Gifted — If you're not looking for action you should see this — 8*/10

It's beautiful, touching with quite a bit of wit. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something sentimental. However, it does have two major flaws.

One, it pounds in the gimmick that love conquers all, which in real life never happens because it's not true. If it happens it's because of something else.

Two, in life, things are never this black or white. It's always gray. If you assume things are black or white and you see yourself as being the good person, automatically the other person is bad and nothing could ever be further from the truth.

Mckenna Grace (watch out for her in the future, she's going to be a great actress), Chris Evans, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate and Octavia Spencer.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4481414/

Table 19 — Easy to watch and enjoy comedy — 7*/10

It's a low-key kind of funny semi romantic flick. Well acted and with a few surprises even if it seems like it's playing an old tune. Last two scenes of the epilogue are very funny.

Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412528/

Julieta — Strong and extremely well done drama, but not for everyone — 8*/10

This is a technically strong movie by director Pedro Almodóvar with only one real drawback, it takes a long time to get into it. The mood is so involved, it is emotionally complex to connect to and difficult to relate to the characters.

Once you're in, though, you completely forget about the rest and just want to know the depth of it all.

Excellent. I highly recommend it to those with the patience to afford it.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4326444/

Hunt for the Wilderpeople — Simple yet very surprising — 8*/10

This is about life, about defining family, about freedom, but all done in a very light yet realistic tone. Follow their adventure and all the surprises that come before during and after it. This movie's most compelling points are the fact that it takes unexpected turns and how it can still be fun even considering everything that's happening.

It's a must try, even if it's not a blockbuster. You'll probably love it.

Sam Neill and Rhys Darby.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4698684/

Underworld — A good dark vampire versus werewolves action film — 7*/10

• Overall: This is the kind of flick that's easy to like and be entertained by. Lots of good things, few weak ones.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for some action, vampires or werewolves.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320691/
• Known actors: Kate Beckinsale, Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy.
• Style: Dark vampire-werewolf action.
• Pacing: Quite fast with a few pauses. Very good.
• Intro: Good. Narrated monologue.
• Story: Lots of action, a nice little intrigue, some betrayals, a few reversals and romance. Everything you need to keep things interesting.
• Ending: Abrupt. Although it had been going on for a little while, the finishing touch kind of comes too easily.
• Epilogue: Short. A few words, a few images. Just right.
• Dialogs: Simple, but interesting.
• Characters: Well built, with nice complexities, but without enough depth.
• Acting: Surprisingly solid, although there are two exceptions. The character of Kraven is overplayed, I think, and the one of Michael Corvin is played too weakly, you can't really feel him.
• Visuals: Love the dark look. Grimy for the werewolves, sleek and chic for the vampires.
• Special Effects: Great, but you can see a few minor imperfections, now. It used to be amazing.
• Costumes: Great.
• Afterthoughts: Although it has a lot of strengths, with the exception of one actor, this film actually feels as good as it could have been and I'm not sure why. I think it's a combination of that actor, the characters and the ending.

War Dogs — A very special experience that will probably captivate you — 8*/10

• Overall: Very interesting, unusual and entertaining.
• Who is it for? Those who like to see the dirty tricks of this world.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2005151/
• Known actors: Jonah Hill and Miles Teller.
• Setting: The seedy underbelly of the gun trade.
• Style: Dramatic character conflict and double-crossing business deals.
• Intro: Bad use of future events. It's an overused trick.
• Story: Very interesting ideas and you could really feel the sense of power. You easily get gripped and reeled in. However, the love story didn't feel real. There's also an overall sense of the pathetic which is kind of bizarre, but maybe that was the point.
• Ending: Nicely done. Unusual. Frank.
• Epilogue: Unexpected turn of events, but it feels a bit too good.
• Dialogs: Excellent. It is all about the dialogs and the narration.
• Characters: Well felt.
• Acting: Great, you could really feel what was happening.
• Visuals: Perfectly tied to the story.
• Score: Great.
• Afterthoughts: Mostly loved seeing it.

Casualties of War — A poignant war crime movie set in Vietnam — 8*/10

• Overall:  A great gripping dramatic movie by Brian De Palma that aged perfectly well. 
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for a drama or something about war. Highly recommended.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097027/
• Known actors: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, John Leguizamo, Ving Rhames and Dale Dye.
• Setting: The infamous Vietnam War.
• Style: Psychological meltdown. It's not about the fighting, but a narrow and dramatic set of its impacts.
• Pacing: Well divided in its basic parts.
• Intro: You really get a feeling for the original squad, and it quickly goes to shit, maybe a bit too quickly.
• Story: You can't help but feel the misery, anguish, and tension, even the psychosis, the unfolding events are causing.
• Ending: Solid.
• Dialogs: Great, but in some cases, when the main character is looking for meaning, they're not realistic and feel a bit scripted when viewed multiple times.
• Characters: You can really see what makes them tick. They're well built, even if some are a bit stereotypical.
• Acting: Mesmerizing.
• Score: Powerful and high flying.

Awake — Excellent intrigue and a nice simmering suspense — 8*/10

• Overall: It's not perfect, but the intrigue will easily get you going and the suspense will then pick up.
• Who is it for? Those looking for a nice intrigue with a bit of suspense. Nothing scary there.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211933/
• Known actors: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba and Terrence Howard.
• Cameos: Christopher McDonald.
• Setting: Very rich.
• Style: An intrigue that hides everything from you until each reveal.
• Pacing: A very nice crescendo.
• Intro: Pretty much straight to the point.
• Story: At first glance, it looks like a romance, but it turns into something else halfway through. Feels realistic. Nice tension. Good twists. First time around, you really get caught up in the intrigue.
• Ending: The last line is lame or badly delivered, I don't know, but it's really annoying.
• Characters: A bit simple, but you can really feel them.
• Acting: Nice performance on the part of everyone, but Hayden Christensen is probably showing the limit of his capabilities.

Aladdin — A classical animation that's hilarious — 8*/10

• Overall: The graphics date a little and it's purposefully riddled with anachronisms, but it's so funny and well done.
• Who is it for? Everyone. A must see. Children as well as adults who are not afraid of a little old-style animation and songs.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/
• Known actors: Robin Williams.
• Style: Old Disney. Unfortunately full of songs.
• Pacing: Great.
• Intro: Perfect. It totally draws you in with jokes and mystery.
• Story: Lots of very interesting development, action, laughter, plots and counter plots.
• Ending: Nice little twist how they finally trick him, but overall it's predictable.
• Dialogs: So fucking witty and funny.
• Characters: The genie and the bird are excellent. The others are rather simple, fitting their stereotypes.
• Acting: Beyond Belief for the genie and the bird. The others are good, if nothing extraordinary.
• Visuals: Beautiful, but their age is starting to show.
• Music: Solid, even if we could have done without the musical numbers. Truly catchy.

Concussion — The talent of Ridley Scott and Will Smith shining — 8*/10

• Story: Only the brilliance of Ridley Scott could possibly make it that interesting. The details are interesting and the technical aspects are done perfectly, but it is by no means thrill ride. There's a limit to what one can do with this story without distorting it.
• Setting: An incredible discovery of major importance for football and any other contact sport.
• Style: Like other historical or biographical flick, this one is simple and without any punch.
• Pacing: Solid.
• Dialogs: Excellent.
• Characters: You really get to know them well and they are well developed.
• Acting: I think this is one of the major reasons for this movie to be this good.
• Known actors: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Paul Reiser and Luke Wilson.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322364/
• Entertainment value: Very good.
• Who is it for? Scott and Smith fans or those looking for something quiet, yet relevant and are interesting in seeing this case with human faces.

L'auberge espagnole — Un mélange de vies drôle et captivant — 8*/10

Un joyeux mélange de vie et de relations qui nous amène à rire et à réfléchir. Tout arrive un peu n'importe comment, arrangé par la main bienveillante du scénariste. Les gens sont beaux, la vie est simple, mais tumultueuse. On se laisse porter, on est transporté, on est captivé. Certains plans au début sont louches, un vers la fin aussi, mais on s'en fout. Un film que tout un chacun devrait voir.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283900/

Moonwalkers — Totally hilarious crazy off the wall comedy — 8*/10

• Story: Right from the start a viewer should take its cue the band's lead signer. The movie will be like that all the way through. Lots of nice twists and change of roles. It's crazy, off the wall and totally hilarious. It doesn't pull any punches. I laughed out loud many times and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
• Style: It's a brilliant mix of a silly impossible comedy based on a conspiracy theory with an incredibly realistic sense of events, reactions and end results.
• Pacing: It stops and go multiple times. Every breather gives just enough of a pause for the audience to catch their breath but no more. Solid.
• Ending: Excellent, if slightly predictable which is easily forgivable given the quality of the rest.
• Dialogs: Amazing. Again, realistic in that crazy sense.
• Characters: By themselves, they make the movie. The rest makes it just stunning.
• Acting: Perfect.
• Known actors: Ron Perlman, Rupert Grint and Robert Sheehan.
• Music: Great.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2718440/
• Entertainment value: Very good. Much more if you like the style.
• Who is it for? It's not for everyone, but everyone should give it a try.

I did lower its overall value by a star because a number of people won't like it. It's just too incredibly out there for most viewer.

Jenny's Wedding — It's all about relationships and opening your eyes — 8*/10

• Story: A sweet story that's all about family relationships. A few laughs are in store with a few very touching tears. No catastrophic drama. No sex. And it's not really about lesbians. It's just a strong emotional story about opening your eyes and, ultimately, your heart.
• Style: Very realistic reactions. A touchy subject cut with a very subtle edge of humor.
• Pacing: Smooth and unhurried, but neither is it slow, it's just right.
• Ending: Not surprising, but extremely well done.
• Dialogs: Tightly constructed and filled with all the correct words making the dialogs solid if not exactly what we would be able to articulate while in the middle of the same situation.
• Characters: Nice depth to the two sisters and the parents. The others are much more shallow. It's a big contrast that fortunately doesn't create a real problem.
• Acting: Excellent for the most part.
• Known actors: Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson, Alexis Bledel and Sam McMurray.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3289712/
• Entertainment value: Solid.
• Who is it for? Those looking for a movie about emotional relationships or family ties.

10 Cloverfield Lane — A psychologically tense almost claustrophobic intrigue with a solid twist — 8*/10

• Story: The intro will solidly put you in. The psycho vibe will slowly immerse you. The intrigue will get you going. And finally, you'll probably have a nice smile to see the movie making a sharp turn and going in such a different direction.
• Setting: Very limited environment that gives a good sense of isolation.
• Style: Psychological.
• Pacing: This movie has one pace in the first part and a totally different one in the second.
• Ending: Great. It's just right. Almost perfect.
• Dialogs: Very well done. Realistic.
• Characters: Well thought out. Although you don't feel a lot of depth to them because of how little you get to know them, you know very well who each person his and how they play off each other.
• Acting: Solid. Absolutely no complaints there.
• Known actors: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Bradley Cooper.
• Visuals: Well done. Good details, especially in the bunker.
• Special Effects: Nice. Could have been better. However, we can easily understand that limitation since they were not the center piece.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179933/
• Entertainment value: Pretty solid, especially if you like the psycho vibe.
• Who is it for? Everybody should at least try this. It will be a hit with those who like psycho stuff, and don't mind the movie taking a pretty radical turn in style.

Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis — Hilarant et à découvrir — 8*/10

C'est hilarant et plein de beaux détails. Pas très innovant en ce qui concerne le déroulement de la relation amoureuse, toutefois, la ne réside pas le génie de pièce, mais plutôt dans ce monde à découvrir avec tous ses idiômes et les personnages autant attachants que drôles.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1064932/

Zootopia — Colorful philosophical animated action comedy — 8*/10

• Story: Captivating, very funny, some silliness, lots of action and an excellent critique on internal bias as well as prejudice, even nudity if done in an anatomically incorrect way. Somewhat linear, but still surprising at times. Solid succession of events with a bit of suspense and intrigue.
• Setting: Extremely colorful fantasy world with tons of thoroughly well designed details or quirks that make it all feel real.
• Ending: Good, but not as good as the rest of the flick.
• Characters: Very well built, and some archetypes are even put in unusual roles.
• Known actors: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Alan Tudyk and Kristen Bell.
• Cameos: Shakira and Peter Mansbridge.
• Visuals: Beautiful, almost gorgeous.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2948356/
• Entertainment value: Very high.
• Who is it for? Everyone, unless you don't like cartoony animals.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot — A serious kind of intellectual comedy in a conflict zone — 8*/10

• Story: Tight, funny imaginative and witty, with nice action for a comedy. Extremely positive women first flick. Will keep you riveted to the screen, that's how good the whole package is.
• Pacing: Really good roll all the way through. Nothing hectic, just some good rhythm.
• Ending: Very serious for a comedy, but solid.
• Dialogs: Perfect.
• Characters: Excellent work on all of them.
• Acting: Great.
• Known actors: Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3553442/
• Entertainment value: High.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for a witty laugh, not a silly one and who doesn't mind it getting serious.

Monsieur Lazhar — Touchant, simple et très bien monté — 8*/10

Ce film ne s'empêtre pas dans son histoire. Elle évolue lentement au gré de nos émotions. Touchant, aux émotions fortes sans être trop dramatique, on ne peut que regarder, absorber et réfléchir. Bien que le personnage principal soit adulte, ce sont les enfants qui sont les vraies étoiles de cette production. Bien que l'histoire d'immigration semble parfois secondaire, le film en vaut la peine. C'est beau et je le recommande à tous.


Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2011971/

The Little Death — Extraordinary in its simplicity — 8*/10

• Scenario: Well woven tales with an incredibly perfect ending. It starts awkward, prosaic, even a bit boring, but as the stories evolve and cross each other, finely crafted elements emerge making this a surprisingly solid film. The overarching themes are simple and by all means there is nothing really new to the whole scenario, but the quality is in the details and the small unusual twists. Not quite full on romantic, it's definitively about romantic relations.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2785032/
• Who is it for? I recommend it to everyone, unless you're not interested in seeing the grey areas in relationships, the little trials and uncertainties that often make a big mess and from which can romance or breakups emerge.

The Little Prince — A joy and a delight of animation — 8*/10

• Scenario: Touching, imaginative in its rendition and relationship to the that classic story. It will easily capture your attention and transport you straight to another world. A few tears, a laugh or two, and you won't want to come back. It's all subtleties and implicite philosophy. It's a big metaphor that you can explore as you watch the story unfold. At first, the presentation is a bit too easy and full of clichés, but as we progress, it shows us some welcomed depths. A very intellectual piece.
• Known actors: Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Jeff Bridges, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel, Benicio Del Toro, Paul Giamatti, Albert Brooks and Ricky Gervais.
• Visual & sound: Beautiful animation, with incredible depth in its simplicity.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754656/
• Who is it for? For anyone, except those looking for violent action.