Anna Karenina: In this adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel, a government minister's wife (Keira Knightley) begins a dangerous affair with a soldier (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in 19th-century Russia. The interplay between artifice and drama gives the story a jolt of new energy, as do theatrical touches such as painted backdrops and stage-inspired lighting.
- Scott Renshaw
Undefeated: This Best Documentary Oscar-winner is an emotionally searing story about the first winning football season of the perpetual losers from Manassas High School in West Memphis, Tenn. It's a masterfully crafted look at impoverished inner-city black kids overcoming the obstacles in their lives to achieve success.
- Marjorie Baumgarten