JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (USA 2012) **
Directed by Brad Peyton

After the 2008 success of JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH, it is only reasonable that as sequel to be made to bank in on the good fortune of the original.  The 3D JOURNEY 2 is all right, but that is the best that can be said about this film so lazily made.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (UK 2011) *****
Directed by Lynne Ramsay

Controversial film based on a teen killing (Kevin kills several schoolmates in a locked gym) that received both boo’s at Cannes and rave reviews finds director Lynne Ramsay (RATCATCHER) in top form with a female’s point of view on a family disaster. 

LES NEIGES DU KILIMANDJARO (The Snows of Kilimanjaro)
(France 2011) ***1/2
Directed by Robert Guédiguian

Writer/director Robert Guédiguian and his wife, Arian Ascride, now both in their 50’s and both born and bred in Marseilles in the south of France have been making films together since the beginning of their time together.  The films are almost always set in their native Marseilles and so is their latest film, despite the film’s title.

CHRONICLE (USA 2012) ****
Directed by Josh Trank

Out of nowhere comes this solid debut of a movie called CHRONICLE.  The film earned an impressive 90% rating on rotten tomatoes (at the time of this writing) and has taken critics and audiences alike by storm.

BIG MIRACLE (USA 2012) ***
Directed by Ken Kwapis

BIG MIRACLE is a feel good save the whales nature drama as well as a romantic comedy.  The film is based on the 1989 book Freeing the Whales by Tom Rose, which covers the true 1988 international effort to rescue 3 gray whales trapped in ice near Point Barrow in Alaska.