Rust and Bone (2012)

7/10

This film is not easy to explain, It is raw and blunt– a punch in the gut, yet it is also a film of intelligence and sensitivity.

Plot: Put in charge of his young son, Ali leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Ali's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident

Delicatessen (1991)

7/10 [recommended]

Fantastic cinematography, with great editing, quirky cast and overall a wacky film.

Plot: Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.

I knew I was in for a treat when the beginning credits started. Instead of your typical text on screen fading in and out, Delicatessen used credits that was attached to pieces of labels on rubbish. This initial credits alone was inspiring and very creative.

This French film is an art piece, with many themes embedded and is not afraid to push the limit.

Not one character in this film is not quirky, thus coming together to form a very wacky film.

War of Buttons (2011)

8/10 [Highly Recommended]

Tres Magnificent!!!!

Plot: In occupied France, Lebrac leads a play war between two rival kid gangs, but his feelings for Violette, a Jewish girl in danger of being discovered by the Nazis, encourage Lebrac to face the reality of what's happening around him.

I am so glad I ignored the rating from IMDB and watched this film. It is a heartfelt film set in a small town during world war II and their struggles to stay together under the Germany regime. War of Buttons mainly focuses on a group of kids of one town and a rival group of kids. What this film does so well is it uses this group of kids as a metaphor of the actual war that was taking place. This group of boys, led by Lebrac, goes through multiple battles with the rival town over buttons and territory like a mini war. Many themes (innocences, betrayal, love, hate, bond, friendship, battles, confidence..) are explored from this simple warring between the kids, as they experience the effects of the actual war that's taking place.


Not only is the acting from all the kids, especially Clément Godefroy and Jean Texier, absolutely amazing and realistic; This film stars one of my favourite French actors as well!! Guillaume Canet, who plays the school teacher, has been one of my favourite actors since the film Love Me If You Dare, making this film an absolute TREAT!!

I highly recommend this film. The underlining theme of the world war II mixed with the innocence of the children, well written/funny dialogue and superb acting makes this film a GEM

And Then There were None (1945)

6/10

A masterpiece by Agatha Christie that many other films got its inspirations from but it was predictable and not very suspenseful.

Plot: Based on a novel and subsequent stage play by Agatha Christie; ten people are invited to an isolated island, only to be killed one-by-one. Could one of them be the killer?

Nicely plotted, but not a very exciting film. During the film I kept thinking about Harper's Island (mini-series) and Clue (film), both of which I watched prior to this adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel. Having seen both of them first, i came into And Then There Were None with different expectations.

Witness for Prosecution (1957)

8.5/10 [highly recommended]

You want murder, suspense, thriller and twists upon twists?!? Well then strap yourself in and watch this gripping courtroom drama written by Agatha Christie.

Plot: It's Britain, 1953. Upon his return to work following a heart attack, irrepressible barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts, known as a barrister for the hopeless, takes on a murder case, much to the exasperation of his medical team

From moment one of this movie, my mind was moving and attempting to figure out what the possible ending might be like. Leave it to Agatha Christie to write crime thriller full of twists and leaves the reader/viewer completely in suspense. The ending will blow you away, and I am sworn not to give away this ending and I stand by it.

This film consists of mostly dialogue that is very detailed, witty and sophisticated, which requires the viewers to pay close to attention. The case starts off very slow but picks up pace like a cheetah spotting its prey around minute 30 and continues its run until the ultimate twist filled conclusion.

I HIGHLY recommending this film to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery, courtroom/crime drama...as Witness for Prosecution will not disappoint!!

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

8/10

innocent, melancholy, like a puppet show

Plot: A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.

The editing and filming technique is very unique in this film. It uses a lot of single continuing shots and surreal use of imagery.

The Vanishing (1988)

6/10

those golden rules you learned as a kid "don't talk to strangers"

Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor.

The Vanishing is very slow paced film that  alternates between flashback and present day. It sets up a very mundane event of a couple going on vacation, and turning it into a sinister plot.

The ending of this original The Vanishing is fairly different from the hollywood remake with same title (1993). I found the ending in the original to be far more fearful and sad than the remake.

spolier: --------------
This film does not need any special effects, gory or frightening images to create fear; rather the fear/horror of this film is the randomness of the act.
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Lost Room (2006)

8/10 [highly recommended]

Despite some flaws, still mindblowingly awesome.

A detective investigates a mysterious motel room, which acts as a portal to alternate universe after he lost something precious in the room.

The Lost Room had me completely engrossed from the first episode, I was pulled in and couldn't turn away until it ended.

Premise of The Lost Room is astounding. Without giving too much away, Lost Room is about a motel room and the many contents that it came with. The room and each item has a different/very unique abilities that is attached to it. The mini-series is built around these items and the people who covet after them. I was completely absorbed by the different qualities given to the items and the way all the items comes together.

Despite the fascinating premise, there were certain flaws that made it hard for me to give this series a perfect 10. The mini-series had way too many characters and sub-plots that didn't get developed enough. The character relationship was lacking in material and emotion. The main character, Joe Miller, felt kind of one-dimensional and we aren't really told why he was so special in comparison to the rest of people whom were once involved with the mysterious hotel room.

Joe Miller's relationship with the different characters, eg with the girl interest Jennifer Bloom, was thin and rushed. Besides being a cop and single father, we aren't given much background about Joe  and yet almost everyone he meets seemed very inclined to help him.

Also the gun, the way he points it at people at such close distance can be so easily swatted away, yet no one seem to be capable of disarming him....(i know, this is just me being picky but nevertheless bothersome).

Overall, I did enjoy this mini series and highly recommend it. The main focus of the film (the special abilities of the motel room/items premise) does overshadow the flaws (the undeveloped characters/relationships).  Very entertaining and will keep you at the end of your seat!

Injustice (2011) Mini-series

8/10 [Highly Recommended]

Holy awesomeness batman!! Such a good mini-series!!

Plot: On the surface William Travers is a picture of success. An accomplished criminal barrister happily living with his wife in rural Suffolk. However, Travers is still recovering from a traumatic series of events that have shaken his belief in the legal system

Hats off to the writers of Injustice, who created a complex masterpiece through flashbacks, multiple intersecting story lines from different characters and many twists.

The series starts off a bit slow, but give this mini a chance and sit through the first half of episode one; You'll be thankful that you did. This 6 episodes 300minutes long mini-series is filled with unexpected twists, clever dialoge, interwoven stories, suspense and great acting. I was truly amazed by suspenseful and thrilling adventure that was Injustice.

James Purefoy (from TV series Rome) and Charlie Creed-Miles both gave superb performances in the lead roles, giving an edge to this mini that otherwise wouldn't have been as great.

The rating on IMDB.com must have been the result people who can't tell the difference between great television programming and jersey shore.

Recommended to those who enjoys Law and Order, Sherlock Holmes, Mr.Brooks (movie) or just a great police/court/character-driven film.

Bill (2007)

7/10

Light hearted comedy with a few surprises

Plot: A guy fed up with his job and married to a cheating wife reluctantly mentors a rebellious teen.


This film is great as it addresses certain serious subjects using a light and humourous tone. It focuses on a man with no authority over his own life takes control-with some help from a kid with an authority issue. The underlining tone of this film requires a more mature and well read audience.

Aaron Eckhart, who's normally suave and sharply dressed, plays a very different type of character in this film. His performance is great as we witness his character go through some big transformations.