Ted — Feels like a television show that morphs into romantic comedy then action-thriller — 7*/10

• Story: Funny, all the way through. Keeps your attention on. The way the bear evolves and how the world treats him is perfect.
• Characters: Well built, if simple. The bear is, of course, a genius idea and extremely well implemented.
• Dialogs: Hilarious, if you like the Seth MacFarlane style. It's a lot of words, crass, simple and very direct.
• Scenario: Well paced, if a bit of a mash up between styles. Gives you a bit of everything, but mainly comedy. Mostly very juvenile humor. The romantic plot elements are straight out of the Hollywood standard mold, which makes it a bit disappointing.
• Actors: Not a stretch for Mark Wahlberg or Mila Kunis who can both play much more complex characters. Seth MacFarlane is equal to himself, very funny. Giovanni Ribisi brings out the big loony-bin guns for some very special moments. Kudos to Patrick Stewart, Norah Jones and Tom Skerritt.
• Photography: Nothing special.
• Special effects: The bear is very well animated. It might not age well, but I'm sure it won't look too much out of place in the future.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637725/
• Who is it for? For those in need of some easy entertainment with a bit of everything, who don't mind crass humor, for stoner fans or MacFarlane fans.

The First Time — A cute touching teen flick to put a smile on your face — 7*/10

The First Time is nicely witty and funny. As opposed to a lot of teen movies, this one can be appreciated by anyone. Strong, cutting dialogs with interesting characters, if a tad stereotypical. The story is simple, but well told and entertaining. It easily captures the attention of the audience. Overall: it's cute.

Anytime, especially when you need to smile.
7*/10

Arthur Christmas — What you should watch with your kids this Holiday — 8*/10

Arthur Christmas is a bundle of fun. Sharp graphics, tight action, silliness aplenty, well developed characters, nice dialogs, interesting plot line, fast paced scenario, and, not to forget, a great explanation on how Santa does it all.

For some Holiday fun.
8*/10

How the Grinch Stole Christmas — An adorable depiction of a classic tale — 7*/10

How the Grinch Stole Christmas offers us a great performance by Jim Carrey. The story is goofy and well portrayed. The kids will love it and the adults will find it funny. The sentiments and morals are painted wide and difficult to miss, while some moments are touching, and others are totally silly. Overall it's great entertainment, just don't expect something delicate.

To put a smile on your face.
7*/10

Fred Claus — A slapstick Christmas comedy for all — 6*/10

Fred Claus is funny in a very goofy way and its story is very predictable. However, it can be touching and it has its moments. Paul Giamatti and Kevin Spacey both deliver a solid performance, especially considering the type of movie. Overall, it's a good Holiday flick, just beware the end, it is extremely sirupy, and the Brother Anonymous scene, it is really awkward.

Only if you're ready for the antics of Vince Vaughn.
6*/10

Miracle on 34th Street — You should definitively see it for Christmas — 6*/10

Miracle on 34th Street is a good modern version of the original. It's funny, light, touching and easily defends the myth without ruining it. It might not be a masterpiece, but it's nice entertainment.

For Holiday cheers.
6*/10

Dawn of the Dead — Your basic zombie epidemic — 7*/10

Dawn of the Dead is a good zombie movie and if that's what you're looking for you'll be entertained. Things happen fast, lots of action, not too gory, nice effects, and lots of thoughtful plot elements. However, it's a bit linear, predictable and it feels like there isn't much to chew on. It's nice, but only once.

For those hungry for a zombie flick.
7*/10

The Zero Theorem — The future is weird but humans will always be humans — 8*/10

The Zero Theorem is a difficult film to get into because its world is so confusing, it's so different that it's almost alien. At first setup seems somewhat too goofy, like it's a ridiculous parody of the future. However, once you get immersed, you get to really appreciate the situation the main character is in. The story and the scenario are very novel and each turns taken is a surprise. There's something deep hidden in the guts of this flick and paying attention doesn't seem to help, you have to let yourself float.

A must try.
8*/10

Syrup — Flawed but captivating in an unusual way — 6*/10

Syrup is an interesting movie. Its strength lies in the plot elements, particularly the end. It is captivating. However, there are some continuity problems and a few lower than expected actor performance in the secondary characters. I think the lack of cohesion might be due to the adaptation of the book.

For something different.
6*/10

Cougars Inc. — It depends what you're looking for — 5*/10

Cougars Inc. is simple the women gorgeous and some of the dialogs are very funny, but the sound take is horrible.

For minor entertainment if you can easily overlook shortcomings.
5*/10

Penguins of Madagascar — You'll have what you want but not as much as you desired — 6*/10

Penguins of Madagascar is funny and interesting. However they didn't stretch their creativity on this one. The penguins were the most interesting characters in the Madagascar movies, but instead of building on their funkiness, they tried to develop their personality. That flopped, except for their infancy. That was nicely done. The kids will probably like it, and any adults ready to turn their brains off might to.

For simple animated fun.
6*/10

Knights of Badassdom — Extremely geeky, yet fascinating — 6*/10

Knights of Badassdom is definitively a low budget movie, and it shows, yet it accurately recreates the RPG and LARP worlds to the point where aficionados will nod their head as they watch, because the acting is pretty good considering everything. It's a comedy slasher movie with a medieval geek twist. It's a lot of fun if you understand the culture. I wanted to give a better rating, but the special effects were just not good enough.

Mainly for role playing geeks to get their laugh on.
6*/10

Hamlet 2 — Crazy and totally fucking amazing laugh fest — 8*/10

Hamlet 2, once you're past the very awkward and ridiculous beginning, is a genius piece of comedy. Very few movies have been able to play into such a degree of silliness and yet have a realistic and compelling resonance with its audience. By the end, you'll see that it's much better than what you thought it would be, just keep your mind open.

Not for everyone, but if you haven't seen, you have to!
8*/10

Horrible Bosses 2 — You can enjoy more of the same — 6*/10

Horrible Bosses 2, the sequel to the original Horrible Bosses, is entertaining if nothing else and achieves pretty much the same effect as the first one. The humor and the characters are simple and funny in a very basic way. Don't expect too much and you'll be entertained.

For some easy laughs.
6*/10

Margin Call — You can feel the tsunami coming — 9*/10

Margin Call is what it might be like at the onset of the crash. The acting and the atmosphere are brilliantly simple and on the nose. The scenario has a nice pacing, the story is captivating, and the ending is perfect. You don't need big theatrics to underline major dramatic consequences.

For those who don't require action to enjoy a flick.
9*/10

Dredd — Cheap entertainment, but good entertainment — 7*/10

Dredd, in its latest incarnation, is a simple flick and it doesn't try to do more than entertain. The story is linear without getting boring, it veers away from trying to tackle a larger issue, and is very single minded, much like the hero. Excellent settings, you can almost taste the futuristic crass, solid acting and nice action, with only a few dubious special effects that are easily overlooked. One thing though I just have to comment on, those motorcycles: ugly ass pieces of garbage.

For a good action fix.
7*/10

Arthur Newman — Will vary depending on your tastes — 6*/10

Arthur Newman is a slow and uneventful flick. There's a bit of drama and intrigue coated with some good acting, but its real quality lies in the fact that it doesn't follow the conventional path of story writing.

If you want to see something different.
6*/10

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 — Barely worth the time — 6*/10

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 doesn't let what is happening sink in. It pushes the feelings down the throat of the audience which makes the whole experience very mechanic. The action is interesting, if sparse. The story bland and linear.

Only for those who really want to know what happens next.
6*/10

Goats — offbeat, slow moving, low key and plain different — 7*/10

Goats is a no story movie. You catch a youngster at some point in his life, follow him for a while and then drop him off at another non-defining moment. This film has integrity and realism in a offbeat kind of way. The characters are funky, but they are all with a certain level of grey instead of black and white, with inaptitudes of real persons. The acting is good and the scenario takes unusual turns, going most of the time against the grain of standard Hollywood hacking. However, it's low key, without much happening. It's to be appreciated for its novelty and its touch of silliness.

If you're looking for something different.
7*/10

Horloge Biologique — S'adresse à certaines personnes, sans plus — 6*/10

Horloge Biologique nous place dans une problématique opposant hommes et femmes dans le but de la procréation. Si l’on s'identifie à ces standards, c'est un film qui peut nous faire penser, sinon, on peut rire des personnages stéréotypés. Les jeux d'acteur sont bons, l'histoire est intéressante et le scénario a un bon rythme, mais sans plus.

Pour ceux qui veulent réfléchir à leur appartenance au standard.
6*/10

Québec-Montréal — Assez simple, mais riche en dénouements — 8*/10

Québec-Montréal découd une série de relations qui font le trajet entre ces deux pôles québécois. Vous rirez, vous serez embarrassés, et même surpris. Ce film ne vous laissera pas de marbre. Chacune des situations comporte son lot de remise en question et de positionnement, à moins que vous ne décidiez de prendre le tout au premier degré. À votre choix.

Pour rire et peut-être même cogiter.
8*/10

Killing Bono — Acceptable silly piece of independent art — 6*/10

Killing Bono is silly with a touch of pathetic sadness to it. You'll laugh and be captivated against your will, but, mainly, you'll give yourself more than a few face palms. It's low budget, but still interesting.

For those not looking for too much.
6*/10

Adult World — Hilarious, low budget. yet excellent — 7*/10

Adult World really defines what clueless means through its main character. It's disarming and totally hilarious how clueless she is, even though she's intelligent. She's just very isolated from any real strife. Realistic, utterly funny, with solid acting. The content is a little light, but it's totally entertaining.

For those who don't need a big budget production.
7*/10

Big Hero 6 — To add a splash of color, fun and action to your day — 8*/10

Big Hero 6 is colorful and imaginative. It's also very funny and entertaining with lots of action and a few touching moments. However, its story is a bit predictable, linear and takes many easy turns. Do not fear, though, the kids are going to love it and the adults are going to enjoy themselves. It will easily captivate your imagination, just make sure your expectations are set right before watching.

For the young at heart.
8*/10

Interstellar — A sublime masterpiece that will transport you — 10*/10

Interstellar is much better than the previews make us believe. Christopher Nolan proved once again that he is a master of his art. The IMAX price is more than worth it. A science-fiction film to cherish.

GO SEE IT.
10*/10

Familia — Une petite histoire de famille captivante et troublante — 8*/10

Familia touche des sujets assez durs, mais avec une certaine légèreté. Il y a peu à rire dans cette histoire et certaines scènes sont assez percutantes, mais la manière dont le tout est traité permet de voir ce film plus d'une fois et d'être touché.

Pas pour les âmes trop sensibles.
8*/10

Laggies — Light, funny and touching story about finding yourself — 7*/10

Laggies is certainly funny and somewhat imaginative. The love story is touching, the acting nice, and the characters brilliant. It might not be a master piece but it's great entertainment.

For something light and a bit different from the usual.
7*/10

Maps to the Stars — Self-centered people locked in the Hollywood clockwork — 8*/10

Maps to the Stars doesn't make it easy to understand the story and reveals it little by little. It's confusing at first, but becomes quickly engrossing. The plot is twisted and not just a little insane. The acting is great and the ending surprising, but it leaves you with a sense of something missing, as if it was too easy.

Well worth the watch if you don't mind psychotic.
8*/10

Nightcrawler — Brilliant, scary and completely demented — 9*/10

Nightcrawler is creepy and insane. At first, things just seem a little off with the main character, but as the story progress and you get completely drawn in, you get to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. It's a brilliant film on many aspects, but it's definitively not be for everybody.

For those who like psychological flick with some action.
9*/10

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) — Insanity can make a great story — 10*/10

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is crazy. Well, naturally, since it's about a man who is lost in his own mind. It's an intricate triple juxtaposition of the real life of the actor, his role in the movie and the part he plays in the Broadway play within the film. All around superb acting, great camera work, and captivating scenario. The drums might get on your nerves, but they set the beat beautifully.

For those who don't mind the unusual or the psychotic.
10*/10