[7.25/10] The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014) [1000th Review]

The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

Quick Review: Refreshing, spicy, and truly flavorsome, "The Hundred- Foot Journey" is as enjoyable and visually-appealing as a fancy meal, even if it covers an already familiar ground. Offering hilarious cultural clashes, sharp and witty dialogues, picturesque locations, a sprinkle of romance, and yet another excellent performance by Hellen Mirren, this cooking dramedy with a Hindi twist is a tasteful lighthearted entertainment and a pleasurable watch.

[4.75/10] Before I Go to Sleep (2014)

Before I Go to Sleep (2014)

Quick Review: C. Firth is miscast. Strong is underused. Kidman is as great as usual, and does her best with the material she's been given, but sadly the latter just ain't that good. The problem with "Before I Go to Sleep" lies in the script, which is supposed to be smart and intriguing to the point of keeping you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, but instead it ends up being messy. Simply nothing about this amnesia- related film is believable.

[5.75/10] The Guest (2014)

The Guest (2014)

Quick Review: Dan Stevens surely gives an intense, and pretty much career-defining performance as the sympathetic, yet manipulative guest turned intruder with cruel intentions, but much like director A. Wingard's previous effort "You're Next", "The Guest" is a pretty overhyped, hence rather disappointing effort, ruined by its largely far-fetched story, naive characters, and lack of big thrills to make up for its other very obvious shortcomings. The movie's look isn't exactly polished, either.

[6.25/10] Camp X-Ray (2014)

Camp X-Ray (2014)

Quick Review: So understated and slow-moving, it pretty much borders on monotonous, and yet still quietly entertaining, the character-driven "Camp X-Ray" is as much humane as it's not, taking its controversial, yet worth telling subject matter into account. The dramatic relationship between the two main characters is the main and probably only driving force of this movie, and it is really fascinating to watch, even if unlike the amazing Peyman Moadi, Kristen Stewart fails to captivate.

[7.00/10] Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar (2014)

Quick Review: Technically brilliant and visually awe-inspiring, Nolan's ambitious project, "Interstellar", is on one hand an etheral futuristic space saga deling with some questionable scientific phenomenons such as fifth dimensions, black holes, worm holes ... and some plot holes as well, and on the other hand, pretty much just an exquisite void that barely excites, because of its one-note moodiness & the hollowness it radiates, in spite of all the family drama involved. The final act delivers though!

[7.50/10] John Wick (2014)

John Wick (2014)

Quick Review: Shot with gritty style and executed with flair and skill, this is a truly uncompromising revenge action thriller that never makes any excuses for what it is:a hyper violent slow-burner that further on explodes into a kinetic mayhem, charged with determination, and filled with thrilling gunfights and tense chases that will surely give you an adrenaline rush. Reeves is awesomely badass as the title character in a pro-killer role that more than suits his wooden type of acting and cold charisma.

[4.00/10] Ouija (2014)

Ouija (2014)

Quick Review: It's not completely awful, as some of the acting is pretty adequate to say the least, plus, it does its best to frighten us, even if the scares are not that effective at all, but other than that "Ouija" is a lame cheese-fest built on gimmicks, that more than heavily borrows from many other similar horror flicks, and it's not even ashamed of that. On the top of that, the pacing is overly sluggish for the most part, and the dialogues are more horrifying than the ghosts themselves.

[7.50/10] You're Not You (2014)

You're Not You (2014) 

Quick Review: Equal parts funny, sad, moving, and uplifting, "You're Not You" is a true roller coaster of emotions that will touch you deeply, but also make you smile, and even bring some tears to your eyes, as everything about feels so genuine and real, it's like you're witnessing a real life story... a truly heartfelt one. Hilary Swank & Emmy Rossum both give outstanding performances and create such a strong and believable bond on the screen, it's very hard to take your eye off of them.

[7.25/10] The Babadook (2014)

The Babadook (2014) 

Quick Review: "The Babadook" is not your common horror flick, as it doesn't rely on cheap boo scares. Sure, it takes some time to warm up and build up the suspense but when it does, it sucks you into the terror and doesn't let go until the end. The best thing 'bout this cerebral Aussie chiller is that even without the horror parts, the story is already disturbing in itself in a truly believable manner. The washed-out color palette of the cinematography adds to the overall bleak tone of the movie.

[6.00/10] Zombeavers (2014)

Zombeavers (2014)

Quick Review: Every bit as cheesy and ridiculous as its title suggests, but more in a good way rather than bad, "Zombeavers" is a pure campy fun and never takes itself seriously. It also has a surprisingly big sense of humor, hence, it easily provides laughs. Kudos to its creators for the use of practical effect, even if the zombeavers themselves look a bit too puppet-y. The gore effects are good, though, and there are plenty of them. The 'sort-of' twist towards the end works very well.