[7.25/10] A Simple Life (2011)

A Simple Life (2011)

One-sentence review: Due to its slow pacing and difficult subject matter, "A Simple Life" is by no means an easy film to watch, but that doesn't make it less poignant, genuine, sincere and sad, plus, the entire cast gives absolutely brilliant performances.

[5.00/10] The Road (2011)

The Road (2011)

One-sentence review: "The Road" has a sinister atmosphere, well-written and acted characters, as well as a couple of solid scares along the way, but towards the end it gets  too muddled, confusing, and unbelievably nonsensical.

[4.50/10] Paranormal Xperience (2011)

Paranormal Xperience (2011)

One-sentence-review: It has an intriguing premise, cool characters and atmospheric visuals, but this Spanish horror flick is also too predictable and by-the-numbers, its climax is a let down, and relies way more on gore and ghostly images rather than scares.

[4.50/10] Enter Nowhere (2011)

Enter Nowhere (2011)

One-sentence review: Weird, overthought, poorly-paced and further let down by its ridiculously cheap look, dull cinematography and hideous performances, "Enter Nowhere" simply goes nowhere.

[3.75/10] The Fields (2011)

The Fields (2011)

One-sentence review: Lifeless, dull, uninteresting, and just plain bizarre, "The Fields" suffers from an identity crisis, considering itself as pure horror, but it turns out a moody snooze-fest that promises a lot, but delivers very little.

[3.50/10] Munger Road (2011)

Munger Road (2011)

One-sentence review: Neither scary, nor creepy, nor remotely suspenseful or effective, "Munger Road" suffers badly from its cliche-ridden script, cheap execution, and lack of entertainment value.

[3.50/10] Madison County (2011)

Madison County (2011)

One-sentence review: Boring, terribly unoriginal, amateurishly acted and very poorly-executed, "Madison County" is one of those indie horror film that desperately tries to look like a slick, mainstream one, but truth to be told, slashers don't get any worse than that.

[7.50/10] Midnight in Paris (2011)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

QuickRating: Dreamy, charmingly nostalgic and delightfully surreal, if certainly not one of Woody Allen's most profound and accomplished achievements, "Midnight in Paris" is a funny, yet sophisticated comedy that embraces the beauty of the glorious city of Paris, as well as the joy of life and art of love, plus, it boasts the most dazzling and exquisite cinematography this year, and excellent performances from the enchantingly appealing cast.

[7.25/10] 50/50 (2011)

50/50 (2011)

QuickRating: As inspirational and funny as it's depressing, "50/50" is an emotional roller coaster ride full of sadness, hope, and desperation, that despite its dark tone, fearlessly dares to joke about death, but at the same time has a huge respect for the precious life we all care about. Gordon-Levitt delivers the performance of his career, and Anna Kendrick is awkwardly likable, but the film is let down by Rogen's annoying performance, and the silliness of his character.

[6.25/10] Carnage (2011)

Carnage (2011)

QuickRating: Although the entire movie takes place in a small, fancy New York apartment (hence it might bore those who can't stand limited settings), and it feels more like a stage play rather than an actual film, "Carnage" is nevertheless an enjoyable and amusing dialogue-driven black comedy, that succeeds because of its wittily-written script, Polanski's intelligent direction, and the hilariously brilliant performances from the A-list cast involved.

[8.25/10] Drive (2011)

Drive (2011)

QuickRating: A seamless blend of full throttle action, shocking violence and unexpected romance, "Drive" is a moody, yet tasteful, compelling, and extraordinarily stylish art-house action thriller, masterfully helmed by Refn, who combines a sharply clever script with an outstanding direction, subtle thrills, dramatic music score and deeply engaging characters, to deliver probably the biggest cinematic surprise of 2011. Plus, Ryan Gosling turns in an absolutely incredible performance.

[7.00/10] Moneyball (2011)

Moneyball (2011)

QuickRating: Considering the fact that baseball is USA's most popular sport of all time, "Moneyball" is strictly for American audiences. Those who love baseball will find it inspiring, but those who don't really care about it won't be as thrilled. Despite the film's limited appeal, "Moneyball" is still an intelligent, amusing, touching and exceptionally well-crafted sports dramedy, with a charismatic, award-worthy central performance from Brad Pitt.

[6.50/10] Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

QuickRating: In terms of visual and directing style, Sean Durkin's first full-length film feels like a Sofia Coppola recreation of Lans Von Trier's "Melancholia". This quietly sinister indie drama is slow, moody, depressing and quite pretentious, however, "Martha Marcy May Marlene" is elevated by Olsen's career-making, mesmerizing debut performance as the disturbingly schizophrenic title character.

[7.00/10] The Devil's Double (2011)

The Devil's Double (2011)

QuickRating: Bold, frighteningly daring and disturbingly realistic, sometimes utterly cruel, but always compelling, "The Devil's Double" stuns with its dazzling production design, gold-toned cinematography, and Tamahori's spot-on direction, but above all, it showcases the undeniable acting talent of UK rising star, Dominic Cooper, who delivers one of the very best, most brilliantly convincing and sadly overlooked performances of the year.

[5.50/10] Margin Call (2011)

Margin Call (2011)

QuickRating: On paper, "Mergin Call" may sounds like an intriguing financial thriller dealing with the origins of current global recession, but despite its clever premise, solid direction and top-notch cast, J.C. Chandor's debut film ends up being a convoluted, overwritten mess, so surprisingly unengaging and so painfully slow, that will either put you to sleep or bore you to death. And sadly, the lack of entertainment value is a serious shortcoming.

[4.00/10] Abduction (2011)

Abduction (2011)

QuickRating: Aside from Molina and Weaver's typically solid acting and a few watchable action scenes, "Abduction" is nothing more than a hard-to-spoof "The Bourne Identity" wannabe teen action thriller, full of shallow dialogues, plot holes and overly predictable twists, which is further let down by Taylor Lautner's wooden performance and his poor attempt to become the next big action star. Not the worst movie of the year, but pretty darn close.

[7.25/10] A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

QuickRating: Part thrill-seeking adventure movie, part tense and taut kidnapping thriller, and skilfully shot in a frighteningly remote, yet breathtakingly gorgeous mountain location, "A Lonely Place to Die" is an exciting, constantly engrossing and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful UK chiller, that will surely satisfy any adrenaline junkie, but will also freak out those who have fear of heights, deep water and distant places.

[6.50/10] Kill List (2011)

Kill List (2011)

QuickRatings: Ben Wheatley's ultra-violent, free-for-interpretation, thought-provoking horror thriller "Kill List" is one of those type of movies you'll either love or hate. It could be considered as both, a geniusly disturbing piece of cinema and a confusing mess that barely makes any sense. Either way, it works on many levels, and at the end of the day, the more you think about it, the more you realize how twisted and well-conceived this film actually is.