Moonlight (2016) - 110 min

Moonlight is an American drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins.
Starring Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris & Mahershala Ali.
The film is divided into three chapters as 'Little', 'Chiron' & 'Black'. A 9 year old kid Chiron was taunted by his classmates and While hiding from them, Chiron meets Juan, a kind man. He takes chiron to his home and gives the young boy a place to stay. Juan and his girlfriend both ask him questions, but Chiron was not interested to talk.
The three stages of Chiron character were played by Hibbert, Sanders & Rhodes and to be frank it's a perfect casting from Jenkins. It's a film about emotions and a coming age story of a troubled boy. Ali's incredible performance takes the movie into a whole new level and Jenkins has no interest in making Ali's character the center attraction. Overall, the film is an entirely different portrait of young male adolescence and only those who has the patience can watch this beautiful film.
Verdict: Good

Cave (2016) - 85 min

Cave is a Norwegian Adventure thriller film directed by Henry Martin Dahl Bakken.
Starring Heidi Toini, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, Benjamin Helstad & Ingar Helge Gimle.
Three Norwegian friends Charlotte, Adrian and Viktor set out to explore a hidden cave which situated in a remote area. Charlie and Viktor used to be lovers and that doesn't work out. Now Charlie is dating Adrian. The trip was meant to be an adventurous one and what waits in the cave was not good for them.
First few minutes of the movie were a visual treat to any type of viewers. It's a fast paced story and the highlight of this film is the natural beauty. The cinematographer captures the scenery beautifully. The cave scenes were shot in Mexican caves. Overall, it's a claustrophobic thriller and a watchable flick for those who likes adventure trip movies.
Verdict: Mediocre

Frozen Land (2005) - 130 min

Frozen Land (Finnish: Paha maa) is a Finnish drama film directed by Aku Louhimies.
Starring Jasper Pääkkönen, Mikko Leppilampi, Pamela Tola, Petteri Summanen & Matleena Kuusniemi.
A school teacher gets fired from his school and he shows that frustration of getting fired to his son. His son buys a CD player from a shop using a fake 500 Euro note. Later, Shop owner finds out it's a fake note and he gives it to an innocent customer. Likewise a chain reaction started of bad luck to everyone.
The film is divided into 6 chapters 'Unemployment', 'Booze', 'The Axe', 'Family', 'Snowpile' and 'Police'. The interesting thing about the film is its all interconnected and without any loopholes Aku Louhimies presented it all wonderfully. The six chapters have different surrounding and entirely different emotions. The film starts slowly and gets interesting after the lazy start. Overall, it's a feel bad movie and lives of common people are ruined by unexpected circumstances.
Verdict: Good

In Order of Disappearance (2014) - 116 min

In Order of Disappearance (Norwegian: Kraftidioten) is a Norwegian black comedy action film directed by Hans Petter Moland.
Starring Stellan Skarsgård, Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen, Bruno Ganz, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen & Kristofer Hivju.
Nils is a snow plow driver keeping Norway’s mountain roads clear and he’s just named as ‘citizen of the year’. Unfortunately, Nils’s son dies as a result of the drug overdose. Refusing to believe his son was an addict, Nils starts his own investigation and discovers a local drug gang is behind the crime. Soon, Nils finds the killers and starts to pick one by one.
Each time a guy dies, there is an onscreen memorial in the name of the deceased person and symbol associated with them. Like always, Skarsgard's performance was excellent as Nils and the transformation of silent man to killer man was one of the best things about this killer movie. Overall, it's a nice revenge story with a slight touch of black humor makes it a must watch flick of Stellan Skarsgard.
Verdict: Good

The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) - 111 min

The Girl with All the Gifts is a British horror drama film directed by Colm McCarthy.
Starring Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close, Sennia Nanua & Anamaria Marinca.
Dr Caldwell is working in a military prison to find a cure for an infectious disease which turns human hosts into Zombies. In that prison, each cell contains an infected child and Melanie is the smartest of them all. If an ordinary human gets too close to them, they started to behave differently. Sgt Parks keeps them under locked room and in order to analysis their skills they have daily school lessons provided by teacher Miss Justineau. Dr Caroline Caldwell conducts her experiments on this childrens to find an antidote to the disease.
Sennia Nanua portraits the role of Melanie, as a newcomer she shows an immense amount of feelings in her role. Visually, Director McCarthy provides a sense of fear in some scenes and it's not that kind of a horror movie that can provide jump scares. On the positive side the film has a haunting music that pops up in some scenes was my favorite scenes. Zombie movies only work if it has new concepts to say, in that sense it works because this film tells the story of second generation zombies. Overall, it's a variety coming-of-age story from Colm McCarthy and a watchable survival thriller flick.
Verdict: Average

Under the Salt (2008) - 112 min

Under the Salt is a Mexican thriller film directed by Mario Muñoz.
Starring Humberto Zurita, Emilio Guerrero, Ricardo Polanco, Plutarco Haza, Irene Azuela & Moises Arizmendi.
The film opens with the discovery of a decomposed body of a young girl on a salt mine and it's not the first one. Similar disappearance and murder cases were handled by local sheriff Salazar and the killer is only targeting young girls. A series of similar murders leads Commander Trujillo to start an investigation and finds out the serial killer behind all this.
It's a straight forward movie with some fine acting and also has a number of beautiful shots. The soundtrack used for the film was very impressive and unimaginative script makes it less tense throughout the movie. The investigation scenes were the only thing that drives the movie and one of the drawback was it's ending, too easy to predict. Overall, The film takes time to build up the storyline and its a one time watchable for murder-mystery movie fans.
Verdict: Average

Lion (2016) - 158 min

Lion is an Australian drama film directed by Garth Davis.
Starring Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, Nicole Kidman, Abhishek Bharate, Divian Ladwa & Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
The incredible true story of a boy who was separated from his family in 1986 from Khandwa, India. Saroo is a five year old boy who lives with his mother and siblings. While searching for a job Saroo and his older brother gets separated and Saroo ends up on a train that takes him 1500 miles away from home.
The first half of the movie is fully shot in India and the language used in the first half is Hindi. Cinematographer Greig Frasier did a wonderful job in capturing all the frames. Sunny Pawar steals the first half of the movie as young Saroo. Also, the film has a surprise song from an old movie and it's hard to believe that Lion is the first feature film of Garth Davis. Both Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman deliver a strong performance and they handle the emotional scenes superbly. The story of the movie is split into different eras of Saroo's life and Davis story telling way actual helps to maintain the pace of the movie. The end credits of the movie have no words to say and to be frank, I don't know how to express my feelings at that point of time. Overall, it's a must watch and highly recommended to all movie lovers.
Verdict: Great

Allied (2016) - 124 min

Allied is an American romantic thriller film directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Starring Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris, Simon McBurney & Lizzy Caplan.
Max Vatan is a Canadian intelligence officer who pairs up with Mariann Beausejour a French Resistance Fighter in order to assassinate a German Ambassador. With the help of Marianne's contacts Max gets an invitation to the party where they plan to kill the German Ambassador.
As a director Robert Zemeckis once again focuses on characters' emotions and how they plays out. The pace of the film was lost in the middle scenes and somehow a twist keeps the movie alive from there onwards. The chemistry between Pitt and Cotillard was disappointing and As individuals, both did fine. Pitt was very good towards the end scenes and also he handles the emotional scenes superbly. On the other hand, Cotillard's facial expressions and body language will fascinates you without any doubt. Overall, It's a tense ride that actually works as a dramatic spy thriller.
Verdict: Average

Omar (2013) - 96 min

Omar is a Palestinian drama film directed by Hany Abu-Assad.
Starring Adam Bakri, Eyad Hourani, Samer Bisharat, Waleed Zuaiter & Leem Lubany.
Omar is a baker who climbs the separation wall to visit his lover Nadia. Omar and his childhood friends plots and executes the assassination of an Israeli guard. Unfortunately, Next day Omar was captured by Israeli authorities and later he made a pact with them in exchange for his release.
Betrayal is the main theme that discusses here and its after effects. It's an engaging thriller and Hany Abu-Assad's direction is very effective in every manner. The film offers some strong performances from each character and Adam Bakri, who portraits Omar role is the key factor of this movie. Leem Lubany as Nadia makes the love scenes more cute and innocent. The two chasing scenes that shot on Palestine streets were quite impressive and well staged too. Overall, It is an outstanding piece of cinema and highly recommended to all movie lovers.
Verdict: Good

Arrival (2016) - 116 min

Arrival is an American science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg & Tzi Ma.
12 alien ships arrived and settled in 12 different locations on earth. Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics professor and physicist Ian Donnelly were recruited by U.S military to make contact with the aliens and figure out why they're here. Louise, who stuck in past memories of her daughter has to find a way to solve this situation.
Eric Heisserer's screenplay is based on a short story by Ted Chiang titled 'Story of Your Life'. Denis Villeneuve, who is famous for Incendies and Prisoners is back with one of the best Sci-fi film of the year 2016. Both Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner provide a usual performance and making Amy as the center of attraction while leaving aliens most of the times. Overall, the film has an engaging plot and the scenes inside the alien ship was a masterpiece.
Verdict: Great

The Past (2013) - 130 min

The Past (French: Le Passé) is an Iranian drama film directed by Asghar Farhadi.
Starring Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, Pauline Burlet & Elyes Aguis.
After a four year separation, Ahmad returns to Paris from Tehran to finalize divorce from his French wife Marie. Marie has two daughters from her first marriage and now she is planning to get married for a third time. Ahmad stays in Marie's house and discovers her elder daughter Lucie is against to the marriage. Lucie is very good towards Ahmad and Marie expects Ahmad to talk to her in order to cool things.
Farhadi films have the ability to express the true nature of the common people and how they survive in a difficult situation. The way Farhadi tells the story makes it more interesting than it looks like. The casting of the film is also impressive and also director makes sure that small roles also make an impact on the story. Overall, The film has some unpredictable twists without any excessive dialogues and it's a beautiful movie to watch.
Verdict: Great

Manchester by the Sea (2016) - 137 min

Manchester by the Sea is an American drama film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan.
Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Gretchen Mol & Lucas Hedges.
Lee Chandler works as a handyman for a Boston apartment block and he is not friendly with customers. One morning he gets a call from the hospital that his older brother Joe died due to a heart disease. Lee returns to Manchester by the sea where he was born and raised in order to take care of his nephew Patrick.
The role of Cassey Affleck was meant for Matt Damon and due to some date clash Matt Damon drop the project. It doesn't matter now because Cassey Affleck delivers his career best performance in this movie and In an emotional roller coaster ride, Cassey also provides some comic moments. The flashback scenes actually take us into a whole new level.
Kenneth Lonergan's way of film making was quite impressive, Most of the time characters' body language tells the story and different types of soundtrack also help to express feelings that characters can't express themselves. Overall, it is highly recommended to those who like serious movies and One of the best drama movie that I have ever seen.
Verdict: Great

The Deep (2012) - 95 min

The Deep (Icelandic: Djúpið) is an Icelandic drama film directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
Starring Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Jóhann G. Jóhannsson, Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir, Theodór Júlíusson & María Sigurðardóttir.
Inspired by true events that occurred off Iceland’s volcanic Westman Islands in 1984. A 24 year old  fisherman Gulli and his crew goes for a fishing in a dangerous weather. Unfortunately, that night an accident happens and water started to enter the boat. The only way to survive is to swim which is impossible in that temperature and the freezing Ocean can kill a normal human in 20 minutes.
The visuals convey most of the things in this particular film and strongly presented a normal fishmen's lifestyle and his deep relationships. It is a tribute to Icelandic fishermen and also shows how difficult to survive in Iceland. Kormakur makes it a realistic one without using any special sound effects and CGI was not used in this film means they actually sank the boat. It was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards.
Verdict: Average

The Return (2003) - 105 min

The Return (Russian: Vozvrashcheniye) is a Russian drama film directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev.
Starring Vladimir Garin, Ivan Dobronravov, Konstantin Lavronenko & Natalia Vdovina.
Andrei and Ivan lives with their mother in a remoted area. After 12 years, One day their father shows up and they don't remember his face. Next morning, the father takes the boys for a road trip in order to understand each other and some secret business to do. Ivan, the younger boy was not very comfortable with his father and decides to ignore him.
The plot of the movie is very simple, but the impact it makes is unbearable. The script writers did a fabulous job in keeping the father's character a mystery that can haunt you throughout the movie. The film actually asks more questions than answers and it's up to us how we grasp it.
Visually, the film is stunning and Russia's landscapes were beautifully captured by the cinematographer. The climax will surprise you and a realistic performance given by three lead characters. Overall, it's a fascinating movie and had a mysterious atmosphere from the moment they start the road trip.
Verdict: Good

A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010) - 110 min

A Somewhat Gentle Man (Norwegian: En ganske snill mann) is a Norwegian comedy film directed by Hans Petter Moland.
Starring Stellan Skarsgård, Bjørn Floberg, Gard B. Eidsvold, Jorunn Kjellsby, Bjørn Sundquist & Jon Øigarden.
Recently released from jail after serving 12 years, Ulrik is looking for a job and a place to  live. Finally, he got a basement to stay and work as an auto mechanic. His old crime boss friend who paid Ulrik's wife and son while he was inside wants revenge now. He convinced Ulrik to kill the guy who put him in jail and set the scores even.
It's a character study of Ulrik and Stellan was outstanding as Ulrik. The film ends when Ulrik finally finds the motivation and inspiration to live and that motivation is the suspense factor that drives the whole movie. The film has a steady pace which is hard to find in comedy movies. The direction by Hans Petter is also needs appreciation to keep the story in the right way. Overall, Performance wise, it's a beautiful film and Stellan is one of my favorite actors.
Verdict: Good

Disorder (2015) - 98 min

Disorder (French: Maryland) is a French drama-thriller film directed by Alice Winocour.
Starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger, Paul Hamy, Zaïd Errougui-Demonsant & Percy Kemp.
Vincent is an ex-soldier who suffers from a stress disorder after returning from Afghanistan. While on vacation, he took part time jobs and one night he ends up as a security guard for a party conducted by Whalid. Anyway, it went all well and gets another offer of a 48 hour job to babysit Whalid's wife and her son. It was supposed to be an easy task for Vincent which was not going to happen anyway.
Winocour plays with our mind from the start and constantly underestimate Vincent's judgement. The film has a good ambience and ending is left to the viewer's imagination. Both Schoenaerts and Kruger looks good in their roles and Winocour approach to their chemistry was a little different though. Overall, It's a slow paced movie and watchable flick.
Verdict: Average

Not Safe for Work (2014) - 74 min

Not Safe for Work is an American thriller film directed by Joe Johnston.
Starring JJ Feild, Eloise Mumford, Max Minghella, Christian Clemenson & Tom Gallop.
After being fired from a law firm, Tom Miller leaves the building along with his colleagues, sees a non familiar guy with a briefcase. He followed him and finds out the mysterious guy is going to his firm office. While following him Tom notices that the mysterious guy is a hitman and tries to figure out why the man is there. A cat and mouse game starts when the hitman discovers Tom's presence.
It's a low budget thriller movie with a nice ending and I loved it. The direction is impressive and got a pretty decent acting too. It's a cat and mouse game that takes place in a building atmosphere. The film has a decent twist and also some predictable stuffs. A straight forward story that can easily fulfill thriller movie lovers and somehow it will fascinates you. Overall, It's a nice thriller that satisfies me in every manner and I really enjoyed it.
Verdict: Good

Inside (2007) - 82 min

Inside (French: À l'intérieur) is a French Slasher thriller film directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo.
Starring Aymen Saïdi, Béatrice Dalle, Alysson Paradis, Nathalie Roussel & Nicolas Duvauchelle.
The story opens with a car accident and pregnant Sarah is the only one who survived from that accident. Four months later she was all alone in her home on Christmas Eve and expecting to give birth in the next morning. A mysterious woman knocks on her door and she knows everything about Sarah. It's only a matter of time for the mysterious woman to find a way to get into Sarah's house.
Only adults can watch this movie and others, please avoid it. From the moment the mysterious woman enters the house the bloodshed starts and it never stops. Beatrice Dalle as the mysterious women truly nailed it and one of the best performances in a horror slasher flick. The entire setup of the movie is terrific and the story is straightforward and effects were within the limits. Overall, the film is frightening and intense and only those who can handle all these things can watch it.
Verdict: Average

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - 139 min

Hacksaw Ridge is a biographical war drama film directed by Mel Gibson.
Starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving & Vince Vaughn.
Based on the true story of combat medic Desmond Doss, who served as a US Army medic at Okinawa. Doss's father, Tom is still haunted by his World War I experience who beats up his wife and a complete failure as a father. Doss loves his country and wants to serve in World War II. Both Doss and his brother enlisted in the Army to fight in World War II. Desmond refuses to use rifles in training and decides to serve as an unarmed medic on the battlefield.
Director Mel Gibson is back with another spectacular war movie and one of the greatest battle scenes of recent years. This time Mel Gibson tells the story of a medic who saved many wounded soldiers in the brutal battlefield of Okinawa. Doss character is portrayed by Andrew Garfield and as an actor, he improved very much when compared with his previous works. Mel Gibson only concentrated on Doss character and his surroundings and completely neglect Japanese tactics. I can still feel the goosebumps that I had while watching the final hour battle scenes. The opening scene has a glimpse of what is going to happen later which was also impressive. Overall, I really enjoyed it and highly recommended too.
Verdict: Great

Patriots Day (2016) - 133 min

Patriots Day is an American drama action thriller film directed by Peter Berg.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J. K. Simmons & Michelle Monaghan.
Sgt. Tommy Saunders, a Boston cop is stationed at the finish line of the marathon race was handling all the situation very well until two explosions ruined the race causing multiple casualties and death. FBI and Boston officers start their investigation to find out who is behind this bombing and the only thing they has is video surveillance.
Mark Wahlberg's character is a fictional one created by the director to make the story more interesting. This is the third time Mark Wahlberg acting in Peter Berg's movie and like previous two this one is also based on a true story. The film has no cliche action scenes and after the blast, the film shows how fast law enforcement agencies work. Also the whole film looks like four layers to me first was building up each characters, second explosion and its outcome, third investigation and fourth Chasing. Overall, it's a must watch for those who like true stories and I really enjoyed it.
Verdict: Good

Dogtooth (2009) - 98 min

Country: Greece
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Cast: Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Angeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni & Christos Passalis.
Three young adults lived in a remote country estate with their parents has no access to the outside world. On the other hand their parents teach them false information and also convinced them not to leave their house. Their Father goes to work daily and the world of the three children is the world full of lies taught by their parents.
Christina is the only named character in this film hired by the father character to fulfill his sons sexual needs. The film is about parenting and it's disturbing from the start. Visuals and performances are the main thing that drives the movie and the film has lots of unexplained things going out there which is a mystery to viewers. Overall, Yorgos story telling way is different and it's not everyone's cup of tea.
Verdict: Good

La La Land (2016) - 128 min

La La Land is an American romantic musical drama film directed by Damien Chazelle.
Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt & J. K. Simmons.
It is the story of two dreamers Sebastian, a passionate jazz pianist whose ambition is to open a club of his own and Mia, a gifted aspiring actress who frequently goes to auditions and works in a coffee shop. All they need is an opportunity and things get better when cross each other.
The film opens with one of the best scenes that I have ever seen. Both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone did a wonderful job in portraying their roles and to be frank, I was surprised with their dance moves. The director has already shown his potential in Whiplash movie and this time he mixes the fantasy of success and struggle in reality. Also few scenes mentioning the classic movie Casablanca and also attempts to recall about the Hollywood's golden musical times.
Verdict: Great

Thesis (1996) - 125 min

Thesis is a Spanish thriller film directed by Alejandro Amenábar.
Starring Ana Torrent, Fele Martínez, Eduardo Noriega, Xabier Elorriaga & Miguel Picazo.
Angela, is a college student writing her thesis on audio/visual violence. Chema, a long haired boy tries to help her and he introduces her to his personal collection of violent videos. She also asked her professor's help to find videos, who have access to the university's private video library. Angela later finds him dead in his seat while watching one of these snuff films.
It's an engaging thriller and a nice exploration into the world of violent videos. The film has got some pretty good performances from the lead roles. The Amenabar's score really helps to build up the suspense with some fine piano based themes. Cinematographer Hans Burman did a brilliant job to make interior scenes look more intense, especially the boiler room scenes. Overall, it's a good suspense thriller movie and worth a shot.
Verdict: Good

Conducta (2014) - 108 min

Country: Cuba
Director: Ernesto Daranas
Cast: Armando Valdés Freire, Alina Rodríguez, Silvia Águila, Yuliet Cruz & Amaly Junco.
Chala, a schoolboy who raises pigeons and fight dogs for a living. His mother is an alcoholic and drug addicted, without a proper guidance Chala always end up in fights with other kids. The local social workers and school management decide to send Chala back to re-education school. Carmela, a respected teacher decides to fight against them and make sure Chala doesn't go to re-education school.
The film is extremely engaging and it's not about the Cuban educational system. The Child actors were outstanding and Daranas screenplay mainly focused on the daily lifestyle of Cuban peoples. The plot is simple and the relationship between Carmela and Chala makes it wonderful. Overall, it's a beautiful movie and shows how social and economic issues affect a child's life.
Verdict: Good

The Siege of Jadotville (2016) - 108 min

The Siege of Jadotville is a historical drama war film directed by Richie Smyth.
Starring Jamie Dornan, Mark Strong, Mikael Persbrandt, Jason O'Mara, Danny Sapani, Michael McElhatton & Guillaume Canet.
Commandant Pat Quinlan, an Irish soldier with no battle experience is selected to lead a UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo. He thought it would be a simple mission and they built their camp in an open place and it's easy for enemies to attack from every side, unfortunately they were attacked by the French, Belgian and Katangese troops. They held out for six days without losing a single man, killing 300 and wounding 1,000.
The film is based on actual events and the main intention of the movie was to pay due respect to the Irish soldiers those who participate in the battle. Dornan's performance and attacking sequences were my favorite things about the film. Visually, the battle scenes were impressive, especially the setups and cinematographer Nikolaus did a fine job in capturing all of it. Overall, it's a watchable movie with some fine actions.
Verdict: Average

Mustang (2015) - 95 min

Country: France
Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Cast: Güneş Şensoy, Doğa Doğuşlu, Elit İşcan, Tuğba Sunguroğlu & İlayda Akdoğan
After the class, Lale and her older sisters were playing on a beach with their male classmates. Unfortunately, a villager informs this to their grandmother and the family home turns into a prison situation. All their facilities to communicate with their friends are removed and the arrangements are started by their grandmother to marry them off, one by one.
This film shows the importance of freedom and also deals with the negative effect of patriarchy. The girls approach to this prison situation makes the film engaging. The film has got a violent response from Turkey people and the director and cast have been threatened by some people. The film was nominated for best foreign film in 88th Academy awards and the interesting thing is the nomination came from France. Overall, it's a well executed drama and highly recommended.
Verdict: Great

Tag (2015) - 85 min

Tag (Japanese: Riaru Onigokko) is a Japanese horror film directed by Sion Sono.
Starring Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano, Yuki Sakurai, Maryjun Takahashi & Sayaka Isoyama.
Mitsuko is on a bus with all her female classmates on their way to summer camp encounters a mysterious accident. Mitsuko is the only one survived from it and ends up back at school. At school, she meets Aki, her best friend and Mitsuko cannot remember anything and everyone presumes that she has experienced some kind of amnesia. Later, another massacre occurs and changes all equations of Mitsuko.
It's a girl's journey of survival filled with various obstacles and surprises. The best part of the movie is its opening scene and failed to keep that moment going. Technical wise the film actually works and mainly film deals with women's problem and how men treated them. Overall, it's a one time watchable and frankly the film actually disappoints me.
Verdict: Mediocre

Tangerines (2013) - 88 min

Country: Georgia
Director: Zaza Urushadze
Cast: Lembit Ulfsak, Elmo Nüganen, Mikheil Meskhi & Giorgi Nakashidze.
In 1992 during the conflict between Georgia and Abkhazia many Estonians leave their home, but Ivo and Margus stayed there in order to harvest the season's crop. After a shootout that happened in front of their homes between Chechen mercenaries and Georgian soldiers only two survived Ahmed, a Chechen mercenary and a young Georgian soldier Nika. Ivo takes the two enemies into his home and started nursing them in separate rooms.
What happens when you put two enemies under a single roof. The concept of the movie is very simple and visually it's a beautiful creation by Urashadze. The film has a very small cast with limited locations and most important thing about the film is the bonding between all the characters. The theme music used in the film is haunting and the ending scenes were outstanding, at the same time very touchy. Overall, It's a powerful movie and highly recommended to all.
Verdict: Great

Trance (2013) - 100 min

Trance is a British psychological thriller film directed by Danny Boyle.
Starring James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson & Danny Sapani.
Simon is an art auctioneer at a London auction house and also works for art thief Franck. Simon improvises the robbery conducted by Franck, who hits Simon in the skull and lost his memory of where he has hidden the painting. Franck hires a hypnotherapist, Dr Elizabeth to help Simon to recover his lost memory of the painting from his unconscious.
It's a psychological movie and like inception movie the main task of this film is to figure out whether the scene is a reality or not. Thanks to the scriptwriters for messing with my head and in the end all makes clear. I like the way film opens and also enjoyed the performance of Vincent Cassel. Overall, it's like a puzzle movie and the fun lies in solving it.
Verdict: Good

Tsotsi (2005) - 95 min

Tsotsi is a South African film directed by Gavin Hood.
Starring Presley Chweneyagae, Mothusi Magano, Kenneth Nkosi, Jerry Mofokeng & Terry Pheto.
Tsotsi is a criminal who robs money from people and one night while robbing a guy one of his gang member commits a crime. Boston, a friend of Tsotsi was against their behavior and after an argument Tsotsi beats him. On the way back to his home Tsotsi hijacks a car of an innocent woman. While driving the car he saw a baby lying in the back seat and that's when everything changes.
Tsotsi is considered as one of the best South African movie ever made and the only South African movie that has won Oscar for 'Best Foreign Language Picture'. Chweneyagae portraits the role of Tsotsi wonderfully and moreover it's a character study of Tsotsi. Overall, the film is beautifully shot and it has an eye-opening insight into the lives of people growing up in poverty.
Verdict: Good

Just Another Love Story (2007) - 100 min

Just Another Love Story (Danish: Kærlighed på film) is a Danish crime thriller film directed by Ole Bornedal.
Starring Anders W. Berthelsen, Rebecka Hemse, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Charlotte Fich & Dejan Čukić.
Jonas, a family man with a wife and two kids lead a normal life. Until the day his life takes a drastic turn when he is involved in an explosive car accident. Jonas visits the hospital to inquire about the stranger, Julia who survives the car crash but goes into coma. Her family misunderstood Jonas as Julia's boyfriend Sebastian. All are going well until one day some strange things started to happen.
The film follows a nonlinear narrative style and from the first scene onwards it's clear what's going to happen in the end and the only thing that matters here is how. The film has got a good pace which makes it interesting. Bornedal cleverly handles the story and flashback scenes to make the conclusion more beautiful. Overall, it's a good mystery thriller movie that can be a little complicated in the first few scenes.
Verdict: Good

On the Job (2013) - 115 min

Country: Philippines
Director: Erik Matti
Cast: Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Joel Torre & Joey Marquez.
Tatang and Daniel are two hitmen who got special arrangements in prison. They kill in daylight for powerful politicians and returned to their cells at night. After one brutal murder, police sergeant Acosta starts his investigation to find out the truth behind all these unsolved cases.
The film is based on actual events and prison inmates were used as traceless killers by politicians with the help of police officer's. Matti's thriller is driven by fully realized characters and also deals with political corruption and social matters. The film looks more realistic than what I anticipated from it and to be frank this Filipino movie got my attention from the first scene. Overall, I really enjoyed it and decide to watch more Filipino movies.
Verdict: Good

The Tunnel (2001) - 160 min

The Tunnel (German: Der Tunnel) is a German film directed by Roland Suso Richter.
Starring Heino Ferch, Nicolette Krebitz, Sebastian Koch, Alexandra Lara & Mehmet Kurtuluş.
Harry Melchior a national champion who previously served four years in prison escapes to the West Germany shortly after the Wall is completed. He's forced to leave behind his beloved sister Lotte. Harry rejoins his oldest friend, Matthis an engineer whose wife, Carola is in East Germany jail. They decide to make a 145-yard underground tunnel to getting their loved ones out of East Germany.
Director Roland Suso Richter nicely executed the emotional connection between each character and their capture or betrayal creates tension throughout. Cinematographer Martin Langer did a vital duty in this movie by capturing tunnel chases with flashlights and also making a claustrophobic environment. Overall, it's a very touching movie and this story has really happened in Berlin.
Verdict: Good

Jar City (2006) - 90 min

Jar City (Icelandic: Mýrin) is a Icelandic film directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
Starring Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir & Atli Rafn Sigurðsson.
An old man named Holberg was murdered in his basement apartment. After searching the whole room, a photograph of a child's grave was found and that child was Aude who died of a brain tumor in 1974 at the age of 6. Iceland Cop, Erlendur and his colleagues start an investigation to find what was the link between Holberg and the child who died three decades before.
The film has won many awards and this is the first time I am watching an Icelandic language movie. To be frank, it's an entirely different experience for me and the soundtrack used in the film was kind of Enigma style. The cinematography was haunting and aerial shots were my favorite. The film has a slight touch of creating tension and thriller atmosphere. Overall, it's a dark, realistic crime movie and watchable too.
Verdict: Average

Secret Reunion (2010) - 115 min

Secret Reunion (Korean: Uihyeongje) is a South Korean spy thriller film directed by Jang Hoon.
Starring Song Kang-ho, Kang Dong-won, Jeon Gook-hwan, Park Hyuk-kwon & Yoon Hee-seok.
North Korean agent Song Ji-won and a ruthless veteran assassin known as Shadow went to Seoul to take down a guy. At the same time South Korean special agents led by Lee Han-kyu arrive. Han-kyu catches a glimpse of the Song Ji-won,  but they escaped from that place. Six years later, Han-kyu, who was fired for his failure mission spots Ji-won.
Jang Hun shows real skill at directing the action, comedy and drama in this particular movie. The film opens with a thrilling sequence and the middle part of the film was to make the bond looks realistic of the lead characters. Song Kang-ho is engaging as ever as agent Lee and the fights are not up to the mark. Overall, it's a watchable spy thriller movie.
Verdict: Average

The Good Neighbor (2016) - 98 min

The Good Neighbor is an American thriller film directed by Kasra Farahani.
Starring James Caan, Logan Miller, Keir Gilchrist, Laura Innes & Edwin Hodge.
High school friends Sean and Ethan decide to conduct an experiment on their unfriendly neighbor Harold Grainey. They placed hidden cameras in the old man's home while he went out for shopping. After planting cameras and other devices around his house they plan to terrify him by creating the illusion that the house is haunted by supernatural power. Unfortunately the old man reacts to this whole thing in unexpected and dangerous ways.
The film shots in three different camera techniques POV shots, hidden camera shots and fixed shots. Apart from the camera tricks the film generates tension and suspense throughout the story. Another plus point of the movie is the solid performance from veteran actor James Caan with little dialogue. Overall, it's a watchable thriller and the ending credits reminds me of Korean style of ending.
Verdict: Average

The Kid with a Bike (2011) - 85 min

The Kid with a Bike (French: Le Gamin au vélo) is a drama film directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
Starring Thomas Doret, Cécile de France, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione & Egon Di Mateo.
Cyril lives in a children's home and he wants to connect with his father, but can't reach him by phone. He escaped from that home and went to his father's apartment. Cyril discovers that his dad moved out of his old place and his bike is also missing. A hairdresser helps him to find the bike and together they started to search for Cyril's father.
The film shows that how easily criminals can influence troubled kids to do dirty works. The director also discusses about how desperate children need their parental love and care. Thomas portraits the troubled kid nicely and the kindness role of Samantha that drives the whole movie equation was handled by Cécile de France. The film has got some heart touching moments. Overall, it's a beautiful drama movie and highly recommended for those who don't watch drama movies.
Verdict: Good

The Whole Truth (2016) - 92 min

The Whole Truth is an American thriller film directed by Courtney Hunt.
Starring Keanu Reeves, Renée Zellweger, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Gabriel Basso & Jim Belushi.
Richard Ramsay is the attorney defending Mike Lassiter in a murder case. Mike is accused of having murdered his abusive father, Boone and initially he  confesses to the crime. Since his arrest, Mike is not interested to talk including Ramsay. Ramsay has to come up with a solution to win this case.
The film opens with a courtroom scene and most of the film took place in the court. The interesting thing about the film is that everyone has something to hide and if they tells any lie on their testimony, the next scene will be a flashback which tells the true version. Overall, it's a Keanu Reeves show and a watchable courtroom drama.
Verdict: Average

Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016) - 105 min

Keeping Up with the Joneses is an American action comedy film directed by Greg Mottola.
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher & Gal Gadot.
Happily married couple Jeff and Karen Gaffney send their kids off to summer camp to have the house all to themselves for the first time in years. New neighbors who move in across the street Tim and Natalie Jones came to visit them. They seem too perfect  and Karen follows them and get the feeling that the Joneses may actually be spies.
The film has some solid names in the cast, unfortunately the script was not good for them. There are some mild laughs and To do some action scenes the director introduces the wonder woman. Overall, it's a time pass movie and there is nothing special to say about this movie.
Verdict: Mediocre

The Girl on the Train (2016) - 110 min

The Girl on the Train is an American mystery psychological thriller film directed by Tate Taylor.
Starring Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans & Allison Janney.
Rachel, an alcoholic divorcee always travels by train watches the ‘perfect couple’ Megan and Scott, who lives opposite to her ex-husband's home. She watches the couple daily from the window of her train and She’s even started to feel like she knows them. One day Megan disappears and Rachel starts to investigate about Megan's disappearance.
The trailer of this film was very impressive and started reading the novel next day. Like DA Vinci code, this movie also failed to impress me. The novel was very effective and it's better to read the novel than watching this film. Taylor struggles throughout the movie to string together the different narratives. Emily Blunt's performance as an alcoholic was not effective at all. Overall, I only recommend this movie for those who don't read novels.
Verdict: Mediocre

Ottaal (2014) - 80 min

Ottaal is a Malayalam film directed by Jayaraj.
Starring Ashanth K Sha, Kumarakom Vasudevan & Shine Tom Chacko.
It tells the story of a Eight-year-old Kuttappai who is raised by his grandfather, a fisherman in Kuttanad. Together they fish and raise ducks and later kuttappai was sent to town.
The movie, set in the scenic Kuttanad. Jayaraj, whose movies attract both the classes and the masses delivers a pure classic movie. The theme of the film is child labor. There is no need of popular actors to make a good film. This is a film made with a lot of passion and it’s a tale that’s realistic and touching. The film manages to reveal the devastation of child labor without actually having to show much of it in the film.
Verdict: Great