Anita Gates

It will probably please fans of this simple genre with its solid suspense, murky lighting and “gotcha!” scares.

[A] thorough, powerfully straightforward documentary.

In between the rampant four-letter words and the occasional partial nudity are likable attempts at humor — some sweet, some saucy.

It’s a quietly compelling story.

There is little new insight, although the film does create an instructive tension between admiring bravery and sacrifice and being appalled by war itself.

The film is exaggerated, ludicrous and simplistic. It shows a towering disdain for both men and women. But Angie and Marco have a certain good-natured charm, and there are some nice shots of Shanghai.

This quiet romantic drama never soars but keeps its sense of humor and its balance while taking its subject matter for granted in the best possible way.

The concert itself was a bold, life-affirming project, but with a couple of additional extended music sequences, Mr. Xido’s film might have been more powerful and way more hardcore.

Articulate and sympathetic experts, a calmly authoritative narrator (Alfre Woodard), powerfully conversational subtitles and breathtaking scenery enliven the film’s message.

A Requiem for Syrian Refugees is as powerfully direct as it is unfortunately heavy-handed, with lingering black-and-white close-ups of barbed wire and children’s wide eyes. But the film is eloquent, too, thanks to the voices of the refugees themselves.