Author:   Justin Souther

The Story: Two teenage girls struggle with growing up in '60s London with the specter of nuclear war hanging in the background. The Lowdown: An often visually striking, yet quiet film with a superb cast that ultimately feels a bit too slight.

The Story: The tale of Jackie Robinson and the hardships he faced breaking baseball’s color barrier. The Lowdown: A basic biopic that’s too straightforward and heavy-handed, but perfectly solid if you’re looking for nothing more than an uplifting sports-crowd-pleaser.

The Story: Three stories — involving a dirt-bike-riding bank robber, a small-town cop and their respective sons — intersect. The Lowdown: An often flawed, overlong drama that remains worthy of attention because of its humanely drawn characters and sheer ambition.

In Brief: Local filmmaker Joe Chang follows up his 2007 film Neutral with Present, a small, innately human character study. With a very simple story revolving around notions of how time changes things — from physical places to familial relationships — as seen through the eyes of an awkward performance artist, his sister and her…

The Story: The members of G.I. Joe team are attacked and nearly destroyed as the evil cabal that is Cobra attempts to bring the world to its knees. The Lowdown: A cheesy, charmless blow-em-up, heavy in dumb, macho action-movie clichés that's short on tact.

The Story: A by-the-book Princeton admissions officer’s life is turned upside down when — among other things — she finds out a teen (who may or may not be the son she once gave up for adoption) is trying to get into her school. The Lowdown: A refreshingly mature, intelligent, good-hearted comedy that unfortunately slips…

The Story: An oral history of the Israeli intelligence agency, Shin Bet, as told by the men who’ve run it. The Lowdown: An informative and occasionally eye-opening documentary that’s a bit too stodgy and erudite, but works well when it displays its humanity.

The Story: Four college girls spiral into a general haze of drugs, violence and debauchery on spring break. The Lowdown: An often grotesque, seemingly ugly descent into black light madness that tries to say much, but is betrayed by a paper thin plot and flimsy characterizations.

The Story: A 911 operator tries to help a kidnapped teen over the phone, only to learn that she’s encountered the kidnapper once before, with horrific consequences. The Lowdown: A borderline competent thriller that’s dumb as a brick — and almost entertaining because of it.

The Story: A disfigured woman blackmails a mobster into getting revenge for her while being unaware that he’s no hardened criminal, and is secretly out for vengeance of his own. The Lowdown: An often stylish, morally complex revenge thriller that’s a bit too absurd and awkward in how it draws its characters and sets up…

The Story: A Soviet submarine captain nearing the end of his career must stop a group of rogue KGB agents who look to ignite nuclear war. The Lowdown: Professionally made, well-acted and occasionally literate, but also occasionally confusing, silly and pointless.

The Story: Two buddies surprise their best friend from high school on his 21st birthday and alcohol sends their plans quickly awry. The Lowdown: A generally unfunny comedy that tries to be about growing up, but is just too damn obnoxious to work.

The Story: A documentary focusing on America’s continually growing hunger problem. The Lowdown: Well-intentioned and informative, but never quite manages to be as engrossing as it needs to be as entertainment.

The Story: A woman on the run ends up in a sleepy coastal town while her past tries desperately to catch up with her. The Lowdown: Purely schmaltzy melodrama from the reigning goofball king of it, Nicholas Sparks, that redeems itself — or at least is made interesting -- by one supremely silly ending.

The Story: A cowardly, cautious alien must rescue his brash, idiotic brother from Area 51. The Lowdown: Harmless, uninspired animated pap with an unfortunately high dose of corny pop culture humor.

The Story: A young woman accidentally kills her husband, seemingly due to side effects from her antidepressant medication, but things are perhaps more complicated — and nefarious — than they seem. The Lowdown: A beautifully shot, expertly acted, wholly professional murder thriller from Steven Soderbergh that misses greatness by being a bit too emotionally detached…

The Story: A hit man — with the reluctant aid of a straight-laced cop — is out for revenge when his partner is murdered. The Lowdown: Run-of-the-mill macho action junk with no budget, jumbled action scenes and a needlessly convoluted plot.

The Story: A criminal sets out for revenge after his accomplices steal his cut of a job and leave him for dead. The Lowdown: A surprisingly amateurish, needlessly serious and egregiously overlong action flick that wastes a decent cast.

The Story: Fairy-tale stalwarts Hansel and Gretel have grown up, make a living hunting witches and are out to bring down the witches behind a series of kidnappings. The Lowdown: A disposable, superfluous fantasy/action hybrid that’s slight, goofy and occasionally fun in a hokey kind of way.

The Story: A private eye is hired by the mayor of New York City to prove his wife’s infidelity. The Lowdown: A basic, none-too-surprising piece of neo-noir that works due to strong direction and a remarkable cast.

The Story: With an escaped drug lord headed his way, the sheriff of a sleepy Arizona border town plans to bring him to justice. The Lowdown: An aging action star and a meandering, dunderheaded script drag down the movie’s handful of inspired action pieces.