PLANET YOGA (Canada 2011) **
Directed by Carlos Ferrand

Director Carlos Ferrand professes not to practice yoga though he is fascinated by it.  He claims 50 million North Americans who practise cannot be wrong. (Or can they?) I myself have attended a few but found them a tad boring.  (I taught aerobic classes for 12 years.)

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (UK 2011) **
Directed by John Madden

The original title of the film, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL FOR THE ELDERLY AND BEAUTIFUL is exactly what the film is – a film for those over 60.  This film is exactly what is expected, provided escapist entertainment for an elderly target market.

DETACHMENT (USA 2011) ***
Directed by Tony Kaye

Tony Kaye’s DETACHEMNT is interesting to see how teacher classroom drama has changed from films like THE BROWNING VERSION, TO SIR WITH LOVE and UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE.  Now the students are violent, verbally abusive and have no qualms about beating up or even killing their teachers.

HEADHUNTERS (HODEJEGERNE) (Norway/Germany 2011) ****
Directed by Morten Tyldum

The film HEADHUNTERS has a script that Hitchcock would have picked up in a second.  The story is a suspense thriller with a lead character that is full of class (Cary Grant type) who steals art paintings for a living in order to support a beautiful icy blonde wife who looks just as classy as Grace Kelly or Tippi Hedren. 

MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS (USA 2012) ***1/2
Directed by Joss Whedon

The most anticipated action film of the year, MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS literally explodes into theatres this weekend.  Basically a comic book action film at heart complete with more than one action hero, several other genres like disaster, sci-fi and horror are also touched.