Latest Staff Picks
The films listed below are Alice's Latest Staff Picks, finding their way into this category generally as a result of agreement between staff that they have real merit for one reason or another. Most titles represent a safe choice for those that find choosing a film difficult or are bewildered by Alice's depth and breadth...
For personal Staff Picks, you are cordially invited to take a journey into the mind's eye of Alice's movie mavens by clicking on the 'Staff Favourites' link (stage left). Click on the Alice Guide of your choice, and take an ushered journey through the looking glass and into their personal cinematic wonderland.
Her ( Blu-ray ) (2013)
8/10
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde
Set in the Los Angeles of the slight future, "Her" follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing tou... Read more
The Place Beyond the Pines ( Blu-ray ) (2013)
7.9/10
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ben Mendelsohn, Bruce Greenwood, Harris Yulin, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Ryan Gosl...
From the acclaimed director of "Blue Valentine", Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper star in this epic, riveting crime drama about the unbreakable bond be... Read more
Wadjda (2012)
7.6/10
Director: Haifaa Al-Mansour
Starring: Reem Abdullah, Abdullrahman Al Gohani, Ahd , Waad Mohammed
A rebellious Saudi Arabian girl hatches a plan to get her hands on the bicycle she craves in this coming-of-age story from first time director Haifaa... Read more
The Act of Killing (2012)
8.2/10
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
This chilling and inventive documentary tells the stories of members of the Indonesian death squads who tortured and killed over 500,000 people throug... Read more
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
7.3/10
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ben Mendelsohn, Bruce Greenwood, Harris Yulin, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Ryan Gosl...
From the acclaimed director of "Blue Valentine", Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper star in this epic, riveting crime drama about the unbreakable bond be... Read more
The Hunt (2012)
8.3/10
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Starring: Thomas Bo Larsen, Mads Mikkelsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrom, Susse Wol...
"The Hunt" is a disturbing depiction of how a lie becomes the truth when gossip, doubt and malice are allowed to flourish and ignite a witch-hunt that... Read more
Moneyball (Blu-ray) (2011)
7.6/10
Director: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill
The true story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's attempt to field a successful baseball team after a 2001 playoff loss to the Yankees... Read more
The Tree of Life ( Blu-ray ) (2011)
6.8/10
Director: Terrence Malick
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
Written and directed by Terrence Malick, this complex and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition stars Brad Pitt as the patriarch of a M... Read more
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)
7.8/10
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring: Muhammet Uzuner, Yilmaz Erdogan, Taner Birsel
Winner of the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" is an engrossing crime drama from the celebrated director of "Cl... Read more
The Skin I Live In (2011)
7.6/10
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Marisa Paredes, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Roberto Alamo
Marked by his typically twisted storyline and skewed eroticism, this kinky thriller from writer/director Pedro Almodovar stars Antonio Banderas as a n... Read more