A glorious all-ages delight about cinematic storytelling and the magicians behind those stories, Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" finds the director shelving his expected trademarks in exchange for warmth, heart, and a look at the things built to make life worth enjoying. Even without De Niro, DiCaprio, or the violence, the master weaves a meaningful and stirring filmic tapestry that stands with his best work.

Adapting Brian Selznick's novel, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," Scorsese's film finds Asa Butterfield's orphaned Hugo eking…

Both a solid legal procedural and an eye-opening glance at a justice system that may create barriers against those with certain ethnic or economic backgrounds, Destin Daniel Cretton's "Just Mercy" finds an attorney fighting for those whom the system has left behind. Starring Michael B. Jordan and Brie Larson, the drama sees Jordan's Bryan Stevenson working to overturn a case that put a Black man on death row based on the flimsiest of evidence. The real-events-based story is as maddening…

"Whiplash," Damien Chazelle's 107-minute-long ode to mentors, musicians, and motivation, is a taut and mesmerizing piece of filmmaking. A quick-moving and engrossing drama that explores the roles of teacher and learner, parent and child, Chazelle builds a film that brims with energy and emotion, bursts with authentic character beats, and soars with a percussive and narrative brilliance.
With its powerful performances, crackling direction, and riveting story, "Whiplash" is a truly great piece of work.

Chazelle's story is built around Miles…