“The continued relevance of The Battle of Algiers is both a point of fascination and something to mourn.”

“…evokes, in its primeval beauty, something of a seaside Garden of Eden.”

“…for most of these characters, this is a season of life in which everything seems to be happening too quickly.”

“…has no compelling center.”

“…a rare glimpse of the black experience as it pertains to wider American history.”

“…depicts a man whose entire world exists in a tug-of-war between the Civil War and Civil Rights.”

“…hilarious, bizarre, and oddly sweet.”

“…a psychodrama more than a standard biopic.”

“…unfolds with a Hitchcockian sense of mystery and Almodovar’s usual bursts of color.”

The best of the year relied on mood lighting and a whole lot of music.