Rust and Bone (2012, dir. Jacques Audiard) ****/****

"Rust and Bone" is a powerful film from Jacques Audiard, the director of 2009's "A Prophet".  Marion Cotillard plays Stephanie, an orca trainer at Marineland who tragically loses both her legs in a horrific accident on the job.  Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) plays a streetfighting tough guy with a 5-year old son.  One day before her accident, Stephanie meets Ali at a nightclub where he is a bouncer.  After she gets in a fight, Ali drives her home where he eventually gets her number.  After Stephanie loses her legs, she calls Ali and they start to see each other.  The relationship which they develop is the main focus of the story and its is a relationship that is heart-felt and genuine.  There are some powerful moments throughout the film as Stephanie slowly learns to deal with her new predicament and eventually the relationship becomes physical.  The performances from the two leads are spectacular.  Cotillard brings her character to life in a way that makes us feel for her difficulties and struggles.  Schoenaerts' Ali is a brutish, violent character but the actors performance is so good that he somehow makes us care about him.  This is a great film and should not be missed.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013, dir. Tommy Wirkola) **/****

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is a pretty brainless film with a lame screenplay.  You would think that Jeremy Renner could have made a better choice in his roles.  There is a lot of blood spilt in this film and its not the same kind of blood as Django Unchained:  it's cheesy.  The 3D effects are nothing to sneeze at and the film is pretty predictable.  I got the impression that Hansel and Gretel are not very good witch hunters because they spend a lot of their time getting their asses kicked.  It is only in the end with the help of a friendly, "good" witch and a giant troll that they are able to defeat the bitch witches and set the children free.  A forgettable film that you should probably wait for the video to see.  

Hitchcock (2012, dir. Sacha Gervasi) ***.5/****

Alfred Hitchcock was a man of unparalleled genius who went against the views of his time to direct works of unconventional talent that were both critically acclaimed and popular with audiences.  Hitchcock tells the story of the making of Psycho in 1960 and how his relationship with his wife Alma (Helen Mirren) helped to facilitate his creativity and many of his filmmaking decisions.  Anthony Hopkins brilliantly captures the essence of the famed director in all his idiosyncratic glory.  Film buffs and Hitchcock aficionados will undoubtedly enjoy the Hitch-lore and historical accuracy.  There are good supporting performances from Scarlet Johansson, Toni Colette and Jessica Biel.  It is an altogether enjoyable film to watch.

Dial M For Murder (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) ***/****

This is not the best of Hitchcock's films but it is still entertaining.  Grace Kelly plays the wife of an ex-tennis pro who plots to murder her via another man who he blackmails.  Things go awry and the murder in bungled, the husband must think on his feet and arrange an alibi to suit the unexpected outcome.  It is somewhat stagey - it is based on a play, but is still highly watchable and enjoyable.  Hitchcock would go on to direct Kelly in later, better films such as Rear Window.  The acting is good and there is considerable suspense.  All together, a worthwhile viewing experience.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012, dir. Kathryn Bigelow) ****/****

Like the Kennedy Assassination forty years previously, few people forget where they were when they first heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  More than 3000 innocent people lost their lives that day and it is permanently etched into the collective psyche of an entire generation.  The search for justice in the face of this incident is the premise of Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty.   Jessica Chastain plays Maya, a CIA operative who is given the responsibility of tracking down Osama Bin Laden.  There isn't one extraneous scene in the film and at two and a half hours it flies by.  After winning the best picture Oscar for The Hurt Locker four years ago, Bigelow is on a role and her direction is masterful and compelling.  Chastain's performance is incredible.  The final scenes in which the Navy SEALS team finally finds Bin Laden is breathtaking and heart-pounding.  2012 was a year of many great films and Zero Dark Thirty is one of them.

Rosemary's Baby (1968, dir. Roman Polanski) ****/****

Rosemary's Baby is a classic in the horror genre for the very reason that it takes the time to develop the characters before unleashing the horrific nature of the story on its viewers.  Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and her husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move into a new apartment in New York and soon meet their elderly and over-friendly neighbours.  Little does Rosemary know that a plot of witchcraft and satanism is simmering below the surface of her new life and that the neighbours and many others in her life are not who they appear to be.  Polanski expertly directs his first feature and shows that his sense of pacing is perfect for the development of the story.  The camera, free to roam around the apartment initially, soon frames Rosemary in claustrophobic close-ups as she and the viewer learns the nature of her predicament.  There is a sense of suspenseful frustration as we, the viewer, are the only ones who share with Rosemary the doom and foreboding atmosphere that is slowly closing in on her.  A classic in the horror genre and a fantastic film of the late 60's.

The Imposter (2012, dir. Bart Layton) ***.5/****

The Imposter is an intriguing documentary telling the story of a Frenchman who convinces a Texas family that he is the 16 year old boy who went missing 3 years previously.  It is expertly told by director Bart Layton using real-life interviews and recreations that seamlessly blend together.  It raises questions about how a family could be convinced that a 23-year old with a French accent could be accepted as 16 year old who went missing 3 years previously.  The boy supposedly turns up in Spain and the family is at first, very happy to have found him.  Slowly, the documentary unravels the long line of deceit that has been built up by the individual posing as their lost child.  It is a tragic, surprising, mysterious, and bewildering account of mistaken identity.  It offers no solutions but is highly entertaining.

Argo (2012, dir. Ben Affleck) ****/****

Ben Affleck's Argo demonstrates that great suspense can be mustered from a story in which we already know what will happen in the end.  It tells the story of the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979 in which six American's are successfully taken out of Iran by posing as a Canadian film crew.  Everything about Argo is top-notch.  Affleck's direction, the period detail, the acting, the script all make it a great film and one of the best of the year.  Even though you know from historical accounts that the Americans made it out, the film so expertly portrays their escape that the viewer is left breathless.  A must-see.

Gangster Squad (2013, dir. Ruben Fleischer) **.5/****

Gangster Squad is like a big glossy present with all the bells and whistles but in the end it doesn't amount to something with much soul or lasting impression.  It has great period detail and a stellar cast but you are left with a sense of let-down and longing for something more.  Sean Penn is Mickey Cohen a ruthless gangster who runs the city of L.A. in 1949.  A group of rogue cops get together and form the "gangster squad" of the title trying to bring him and his empire down.  There is a lot of violence and gunplay in this film but it offers nothing new or revelatory.  It just doesn't have very much depth to it and is all spectacle.  Its an adequate film but could never be considered great.

The Sessions (2012, dir. Ben Lewin) ****/****

The Sessions tells the tale of Mark O'Brien who, stricken with polio, is forced to live his life in a semi-paralyzed manner, frequently spending his time in an iron lung so he can breathe properly.  He is a virgin and has the desire to have sex.  That's where Helen Hunt's character, Cheryl, comes in.  She is "sex surrogate" providing the means by which O'Brien can become liberated.   Over a series of sessions Cheryl and Mark become sexually involved so Mark can know the joys of a sexual life.  Though by this brief plot description, it may seem like a sexually explicit, adult tale, it is actually a heart-warming, funny, well-acted and satisfying picture which has real heart and humanity.  The performances are top notch and it explores the institution of religion and how it can actually be quite tolerant in its outlook on sexuality.  William H. Macy plays a Catholic priest who O'Brien confides in and provides open-minded, sincere advice to him.  It is a great film and packs an emotional wallop.

Black Moon (1975, dir. Louis Malle) ***.5/****

I had the privilege of viewing Louis Malle's 1975 film, Black Moon yesterday and it had to be one of the strangest films I've seen in a while.  It is slightly reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.  A young girl is driving in a war-torn countryside and avoids being shot by a group of soldiers.  The war is seemingly between the sexes and she witnesses a firing squad where a group of women are gunned down by a group of armed men.  She manages to get away and soon finds herself on the grounds of an old mansion isolated from the rest of the world.  There isn't much of plot to this movie but a lot of weird things happen.  An old women is breast-fed by her daughter and the main character, little feral, naked children are constantly running around, and many of the animals around the household can talk including a unicorn.  The film is apparently about the sexual awakening of the young girl and there is a lot of dealing with the natural world which is very much alive and possesses and equality with humanity.  The film is reminiscent of a dream (at times a nightmare) and there is very little talking in it.  The communication is via touch most of the time and the sensation of touch is prominent theme throughout the film.  Truly bizarre but fascinating at the same time.

Where Do We Go Now? (2011, dir. Nadine Lebaki) ***/****

Where Do We Go Now? is a Lebanese French co-production that depicts life in a small village in Lebanon where there is groups of Christians and Muslims co-existing.  It has some funny moments and highly dramatic moments as well.  It is basically a sketch of small village values and beliefs and is highly critical of religious idealism and division.  There are musical numbers as well that are sparsely spread throughout the film that add colour and character to it.  There is nothing earth-shatteringly revelatory about it and it isn't the best film of the year.  But it is a good film and worth checking out.

The Queen of Versailles (2012, dir. Lauren Greenfield) ***.5/****

This documentary by Lauren Greenfield follows the lives of a billionaire family who are constructing a home, larger than the White House, based on Versailles.  The financial crisis takes its toll on the family and they must abandon the construction of the house.  The film details their struggle in an often humourous sometimes sad manner.  The film is a comment on the decadence of the privileged classes and how they take their riches for granted.  The film deals with the relationship between the various family members and how they deal with the stress of the financial crisis.  A great documentary and a fascinating look into the American dream and its negative side.

Django Unchained (2012, dir. Quentin Tarantino) ****/****

Django Unchained could be the best film I've seen in 2012 and that's saying a lot.  The violence, as typical with Tarantino, is excessive but suitable to the film.  Revenge is a typical theme is Tarantino pictures and it is prominent in Django.  Jamie Foxx plays the title character, a slave who is freed by a bounty hunter (Christopher Waltz).  They then team up and become a bounty hunting duo.  Django's ultimate goal is to free is enslaved wife from the plantation owned by Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).  It is a brutal tale and much bloodshed and death ensues and Tarantino is a master at creating visceral, cathartic experiences through his stylized violence.   At 2 hours and 45 minutes the film is long but not overlong.  Tarantino weaves brilliantly into his screenplay several set pieces that are exciting and heart-pounding.  This is among Tarantino's best and the year's best as well.