vivian Maier is established with useful clarity: A documentary on the late Vivian Maier, a nanny whose previously unknown cache of 100,000 photographs earned her a posthumous reputation as

What stands out first about Race 2 is the confidence with which Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Race 2 asks Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Race 2 is established with useful clarity: Ranvir treads through the world of the Indian mafia in Turkey as he looks to avenge the death of his lover and partner in crime. That direct approach lets Race 2 use i

What stands out first about Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is the confidence with which Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra establishes its biographical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag asks Farhan Akhtar and Kousi Orfahli to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is established with useful clarity: The truth behind the ascension of Milkha Singh, who was scarred by of the India Pakistan partition. That direct approach le

What stands out first about Tim's Vermeer is the confidence with which Teller establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Tim's Vermeer asks Tim Jenison and Penn Jillette to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Tim's Vermeer is established with useful clarity: Inventor Tim Jenison seeks to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. That direct approach lets Tim's Vermeer use its 1h 20m runni

What stands out first about Stoker is the confidence with which Park Chan wook establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Stoker asks Mia Wasikowska and Nicole Kidman to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Stoker is established with useful clarity: After India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. That direct approach lets Stoker use its 1h 39m running

What stands out first about Girl Rising is the confidence with which Richard Robbins establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Girl Rising asks Amina and Azmera to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Girl Rising is established with useful clarity: This film follows 9 girls from Haiti, Nepal, Ethiopia, India, Egypt, Peru, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan on their journey to education. That direct approach lets Gi

What stands out first about Only Lovers Left Alive is the confidence with which Jim Jarmusch establishes its horror film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Only Lovers Left Alive asks Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Only Lovers Left Alive is established with useful clarity: A depressed musician reunites with his lover. That direct approach lets Only Lovers Left Alive use its 2h 3m running time for ch

What stands out first about The Immigrant is the confidence with which James Gray establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Immigrant asks Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Immigrant is established with useful clarity: In 1921, an innocent Polish immigrant woman is tricked into a life of burlesque and vaudeville until a dazzling magician tries to save her and reunite her wi

What stands out first about Blackfish is the confidence with which Gabriela Cowperthwaite establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Blackfish asks Tilikum and Dave Duffus to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Blackfish is established with useful clarity: A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales. That direct approach lets Blackfish use its 1h 23m r

What stands out first about Gloria is the confidence with which Sebastián Lelio establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Gloria asks Paulina García and Sergio Hernández to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Gloria is established with useful clarity: A story set in Santiago and centered on Gloria, a free spirited older woman, and the realities of her whirlwind relationship with a former naval officer whom she meets out in