'Norman, 'Heal the Living' and other critics' choices, April 14-20

After the Storm A sublimely simple family drama from Japanese writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda, a filmmaker assured enough to hide his mastery in plain sight. Nothing is overemphasized, and nothing escapes his attention. Frantz Beautifully shot in black-and-white with the occasional warm burst of color, French writer-director François Ozon's intricately layered post-World War I drama puts a feminist spin on Ernst Lubitsch's 1932 anti-war film, "Broken Lullaby." Heal the Living Unusual in its story, unexpected in its structure, made with an unerring instinct for emotional connection, this French drama wallops us without ever overplaying its hand. I Am Not Your Negro As directed by the gifted Raoul Peck, this documentary on James Baldwin uses the entire spectrum of movie effects, not only spoken language but also sound, music, editing and all manner of visuals, to create a cinematic essay that is powerful and painfully relevant.