Richard Alleva

The evangelistic fervor of its producers is evident throughout 'Son of God,' but so is bombastic filmmaking lacking in any nuance or freshness of approach.

Philip Seymour Hoffman had the greatest range of any character actor of his generation, and his filmography is stupendous in both its length and its variety.

'The Invisible Woman' has tact but lacks Dickensian bustle and comedy; 'Gloria' depicts a woman whose way of surviving is to live on the fly.

No moviemaker since Sturges has made the din of recrimination as funny as Russell does in 'American Hustle,' while Scorcese dazzles though 'Wolf' goes nowhere.

Judi Dench radiates from a still center, and Emma Thompson confirms that she is the best movie actress in the English-speaking world.

'Captain Phillips' is thoughtful and electrifyingly exciting; 'All Is Lost' is Sisyphean hopelessness but also a Sisyphean defiance.