Labor Day

The romantic drama is all about raw emotions. The story tinkers with your psyche and questions the choices you would need to make to possibly sacrifice your life, or to make it better seemingly by pure chance. The performances of the cast were very strong, but the story left me feeling like there was a missing element. 3 out of 4 stars.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Based on the Tom Clancy series of books, Shadow Recruit was an action packed two hours of fun with hardly any time to catch your breath. Chris Pine and Kevin Costner do a fine job in this action adventure through Russia to put an end to corruption by the CIA. 3 out of 4 stars.

August: Osage County

I have never seen any of the stage performances of the play, but Meryl Streep hits another one out of the park as she plays a woman battling mouth cancer who still has a lot to say to her family, and the film becomes a screaming match of brilliance as the features rolls along, not without twists and turns in the plot, though. 3 out of 4 stars.

Her

The latest piece of work, and it is a piece of work, from Spike Jonze is creatively set in the not-so-distant future. Like Fahrenheit 451 and 1986 in terms of foreshadowing, the tale of a man who falls in love with his computer may not be too far off from becoming a reality, if it already hasn't happened... 3 and a half out of 4 stars.

The Wolf of Wall Street

This is a film riddled with corruption, vulgarities, unethical behavior and sex. Yet, DiCaprio's performance as Jordan Belfort took over and the audience could instantly feel as if they were living the life of multi-millionaire, Belfort. However, it was unsettling to watch DiCaprio play a role that differs so much from his other great characters. If he has not won an Oscar for any of his past roles, this role would not be my choice for him to win such a prestigious award after. 3 out of 4 stars.

Saving Mr. Banks

As heartfelt and imaginative as anything I've watched all year. This is the year of Tom Hanks as he keeps churning out brilliance. Most things he touches turn to gold, and this story of the woman behind Mary Poppins is as pure and sincere as they come in the age of remakes and book adaptations. 3 and a half out of 4 stars.

American Hustle

David O. Russell's latest film is not as genius as its predecessor, but there were moments of brilliance sprinkled into this comedy-drama filled with intense moments that are washed away with comic relief from Louis C.K. and Jennifer Lawrence. Bale and Adams were the true stars of the film, and the audience leaves the theater wondering whether anything they believe in is in fact, genuine... 3 out of 4 stars.

Anchorman 2

This was one of the biggest letdowns that I've experienced in a movie theater. The story was flat, the jokes were tired and the writing was horrendous. Even more horrendous than the writing was the pathetic sub-plots used in the movie in an effort to squeeze out extra laughs by means of using familiar faces. 1 out of 4 stars.

Frozen

This adorable animated film brought me back to my childhood in the 90's when films like The Lion King and Pocahontas were in the height of their popularity. The musical numbers were stunning and the story was heart-warming-- enough to melt a snow queen's cold heart. 3 and a half out of 4 stars.

Delivery Man

Vince Vaughn delivers his usual, egotistical and self-centered performance in Delivery Man, where he actually has to care for someone other than himself. The movie isn't all laughs, in fact there was very little actual comedy, however it has one of those predictable Hollywood endings. 2 out of 4 stars.