INCEPTION

It has been a dull summer season for American movies, with films that were intended to be blockbusters turned out to be nothing but bluster. Then along comes “Inception”, the most provocative and intelligent sci-fi movie we have seen since we entered “The Matrix” with Keanu Reeves back in 1999. A unique concept and brilliant execution make it and instant landmark in the genre.

SHREK FOREVER AFTER

A good TV series gains both attention and momentum, because it is back every week. Audiences get caught up in the lives of the characters and the events of the plot and every week they are keen to see more. In stark contrast, movie series lack that impetus. The big movie hits have to wait two or three years for a sequel to appear and each new movie has to have its own “Wow!” factor and some of them, like “Shrek” lose their mojo.

KNIGHT AND DAY

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with “Knight and Day”. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have re-teamed for ‘Knight and Day” in which they play deftly off each other’s stylish skills. There’s a vein of crisp, comedy banter that keeps the film racing along in a most entertaining fashion – but it’s a fashion that went out of style 20 years ago so why are these megastars wasting their evident talent on this tame, elderly movie?

THE RUNAWAYS

Middle-of-the-road pop music has always created as many female singers as it has male singers but until the 1970s there had never been an all-girl rock band. This fascinating film tells the story of how the first female rock band “The Runaways” was created by guitarist Joan Jett and drummer Sandy West and, with Cherie Currie as their singer and it’s a vivid slice of 70s pop-culture with a series of sensational performances.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE

Never underestimate the intense fascination of sex, in combination with death. Author Stephenie Meyer’s made a smart move when she created her artful resurrection of the classic Gothic novels of the 18th and 19th century. They quivered with adolescent passion, barely-restrained sexual longing and seething jealousy. That literary phenomenon has now become a Hollywood phenomenon, and that alone makes it worth a look.

THE BOYS ARE BACK

Every year we see dozens of “women’s movies”, “tear-jerkers” or, if you prefer, “chick flicks”. We seldom, however, see film’s about the emotional journey of a man: not a tough man, a sportsman, a police-man or any other kind of man who carries a job-description in front of his gender. It’s about a man’s encounter with himself in a crisis situation, and the film presents a subtle, delicate study of a father and his sons as they deal with a tragedy.

CREATION

Last year saw the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”. When published in 1859, it created a controversy in the world of natural science and it divided the Christian church with a debate, or more probably, a scandal that continues to this day. This film, made to commemorate the anniversary, has finally arrived in South Africa, offering a surprising, fresh insight into a man whose theories have almost entirely masked his personal identity and his emo

SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE

Jay Baruchel has a major breakthrough in this sweet, amusing film. Hitherto, he has been a supporting player in raunchy sex comedies like “Knocked Up”, “Fanboys” and “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist”. In this comedy he steps up in a lead role and, to everyone’s surprise, he’s engaging, charming and far better than we have ever thought he was.