RED TAILS (USA 2012) *1/2
Directed by Anthony Hemingway

Executively produced by George Lucas with lots of special effects from his Light and Magic Company, RED TAILS, the film of mistreated black fighter pilots during WORLD WAR is gorgeously shot and handsome to look at but comes off as pure Hollywood rubbish.

THE IRON LADY (UK 2011) ***
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd

THE IRON LADY is not a very good movie, but it contains one of the best performances of the year – by Meryl Streep as Britain’s ex-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

A DANGEROUS METHOD (Canada/Germany 2011) **1/2
Directed by David Cronenberg

Director Cronenberg’s latest historic period drama, based on real-life events on Carl Jung (Michale Fassbender), Sigmund Freud (Viggo Moretensen) and a Russian mental patient, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) just skims the surface of psycho analysis and spends more emphasis on the over dramatic interactions of the three. 

THE SWELL SEASON (USA/Czech/Ireland 2011) **
Directed by Nick Augusrt-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis

THE SWELL SEASON is comprised of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the Irish folk duo the world fell in love with.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (USA 1991/2011) *****
Directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Troudsdale

The last Disney animated 3D re-issue of THE LION KING garnered the Studios over $100 million.  Hot on the heals of that success, the magical classic BEAUTY AND THE BEAST gets its makeover and should likely make a tidy profit for Disney Studios.