The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - ★★★★½

Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Stefan Zwig (inspired by the works), Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness (Story)
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Saoirse Ronan, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, Mathieu Amalric, Edward Norton... and many more.

The Grand Budapest Hotel gave me one of the grandest experiences I've ever had at the cinema. It's stunning to look at, pleasing to listen to, and filled with characters that tickled my funny bone from start to finish. It reminded me a lot of Grand Hotel (1932), a classic that starred many of Hollywood's greatest actors of that time. Except it contained Anderson's flare for tongue-in-cheek humour, and over-the-top set production and style. I truly loved this film, and I loved seeing many of my favourite actors take turns in bringing their own personal flare to the screen. It's films like this that ignite my passion for cinema. You can tell that it's a labour of love, and a film that may just stand the test of time.

Atonement (2007) - ★★★★★

Director: Joe Wright
Writers: Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay)
Stars: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch

Atonement is one of the most exquisite films I've ever seen. Its style and beauty is reminiscent of classic cinematic masterpieces, such as Gone With the Wind (1939) and Days of Heaven (1978). Yet it has a unique modern element that puts it in a league of its own. Seamus McGarvey's masterful cinematography deserves to be hailed as one of the greatest in cinematic history, whilst the haunting score by Dario Marianelli takes us to an unforgettable time in history, and heightens all the emotion that comes with the story and surroundings. Technically, Atonement is truly perfect. As for the story, performances, and overall effect the movie had on me personally, I say that it was equally as perfect.

The Host (2013) - ★½

Director: Andrew Niccol
Writers: Stephenie Meyer (Novel), Andrew Niccol (Screenplay)
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons, William Hurt, Jake Abel, Frances Fisher

I knew this movie was going to be bad. Trust me, it is terrible in so many ways. It's cheesy, it's unoriginal and at times uninteresting. My dilemma is that I enjoyed myself. There were a few reasons why I liked it and a number of reasons to hate it. I just can't bring myself to hate this movie.