Although there are many great writers and directors working in cinema today, few have voices as distinct and pleasurable as Wes Anderson’s. With films ranging from “Bottle Rocket” (1996) to “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), Anderson has introduced moviegoers to unusual worlds, fantastical characters and bizarre settings that entertain while provoking thought. He is a manufacturer of fairytales for our modern age and, as such, his projects should be widely celebrated. 

Hopefully, summer will push 2014 movies in the right direction because things have been so bleak thus far that “Non-Stop” – a silly-but-enjoyable thriller – stands as a highlight. The movie, which allows Liam Neeson to continue his run as an action hero, is fun from start to finish, but it is equally convoluted, meaning anyone who values plausibility is left in the cold. Neeson plays Bill Marks, a troubled air marshal who – despite the requirements of his job – hates to fly. 

While the tug-of-war between art versus language serves as a backdrop for the film, the real story is Jack’s tenure as teacher and the danger he faces from the board for losing his job. There are teachers and administrators who side with him and praise his teaching skills, and those who would rather see him go. In the midst of his midlife crisis and his continuous efforts to combat alcoholism, we witness a budding (and surprising) romance between him and Dina.

Director Peter Berg’s “Lone Survivor” ranks alongside 2001’s “Black Hawk Down” and 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan” as one of the finest depictions of combat and military camaraderie put to screen. The film is based on the true story of a group of Navy SEALs who found themselves trapped in hostile Taliban territory during a covert mission in Afghanistan. The events took place in 2005, and Marcus Luttrell first recounted them in his 2007 book, Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10.

A 500-mile journey through Spain, the Camino de Santiago is an ancient and world renowned pilgrimage path. The destination is the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the bones of St. James are supposedly buried. Hundreds of thousands of people make the trip each year in search of something. Walking the Camino is a short documentary that follows six particular travelers—all from different countries and all with different intentions—as they cross the Camino.

This film has it all: intrigue, jealousy, European aristocracy, murder.  It’s also set in a seemingly idyllic utopia, a tiny piece-of-rock island off the coast of Ecuador that lends its Darwinian fame as the stage for this commendable documentary.  That would be the island of Floreana, a 67 square-mile desolate land in the southern region of the Galapagos archipelago, where Friedrich Ritter and his mistress Dore Strauch decide to relocate to escape modern civilization and build their own Eden. 

The film does, however, mean well, and it focuses on an underreported piece of history. Loosely based on Robert M. Edsel’s nonfiction book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, it centers on the efforts of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program set up during the later stages of the war. The goal of the program was to preserve works of art as Allied forces marched toward victory. 

With the second season of OISTB set to be released on June 6th, many fans are practically panting with anticipation for the new episodes (which are all released at once, making it prime binge-watching material). Of course, speculation about where the second season will go has run rampant since last summer, and Netflix has been good at keeping a lid on all the show’s secrets. However, there are a few major theories out there that seem to have lots of logic and support behind them. 

Movie lovers can count on writer-director Spike Jonze to tackle fascinating projects that live outside the mainstream, but his films often meander. These competing tendencies make him one of the most exciting – and frustrating – filmmakers working today, and he displays both his gifts and limitations in “Her.” The movie is, in many ways, a work of creative genius, delivering insights on topics ranging from romantic relationships to the failures of modern technology. 

The documentary “Evergreen, The Road to Legalization” the directorial debut of Riley Morton demonstrates well how the debate surrounding Initiative-570, which passed in November 2012 legalizing marijuana in Washington State, brought such factionalism to a head. Indeed the staunchest opposition to the initiative came not from the traditional law and order conservative element but from a small but vocal cohort of medical marijuana activists, led by Steve Sarich who opposed how the legalization was implemented.