Reel-View Ratings: The Bigger The Beard, The Better The Movie

DRAGON GIRLS

The opening scenes of this documentary tremble as thousands of red tracksuit-clad students practice a kung fu routine — in unison. Its scope is, well, a little scary. More than 20,000 students attend Shaolin Tagou Kung Fu School in China, but Belgian director Inigo Westmeier brushes past the masses to focus on three girls at the school, taking special interest in how the harsh discipline and group-first mentality affects the individual. There is a sense of culture shock, of Westerners struggling to comprehend the Eastern way without undue judgment. It isn’t always quite successful, but the story and spectacle remains mesmerizing.

Plays at noon, 4 and 8 p.m. Feb. 19, and 2:15 and 6:15 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Movie Museum

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Wes Anderson’s comedic caper film about a fussy hotel concierge accused of murder has been swimming in critical accolades, including nine Oscar nominations (and it will undoubtedly walk away with more than a few statues Sunday night). If you like Anderson’s signature style — where his favored regular actors utter the most literary-sounding lines in the most meticulously constructed shots in the most carefully plotted films — then The Grand Budapest Hotel is among his best works. But even if you don’t like Anderson’s twee, emotionally distant style, you’ll have to admit that there are worse ways to spend an hour or two.

Plays at noon, 1:45, 3:30, 5:15, 7 and 8:45 p.m. Feb. 20, and 1:30 and 3:15 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Movie Museum

NAS: TIME IS ILLMATIC

The origins of one of hip hop’s most influential albums, Illmatic, is chronicled here for fans and less so the general viewing public. Director One9 follows rapper Nas from his violent childhood in the projects of Queensbridge (one scene has the rapper reminiscing on an old photo, where nearly everyone pictured is dead or in prison) to the album that brought him fame some 20 years ago. Nas’ friends, family, fans and collaborators — including names like Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams — all weigh in. Illmatic is hailed as nothing less than industry changing. If you disagree, let’s be real: This film wasn’t made for you anyway.

Plays at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at Doris Duke Theatre