For My Father (PG) 7.0

For My Father (2008): A suicide bomber becomes dependent on the kindness of strangers when his explosives won't detonate, giving him time to meet some of the people he's targeting. (7.0)

Director: Dror Zahavi
Writers: Ido Dror, Jonatan Dror
Stars: Shredi Jabarin, Hili Yalon, Shlomo Vishinsky

The take home message is that there is more than meets the eye, and there is much in common between the two cultures. However, that seems to be a bit too feel-good and hopeful. There has been too much blood spilled in the name of each religion and there is so much animosity between the groups, I can't see this kind of ready trust being established in real life. The selected location of a run-down part of Israel is quite good for in terms of the story as well as for the cinematography to work. Acting is quite good. A couple of things that I couldn't get past while watching: the everyone Tarek comes into contact readily accepts his refusal to take off the jacket even when sleeping; his father's downfall in the eyes of the terrorists isn't fully explained. Yeah, makes you thinki about the story and its implications. But if the RL worked this way, there wouldn't be that conflict going on for this long, right? My Rating: 7.0

Looper (R) 7.5

Looper (2012): In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self. (7.6)

Director: Rian Johnson
Writer: Rian Johnson
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

You think, you can find flaws in any time-travel movie script, specially when the story has people meeting their former/future selves. In this one, you just have to suspend your own beliefs about what you think you know about time travel and enjoy the story for what it is. The audience is given a small, yet overriding, explanation that it is all fuzzy until things happen; sort of like many probabilities. Quite a unique story and unlike many modern science fiction, this movie's storyline is the kicker. Yes, there are guns, explosions, etc but that's not why the storytelling is good, it is the plot and how it is presented. Acting is quite good and  Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a decent job of presenting a young Bruce Willis. The camera-work is superb. This shows that you can have artsy shots in a sci-fi flick. My Rating: 7.5

Life of Pi (PG) 7.5

Life of Pi (2012): A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. (8.1)

Director: Ang Lee
Writers: Yann Martel (novel), David Magee (screenplay)
Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain

To me, this movie symbolizes how far the Hollywood movies have come. From early flicks like Laurence of Arabia where there were no women and everyone, including the Arabs, spoke in flawless American accent to a movie made by a Taiwanese director with a largely an Indian cast and a CGI tiger. I guess, we (whoever is meant by that 'we' for each of us) are no longer afraid of foreign accents. Fantastic story; and that's why we watch movies, to see and hear the story come alive right before our eyes. Great seamless use of live and CGI characters to tell the tale and make it alive. Nice acting, even by those who had minor parts (I even noticed the Indian head-wobble a couple of times). I do enjoy Irrfan Khan's subtle style of delivering the lines and emotions without over-acting the part. Nice ending; yeah, we like to believe what want to believe. My Rating: 7.5

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (PG) 7.0

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009): When Sid's attempt to adopt three dinosaur eggs gets him abducted by their real mother to an underground lost world, his friends attempt to rescue him. (7.0)

Directors: Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier
Writers: Peter Ackerman, Jason Carter Eaton
Stars: Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary

Look, it is the second sequel to a silly animated misadventure, and so, it is full of spoofs, laughs at its own expense, etc. You can see the jokes and punch lines coming a mile away, but they are still funny. And, I'm sure I missed quite a few spoofs of other movies, even other animations in the first watching. It is a nice movie if you are in the mood for such silliness, and who isn't once in a while. The animations are quite good and they kept the original cast, including Scrat, which is good. Enjoyed it. Will probably watch it again. My Rating: 7.0

John Dies at the End (R) 6.5

John Dies at the End (2012): A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return as no longer human. Can two college dropouts save humankind from this silent, otherworldly invasion? (6.4)

Director: Don Coscarelli
Writers: Don Coscarelli (screenplay), David Wong (story)
Stars: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti

A goofy, insanely weird thriller/horror movie for those who like that sort of things. You have to suspend normal movie watching attitudes and just go with the flow to enjoy this movie. To top it off, the story is not sequential and jumps all over the place as well. Still it is hilarious and boring at various places and just plain weird at others. There is no reason trying to explain it or analyze it further. One of those movies for killing time; or just to say that you've seen something like that. My Rating: 6.5

Going Postal (PG) 7.0

Going Postal (TV 2010): Based on Terry Pratchett's 33rd Discworld novel involves a skillful con artist Moist Von Lipwig who finds the tables turned and it's he himself who conned into becoming the Ankh-Morpork Postmaster General. A position that has not been filled in years. (7.6)

Director: Jon Jones
Writers: Richard Kurti / Bev Doyle (screenplay), Terry Pratchett (novel)
Stars: Richard Coyle, David Suchet, Claire Foy

I haven't read the Disk World novels so my impression of this made for tv movie is purely on its own. The story is quite hilarious at times and there are lots of parallels to our world. The sets, the costumes, etc are quite brilliant and they seem to have invested a lot of effort into making those clack towers. The acting is spot-on with each one sticking to his/her part. The villain could be a bit more menacing but he is after-all a parallel of a high-tech CEO. My Rating: 7.0

Little Chinese Seamstress (PG-13) 6.5

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002): Two youths sent for a Maoist "re-education" in the mountains fall in love with the village tailor's granddaughter. (7.1)

Director: Sijie Dai
Writers: Sijie Dai (novel), Sijie Dai (screenplay)
Stars: Xun Zhou, Ye Liu, Kun Chen

An "artsy" look at the cultural revolution and a glimpse of one re-education camp during Mao's time. It could perhaps be a nostalgic look back at the rural village life for those who have experienced or learned about it. The story is simple, yet heartwarming. The scenery is breathtaking and they've done nice work recreating the old village lifestyle. Yes, it does try to portray the value of classical literature and music over the communist re-education, but that is secondary to the simple love story involving the three teenagers. The humorous scenes seem to be bit silly at first, then again, these are about the simple folks in rural parts of the country. My Rating: 6.5

Bride Flight (R) 7.5

Bride Flight (2008): A romantic drama that charts the lives of three women from different backgrounds, forever changed when they emigrate to New Zealand as war brides. (6.9)

Director: Ben Sombogaart
Writer: Marieke van der Pol (screenplay)
Stars: Karina Smulders, Pleuni Touw, Anna Drijver

I didn't like Netflix's description of the movie; and I took the "other" meaning of the "flight" in the title. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally watched it. The movie, for me at least, is the look back from a funeral. (I can't help but wonder who will even turn up at my funeral; not many.) The way we the audience uncover various parts of the story is the best aspect, and the brilliance, of the storytelling. It really is how much people do care for one another and no matter how they turn out at the end, we are reminded that the memories are forever. The chemistry between the actors is superb and the three leading ladies play their parts exquisitely. The period scenes and clothing etc add to the drama. The hesitations, the second thoughts, etc are projected into the audience quite nicely. My Rating: 7.5

Hugo (PG-13) 7.5

Hugo (2011): Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. (7.6)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: John Logan (screenplay), Brian Selznick (book)
Stars: Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz

Even if I didn't see this movie in 3D, I still find it very beautiful. This is, as many have said elsewhere, a tribute to the early years of movie making and specifically to Georges Méliès. The way in which the history is brought back to life is the wonderful aspect of the movie; letting the viewer discover the story along with the main character. Acting by the two young actors, alongside the veteran Ben Kingsley, is superb. The cinematography and the sound are what carries it onto the next level. It is also good to hear that Scorsese enjoyed working in the 3D medium. My Rating: 7.5

Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13) 7.5

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012): An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world. (8.1)

Director: Stephen Chbosky
Writers: Stephen Chbosky (screenplay), Stephen Chbosky (book)
Stars: Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, Emma Watson, Paul Rudd

Perhaps, a little too much glorification of the partying and clique-ish atmosphere in the high schools, but the story walks through quite a lot of, shall we say, sensitive issues for teenagers. Among them are homosexuality, mental illness, coping with suicides, sexual abuse, etc. The book is probably better than the movie as we are left to understand some of the things on our own with bits and pieces pictures/clips, so it is easy to miss some complexities of the storyline in the movie. While the larger message of the story is that those who are different aren't alone, and it gets better, I can see how some people, specially those who are in that age range, walking away thinking "hell, I'm not doing even 10% of the seemingly 'fun stuff' those kids are doing." The acting is quite good. Emma Watson, as she does in the Harry Potter movies, goes on the bit of over-acting roll, but that's okay, after all she's playing the part of a teen. My Rating: 7.5

Trainspotting (R) 7.5

Trainspotting (1996): Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends. (8.2)

Director: Danny Boyle
Writers: Irvine Welsh (novel), John Hodge (screenplay)
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to laugh with them, laugh at them or be sad along with them about the lives of the characters in this cult-classic movie. In one sense, you think that it hypes up the drug use, but in a deeper level it shows how the heroin culture has pulled the user into the dark abyss. The dialog is, to use an English term, spot-on. If I remember correctly, Ewan McGregor got himself a pretty good boost after this movie came out. The most hilarious scene for me was when they define how rotten it is to be Scottish. My Rating: 7.5

12 Angry Men (PG) 7.0

12 Angry Men (1957): A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court. (8.9)

Director: Sidney Lumet
Writer: Reginald Rose (story)
Stars: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb

The problem I have with this movie is the same one I have with most of the old movies--I can't put myself in the situation. I am to believe that the actors do act like how period folks behaved; to me that seems so pretentious and phony. They look so alien to me. The story itself is about 12 white guys collectively, and eventually, saving "one of those people" who also happened to be another (poor) white guy, when we know in that same time period, a much larger explosive situation was taking place in the society. Yeah, so I'm not so impressed with this movie like most other people seem to be. Yes, the acting is good and the camera-work, given that it is in a single narrow room, is superb. Perhaps, I expected too much. My Rating: 7.0

In a Better World (R) 7.0

In a Better World (2010) "Hævnen" (The Revenge): The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait. (7.6)

Director: Susanne Bier
Writers: Anders Thomas Jensen, Susanne Bier
Stars: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen
Language: Danish (w/ English subtitles)

The English title is a misnomer; better if they had kept the literal translation from Danish: "The Revenge." The movie contains multiple stories, inter-twined with each other, that have varying degrees of one person doing bad things to another and their consequences. How the person who suffers, mostly mental trauma and hurt, reacts is the key to the unraveling of the events. I must admit that after learning its original title, I'm looking at it with a different perspective. To me, "In a Better World" is preachy and carries a different connotation. The story is complex and has many lines, but the sequential presentation makes it easy to follow. The acting is very good, specially by the young actors. Liked the wide-angle shots of various scenes. Good drama, for a thinking person. My Rating: 7.0

Under the Salt (R) 7.5

Under the Salt (2008) "Bajo la sal" (original title): When he arrives at a village near a remote salt mine to solve a string of grim murders, Detective Comandante Trujillo turns his investigation toward a troubled youth who works in a funeral parlor. (6.7)

Director: Mario Muñoz
Writers: Angel Pulido, Mario Muñoz
Stars: Humberto Zurita, Plutarco Haza, Emilio Guerrero
Language: Spanish (w/ English subtitles)

A murder mystery with more than a few twists. Yes, movies from Mexico seem to show move blood and gore than your average Hollywood equivalents, but it is quite appropriate here. The selection of the location, the sets, the use of lighting and the good camera angels all add up to a fabulous cinematography work. The story within is the stop-motion animation that the young man is doing, and that is also done with great care and skill. Even the effort put into the credits show that this indeed is not just a movie, but a labor of love. The acting is quite good; some of them look a bit stiff, but they are supposed to be like that for the part. And, the story itself is quite interesting and keeps you guessing all the way through. I'd say worth a look. My Rating: 7.5

Beasts of the Southern Wild (PG-13) 8.0

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012): Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love. (7.3)

Director: Benh Zeitlin
Writers: Lucy Alibar / Benh Zeitlin (screenplay), Lucy Alibar (stage play "Juicy and Delicious")
Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly

The movie is a mix a small part fantasy about prehistoric beasts and a documentary style story about the Louisiana bayou living. The poor folks who live somewhat off-grid life in the flood prone area are the people of the earth and their story comes out with all the joy and all the faults in-tact in this wonderful story-telling. The standout actor, obviously, is Wallis with the portrayal of Hushpuppy. She is so good in that role, you'd think this is a documentary. We watch movies for the great stories and to be wowed by them. And, this is one of those movies that you'd not only enjoy while watching it, but also remember sometime later and take pleasure in the memory of it. My Rating: 8.0