With “Before Midnight,” writer-director Richard Linklater and actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy continue one of the most interesting projects in film history: a movie franchise based almost entirely on simple conversations between a woman and man. The movie is a sequel to “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” romantic dramas that introduce viewers to Jesse (Hawke) and Céline (Delpy), a couple who find instant attraction after meeting on a European train. 

Steve McQueen's masterful 12 Years a Slave has already changed history in two major ways: It is the first Hollywood-backed movie on slavery directed by a black filmmaker, and based on Solomon Northup's 1853 oral account, it is the first film ever based on an actual slave narrative. While the former results from the dearth of black directors who are able to get historical dramas funded and distributed by major studios, the latter reveals a more troubling truth. 

Throughout his career, writer-director Guillermo del Toro has capably balanced pulp sensibilities with high-end art, and the result is a filmography that is fanciful and highly enjoyable.  With “Pacific Rim,” Del Toro throws his more serious side out the window to make a big-budget spectacle that pays homage to giant-monster movies like “Godzilla” and “Gamera.” The premise of the film is as silly as one would expect, but that’s OK. Del Toro has fun with the material and, as a result, the audience does, too. 

Director Todd Phillips’ third entry in “The Hangover” franchise is supposed to be his last, and we should be thankful. I say this not because “The Hangover Part III” is particularly bad, but because it is entirely forgettable. Worthwhile sequels should move a franchise’s characters and plotting in new and interesting directions. Although “Part III” is a significant improvement over the horrid “The Hangover Part II,” it doesn’t come close to matching the original film in terms of creativity or laughs. 

Developed as a follow-up to Megumi Sasaki’s award-winning documentary Herb & Dorothy (2008), this quaint film encapsulates an ordinary couple's extraordinary life and incredible contribution to the America’s modern art culture, as the pair’s life as collectors comes to an end. Herbert and Dorothy Vogel were married in 1962. Herb was a postal worker and Dorothy was a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. The couple managed to live of off Dorothy’s salary, while using Herb’s salary to build a huge collection of over 4,000 works of art. 

Conde’s joy is infectious, as it is impossible to not be happy simply at the fact of this man’s appreciation and happiness for life. A 51 year-old African drummer and dancer, Conde is an inspiration to us all to live a little better, reach a little higher and push ourselves to be the ultimate best. Conde’s spirit shines through as he both teaches and dances. More scenes of his dancing would have made a more vibrant film. But what’s most captivating about the film is Conde himself. 

“This Is the End” features a huge collection of youthful Hollywood players, but the apocalyptic comedy – written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg – isn’t nearly as funny as the talent would lead one to believe.  Along with co-writing and directing, Rogen spends a good deal of time on screen, portraying a fictionalized version of himself. In fact, the most interesting thing about the movie is that all the actors are offering absurdist versions of their public personas.     

A recurring theme in Shakespeare is the elusive nature of symbolic identities, particularly their relationship to gender. Many of his plays feature gender-bending moments, with characters that dress differently in order to expose the superficial differences between them. This theme runs throughout Notre Univers Impitoyable, and its disjointed narrative plays out two different scenarios involving the power couple of Victor and Margot. 

After a tremendous franchise introduction, the “Iron Man” series fell into a sophomore slump. “Iron Man 2” wasn’t nearly as witty or fun as its predecessor, so it was a big deal when the metal-clad hero regained his luster in the 2012 blockbuster “The Avengers.” Fans should be equally excited about his showing in “Iron Man 3.” Shane Black, previously best known for writing the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, co-wrote the screenplay and took over directorial duties. 

"So, the best we can do is to remain in a small corner eating some potatoes… while there is some left," thus states the artist in Fernando Trueba's latest feature The Artist and the Model.  This aforementioned declaration, or, perhaps, exhalation, summarizes well the central thesis of this mesmeric, black and white masterpiece:  war is an interruption, an impediment in the way of beauty and its purveyors.