Les Visiteurs (The Visitors) by Jean-Marie Poiré, 1993 (R)

with Christian Clavier (Asterix and Obelix Meet Cleopatra), Jean Reno (Alex Cross, Margaret, Leon), Valérie Lemercier (Granny's Funeral - Adieu Berthe), Marie-Anne Chazel, Christian Bujeau, Isabelle Nanty (Asterix and Obelix Meet Cleopatra), Gérard Séty, Didier Pain, Jean-Paul Muel, Arielle Sémenoff

A senile sorcerer accidentally transports a medieval nobleman (Jean Reno) and his squire (Christian Clavier) to contemporary times. Afraid of getting stuck in the future for good, the nobleman enlists the aid of his descendant to find a way to send him back to the 12th century. Meanwhile, he tries to cope with the technological and cultural changes of the 20th century. An all-out assault on his former castle -- now a luxury hotel -- follows.

This movie is a classic, in France. It represents very much the classicism of some part of France, and the 90s. Watching it nowadays is like watching two periods of France, while back in the days it came out, it was the present, and in a way, it gets even funnier to remember the 90s. So, of course the cast is impeccably ridiculous, sometimes loud, but I think they managed to keep the flow of humor pretty constant over the film. Valérie Lemercier is excellent, her snob and politically correct attitude is hilarious. She is definitely the best part of the movie.

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Gravity by Alfonso Cuarón, 2013 (PG-13)

with Sandra Bullock (Two Weeks Notice, The Blind Side, The Heat, Miss Congeniality), George Clooney (The Descendants, Out of Sight, Up in the Air, Michael Clayton), Ed Harris (Man on a Ledge, Game Change), Orto Ignatiussen, Phaldut Sharma, Amy Warren
From the director of  Paris Je T'aime, Y Tu Mamá También, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Nominated for the Oscars 2014 for the following categories: Best Picture, Actress in a Leading Role, Cinematography, Directing, Music Original Score, Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects

GRAVITY, directed by Oscar nominee Alfonso Cuaron, stars Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone...

Totally worth in 3D... This is where to start. First because just like Hubble, the infinite and the very close work perfect for 3D. This is a technicality that needs to be mentioned first. Second, the beauty of the universe, and the violence of its silent nature, for a human being, with the mere fact that we are not supposed to survive in space. And the amazing performance of George Clooney but more even of Sandra Bullock. The movie is breathtaking (literally), doesn't go for our easy tears and easy scare, we all know how time and oxygen are running out, asteroids on schedule, humans disconnected, and in a way, this is why you are holding on as the characters are to the little chance they have to extend their life. For two hours, you are in Space, and this is pretty unbelievable but you believe it.

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Hitchcock by Sacha Gervasi, 2012 (PG-13)

with Anthony Hopkins (Thor, 360), Helen Mirren (The Debt, RED), Scarlett Johansson (We Brought a Zoo, The Avengers, Scoop, The Horse Whisperer), Danny Huston (You Don't Know Jack, Robin Hood, The Conspirator), Toni Collette (The Hours, Little Miss Sunshine), Michael Stuhlbarg (Hugo), Michael Wincott, Jessica Biel (Total Recall, Playing for keeps), James D'Arcy (Cloud Atlas), Ralph Macchio (My Cousin Vinny), Kurtwood Smith (RoboCop), Richard Portnow

Iconic filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock struggles with his marriage, the censors and the financiers of his 1960 film Psycho in this biopic. Driven to prove he still has an edge, Hitchcock crafts what would become one of the greatest thrillers of all time.

"The Girl" was to The Birds what "Hitchcock" is to Psycho, two different moments of Hitchcock life, and somehow a continuity. The interpretation of Helen Mirren is quite close to the interpretation of Imelda Staunton as Alma Reville, Both versions of Alfred Hitchcock are creepy. The only thing that changes is the perceptions of the actresses towards him, which in both movie are tough undeniably, but sort of forgiving in Hitchcock, while you pretty much think of Hitchcock as a serial killer in The Girl. Fascinating anyhow, because of the complexity of Hitchcock himself, but also as it describes the creation of a new genre, as well as the 1960s industry insider's look...

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The Company Men by John Wells, 2010 (R)

with Ben Affleck (Argo, To the Wonder), Kevin Costner (Man of Steel), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln, Hope Springs, MIB 1, MIB 2, MIB 3), Chris Cooper (The Horse Whisperer, The Company You Keep, American Beauty), Craig T. Nelson, Maria Bello (Payback, Thank You For Smoking, The Cooler, Beautiful Boy), Rosemarie DeWitt (Promised Land, Margaret, Rachel Getting Married, Your Sister's Sister), John Doman (Blue Valentine), Tonye Patano, Cady Huffman

Written, directed and produced by John Wells, this indie drama stars Ben Affleck as a successful businessman who comes face-to-face with America's downsizing epidemic when he loses his job and is forced to take a construction gig.

This movie has come in the context of 2009 crash. A year later, Margin Call was showing the other side of the coin. This one is more of a human picture of the consequences, with some smarter than others, some more optimistic, and of course, the ones that left aside crumble and fall. It is sad, it confront the idea of being rich and being valuable. Of course, it has a little fairy-talish, with a wishful ending, but the story is solid, and the acting is all natural and believable.

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Concussion by Stacie Passon, 2013 (R)

with Robin Weigert (The sessions), Maggie Siff (Michael Clayton), Johnathan Tchaikovsky, Ben Shenkman, Julie Fain Lawrence, Janel Moloney, Emily Kinney, Laila Robins

After a blow to the head, Abby decides she can't do it anymore. Her life just can't be only about the house, the kids and the wife. She needs more: she needs to be Eleanor.

This movie gave me mixed feeling. Abby's behavior change is somehow some much of a stretch, and her continuous face of sadness borderline tearful is confusing. The movie opens up to a theme that honestly I had never heard of, in a New York context which is so familiar to me that it created some sort of distance, and curiosity. Since it is more about showing the other women's journey than her own, you get to understand everyone else but her, which is definitely unusual, and not particularly positive. Quite unsettling...

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Captain Phillips by Paul Greengrass, 2013 (PG-13)

Nominated for the Oscars 2014 for the following categories: Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Writing Adapted Screenplay

with Tom Hanks (Cloud Atlas, Larry Crowne), Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Catherine Keener (Out of Sight, Please Give, Peace Love and Misunderstanding, Simone), John Magaro (Liberal Arts), Max Martini, Michael Chernus (Orange is the New Black, Jack & Diane), Christopher Stadulis, Chris Mulkey, David Warshofsky (Now You See Me), Omar Berdouni

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. Based on the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by Richard Phillips.

Perhaps the most interesting and unique thing about this movie, apart from the impeccable performance of Tom Hanks, is the balanced view point, achieving to make us like pretty much everyone in the movie. Everybody got their reasons, and everyone is heard. Also, the movie is not about fanciness, people are people, the boat is not personified, you feel that it is functional and modest, not trying to impress by any mean. The only perhaps fanciness you had to expect was from the SEALS, but aside from their skills and body, no one is trying to make them heroes, they are agents of change, precise, following orders. The commandant of the operation is a guy that eventually looks at himself in the mirror, human. The emotional tension throughout the movie is carried very well by the impeccable cast and editing, never forgetting how the human factor make the situations evolve, it is beautifully realistic, and the same way Phillips' emotions explode, in an irrational and universal way in the end, we get confused as well regarding how the outcome is somewhat positive. And that is the magic of this film.

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World War Z by Marc Forster, 2013 (PG13)

with Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life, Moneyball), Mireille Enos (The Killing), Daniella Kertesz, Eric Weston, David Morse (The Hurt Locker), James Badge Dale (The Grey, Shame, Flight, Iron Man 3), Elyes Gabel, David Andrews (Fair Game), Michiel Huisman, Julian Seager, Fana Mokoena, Pierfrancesco Favino, Peter Capaldi

A U.N. employee races against time and fate as he travels the world trying to stop the spread of a deadly zombie pandemic. As the undead hordes gain strength across the globe, governments topple and Earth stands on the brink of total social collapse.

From the director of Quantum of Solace, the Kite Runner...

I don't know how this guy, Swiss German director, did the stretch between finding Neverland, the Kite Runner and World War Z.

I haven't read the book, although all my dear gueeky friends loved it, and thought the movie was an awesome adaptation. All I could think about was Contagion, 28 days and The Happening. = Three quotes make the movie, the first is from a young doctor of MIT theory about nature, the doc from the lab, and some Brad Pitt line about ABM, always be moving... The overflow of human body is mesmerizing, with almost a soul of its own, the opening where you figure out at the same time as Brad Pitt what is going on... The rest has weakness, the perception of the UN, the countries, the politics, the humanitarian, it is all stereotypical and deranging...

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