Author:   Justin Souther

The Story: After realizing they can't afford to send their daughter to college, a married couple decide to risk it all and open an illegal casino in their suburban neighborhood. The Lowdown: A surprisingly watchable comedy, though that's all it really has going for it, with hardly a laugh or a memorable moment to be found.

The Story: A selection of famous manifestos, turned into monologues and recited by numerous strange characters. The Lowdown: A generally weird little movie that goes far beyond its original conceit.

The Story: While quickly being pushed out of racing by a younger, faster generation of cars, Lightning McQueen looks for one last shot at glory. The Lowdown: A serviceable animated film that gets some things right but is never the type of movie to get excited about.

The Story: The underappreciated wife of a busy movie producer takes an impromptu road trip with a decadent Frenchman. The Lowdown: A generally pointless, meandering attempt at an adult romantic drama, with no romance, no chemistry and no real plot.

The Story: A look inside the world of The New York Times obituary writers. The Lowdown: An interesting behind-the-scenes view into a fascinating, complicated aspect of journalism that's often ignored.

The Story: A group of lifeguards must stop a drug trafficker from taking over their beach. The Lowdown: A dumb, pointless and needlessly macho attempt at both an action comedy and a reboot of the old TV show of the same name.

The Story: The troubled life, both personally and artistically, of poet Emily Dickinson. The Lowdown: Told in the driest terms possible, A Quiet Passion is a slog through a swamp of mediocre performances and listless drama.

The Story: The life of activist and writer Jane Jacobs and her battles against urban planner Robert Moses. The Lowdown: On the surface, a fairly basic documentary that raises lots of interesting ideas on the purpose of cities and how we approach the places we live in.

The Story: After narrowly escaping their kidnappers, a vacationing mother and daughter find themselves lost in Colombia, trying to find their way home. The Lowdown: A tortured premise and hackneyed presentation combine with pretty idiotic comedy to make for one of the year's more obnoxious offerings.

The Story: An entry-level employee in a giant tech company starts learning that their intentions might be less than innocent. The Lowdown: A silly drama with touches of satire that has little to say and says it in the most inept ways imaginable.

The Story: The life of jazz musician Lee Morgan and his wife, Helen, their marriage and the tragic end to the trumpeter's life. The Lowdown: An affecting documentary that doesn't really push the boundaries of the form but is worth watching for fans of Morgan's music.

The Story: A man flies to Spain to spend time with his best friend, who's dying of cancer. The Lowdown: A quiet, gentle and human film about death and friendship that manages to avoid melodrama and cheesiness.

The Story: After a gun deal goes bad, a disparate group of quirky criminals find themselves trapped in a warehouse, pitted against one another. The Lowdown: A curious concept with some entertaining characters and smart moments, but these get dragged down when the film's muddled action scenes take hold.

The Story: After their leader is turned into their nemesis by a nefarious hacker, a crew of car-driving outlaws must save him and the world. The Lowdown: The usual nonsense, namely lots of car chases and explosions, all absurdly accomplished, but not very memorable.

The Story: A husband leaves Mexico to track down his wife, who's unexpectedly left him for a writing workshop in Iowa. The Lowdown: Despite some great performances and occasional flashes of insight, this is a generally overlong and unfortunately unlikable portrait of a failing marriage.

The Story: Three elderly men on the verge of losing their pensions decide to rob a bank. The Lowdown: A charming cast makes the film watchable, but drab comedy and a lack of anything to actually say make the rest pretty forgettable.

The Story: A private detective and failed novelist tries to reassemble his tattered family. The Lowdown: A quiet, deliberately paced drama that takes patience but holds rewards in its human insights and gentleness.

The Story: A suit-wearing baby and boss of Baby Co. infiltrates a family in order to stop puppies from monopolizing all the world's love. The Lowdown: A pretty brain-dead animated flick that's colorful and cartoonish but little else.

The Story: After hearing news of her estranged daughter, a woman reflects on the actions that got her to this point in life. The Lowdown: Wonderfully acted and shot and masterfully constructed, the film lacks a certain entertainment value that keeps it from being near the best of Almodovar.

The Story: The lives of a handful of stray cats who live on the streets of Instanbul, and the people who encounter them everyday. The Lowdown: A gentle, quiet documentary that's a bit smarter and more affecting than your run-of-the-mill nature documentary.

The Story: A man washes ashore on a deserted island, only to find his plans for escape thwarted by a large, red turtle. The Lowdown: A gentle meditation on family, love and life that demands an appropriate emotional connection to get the most out of.