Movies

• In War And 'In Darkness,' Our Worst And Best Emerge

  Poland's official Oscar entry is a Holocaust drama about a sewage worker who hides a small group of Jews from Nazi occupiers. Critic Ella Taylor says the movie depicts its grim subject with beauty — and a dose of reality. (Recommended)

• 'The Turin Horse': The Abyss Gazes Implacably Back

  In Hungarian director Bela Tarr's latest (and possibly last) film, a man and a woman in a barren landscape go about their routines as the world unravels. Critic Mark Jenkins says the film oppresses relentlessly, but Tarr presents a vision that is absolute, singular — and compelling. (Recommended)

• A Spy On The Run, But Playing It Too 'Safe'

  In South Africa, a rookie CIA field agent (Ryan Reynolds) shepherds a dangerous rogue operative (Denzel Washington) who's turned himself in to U.S. authorities. Critic Ian Buckwalter says the stars' effective performances can't save this tiresome, by-the-numbers effort.

• 'Chico And Rita' And All That Jazz

  An animated Oscar contender follows one on-and-off romance — and traces the development of some of the world's most infectious musical styles.