Paul, a depressed financial writer, convinces a couple of friends to pace him in an old boat as he swims the length of the Hudson River. Joseph Fiennes, Elizabeth Reaser, and Justin Kirk turn in solid acting performances in this character piece that beautifully explores friendship and devastating inconsolable loss.

Grade: B.

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Michelle Monaghan shines in this independent character drama, where she plays a long-haul trucker who looks after her estranged son while his father battles cancer. Nathan Fillion delivers a heartfelt performance as her adoring friend. A good script and real flawed characters make this obscure picture a pleasant surprise.

Grade: B+.

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After he lost his wife to cancer, Terry Hitchcock raised his three children alone and decided, when they were all grown, to run from Minneapolis to Atlanta, a marathon every day for 75 days, at age 56 and after a heart attack, to raise awareness for single parent support charities.

Grade: B.

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Jennifer Lawrence turns in an extraordinary performance in this stunning drama. She plays Ree, the daughter of a meth-cooker in the Ozarks, who has to find her father before she loses her house and the only way she can take care of her younger siblings and mentally ill mother.

Grade: A-.

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Ang Lee directs this gorgeous adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning Yann Martel novel. The young title character, Pi, escapes a sinking ship in a lifeboat with a hungry Bengal Tiger. The two struggle to form a mutually respectful relationship in order to survive the dangers of the open sea.

Grade: B+.

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Coles, Sam, and Thea meet at a party in college, in this sparse low-budget indie character study, and begin pushing sexual boundaries with each other until everything blows up dramatically. A few years later, they reunite and stupidly fall into old destructive patterns, despite their existing relationships and partners.

Grade: B-.

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Daniel Day Lewis’ virtuosic performance as Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s biopic of America’s greatest President gives us a glimpse into life in Washington during the Civil War, the negotiations and Congressional debates around the ratification of the 13th Amendment, and the dangerous environment that led to the President’s assassination.

Grade: A+.

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Prince Albert (later, King George VI) suffered from severe stammer that embarrassed him on his royal duties, and he sought the help of an unconventional Australian speech therapist to overcome it. This inspiring historical drama features a phenomenal cast, including Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Guy Pearce.

Grade: A+.

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Bill Maher tracks down religious extremists in this hilarious and irreverent dig at some of the crazies — enthusiastic actors at religious theme parks, Jewish Holocaust deniers, the Creationist Museum, and a hate-spewing Muslim musician. Additionally, he travels around the world to find former and current adherents of interesting groups.

Grade: B.

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This mind-bending science fiction thriller hits all the right targets — an engrossing story about a man who steals secrets by invading dreams, a thick sense of danger at every turn, uncountable layers of intrigue, rich and nuanced world-building, and a talented cast that brings it all to life.

Grade: A+.

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