The Wolf of Wall Street
No, this is not a primer on what went wrong on Wall St., but it…
American Hustle
Very loosely based on actual events, this is a very enjoyable story of con men…
Short Term 12
A quiet but engrossing and entertaining film with a focus on people more than events,…
Philomena
Delightful tale (based on a true story) of an older Irish woman who, with the…
Narco Cultura
A fascinating and sad documentary juxtaposing the rise of narco music (i.e. music glorifying drug…
Maidentrip
It’s a great true story – 13-year-old Dutch girl Laura Deker battles the courts to…
Spinning Plates
An interesting and entertaining documentary about three US-based restaurants (a high-end and highly rated one…
Inside Llewyn Davis
A quiet slice of life, circa 1961 in Greenwich Village, from the Coen brothers about…
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
A decent take on the Walter Mitty story, with fantastic travel scenery (I very much…
Nebraska
A quiet, sad but sometimes hopeful tale that connects the dying of small town America,…
The Crash Reel
Very interesting and entertaining documentary about the increasingly dangerous competitive sports of snowboarding and trick…
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Important and inspiring story in a decent film. My main criticism is that the story…
Homefront
If you enjoy the silliness of a Jason Statham tale (he of Transporter (and other)…
Out of the Furnace
A grim and gritty tale set in dying small-town America. Christian Bale is, as usual,…
Saving Mr. Banks
If you like the acting of Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, you’ll most likely find…
Anchorman 2
Totally ridiculous, of course, but if you are in the right frame of mind, it’s…
Vic + Flo Saw a Bear
A tale of two female ex-cons trying to make a new life for themselves in…
Oldboy
I’ve heard that the original Korean film (of the same name) was impressive, but I…
Her
The critics generally seem to love this story of a man (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls…
Captain Phillips
The director of this film, Paul Greenglass, is known for his use of hand-held cameras…
Cold Eyes
This was one of my favourite films at his year’s TIFF. Set in Seoul, it’s…
Bethlehem
One of my favourites so far this year, this is a gripping story of an…
Prisoners
Impressive and suspenseful tale of taking the law into your own hands when you feel…
12 Years a Slave
Based on the remarkable true story of a free black man in the 1840s who…
Dallas Buyers Club
Based on a true story, Matthew McConaughey is terrific as a victim of AIDS who,…
Blue Is the Warmest Color
Even at three hours in length my attention for this Palme d’Or winning French film…
Wadjda
Does the desire of a 10-year-old girl in Saudi Arabia to own and ride a…
The Unknown Known
I expected more from this new documentary/interview (by Errol Morris) on/of Donald Rumsfeld. The discussion…
The Major
A bleak, gritty but interesting tale of police and political corruption set in modern-day Russia. …
A Wolf at the Door
Set in Brazil, this is a well-executed and suspenseful tale (based on a true story…
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Based on the true story of a black man who becomes a White House butler…
In a World…
A mildly entertaining film about a female voice coach (Lake Bell, who also directed) who…
Hotell
What happens when you come to believe you can control most aspects of your life…
The Kings of Summer
A charming tale of three teenage boys who escape their daily lives by building their…
On the Job
From the Philippines, this a story of corruption, revenge, and crime. Done well, with believable…
Rush
I don’t have much interest in Formula I racing, but I found this story of…
Gravity
I saw this one on the IMAX screen in 3D so it looked quite impressive. …
Watermark
If you are a fan of the movie Manufactured Landscapes, you’ll enjoy this one by…
Bastards
The story appears relatively simple – a husband commits suicide and the brother-in-law plans revenge…
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Melodramatic, yes, but a well-told story of a Belgian couple from first love to family…
Palestine Stereo
Filmed in the West Bank by a Palestinian director, this is a fictional, and a…
Don Jon
What a waste of talent (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julianne Moore, Scarlet Johansson) in this tiresome and…
Ladder to Damascus
I was disappointed with this tale (fable?) of Syrian woman, possessed of the soul of…
The Hunt
Intense, gripping and very well-acted Danish film that is deceptively quiet (for the most part).…
Fruitvale Station
On New Year’s Eve 2008/09, a 22-year-old black named Oscar Grant III was, while restrained,…
The Venice Syndrome
An interesting documentary highlighting the dwindling number or residents in Venice – who are being…
The Wolverine
A ridiculous plot with Hugh Jackman making his way back to Japan at the request…
2 Guns
I always enjoy watching Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington on the screen and together they…
Our Children
This Belgian film (sub-titled) blew me away with the amazing acting and the slow burn…
The Attack
Filmed in Israel by a Lebanese-born (Paris based) director, this is the tale of a…
Blue Jasmine
Finally a Woody Allen movie that I enjoyed. Cate Blanchett does a very good job…
Elysium
Mostly unbelievable and silly, this story tries a bit too hard to provide social commentary,…
Drug War
Fast paced and entertaining cops and robbers tale, filmed in China by a Hong-Kong director,…
Computer Chess
An interesting premise – early 1980s gathering of computer geeks and chess fanatics for a…
Before Midnight
The director has, for his third film in a series (each spaced about nine years…
20 Feet from Stardom
A lovely, informative and touching documentary about some of the people (mostly women) who make…
Now You See Me
A mostly unbelievable tale of illusionists committing crimes during their performances while being chased by…
Lore
One of the bleakest and grittiest films I’ve seen in while, but a powerful story…
The East
I liked the premise for this film – undercover private detective/corporate intelligence person infiltrates an…
Hannah Arendt
A slice of life (but not a documentary) of the eponymous philosopher/writer, around the time…
The Bling Ring
Based on a true story of bored and celebrity conscious L.A. teens who decide it…
World War Z
In the spirit of the movie Contagion, this is a tale of investigators searching the…
How to Make Money Selling Drugs
This documentary has its figurative tongue firmly in cheek most of the time, but an…
The Heat
After seeing the trailers for this film, I never wanted to see it. But I…
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay
An enjoyable documentary about the renowned sleight-of-hand magician and actor (and historian), who you may…
White House Down
Pure popcorn fluff, but better, in my estimation, than the other taking-over-the-White House flick, Olympus…
Fill the Void
Fascinating fictional tale set within a very insular ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Israel about a…
The Way, Way Back
A slight but charming coming-of-age story, with Steve Carell playing against type as a jerk…
Storm Surfers 3D
Visually delightful in 3D– cameras were attached to surfboards, carried by the surfers, on helicopters…
Museum Hours
A very slowly paced tale of a North American visitor to Vienna who befriends a…
Man of Steel
I never thought that a Superman flick on the IMAX screen, viewed in 3D, could…
The Internship
Although I like Vince Vaughan and Owen Wilson together (along with a cameo by Will…
This is the End
Some good lines (and good sight gags) with Seth Rogen, James Franco, etc. (playing a…
Frances Ha
The critics have been (mainly) raving about Greta Gerwig’s performance, but I lost interest in…
Only God Forgives
Ryan Gosling is a great screen presence, but this film is mostly style and incomprehensible…
The Central Park Five
This very well-made documentary tells a powerful story of how several youths were falsely accused…
The Gatekeepers
Six living former heads of Israel’s internal security service speak on their times in office,…
Camp 14: Total Control Zone
This South Korean/German production (yes, subtitles) tells the true tale of a North Korean man…
Pain & Gain
If this story was not based on real life, I would dismiss it out of…
Mud
Matthew McConaughey is enjoyable as a man on the run from the law (and running…
Quality Balls
The story of how a funny Jewish kid, David Steinberg, travelled from a humble beginning…
The Company You Keep
Although I was disappointed with the ending, the rest of the film was a pleasure…
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Adapted from a book of the same name (which I have not yet read), this…
Amour
Definitely not a crowd pleaser, this is an up-close and personal portrayal of an elderly…
Zero Dark Thirty
This is only partially an action flick as the majority of the story deals with…
Broken City
Just an average movie about political corruption and revenge, with not much of a role…
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
A very charming tale (fable?) that lands a couple of Brits in Yemen where the…
The Waiting Room
Fascinating documentary of the patients and staff at a very busy public hospital in Oakland. …
Picture Day
An enjoyable indie style Canadian picture, filmed in T.O., about a teenage girl who has no…
The Berlin File
A well-executed political thriller (from South Korea; subtitled) with secret agents from North Korea, South…
Parker
You’ll most likely forget what you saw on screen within days or weeks, but this…
Stoker
A creepy tale that is part bizarre domestic drama and part quiet horror tale, this…
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
For a film that follows a couple of folks as the end of the world…
Caesar Must Die
Just a documentary or a film within a documentary? A film maker travels to a…
No
Based on a true story of an advertising exec recruited to bring his marketing talents…
The Call
Halle Berry puts on a good show as a 9-1-1 operator who is called on…
New World
Set in the world of South Korean organized crime, an undercover cop must, as they…
Trance
A somewhat psychedelic film with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, this…
The Place Beyond the Pines
If you enjoy watching Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling, you should enjoy the two stories…
Oblivion
It’s a sci-fi movie, but contrary to what you may believe from the marketing campaign,…
Graceland
A nifty thriller from the Philippines (subtitled) which deals with themes such as political corruption,…
Barbara
A German film (yes, subtitled) set in East Germany in the 1980’s, it does a…
Upstream Color
Start with a character who is forced to ingest some kind of larva that changes…
Gangster Squad
With stars such as Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, how can a movie be…
Identity Thief
I find Melissa McCarthy (of Bridesmaid’s fame) a very funny screen presence, but what a…
Olympus Has Fallen
Silly tale of North Korean terrorists taking over the US White House. You know how’s…
Ginger & Rosa
It’s a coming of age tale of two teenage girls in London in the 60s,…
The Iceman
I enjoy Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) in everything he does, but even his performance as…
Iron Man 3
I quite enjoyed Iron Man #1, disliked #2 and now was disappointed with #3. Whatever…