Be brave, audiences. 'War Horse,' Steven Spielberg's latest epic, will take you through an emotional ringer -- and to the brink -- before reminding you that hope can spring forth from the darkest places on Earth. Based on the young adult novel by Michael Morpurgo (and adapted for the screen by Richard Curtis and Lee Hall), 'War Horse' is often as silent as fellow Best Picture contender 'The Artist.' That's because the film is told from the point of view of Joey the horse -- from his upbringing with the Narracot family (Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan and Emily Watson, offering up sturdy, 1950s-era performances) to his first encounters with World War I (don't blink or you'll miss Tom Hiddleston as the kindest soldier ever). 'War Horse' is schmaltzy, but in the best way possible -- a throwback to a time when people put aside their differences for the greater good. In 2011, that idea is quaint; perhaps 'War Horse' will remind everyone that quaint isn't always bad. -- C.R.

Be brave, audiences. 'War Horse,' Steven Spielberg's latest epic, will take you through an emotional ringer -- and to the brink -- before reminding you that hope can spring forth from the darkest places on Earth. Based on the young adult novel by Michael Morpurgo (and adapted for the screen by Richard Curtis and Lee Hall), 'War Horse' is often as silent as fellow Best Picture contender 'The Artist.' That's because the film is told from the point of view of Joey the horse -- from his upbringing with the Narracot family (Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan and Emily Watson, offering up sturdy, 1950s-era performances) to his first encounters with World War I (don't blink or you'll miss Tom Hiddleston as the kindest soldier ever). 'War Horse' is schmaltzy, but in the best way possible -- a throwback to a time when people put aside their differences for the greater good. In 2011, that idea is quaint; perhaps 'War Horse' will remind everyone that quaint isn't always bad. -- C.R.