The Escapist

Interestingly executed gritty non-chronological prison break thriller. Lewis and Fiennes deliver the strongest performances, though Cooper and Cox’s subtlety works as well. Solid performances make up for some questionably successful editorial flare and some subpar cinematography, but in the end it’s the story structure that makes for a masterful escape.

Paper Man

Reynolds’ blue lantern is the highlight of Older Lars and the Unreal Guy. Kudrow and Daniels make a convincing Door in the Floor couple redux, and Emma Stone cements her status as the go-to indie girl. Clever cutting, heartfelt characters and a clever twist carry a sometimes overly redundant film.

Season of the Witch

Nicholas escorts caged girl through mountains in this confused horror-fantasy, Kingdom of Constantine, should have been straight to DVD, movie-thing. A crusade of genre regulars like Thomsen and Perlman can’t carry this heavy load across the bridge of poor writing. Ultimately a foolish but fun looks at Cage’s career’s afterlife.

Beginners

Plummer and McGregor’s noses are perfectly cast as father and son in ambling epitome of indie flicks. The movie doesn’t really go anywhere or focus on anything, but it does so in an entertaining and endearing way. Plummer locks lips and therefore awards and Laurent re-appears alongside inglorious nice people.

The Guard

The other McDonagh borrows his brothers cast and expertly inserts them into The Layer Cake Aquatic. Gleeson adds a subtle depth to an unconventional character, while Cheadle proves that he can master any accent. Feels like a well-made student film experimenting with film conventions and succeeding two-thirds of the time.