Some movies exist in a magical land beyond useful criticism.  This does not mean that they cannot be examined or that they are even all that good.  It simply means that all the criticism in the world has no impact on the way that we feel about them.  Our reactions are strictly personal, based on...

Pain and Glory is writer-director Pedro Almodóvar’s 21st film in a career spanning nearly 40 years.  I caught it at this year’s resplendent Toronto film Festival, but it touched down briefly at the ongoing 57th NY Film Festival, which ends this weekend after 17 days with a reprise of some of the festival’s 40 films. There’s...