The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - ★★★★½

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Terence Winter (screenplay), Jordan Belfort (book)
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Rob Reiner, Kyle Chandler, Joanna Lumley, Jean Dujardin, Jon Bernthal

The Wolf of Wall Street is easily one of the best films of 2013. Scorsese's newest flick is a breath of fresh air! It's an electric, roaringly fun movie that manages to make its 3 hour running time just fly by. It's nice to see DiCaprio shake a leg and play an eccentric, despicable man. What was even better for me was seeing Jonah Hill flex his acting chops and establish himself as a big player in the world of supporting actors. I'm not gonna lie, movies like this usually aren't my sort of thing. I go for substance, character development, and true portrayals of the human condition. Here we mostly see Scorsese's signature flare for the dramatic and a penchant for over-the-top entertainment. Wolf of Wall Street one-ups American Hustle by paying equal attention to its story and characters, making it a consistently brilliant work of cinema.

Key Largo (1948) - ★★★★

Director: John Huston
Writers: Richard Brooks, John Huston, Maxwell Anderson (Play)
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor, Thomas Gomez, Harry Lewis, Marc Lawrence

John Huston is undeniably one of the greatest directors of all time, with Key Largo being one of his very best films. It's an absolute gem of 1940s cinema, boasting a great cast and an excellent dark-noir style. I think its legendary status lies in the performances. You have the classic pairing of Bogart and Bacall, who were a famous real-life couple. Mix in Edward G. Robinson, who's arguably the most famous gangster character actor of all time. Spice it up with two extremely memorable performances by Claire Trevor and Lionel Barrymore, and you have yourself an unforgettable film. Trust me, Key Largo has to go on your "must watch" list.

Jackie Brown (1997) - ★★★★

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writers: Elmore Leonard (Novel), Quentin Tarantino (Screenplay)
Stars: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda

Jackie Brown is one funky, sassy, entertaining film! It has such an old-school 1970s feel to it. I just adored the soundtrack, cinematography, dialogue, and performances by Pam Grier and Robert Forster. This definitely has a Tarantino-esque feel to it, but in my opinion, it's the most unique film he has ever made when compared to his body of work. One thing I respect about Tarantino's film-making is that you can tell he puts so much thought and planning into each scene. This is what makes his movies consistently entertaining the whole way through. However, with Jackie Brown, I personally felt that there were too many scenes, and that some of the scenes were too long. The storyline is simple, too simple for a 154 minute runtime. Despite this, I found it to be a very entertaining movie.

Lady in a Cage (1964) - ★★★★

Director: Walter Grauman
Writer: Luther Davis
Stars: Olivia de Havilland, James Caan, Ann Sothern, Jeff Corey, Jennifer Billingsley, Rafael Campos, William Swan

Lady in a Cage is such an exhilarating movie! Olivia de Havilland is one of my all time favourite actresses, and her performance in this film is up there with her very best work (Oscar worthy stuff). It has a wildly interesting concept, fantastic supporting performances, masterful cinematography, and heaps of suspense. What more could you ask for really? It's like watching a Hitchcock film, but it's refreshingly different. There's a more modern, defiant edge to Lady in a Cage. It drops in some social commentary through hinting of the degradation of society's youth, the absurdity of people paying taxes to feed criminals, and there's even a homosexual character (well, I assume he was a homo). That's pretty big for the 1960s. It does this without sounding too preachy, because we're mainly focused on its tale of survival. The whole way through my heart was beating fast, hoping that our protagonist would make it out alive. That's why this is such a great film.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) - ★★★★

Director: Lewis Milestone
Writers: Robert Rossen (Screenplay), John Patrick (Story), Robert Riskin
Stars: Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Judith Anderson, Roman Bohnen, Janis Wilson, Darryl Hickman

I think Barbara Stanwyck is possibly the coolest actress that has ever graced the silver screen. She has played some pretty detestable women over the years, which has made me love her more than almost any other actress. In The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, we get to see some of the best acting she's ever done. Not only that, we also get to see the screen debut of Kirk Douglas, one of the coolest actors that ever lived. On top of all this, we get to see Van Heflin play one of his coolest roles. Most importantly, this is the film that showed me the tremendous talent of Lizabeth Scott, a fairly unknown actress that has all the beauty of Bacall and Garbo. These four brilliant actors and the engrossing story make this a film that leaves you wondering what's going to happen next.

Stoker (2013) - ★★★★

Director: Park Chan-Wook
Writer: Wentworth Miller
Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Jackie Weaver, Dermot Mulroney, Phyllis Somerville

Have you ever seen Alfred Hitchcock's classic, 'Shadow of a Doubt?' Well, Stoker is like that, except our female protagonist is just as crazy as Uncle Charlie. It's a beautifully made, disturbing, and extremely intriguing film. There are plenty of masterful elements to Stoker, especially in the cinematography. I found all of the performances to be really effective, particularly Mia Wasikowska as India. While it may not be perfect, it's one of the most fiendishly entertaining films of 2013.

Lust, Caution (2007) - ★★★★½

Director: Ang Lee
Writers: Eileen Chang, James Shamus, Hui-Ling Wang
Stars: Wei Tang, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Joan Chen, Leehom Wang

Lust, Caution is as close to a masterpiece as you could possibly get. I'm a big fan of Ang Lee, whose daring subject choices make him one of the most interesting directors today. There's a lot of unfounded and hateful reactions to Lust, Caution. What's worse is that some people call it 'Porn', which just goes to show how closed-minded and prudish some of these critics truly are. I found this film to be captivating, with its mixture of Eastern and Western styles that represent China in the 1940s. The performances were stunning, the cinematography breathtaking, the music haunting, and the story riveting. I'd go as far as to say that this is one of Ang Lee's finest films.

In Bruges (2008) - ★★★★½

Director: Martin McDonagh
Writer: Martin McDonagh
Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, Jordan Prentice

*Warning* Inappropriate language used in this review.

In Bruges was such a breath of fresh air! It's one of the funniest, intelligent, well made dark comedies of all time. Every once in a while I stumble upon a movie filled with high points, and that's exactly what happened with In Bruges. The humor and wit reminded me a bit of Father Ted (1995), but instead of priests they were hit-men. It's the classic 'grown-up partnered with man-child' routine, yet McDonagh managed to make it fresh and consistently funny. In Bruges was so darn entertaining that I literally watched it again the very next day.

Perfect Blue (1997) - ★★★½

Director: Satoshi Kon
Writers: Sadayuki Murai (Screenplay), Yoshikazu Takeuchi (Novel)

Perfect Blue is one of the creepiest animated movies I've ever seen. It's pretty run-of-the-mill stuff for the most part. Well, up until the end anyway. This isn't a movie I'll ever want to watch again, but I respect the cool twists and beautiful animation. At times it was boring, and other times it was very thrilling. The deal-breaker for me was the amazing psychological twist at the end, which left me shocked and pleasantly surprised at how exciting it all was. It's rude, it's disturbing, and it's nightmarish... but it's also very interesting.

Papillon (1973) - ★★★★★

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Writers: Henry Charriere (Book), Dalton Trumbo, Lorenzo Semple Jr. (Screenplay)
Stars: Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Deman, Don Gordan, Anthony Zerbe, Woodrow Parfrey, Bill Mumy

Papillon is definitely one of the greatest movies of all time. Not only is it Steve McQueen's greatest performance, but it's also one of Dustin Hoffman's most diverse and effective roles. It's an inspiring, thrilling, sad, beautiful, and cringe-filled masterpiece that never once lost my interest. I just found everything in it to be so perfect; from the gorgeous music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, to the little details like the prisoner's progressively decaying teeth. I'd rank it up there with the very best of cinema, and it's easily in my Top 10 most underrated films of all time.

The Incite Mill (2010) - ★½

Director: Hideo Nakata
Writers: Honobu Yonezawa (Novel), Satoshi Suzuki (Screenplay)
Stars: If you really want to know, click HERE.

The Incite Mill was such a draining experience for me. The characters were all stupid, annoying, irrational and completely unbelievable. This directly resulted in the whole story becoming a catastrophic mess, which is sad because it had potential. Perhaps the worst thing of all was the excruciatingly terrible performances by most of the cast. It's like Hideo Nakata wanted this to be like an Agatha Christie novel (albeit way more radical), but it lacked the wit and the suspense of most basic mysteries. I think it took about an hour before it became painful to watch. (Also, I swear I've seen the exact same story before. I can't quite put my finger on it).

The Accused (1988) - ★★★★½

Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Writers: Tom Toper
Stars: Jodie Foster, Kelly McGillis, Bernie Coulson, Leo Rossi, Ann Hearn

The Accused is a hard movie to watch. It's graphic, it's powerful, and my god did it make my blood boil. This movie had a major impact on me personally. I felt sick and angry, which made me really invested in the story. The whole way through I had my fists clenched in hope that the rapists would get a lengthy prison sentence. What makes this film truly powerful is the stunning performance by Jodie Foster, who won an Oscar for this role.

Road to Perdition (2002) - ★★★★★

Director: Sam Mendes
Writers: David Self (Screenplay), Max Allan Collins, Richard Piers Rayner (Graphic Novel)
Stars: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, Jude Law, Tyler Hoechlin

I loved Road to Perdition. It is dark yet sensitive, thrilling yet utterly beautiful. I was in awe of how smoothly the story unfurled. What had me more surprised was how emotional I was when it finished. The performances are masterful, the music is among the most beautiful scores I've ever heard, the cinematography submerses you into the 1930s, and this film is nothing short of perfect. When people ask me if Road to Perdition is a good film, I'll always give them the same answer. I'll just tell them... it's a masterpiece.

Last Ride (2009) - ★★★

Director: Glendyn Ivin
Writers: Mac Gudgeon (Screenplay), Denise Young (Novel)
Stars: Hugo Weaving, Tom Russell, Anita Hegh, Kelton Pell

The Last Ride is an interesting, well-acted drama that is slow and tedious for the most part. It flatlined from start to finish, with hardly any light moments or exciting scenes. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, being the only thing here that's really noteworthy. I can't say that I enjoyed the film, nor would I watch it again. It's pretty good in a lot of aspects, but it failed to impress and maintain my interest.

The Star Chamber (1983) - ★★★

Director: Peter Hyams
Writers: Peter Hyams (Screenplay), Roderick Taylor (Story)
Stars: Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Yaphet Kotto, Don Calfa, Joe Regulbuto, Sharon Gless

The Star Chamber has some good acting, a very intriguing story, and a few thrilling scenes. Sometimes it defies the laws of 'basic cop thriller,' which is a term that describes this movie to a tee. The ending is ridiculous, but the whole way through I was entertained in one way or another. It's satisfying, but far from a good movie.

Laura (1944) - ★★★★½

Director: Otto Preminger
Writers: Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth (Betty) Reinhardt (Screenplay).
Stars: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson

Otto Preminger's 'Laura' ranks up there with some of the greatest works of Alfred Hitchcock. Yes, it's just that good! Just when I thought I had it all figured out, twists and motives arise that completely took me by surprise. It's filled with marvelous performances, a riveting murder mystery, and plain old excellent cinematography. It's one of the best movies from the 1940s, and is truly one that I'll never forget.

Oh, did I mention that a young Vincent Price is in this? Well that alone makes this a must see film!

All the King's Men (1949) - ★★★★★

Director: Robert Rossen
Writers: Robert Penn Warren (Novel), Robert Rossen (Screenplay)
Stars: Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge, Joanne Dru, John Derek, Anne Seymour

Money, Power, Greed, Corruption, Manipulation and Ambition. All of these subjects are explored in one of the greatest movies I've ever seen, All the King's Men. I'm at a loss for words when it comes to this movie. It absolutely blew me away. I find many classic films about politics and whatnot quite dated and boring, but this one was something different. In my opinion, it's as good as Citizen Kane, with perfect performances, cinematography and a story that remains relevant to the politicians of today.

Empire of Passion (1978) - ★★½

Director: Nagisa Oshima
Writers: Itoko Nakamura (Story), Nagisa Oshima
Stars: Tatsuya Fuji, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Takahiro Tamura

Empire of Passion is a majorly creepy movie. I'm not gonna lie, I felt the suspense all the way through it. That didn't stop the movie from being really boring though. All of the shouting and sex was overkill. Save for a few masterful scenes, Empire of Passion is a movie worth a watch, but not worth buying.

The Paperboy (2012) - ★★★½

Director: Lee Daniels
Writers: Peter Dexter (Novel and Screenplay), Lee Daniels (Screenplay)
Stars: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Macy Gray, David Oyelowo

It's gritty, it's nasty, but most of all it's entertaining. The Paperboy pushes every single actor involved to perform roles you'd never imagine them to play. Though it didn't always keep my attention, the performances alone were enough to make this a very interesting movie. That's also the problem; a movie can't be that good when the performances are by far the best component.

Rear Window (1954) - ★★★★½

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Cornell Woolrich (Short Story), John Michael Hayes (Screenplay)
Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Wendell Corey

Hitchcock is the master of suspense and Rear Window is the reason why. It's one of the most suspenseful movies I've ever seen. The momentum of the mystery gradually builds and makes your heart beat a little bit faster with each development. If it wasn't for the unsatisfying climax, I'd call it a perfect film.