9 MUSES OF STAR EMPIRE (****)

Spreading across the planet faster than the zombie apocalypse in "The Walking Dead", K-pop - Korean pop music - has, in recent years, become arguably the biggest phenomenon in music worldwide.  9 Muses of Star Empire, a documentary depicting a year in the life of burgeoning K-pop girl group 9 Muses, gives a fairly startling behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to try and put together a hit pop group in South Korea.  With various degrees of dedication - some members of the 9-girl group are wholly devoted to music, while others have little interest in it beyond seeing it as a stepping stone to modeling or acting - for those not dedicated, the grueling rehearsals and perfection demanded by their music company (Star Empire) result in tears, injury, illness, and depression for some.  Not to say the film is depressing, what it IS is revealing; you get a real feel for the pressure on these young people to make it to the top - and develop true compassion for those who fall down along the way, their ambition simply not strong enough to survive the struggle.  (not rated)

MONSTER HUNT (***)

(2015) In this depiction of ancient China, monsters have taken over the planet and co-exist with humans who stick to their own turf in a tense truce.  That is, until a movement breaks out to destroy all monsters and the pregnant monster queen becomes a target.  Her loyal subjects helping her, the queen tries an escape, and to save her child ends up implanting the baby into the body of a simple village man who - along with a female bounty hunter out for making a buck off the baby - goes on the run, in a fantasy film with both plenty of action and humor.  Monster Hunt has some great moments, and a REALLY cool finale (and quite funny; love the grandma!) of a battle, but overall (with the exception of the baby) I just didn't find the CGI monsters all that engaging, and the film felt a bit long to me.  Overall, yes, the monsters are really cool and/or cute, but if you're looking for some kind of E.T. or WALL-E emotional connection here, it just didn't happen for me.  Definitely worth a watch, though!  (not rated)

MONSTER HUNT trailer

PRIDE + PREJUDICE + ZOMBIES (***1/2)

(2016) May as well get this out first: I actually kind of liked this movie.  Having not read the book, or even seen any of the filmed versions of Jane Austen's classic ... either because of (or in spite of) that point, I simply watched this film seeking to be entertained with the insanity of it all - and yep, I was.  In this version, the five Bennet sisters are mercilessly trained zombie hunters, protecting home and loved ones from a growing zombie population that slowly seems to be taking over England.  When Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) meets intrepid zombie hunter Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley), the attraction is mutual even as she loathes him for his petulance and seeming lack of heart, while he sees her initially as a boastful female pretending to be tough but in need of protecting.  But even as Mrs Bennet is determined to marry off her daughters to wealthy and entitled men like Darcy, the more pressing problem of the growing hoard or the undead will force everyone involved toward a final, grisly battle.  Fun, goofy, and never taking itself seriously, while not the prefect film I think this will grow to become one of  my "guilty pleasures" I visit again and again. (rated PG-13)

SPECIAL FORCES (**)

(2014) Listed as 3rd World Cops on Netflix, this comedy from Chile stars two of that country's best-known TV comedy stars, here playing a couple of bumbling cops who make every wrong turn possible when trying to both solve crime and get ahead in law enforcement.  Corporal Salinas (Rodrigo Salinas), who accidentally got his partner killed years ago, is now living with his dead partner's mother, treating her like his own mom while clueless to the fact that she most obviously has the hots for him.  When the chubby Corporal Freire (Sergio Freire) comes aboard as his equally inept new partner, the two find themselves competing with the federal police crime to become super cops themselves.  The film has some cute moments but the lead characters are so incredibly clueless, their actions often come off much more annoying than endearing.  Or even funny.  (not rated)  

(Sorry, could not find a trailer either dubbed or subbed in English!)

THE GREAT HYPNOTIST (****1/2)

(2014) Xu Ruining (Zheng Xu) is a psychologist and lecturer in China, a local celebrity known for his innovative techniques in using hypnosis to treat his patients - particularly debunking those who see ghosts or spirits.  But when an older colleague refers a patient to Dr. Xu - a woman named Ren Xiaoyan (Karen Mok), who claims to see dead people - the smart but smug good doctor finds he's met his match in a patient who may actually be the real thing ... or could be his undoing.  Though much of the film covers the lengthy doctor-patient session that takes place in Xu's office, I was never bored or lost interest in the tennis-like battle between them.  As convincing as Ren's stories are Xu's arguments against them ... until things start to shift and slide and the viewer  begins to realize that maybe everything they're seeing is not as it seems.  I loved this film, did not see the various twists (including the final big one) coming at all, and in the end was left with tears in my eyes as the credits rolled.  Some might find the mostly-office setting a bit static for the film, but I stayed intrigued every moment - and it was so worth it! (not rated)

THE GREAT HYPNOTIST trailer

SHARKNADO 3: OH HELL NO! (*1/2)

(2015) The first Sharknado had its charms by playing it straight but keeping things tongue-in-cheek.  Sharknado 2 took itself way too seriously and was idiotic even by its own standards; near-total crap.  So welcome to Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, which features a bevy of right-wing celebrities that made the film even more annoying to watch, as Fin Shepard - after saving the life of the president of the United States (played oh-so-badly by Mark Cuban from "Shark Tank" - get it??) - heads down to Florida, where his pregnant wife and daughter lie in the path of ... not only a sharknado, but a series of sharknados threatening to come together to form - are you ready? - a sharkicane!  Oh yeah, sharks in space in this one too.  Yes, sharks in space.  Cameos from C-list stars, seriously bad acting and writing, and bad special effects all contribute to the third in a franchise that just isn't even fun to watch anymore.  Still, better than the second one.  And God help us, there's going to be a number four. (not rated/made-for-TV)

SHARKNADO 3: OH NO HELL! trailer

ZOOTOPIA (****1/2)

(2016) As if animated films haven't grown already, by leaps in bounds, in terms of style, look and quality, last year's Inside Out challenged the depths of emotion, story, even human psyche at a level most of us never would have thought were possible - all while remaining entertaining (and faithful) to children.  Zootopia - arguably one of the best films of the year - continues in that tradition with the story of Judy Hopps (perfectly voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), a country bunny determined to be the very first rabbit police officer in the big, wonderful city of Zootopia, over two hundred miles away - where all animals, predator and prey, live in harmony, and anyone can make their dreams come true.  Harsh reality hits when Judy makes it there, however, then is handed a missing otter case that turns into a major conspiracy, forcing her to join forces with a con artist fox named Nick (Jason Bateman) to get at the truth.  But neither bunny or fox knows what they're in for, and from here on - without getting preachy or seeming to force its message - Zootopia becomes a story of acceptance; of coming to embrace those different from you and realizing we all exist in this world together ... and will only continue to do so if we remain united.  A funny, visually stunning, heartfelt and ultimately important film that's ideal entertainment plus a brilliant life lesson, populated with a cast of animals more human than most people I deal with on a daily basis. (rated PG)

THE 5TH WAVE (***1/2)

(2016) The earth is under alien attack, and it's coming in waves.  First the huge ships overhead cut all power; engines, cell phones, all communications and transport gone as planes fall from the sky. Two: earthquakes and floods decimate the planet, killing more life.  Third: disease, which takes out the vast majority of whoever is left, leaving only those somehow immune.  When teenager Cassie Sullivan (Chloe Grace Moretz), having already lost her parents, is separated from her younger brother Sam, she makes her way to the military base where he and other young survivors are being trained to fight the alien force and take back the earth as the fourth wave - invasion - begins.  No huge surprises here - the "big reveal" of the film is easy to figure out early on  - but between the fresh-faced cast, cool special effects, and a fairly original premise, I enjoyed The 5th Wave like the best of the brainless but stylish alien B-movies of the '50s. (rated PG-13)

THE 5TH WAVE trailer

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (****)

(2016) There's only a very remote/ultimately confusing "connection" between this film and 2008's Cloverfield, so seeing one without having seen the other isn't an issue; this is, by no means, a sequel or extension of the first.  A young woman, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is in the process of leaving her husband when she's in a bad car accident.  Things get worse, though, when she wakes up with a badly injured leg that's chained to the wall of a dank basement room, part of an underground bunker owned by a guy named Howard (John Goodman), who may or may not be a nutjob who tells her he's just saved her from the end of the world outside his walls - whether by plague, pestilence or aliens he isn't sure.  To say anything more might spoil the tightly-wound, tense proceedings as both we and Michelle try to determine whether Howard is savior or psycho.  For what's essentially a three-character thriller set almost entirely in an underground bunker, 10 Cloverfield Lane manages to keep you guessing.  And damn, is John Goodman amazing in it. (rated PG-13) 

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE trailer

JOKER GAME (***)

(2015) Think "indie-budget Japanese Mission: Impossible" - though Joker Game, stylish spy film with its own quirky sense of humor, deserves a better moniker than that.  A young man in the military, barely saved in time from being executed after an incident with his commanding officer, is instead recruited for "D Klan".  Trained as a spy, he proves himself a quick learner and exceptionally skilled, so is given his first mission: retrieve vital information that could put Japan ahead in the weapons game.  Needless to say, nothing goes as planned - unlike the film, which in many ways plays out with the usual tropes of the spy genre to its fiery finish.  That said, the film's fight scenes and moments of suspense are very enjoyable, and Joker Game does benefit from a sense of humor as quirky as the film itself.  Though we've seen this film before, for the most part JG manages to remain engaging, fresh and fun on its own level. (unrated)

JOKER GAME trailer (in Japanese; sorry, could not find subtitled)

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)

I purposefully waited for the furor to die down - and for at least two weeks after seeing the film, so I could come back at it more objectively - before reviewing this one.  The Force Awakens is indeed better than any of the original trilogies' prequels, and revisiting characters like Luke (well, technically Luke is missing throughout the film, but you know what I mean), Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the most lovable droids in the galaxy was awesome-sauce.  Starting thirty years after Return of the Jedi, there is now a new evil - The First Order - determined to take over the galaxy, and only a scrappy, determined and rebellious loner with the heart of a fighter (Daisy Ridley), with the help of an eager companion of questionable ethics (John Boyega) and an older, battle-scarred sage who still has a lot of fight in him (Harrison Ford) can stop the dawn of the new evil in the form of an up-and-coming dark lord (Adam Driver).  Sound familiar?  Yeah, that's the set-up of the original Star Wars film, and indeed you'll feel a lot of familiarity with the plot (such as it is) here - but if you happen to LOVE that first film (and if not, why the HECK are you even watching this one??), it's all good.  And in the details there are enough differences (and really cool battle sequences) to keep things damned entertaining.  Maybe just a little hollowness - the film doesn't resonate as deeply as A New Hope by any means, the characters not yet as much like family as you felt Luke, Leia and Han to be in the first film (with the exception of BB-8, who you WILL fall in love with) - but The Force Awakens is the closest to right the series has gotten since Jedi.  Heck, it may even make you forget how much Lucas screwed things up with the prequels. (rated PG-13)  A-

EVERYTHING IS COPY (2015)

I've always had a fascination with writer/director Nora Ephron.  From the brilliant, important Silkwood to almost singlehandedly catapulting Meg Ryan to stardom via Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, Ephron was a pioneer who - at heart - most often wrote about love gone both good and bad.  This HBO documentary, co-directed and produced by Ephron's son (by famed Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein, her one-time husband) Jacob Bernstein, isn't so much a controversial tell-all but more of a loving tribute - maybe even a final goodbye - from son to mom that chronicles Ephron's growing up the daughter of semi-successful screenwriting parents, to her holding her own in both the entertainment industry and feminist movement.  Interviews with those her knew her (including many famous faces), usually conducted by Jacob himself, add color to an already colorful life and show that, regardless of anything else, Ephron was much-loved and will be hugely missed by those who blessed to have known her.  Nothing groundbreaking, but nicely done. (not rated)  B

SALUT D'AMOUR (2015)

A small town in South Korea has a chance at prosperity via a redevelopment project that would bring a lot more business to their local establishments.  It's a deal the entire town wants ... with the exception of 70-year-old Sun-chil, a grumpy old man working for the local supermarket who refuses to sell his home, allowing the deal to go through.  Even Sun-chil's boss, the head of the project, can't persuade the old guy; nor can threats, pleading, or trying to play on the old man's sympathies.  But when Sun-chil shows an interest in Geum-nim, the cute elderly lady who's just moved in across the road, his boss and the other local business owners all try to teach the him how to properly woo a woman again, hoping in his happiness he will at last relent and sell.  So much more is happening than what's on the surface in this comedy-drama, and even if you guess what's coming (as I did, a little more than halfway through), it won't spoil for you the revelations, or emotional impact of this beautiful, unpretentious and impactful romance. (not rated)  A-

PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY (2016)

Though a so-so fan of the TV series, I admit to being a huge fan of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and of the Pee-wee Herman character himself.  Twenty-six years after the series' end, Netflix brings Pee-wee back, in style, in Pee-wee's Big Holiday - and even as you notice the character has aged a bit, the film is still a wonderfully nostalgic, funny (sometimes hilarious) throwback to all that made Pee-wee Herman awesome in the first place.  The plot is overly simple: Magic Mike's Joe Manganiello, co-starring as himself, meets and becomes friends with Pee-wee before he talking the mild-mannered diner cook - who's never left his hometown - to break out and see the world by trekking to New York City for Joe's upcoming birthday party.  Never wanting to disappoint a friend, Pee-wee - despite his fears - sets out on an awesome journey that will introduce him to many colorful characters along the way (the snake farm and a trio of female criminals being only a couple of highlights), and may even see him .. tie the knot?  Nearly three decades after the height of his popularity, Pee-wee - God Bless him - is as fresh and funny as ever. (rated TV-PG)  A-

KRAMPUS (2015)

Kind of like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation meets A Nightmare on Elm Street, Krampus starts out a comedy about a rowdy dysfunctional family getting together for Christmas, middle-class family set upon by their blue collar relatives ... until young son Max (Emjay Anthony), frustrated with the loopy proceedings, unknowingly summons a demon - the anti-Santa Claus - whose arrival turns Max's neighborhood into a desolate blizzard wasteland, and every member of his family into targets in need of being taught a lesson.  Krampus works as both a funny comedy and a satisfyingly creepy horror film; only occasionally do the two not mesh well, for me most notably in an ending I felt could have been stronger.  But in the narrow field of Christmas horror films, this one works well on both levels - without the bucketloads of blood and gore found in so many others of its genre, and with a lot more laughs. (rated PG-13)  B

FREAKS OF NATURE (2015)

The town of Dillford, best known for its sandwich "The Riblet", is just your average small town.  Like anywhere else, in Dillford vampires are the cool residents (top of the pecking order), while zombies are the mindless, brain-eating bottom-feeders, and humans lie somewhere in between.  All factions generally get along, and even at his high school Dag (Nicholas Braun) walks the halls side by side with students from all walks of life ... none hotter than Lorelei (Vanessa Hudgens), who Dag pines for even though she only uses him to hide her weed.  Then the alien invasion happens, and suddenly the streets are rampant with rioting and violence, as humans blame vampires and vampires fight back and zombies go berserk when the brain food supply stops ... and residents of Dillford begin to disappear.  Now it's up to human Dag, vampire Petra (Mackenzie Davis) and zombie Ned (Josh Fadem) to band together to save the world.  While not the best or funniest of the horror-comedy genre, Freaks of Nature is insane and has moments of genius, with an awesome supporting cast of familiar faces to help out, as well. (rated R)  B

FREAKS OF NATURE Red-Band trailer (adult themes/language)

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN (2015)

Told through the eyes of Igor (a character not even featured in the original novel), Victor Frankenstein is an enjoyable, semi-lighthearted retelling of the legend of the good doctor (James McAvoy) directed by Paul McGuigan - director of a number of episodes of "Sherlock", which shows (positively, for me) in the look and feel of this film (not to mention Adam Scott and Louise Brealey - both of "Sherlock" - have supporting roles).  Here, Igor (a very good Daniel Radcliffe) is a hunchbacked clown who's only ever known the circus as his home, until rescued from his abused existence by med student Frankenstein when the doctor learns Igor's a self-studied medical genius.  Igor's knowledge, in fact, becomes essential to Victor's work, the two becoming friends and partners, even as Frankenstein's experiments grow into the arena of madness.  I enjoyed the chemistry between the two leads, and while the finale is a bit silly and convoluted, a la Van Helsing, overall (to me) the film was a fun period piece not worthy of the thrashing it got from critics. (rated PG-13)  B

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN trailer

BRIDGE OF SPIES (2015)

Jim Donovan (Tom Hanks) is an insurance lawyer during the Cold War in America when his firm urges him to be the defense counsel for accused Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance).  The trial is a joke, Abel already seen as guilty, and the best Donovan can do is wrangle a prison sentence for his client in exchange for the death penalty, citing the possibility of the USA being in need of the prisoner for some future exchange, should one of their own get caught in Russia.  Sure enough, when a U.S. pilot with dangerous secrets is captured in Russia, the CIA recruits no less than Donovan (as he's a private citizen with no ties to the U.S. government, per se) to oversee what turns into a rather complicated trade-off.  Hanks, Rylance, director Steven Spielberg, the entire cast in fact is terrific in this Cold War thriller ... yet as I watched it, I couldn't help feel I'd traveled this road (a lot) before; Hanks playing his one-man-against-the-odds do-gooder, as well as Spielberg's blueprint, A-Z telling of the story in a way that just feels ... "Spielbergian".  Well-made, suspenseful, and a great watch ... even if it all feels a bit too familiar. (rated PG-13)  B

SINISTER (2012)

Truth be known, I'd tried watching this film a few times, but within the first fifteen minutes it'd always freak me out.  Having now seen it ... Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is a true-crime writer whose first and best book was ten years ago.  His two books since have been plagued by claims of bad writing and irresponsible journalism, which is why - money running dry - he jumps at the chance to move (unbeknownst to his wife or kids), for a bargain, into the suburban home of the Stevenson family - four of the five of whom were recently murdered, hung from a tree in the backyard (the fifth, a child, disappeared that same night).  Stoked at finding the subject of his next bestseller, Ellison also finds gold via a box in his attic, containing a super 8 film projector along with innocently-labeled "home movies" that turn out to be actual filmed recordings, not only of the Stevenson's families execution, but those of other families (truly, these extremely real-looking, grainy and jumpy "home movies" are the most disturbing images of the film) .  As Ellis tracks down a connection, he also finds creepy things going on in the house, and with his family ... in one of the most legitimately scary horror films I have seen in some time.  A unique twist on the "found footage" film genre still so popular right now, Sinister - while having some requisite jump scares and a scene or two of "Okay, lets get on with it" exposition - also manages to really creep the snot out of you; it crawls under your skin and stays there, with unsettling images that hearken back to the kind of horror movies not seen much today: ones that cut away just prior to the most graphic parts, allowing your own brain to fill in images of what would be even more horrific for you.  It also has the perfect ending; one that, just as you're fully realizing what is actually going on, will smack you in the forehead like a rock.  Worthy of this extra-long review, Sinister is by far the best truly scary horror film I've seen in years - and unless you prefer your scares with buckets of gore, instead of getting your mind f*cked, you'll probably think so, too. (rated R)  A

(No trailer, sorry; what trailers I could find, I felt ruined a few surprises in the film - and Sinister is definitely a movie you want to go into knowing as little as possible!  Please search for a trailer on your own, if you like - but you've been warned!)

VACATION (2015)

A fan of the original - and not a fan of Ed Helms - made me prepared to hate this remake ... which means no one was more surprised than me when I found myself laughing pretty much all the way through it, even at the cruder, more stupid jokes.  Rusty Griswold (Helms) has grown up, with a beautiful wife (Christina Applegate) and two sons of his own.  He's a pilot with a mediocre commuter airline, growing stale in his routine, when he decides to mimic his father of long ago by taking the unwilling family on a drive 'cross-country to ... Walley World!  Nothing - repeat: NOTHING - goes right, often in a funny as hell way, and on their trip the family even manages a visit to Rusty's sister, where an eye-opening Chris Hemsworth shows he can be about as anti-Thor as possible, when called upon (cameos by Norman Reedus and Charlie Day, along with appearances by Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, help greatly).  Skyler Gisondo and especially Steele Stebbins are freaking hilarious as the Griswold boys, and as much as I hate to admit it, Vacation is a very funny, foul-mouthed guilty pleasure I will be visiting again.  And again. (rated R)  B

BOULEVARD (2014)

At 60, Nolan Mack (Robin Williams) is a steady guy.  He's been working the same job at a bank in Nashville for nearly 26 years, has been married even longer to the quietly intelligent Joy (Kathy Baker), and has built a comfortable life in suburbia.  Nolan doesn't rock the boat and seems happy, even as you notice cracks in the foundation (he and Joy sleep in separate rooms, he doesn't seem thrilled with the prospect of a job promotion).  Then one night, after visiting his ill father in a nursing home, Nolan drives down the same seedy, prostitute-lined street he's seen many times - and on impulse suddenly makes a u-turn, almost hitting a handsome young hustler, Leo (Roberto Aguire).  Boulevard is the story of a quiet, unassuming man who's never made waves, finally opening up to being gay after years of living a lie.  It's Robin Williams's final on-screen performance and he plays it with beautiful restraint, Nolan fighting to keep his life of normalcy even as it all begins to unravel.  Poignant, especially in light of Williams' suicide in 2014. (rated R)  A-

SUFFRAGETTE (2015)

Suffragette brings the progression of the women's rights movement in England into sharp focus via the very personal story of Maud Watts (the perfectly-cast Carey Mulligan), a wife and mother who toils long hours in a hot, dilapidated laundry under the watchful eye of her overbearing male bosses.  When the women's movement fires her up, Maud realizing just how important it is that those who come after her not live the kind of life she has, she soon becomes a genuine soldier for the cause, eventually putting her marriage, home and even her child's future in jeopardy.  Full of great performances and passion, Suffragette is a stark reminder of the way the world once was, that many of us alive now would find hard to believe ever even existed.  Though it came off a little "Hollywood-ized" for me and could have used more grittiness and less gloss, the film is nevertheless touching and important and at times heartbreaking, with a stellar cast; one of those movies everyone should see, to make sure our past is known so we're never doomed to repeat it. (rated PG-13)  B+

VAMPIRE (2011)

An odd indie film I'd been wanting to see because of Kevin Zegers, I knew going into this it wasn't about traditional "vampires"; Zegers plays biology teacher Simon Williams, who trolls an online site called Side by Cide to find young women looking to kill themselves.  Convincing them he will join them in a suicide pact, he instead kills the women by draining their blood into glass jars, to drink later, and is also part of a bizarre community who think of themselves as vampires (including a complete psycho named Renfield, who uses his "vampirism" to cover his even more sick tastes), that make him seem almost normal by comparison.  And let's not even get into the mother with Alzheimer's (Amanda Plummer), who spends her days harnessed to giant helium balloons, or the pretty suicidal blonde, Ladybird, who Simon develops feelings for ... Vampire is a unique, very slow-moving drama with the feel of a slow-burning Asian horror film.  Unsettling, weird and flawed enough to make for an intriguing watch ... if not something you'd exactly rush to see. (rated R)  C

VAMPIRE trailer

DOPE (2015)

Three best friends - Malcolm (Shameik Moore), Diggy (Kiersey Clemons), and Jib (Tony Revolori) - are high school geeks in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Inglewood, California.  They have a punk band together, are working to get into college, and spend every day just trying to survive living in The Bottoms ... when a chance invite Malcolm gets to a birthday party sends the trio of friends into an adventure involving the cops, college admission interviews, Bitcoins, guns, public urination, cheesy chili fries, a stoner who looks like Carrot Top, a backpack full of drugs, and more.  The trio heading the cast are absolutely terrific, especially an award-worthy Shameik Moore as Malcolm, and Tony Revolori following up The Grand Budapest Hotel proving he is so not a one-hit wonder.  Fresh, foul-mouthed, and laugh-out-loud funny, Dope is an insane indie comedy that's also one of my favorite films seen so far this year; the kind of film a more "urban" John Hughes would have made, were he coming up today. (rated R)  A

SICARIO (2015)

Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is a dedicated, idealistic FBI agent who loses a couple of her fellow officers in a Chandler, Arizona raid on a home that uncovers dozens of bodies buried within its walls.  Tough and good at her job, when offered the chance to be part of a special squad out to capture those responsible for what happened, Kate volunteers to help ... only to find she's part of a group comprised of those on both sides of the law who are determined to take down one of the biggest drug lords operating in any way they can.  Sicario is violent and full of scenes so tense you'll watch them without blinking or breathing, as it sickeningly portrays the dangers, destruction, and devastation of Mexico's border towns run by drug dealers (vastly helped in their heinous crimes by the corrupt state police).  While I found Kate a bit too idealistic - naive, even, in some ways - you can almost feel the events she witnesses stripping her of her innocence and naivety before your eyes ... as you may feel, yourself, via this powerful, moving film. (rated R)  A-

TWENTY (2015)

Leave it to the Koreans: even when they do a "raunchy" (raunchy by Korean standards, that is) buddy comedy, they still manage to instill the film with a touch of heart - and your eyes with a tear or two.  Womanizer Chi Ho, comic book artist Dong Woo, and kindhearted Kyung Je are all just twenty years old, suddenly realizing while the world is at their disposal, the time may be coming when they need to start looking at what they really want to do with their lives.  First on the agenda seems to be love - or, for handsome Chi Ho, getting laid; that is, until his rich parents try cracking down on him to get serious by cutting off his money.  Meanwhile, Dong Woo tries to pursue his dream by attending school to be an animation artist, and Kyung Je finds his career track in college changed when he meets a beauty who is also the smartest gal in school.  The film is low on plot, basically the story of three best friends trying to find their way and find love - at times silly and laugh-out-loud funny, but also with moments of heart and soul. (not rated)  B+

CAROL (2015)

Though I've never read Patricia Highsmith, I've become a fan of her themes of secrets, duality, and complexity through filmed versions of her work like The Talented Mr. Ripley and (a personal favorite) Strangers on a Train.  There is this feel, a mood, to the Oscar-nominated Carol as well - the story of a friendship struck up between a New York City department store clerk, Therese (Rooney Mara), and the beautiful, sophisticated Carol (Cate Blanchett) when she sells the older woman a toy train set for her daughter.  Said friendship, from start, is rife with sexual tension (the mutual attraction crackles on-screen), a potentially sticky situation as this is the 1950's and Carol - going through a separation/divorce - is a fiercely devoted mother expecting to retain custody of her beloved daughter.  Carol is a slow burn; a character study of a relationship that may more too slow for some, but for me was fairly fascinating thanks to the lead performances.  An intriguing and lyrical film. (rated R)  A-

SPOTLIGHT (2015)

Opening in 1976 with a short scene filled with dread (a portent of things to come), Spotlight then fast-forwards to 2001, when the tiny "Spotlight" division of the offices of The Boston Globe (a team that does long-term investigative journalism) is given the task of checking into allegations of sexual abuse committed by a priest.  What starts off as a rumble quickly turns to a roar, as the team uncovers more and more victims, survivors of abuse from priests all over the city - the state - even beyond.  Featuring a terrific ensemble cast led by Michael Keaton (including Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo), Spotlight details the investigation that would come to expose a major cover up by the Catholic Church, as well as open the doors to similar, criminal investigations around the world.  Pretty intense stuff, and more than once in the film I had to cry for what the victims had gone through, not just in the abuse but also in the taking away of their innocence and faith.  Based on the real-life Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation, and deserving of every accolade (and prize) it gets. (rated R)  A

CREED (2015)

Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) grew up fighting.  The illegitimate son of boxing legend Apollo Creed, who died before he was even born, Adonis also lost his mother at a young age, and learned to fight coming up via a series of foster homes and juvenile detention centers, until taken in by Apollo's widow and ultimately living a life of privilege in Los Angeles.  He grows up a good man yet still a fighter at heart; so much so, Adonis travels cross-country to Philadelphia to seek out former champion Rocky Balboa (an incredibly moving Sylvester Stallone), his father's friend and most stalwart opponent, to help him channel his anger into making him a first-class boxer in his own right.  Feeling a bit like an update of the original Rocky, Creed takes the similar, essential story, and gives it a fresh spin through the eyes of a complex young man battling demons both in an out of the ring.  An emotional, rousing film whose last ten minutes will have you on the edge of your seat, and make your spirits soar. (rated PG-13)  A

TRUMBO (2015)

I sat down to watch this film with a prejudiced mind; I have loved classic Hollywood movies since childhood, and the witch hunt that was the Hollywood blacklist, the "Red Scare" of the late 1940's through the 1950's, where some of the biggest names in the industry were singled out as potentially threatening members of the Communist party, was the beginning of the end for the careers of some of my all-time favorite actors (John Garfield comes to mind), who never fully recovered from having their reputations soiled.  Trumbo tells the story of famed, eccentric screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), who, along with a number of colleagues eventually labeled The Hollywood Ten, would refuse to name names, and ended up doing jail time for it.  Trumbo, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, would go on to create a cottage industry, writing scripts under various names (and recruiting fellow writers to do the same) - including the screenplays for Spartacus and Exodus - right under the very noses of Joseph McCarthy and his Republican cronies determined to make the U.S. live in fear.  Cranston is great, but the rest of the cast deserves equal mention, particularly Helen Mirren as the salacious and insatiable Hedda Hopper, and an extraordinary David James Elliott playing John Wayne, a major proponent of the Red Scare.  As someone calling himself a writer, and someone who reveres the days when Hollywood actually had "stars," for me this film was at various times rejuvenating, aggravating, eye-opening, horrific, touching, even amusing ... but always riveting.  While Cranston deserves his nomination, I think the film's strength rests just as much on its incredible cast, in a film everyone should see - particularly with the political climate in America today.  Frightening, the likenesses; more frightening is the realization, watching this, of how close we may be, as a nation, to repeating past mistakes ... if we don't remember the heinous roads they took us down before. (rated R)  A

BROOKLYN (2015)

Saoirse Ronan is beautiful as Ellis Lacey in this Oscar nominee, about a young Irish girl who emigrates to America in the 1950's in search of a better life.  Leaving her mother and older sister Rose behind, after a tough journey by sea Ellis lands in Brooklyn where, thanks to a local priest (Jim Broadbent) she's already set up with a department store job and a room in a strictly-run, all-female boarding house.  Though loneliness and homesickness nearly drive her back home, thanks to Father Flood Ellis she toughs it out, until things change when she meets a handsome Italian boy, Tony (Emory Cohen).  The two become close, Ellis finding happiness in the States at last, when urgent news from home calls her back to Ireland ... and away from the boy she's grown to love.  Ronan leads a fine cast in this wonderful romantic drama; no explosions, dire circumstances or melodrama here, this is simply Ellis's story; the tale of a young woman finding her way, her life, and first love in a whole new world. (rated PG-13)  A-

DUMBO (1941)

Still trying to catch up on the classic Disney animated films I haven't yet seen, I hope it won't sound sacrilegious to say I wasn't 100% into Dumbo.  Nothing to do with the look of the film (still love hand-drawn animation best, to this day), the characters, story, music, etc.; I just couldn't get past that weird pink elephants musical number, and frankly the story felt thin as broth.  Mrs. Jumbo, finally receiving her bundle from the stork, finds she's the mother of an adorable, blue-eyed baby elephant son ... who happens to have humongous ears.  Named Jumbo, the boy is soon re-christened "Dumbo" based on those ears, and when the taunting and teasing prove enough for Mrs. Jumbo, she takes matters into her own ... hooves? ... and is summarily locked up as a rogue elephant.  The film is about accepting yourself for who you are - finding the special gifts you have that only you can give to the world - and in that, the film scores big.  Just having that pink elephant number dropped into the middle of everything like a bad acid trip was ... unsettling, at best. (not rated)  B-

THE HEAVENLY BODY (1944)

Classic romantic comedy starring the venerable William Powell (one of my all-time favorites) as Bill Whitley, a world-renowned astronomer who's seemingly putting his work ahead of his beautiful wife of two years, Vicky (the breathtaking Hedy Lamarr).  The two keep opposite schedules, and Vicky's feeling the loneliness; so much so, when her neighbor suggests a trip to see an astrologer, Madame Sibyll, Vicky takes things a bit too much to heart when the woman's predictions start coming true ... and, in the long-term, Sibyll predicts Vicky will meet a hunk of a worldly man she's going to leave Bill for!  When said hunk, Lloyd (James Craig), shows up for real, it becomes astronomy versus astrology as Vicky sinks deeper into her beliefs and the frazzled Bill sets out to prove astrology is the bunk - but his love for his wife is not.  The chemistry between Powell and Lamarr is sweet, Lamarr's character sometimes frustrating in her unshakable beliefs but the comedy just warm and fuzzy and funny enough to enjoy like a fizzy champagne. (not rated)  B

THE HEAVENLY BODY (full movie)

DAAWAT-E-ISHQ (2014)

Gulla (Parineeti Chopra), beautiful and headstrong, knows what she wants and won't settle for less - particularly in terms of a husband or career.  When her heart is broken one time too many, she concocts a scheme in which she and her father will go to another part of the country, pretend to be wealthy, and use a matrimonial site to set Gulla up with a potential husband from a well-off family ... only later to take advantage of a law in India which forbids a family from demanding any form of a dowry, along with a bride, for their son to marry (though it's a law commonly broken).  Enter Taru (Aditya Roy Kapoor), a middle-class chef, running his family's restaurant, whom Gulla and her father decide to ensnare ... if the handsome, kind-hearted, lovable Taru doesn't ensnare Gulla first.  Even if you know where this romantic comedy-drama is going, the joy is in getting there via the very likable cast, energetic music, and an ending that still manages a surprise or two; even this cynic loved it! (not rated)  A-

SPECTRE (2015)

James Bond (Daniel Craig) goes rogue in this, the 24th outing of the unending franchise, when a message from the past sends him on a mission that will lead Bond to a final run-in with an organization powerful enough to - literally - control the world.  The pre-credits chase scene, shot in Mexico City, is a breathtaking thrill ride hearkening back to the older, better Bond films - as are other aspects of Spectre, one of the best being a Jaws-like villain in the form of the larger-than-life Dave Bautista.  As M and the 007 arm of British intelligence are shut down for good to make way for modern technology, Bond must work alone to connect the dots of his past in time to stop SPECTRE, the criminal organization of unlimited power that holds some deeply personal stakes for 007 himself.  Not quite Skyfall (though topping that film would be tough), but an action-packed, thrilling, and quite dark installment of the series that more than satisfies. (rated PG-13)  A