Murder on the Orient Express - 8*/10

Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Judi Dench.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3402236/

Suburbicon — This twisted little tale with delight some and bore others — 8*/10

This is not for everyone. This piece by George Clooney is excellent, but a lot of people might think it weird and too low key. The story is solid, the acting great and the plot gets thicker with each passing moment. Great ending.

Matt Damon, Julianne Moore

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491175/

The Foreigner — Solid action movie — 6*/10

I have to say that the premise feels weak and forced, with almost any other subject it would have felt better. That being said, the acting is great, the action realistic, the intrigue interesting and the tension solid.

Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615160/

Blade Runner 2049 — It's simply mind-blowing, see it — 10*/10

I don't understand how critics can give it a bad review. Unless you don't like long movies or anything to do with sci-fi, you have to at least be entertained.

In this master piece by Denis Villeneuve, produced by Ridley Scott, mood is everything. Yes, there are long scenes where few things happen, but so what, it's delicious if you stop to enjoy it.

It's close to perfection. Just see it. In IMAX, because the sound and the visual are spectacular. Avoid 3D.

Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Ana de Armas and Jared Leto.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856101/

American Assassin — A great mix of super spy and real spy movie genres — 7*/10

It has the decisions and complications of a real spy thriller with the action and lone hero specs of a super spy flick. It does come with a few noticeable flaws, but it's still a very entertaining result.

Michael Keaton and Sanaa Lathan.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1961175/

Wind River — A powerful drama with a very interesting investigation — 10*/10

This movie won't leave anybody indifferent. Touching, sometimes in a harsh way with a reality that needs to be put to light. Surprising, shocking, and with unusual script decisions.

A must.

Elizabeth Olsen, Kelsey Asbille, Jeremy Renner, Julia Jones, Graham Greene and Jon Bernthal.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5362988/

Atomic Blonde — Be ready for a great spy action film — 10*/10

Great selection of 80s music, sometimes remixed. The best of the 80s fashion without any of its faux pas. Compact realistic (to a point) action. Amazingly entertaining and captivating story with only a few predictable elements, but themselves often twisted.

Charlize Theron, Sofia Boutella, James McAvoy, John Goodman and Eddie Marsan.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2406566/

Before I Fall — This little flick is slick and has a lot of heart — 7*/10

The societal slice is just too high and the settings too slick, but it's very interesting and the just of it at the right place. Even if it's not really anything new, it's really nice to watch and let go.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1691916/

Horns — A fantasy flick that's all about a murder mystery — 8*/10

This might not be a blockbuster, but it's a very good flick. It's a lot fun, not in a comedy sense, but in a satisfactory sense. Nice fantasy stuff, nice intrigue, nice music and a captivating story.

Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple and Heather Graham.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1528071/

Miss Sloane — A powerful piece about a powerful woman — 9*/10

• Overall: Great psychological tension and superb intellectual puzzles that features a strong female model.
• Who is it for? Everyone. 
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4540710/
• Known actors: Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow.
• Cameos: 
• Setting: The high power political arena.
• Style: An intrigue or suspense, but quite either and a mostly both. It's great. Very intellectual.
• Pacing: Perfect. You lose yourself in it.
• Intro: Even though it uses an old trick, it does it with great impact. 
• Story: Captivating, full of details, suspenseful, powerful, a great intellectual battle with amazing plots and counter plots. The mood is amazing and enveloping. 
• Ending: Excellent. If you're quick enough, you'll see it coming a little while beforehand, just long enough to appreciate the stratagem.
• Epilogue: Short, to the point. Even though it doesn't serve any purpose, it does settle us back down, which should be the only goal of any good epilogue. 
• Dialogs: Powerful.
• Characters: Strong female lead, powerful women's voices, lots of depth to them all, well developed and very realistic. 
• Acting: Amazing.
• Visuals: Powerful.
• Camera Work: Some really superb work here.
• Costumes: Slick, chic and perfect.
• Afterthoughts: I was stunned, even if I anticipated something good. What surprised me the most was the way it passed its ethical stances without sounding preachy.

I loved the fact that male sex work for female clients was so simply presented without drama or judgment. The male escort is kind of an incompetent and invasive, but at least it turned out alright.

I can't believe this is rated so low. Patriarchy at its worst again?

Arrival — The must-see of the year, even if you don't really like sci-fi — 10*/10

• Overall: Perfect. Very novel. A masterpiece by Denis Villeneuve.
• Who is it for? A must see. It's a sci-fi like you've never seen.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/
• Known actors: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.
• Style: Introspective realistic sci-fi, but it's so much more.
• Pacing: Amazing. This is one of its greatest strengths.
• Intro: Great, especially once you understand the ending.
• Story: Mostly tense with unreal or introspective moments incredibly done. It transports you somewhere completely different. The real world fades to something barely known and you live again. Plus, it has a very strong sentimental dimension to it. And the mood... the mood is incredible, thick enough to hack at with a machete and sharp enough to shave.
• Ending: Things get into focus and the film bloom. It's as if a beautiful butterfly would morph into something even more beautiful.
• Dialogs: Always full of meaning.
• Characters: This is not a character movie, so they barely have any importance. Except for the main one, the others are rather simple, but you don't get to spend enough time with any of them to notice, so everything is fine.
• Acting: Excellent. Can't ask for more.
• Visuals: Astounding. Masterful.
• Special Effects: Perfect.
• Camera Work: Riveting choices. Lots of thought went into it and it shows.
• Score: Very reminiscent of 2001. Not so much the score itself, I find it much better, but the way it is built and used.
• Afterthoughts: It's one of those movies that you never forget.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest — Great ending to this series — 8*/10

• Overall: This third and final installment is great and it helps validate the existence of the second chapter (read my review here) which felt too light, but still cannot best the first one (read my review here) which had an incredible mood and is a must see for everyone.
• Who is it for? Those who wants to know how it all ends. A must for the fans of the series.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343097/
• Known actors: Noomi Rapace.
• Style: Intrigue, criminal investigation, court case.
• Pacing: Slow and measured.
• Story: Great detective work and nice deep background. Excellent setup. Loved it all.
• Ending: Immensely satisfying, almost orgasmic. Finally.
• Epilogue: Necessary, if a bit weak or anticlimactic.
• Dialogs: Solid. Again, though, it's difficult to say with the subtitles.
• Characters: Well developed. The bad guys finally overcome the simplicity of the second chapter.
• Acting: Great.
• Visuals: More harmonious than the second chapter, but not as much as captivating as the original.
• Afterthoughts: Absolutely loved it, even on subsequent viewing.

The Girl Who Played with Fire — A much more personal tale — 8*/10

• Overall: Another great intrigue on a more personal level. Not as polished as the original (read my review here), but still amazing entertainment.
• Who is it for? A must for those who liked the first chapter. The others should start there, not here.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216487/
• Known actors: Noomi Rapace.
• Setting: A weird mix where you can't get hang on things, probably a good reflection of average Sweden. Lacks the polished and more holistic design of the first chapter.
• Style: Police intrigue.
• Pacing: A bit hectic, lacking the genius of the original.
• Story: The intrigue is fascinating, riveting, it is all you can ask of one. However, the rest is not as powerful as its predecessor.
• Ending: Painful and masterful.
• Dialogs: Interesting and well made, although it's always difficult to evaluate with subtitles.
• Characters: The bad guys are too simple.
• Acting: Great.
• Afterthoughts: I was riveted the first time I saw it, but even now it is still great.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — An intrigue of an impressive perfection — 10*/10

• Overall: A brain warper. It will transport you in its world with disarming ease.
• Who is it for? An absolute must for anyone who isn't too emotionally sensitive.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132620/
• Known actors: Noomi Rapace.
• Setting: Sweden.
• Style: Intrigue and investigation with strong psychological drama.
• Pacing: Slow, a perfect stew, right until its culmination.
• Intro: The setup is quick, everything is put into place right away.
• Story: Full of details and very psychological. The perfection of this film is in the way the intrigue develops. Each discovery is natural, realistic and very organic. It doesn't feel forced and each time it draws you in more until you're unable to move away, transfixed by the easy flow of events. The mood is absolutely entrancing. Perfect.
• Ending: Surprising, strong. Perfect.
• Epilogue: I normally hate epilogues, this one is so well done that it absolutely needs to be there.
• Dialogs: Great, although, with subtitles, it can be difficult to judge.
• Characters: Awe inspiring. Incredible depth, extremely well detailed and full of life, or the lack of it.
• Acting: Powerful. Hypnotic. Perfect.
• Visuals: Strong, slick, simple, perfect.
• Special Effects: 
• Camera Work: 
• Afterthoughts: Even knowing the intrigue, it's still amazing to watch. It's that good. Thoroughly entertained, especially on an intellectual level.

I recommend watching the second chapter too (read my review here).

Inferno — For the fans of the series only — 6*/10

• Overall: This third installment is the least interesting chapter (read my review of the first one here and the second one here). Director Ron Howard can do much better.
• Who is it for? Those who really need to see more of The Da Vinci Code world.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3062096/
• Known actors: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan and Ben Foster.
• Setting: History rich Europe.
• Style: Intrigue, with some suspense and a bit of action.
• Pacing: Awkward.
• Story: There is an intrigue which is interesting, some action, but what made the original so good, the historical background and the puzzles, just isn't really good.
• Ending: Mostly action based, which is weird for the type of flick.
• Dialogs: Interesting. Well made.
• Characters: Not that interesting or well built. It is the movie's biggest weakness.
• Acting: Beside Tom Hanks, the rest of the cast is adequate, but not more.
• Visuals: Nice.
• Special Effects: Adequate.
• Afterthoughts: I wasn't expecting much and I didn't get much. I had been disappointed by the second chapter and unfortunately this latest one isn't better, it's a notch down. Still, it is entertaining and I was happy to see Langdon once again. I'm just glad I didn't pay the full price.

Hot Fuzz — Silly, witty, hilarious action comedy — 9*/10

• Overall: You can't go wrong with this flick, it's tightly done and so funny.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for some witty silliness mixed with some nice action.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425112/
• Known actors: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent and Timothy Dalton.
• Cameos: Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Cate Blanchett, Steve Coogan and Peter Jackson.
• Setting: Sleepy country town, UK.
• Style: Silly caper with serious cop action.
• Pacing: Varies, lots of quiet moments cut with intrigue, some action and snappy repartee.
• Intro: Love it! You really a solid grip on the main character.
• Story: Its goal is to twist you around until you can't tell up from down, make you laugh with witty remarks and silly situations as well as captivate you with incongruous characters.
• Ending: Very surprising. Hilarious. Totally out of the left field.
• Epilogue: Nice and short. Well done.
• Dialogs: Witty, silly, funny, plenty.
• Characters: Lovable, quirky and well built.
• Acting: Great in a very silly way.
• Afterthoughts: Awesome entertainment. I highly recommend.

Vanilla Sky — A weird semi sci-fi that needs to be watched more than once — 8*/10

• Overall: It's the kind of movie which is better when watched the second time around, it's only then that it really gets as good as it should. Great one by director Cameron Crowe.
• Who is it for? Those who like mystery based on some science fiction, or those looking to explore a slow movie that will make you think in the end. 
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259711/
• Known actors: Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Jason Lee, Kurt Russell and Timothy Spall.
• Cameos: Tilda Swinton, Noah Taylor and Michael Shannon.
• Setting: Rich American upper class. 
• Style: Dramatic mind fuck.
• Pacing: Slow, really slow, but not show much as not to capture your interest. 
• Story: It's a look at youth, late 20s early 30s, its blindness and the long-term effects it can have on us and those we relate to. 
• Ending: Philosophical. 
• Dialogs: Almost schizophrenic, very intelligent and strongly emotional. 
• Characters: Stark and solid, realistic in their own way. 
• Acting: Amazing. 
• Visuals: Solid.
• Special Effects: Good. There are very few of them, but some are getting a bit old, although it's just at the end and they're still good.
• Afterthoughts: The first time around, I was disappointed by the ending, the second time, I was ready to spend the time thinking it through and pondering the ins and outs. 

The Accountant — Great entertainment with a solid mix of characters and action — 8*/10

• Overall: Much better than the preview let on. Solid action, great characters.
• Who is it for? Anyone who doesn't mind action and some violence, it doesn't contain anything graphic really.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2140479/
• Known actors: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal
• Cameos: Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow.
• Style: An invigorating yet calm mix of crime and super spy.
• Pacing: Excellent division between quiet, tense and adrenaline pumping.
• Intro: Seamless.
• Story: Very serious, cold and to the point. Lots of things aren't what they seem. Some surprises. Solid clockwork action. Nice little intrigue.
• Ending: Surprising. Funny.
• Epilogue: I would totally cut it, it ruins the great ending, even the movie itself. At least, I would cut it before you see him on the road.
• Dialogs: Precise and full of details.
• Characters: Well developed and nice depth for the most part. However, there are a few notable exceptions.
• Acting: Excellent.
• Visuals: Clean, sober and strong.
• Score: Solid, except the epilogue song, very weak and not appropriate.
• Afterthoughts: Surprised and really entertained. Loved my choice here.

The Girl on the Train — No more than an intrigue — 6*/10

• Overall: Solid intrigue, but mixed execution, at best.
• Who is it for? Only those looking for a good intrigue, others should abstain.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3631112/
• Known actors: Emily Blunt and Allison Janney.
• Cameos: Lisa Kudrow.
• Setting: Suburban upper class.
• Style: Investigation mystery based on infidelity and abusive relationships.
• Pacing: Awkward. Could not hold focus of the audience well enough.
• Story: Very interesting intrigue. Nicely dissected storyline. Uninspired backward story.
• Ending: Well done.
• Dialogs: Mixed result, at best.
• Characters: Way too simple, especially the male roles.
• Acting: Bad male acting, great female leads, especially for the main character, astounding.
• Visuals: Nice.
• Camera Work: Great.
• Afterthoughts: Could have been much better. Disappointed.

Morgan — A nice low key moody tense science-fiction film — 8*/10

• Overall: Interesting intrigue and suspense based sci-fi with a bit of action.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for some low-key but tense sci-fi just a bit of violence.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4520364/
• Known actors: Kate Mara, Michelle Yeoh and Paul Giamatti.
• Cameos: Brian Cox.
• Setting: Isolated research center deep in the wood.
• Style: Moody, tense sci-fi.
• Intro: A shock, then the long quiet. Slightly unsettling. You get into the mood right away.
• Story: The science-fiction part is intellectual, because there are no visible signs of it. The mood is tense throughout. You don't know what's what and who's who. There's a palpable intrigue, but it's sort of hidden. There's violence, sometimes action. It's very moody.
• Ending: Great. Surprising. Loved it.
• Epilogue: It makes the movie. Perfect.
• Dialogs: Realistic, intense.
• Characters: Each character is extremely well developed and with nice depth. If we could feel them as much as we do, there would be no movie or it would be really bad. More over, there's no real presence of archetypes. Very well done.
• Acting: Excellent. Across the board.
• Visuals: Beautiful, haunting.
• Afterthoughts: Very satisfied. I thought for a while just as the conclusion was getting underway that it would fall apart and lose the mood it had built all along, but no. Really nice.

Interestingly enough, this flick passes the Bechdel test.