Stan Hall

One of the most affecting true-life character studies in quite some time.

A drab, gloomy drama that doesn't provide any real enlightenment about why something so awful could happen.

For those with adventurous tastes and a little extra patience, the 90-year-old's possible swan song (though he evidently is far from fatigued) is rewarding.

Beyond the Hills is an undeniably difficult (not to mention lengthy) film to endure. But for those with the fortitude, there is grace and enlightenment hidden in this harsh Romanian winter tale.

Anchoring a terrific cast is Bernal, who gives one of his best-ever performances.

Fans of European cinema will recognize in Barbara the calling cards of director Christian Petzold: the icy, quiet intensity of his muse, Nina Hoss; pretty but strangely unsettling shots of the windswept east German countryside; and subtle subversions of the thriller genre wherein the suspense is drawn from decisions made in mundane settings, such as the workplace.

Every profile is fascinating, but certain ones stand out.

Audiard's craft is still arresting, and the film hums with beauty, vigor and blood.

There are two halves to La Rafle. The successful one involves the personal tribulations of the families and other souls who were jammed into a Paris velodrome for days under intolerable conditions.

What's even more amazing about the actor's absorbing, sometimes depraved performance is that while the film around him is generally cheesy and obvious, Washington is to-the-bone real.