North Country (2005) - ★★★½

Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Clara Bingham, Laura Leedy (Novel), Michael Seitzman (Screenplay)
Stars: Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sean Bean, Jeremy Renner, Richard Jenkins, Sissy Spacek

I'm really disappointed in North Country. It was fantastic the whole way through... well up until the ending. My God! They managed to turn a truly emotional underdog story into a cheesy Hollywood motion picture in the space of 2 minutes. The performances are top-notch, the story is frustrating but engaging, the cinematography and music is brilliant... but that ending. They almost ruined it with that horribly cheesy ending.

Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012) - ★★★

Director: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz

Here's a simple breakdown for you:

If you like Katy Perry, then you'll like this movie.

If you don't care for her music or story, then avoid this one.

Gods and Monsters (1998) - ★★★★

Director: Bill Condon
Writers: Christopher Bram (Novel), Bill Condon (Screenplay)
Stars: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Jack Plotnick

There's something about this movie that's just so sweet and tender. It deals with the subjects of loneliness, regret, disappointment and despair in a most beautifully touching way. It's not all butterflies and rainbows, there's quite a bit of raunchiness to this movie. All I know is that Ian McKellen played James Whale (Director of Frankenstein) with real love and understanding. It's one of the finest performances I've ever seen.

The Iron Lady (2011) – ★★★½

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writers: Abi Morgan (screenplay)
Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Alexandra Roach, Harry Lloyd

After reading a number of bad reviews about The Iron Lady, I expected it to be absolute hogwash apart from the performance of Meryl Streep. I think the criticisms were unfounded. It is a very good movie that shows a side of ‘The Iron Lady’ that I’ve never seen before. It does dwell on her Alzheimer’s a bit too much, and at times I wished that more politics were shown. However, as a result of seeing a large sum of her personal life, I felt much more connected to Margaret Thatcher as a person, rather than a politician. In this way, the film connected to me and kept me intrigued every step of the way.

The Impossible (2012) – ★★★★½

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Writers: Sergio G. Sanchez (screenplay), Maria Belon (story)
Stars: Naomi Watts, Tom Holland, Ewan McGregor, Ploy Jindachote

The Impossible is one of the most emotional experiences I’ve ever had watching a movie. I haven’t cried so much watching a movie since Brokeback Mountain (2005), except this time it was much more powerful. With some of the best acting I’ve ever seen, a heart-wrenching story of survival, and cinematography that is breathtaking, The Impossible is definitely one of the greatest movies of 2012.