TOWER HEIST (USA 2011) ****
Directed by Brett Ratner

The plot of what happens to the employees of a luxury Central Park condominium could be taken right out of today’s headlines.  Penthouse billionaire, Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) has zipped them all of their life saving investments.  The only difference is that here, the employees get their money back.

THE WAY (USA 2010 ***
Directed by Emilio Estevez

A father and son effort between Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez (what happened to Charlie?), THE WAY is a well-intentioned film supposed to bring goodness and happy feelings to those watching it – though occasionally too manipulatively.  The film promotes pilgrimage and honours Camino de Santiago in Galicia, Spain.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN (LA PIEL QUE HABITO) (Spain 2011) *****
Directed by Pedro Almodovar

The latest from Almodovar finds the Master in top form.  THE SKIN I LIVE IN is classic camp Hammer horror but Almodovar gives it his wicked but colourful touch. 

ANONYMOUS (Germany 2011) **
Directed by Roland Emmerich

ANONYMOUS runs on the premise on whether the great Bard was a fake or the real author of the intellectual famous works and plays.  The assumption is that most audiences would be dearly concerned and upset if Shakespeare was not the true author.

CELL 211 (Spain/France 2009) *****
Directed by Daniel Monzon

The first 5 minutes of CELL 211 graphically displaying a suicide by the slitting of a prisoner’s wrists in a toilet bowl sets the tone of the director Monzon’s uncompromising film about the situation of Spanish jails.