The Portable Door, 2023

 The Portable Door is a 2023 Australian fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Jeffrey Walker and starring Patrick Gibson, Sophie Wilde, Sam Neill, and Christoph Waltz. The screenplay by Leon Ford is based on the 2003 novel of the same name, the first in Tom Holt's J.W. Wells & Co. series. A co-production between The Jim Henson Company and Story Bridge Films, the film was released theatrically in Australia on 23 March 2023 by Madman Entertainment, before streaming on Stan from 7 April 2023.

Paul Carpenter and Sophie Pettingel are lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co., and become increasingly aware that their employers are anything but conventional. Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells, the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, and Paul and Sophie discover the vast corporation's true agenda.

War of the Worlds, 2005

War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction action thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp, based on H. G. Wells' 1898 novel, The War of the Worlds. Tom Cruise stars in the main role alongside Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, and Tim Robbins, with narration by Morgan Freeman. It follows an American dock worker who must look after his children, from whom he lives separately, as he struggles to protect them and reunite them with their mother.

Rating: 10 Stars

Eternals, 2021

Eternals is a 2021 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Chloé Zhao, who wrote the screenplay with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo. It stars an ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. In the film, the Eternals, immortal alien beings, emerge from hiding after thousands of years to protect Earth from their ancient counterparts, the Deviants.

TRAILER

PLOT

In 5000 BC, ten superpowered beings known as Eternals—Ajak, Sersi, Ikaris, Kingo, Sprite, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, Gilgamesh, and Thena—are sent to Earth by Arishem, a Celestial, on the starship Domo. They are charged with exterminating invasive entities known as the Deviants. The last Deviant is killed in 1521 when the group's opinions differ over their continued relationship with humankind. Over the next 500 years, they mostly live apart, waiting for Arishem's orders.

In the present day, Sersi and Sprite live together in London. After Sersi's partner Ikaris left her without explanation centuries earlier, she is now in a relationship with human Dane Whitman who works at the Natural History Museum. When the trio is attacked by the Deviant Kro, Ikaris arrives and chases the creature away. The three Eternals travel to South Dakota to reunite with their leader, Ajak, only to find her dead. Sersi is posthumously chosen by Ajak as her successor, granting her the ability to communicate with Arishem.

Sersi learns that the Eternals' mission was actually to prepare Earth for the Emergence of a new Celestial. Arishem explains that, for millions of years, he has been planting Celestial seeds inside planets where the energy from large populations allows new Celestials to be born. The Deviants were sent to destroy the apex predators of each planet to ensure the development of intelligent life, but when they evolved and began hunting the planets' native populations, Arishem created the Eternals to counter them. With the recent end of the Blip restoring Earth's population, humankind has reached the necessary size to allow the Celestial Tiamut to be born, which will result in Earth's destruction.

Hoping to delay the Emergence, the Eternals reunite. At Druig's residence in the Amazon rainforest, they are attacked by the Deviants. They kill them all except for Kro, who kills Gilgamesh before fleeing. Phastos proposes they use the Uni-Mind, a connection between all the Eternals that would give Druig enough power to put Tiamut to sleep with his mind-control abilities. However, Ikaris is loyal to Arishem and refuses to help stop the Emergence. He reveals that Ajak wanted to stop the Emergence and save humanity, so he led her to the Deviants and allowed them to kill her. Sprite joins Ikaris due to her unrequited love for him while Kingo chooses to leave.

Makkari locates the place of the Emergence, an active volcano in the Indian Ocean, where Ikaris and Sprite attempt to stop them. Druig knocks out Sprite, and Phastos restrains Ikaris. Kro arrives and is killed by Thena. Druig is unable to put Tiamut to sleep, and Sersi instead attempts to turn him into marble. Ikaris breaks free of his restraints and goes to kill Sersi, but is unable to due to his love for her. Both he and Sprite join with the others in the Uni-Mind, and Sersi gains enough power to turn Tiamut into marble. Guilt-ridden, Ikaris flies into the Sun. Sersi uses the remaining Uni-Mind energy to turn Sprite into a human, ending her permanent childlike state.

Thena, Druig, and Makkari depart on the Domo to warn Eternals on other planets of the Emergences. Whitman professes his love for Sersi and is about to reveal a secret about his family history when she, Phastos, and Kingo are lifted into space by Arishem. Displeased with their treason, Arishem says he will spare humanity if the Eternals' memories show that humans are worthy of living. He vows to return for judgment and takes the trio into a singularity.

In a mid-credits scene, Thena, Makkari, and Druig meet the Eternal Eros and his assistant Pip the Troll. In a post-credits scene, an unseen person questions whether Whitman is ready to wield the Ebony Blade.

Rating: 8 Stars. 

Stella in love, 2022

 

Stella discovers the famous Parisian club, the Bains Douches, the 80s and its crazy nights. Her friends are just studying, her father has left with another woman and her mother is depressed. She works, she studies and she fell in love. This year will decide her life. 

Rating: 10 Stars

Heaven will wait/ Le Cielo attendra, 2016

Heaven Will Wait (French: Le Ciel attendra) is a 2016 French drama film directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar. It was selected to be screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

TRAILER

Crosscutting between three storylines that come together in the final act, Mention-Schaar and co-writer Emilie Freche (The Jews) follow two young protagonists who experience the call to Jihad in mirroring narrative strands. On one side we follow Sonia (Noemie Merlant), a born-again Muslim arrested for trying to pull off an attack in France, after which she goes through a long detox process that slowly transforms her into the girl she once was. And on the other hand there’s Melanie (Naomi Amarger), a studious cello player, 16 years old, lives with her mother who meets a Islam recruiter online and gradually falls into his clutches. The movie shows their tactics to kidnap these girls to their country.

These teenage girls might be called Anaïs, Manon or Leila, and one day they all might go some way down the recruitment process. But can they ever come back from it?

Rating: 10 Stars 

The movie is super interesting, even in France with a high level of education, young girls can be trapped in the terrorism recruitment. An alert to parents. 

Patti Smith Electric Poet (2022)

 

TRAILER

"Patti Smith: Electric Poet" is a documentary that delves into the extraordinary life of Patti Smith, the iconic poet, actress and musician. 

Synopsis: The film explores Patti Smith's childhood, her artistic aspirations, and her multifaceted career. She once expressed, "I wanted to be someone special. I felt distant, not just from other children, but from the whole world. I spent my childhood thinking i was an alien. "Growing up in a rural New Jersey with a Jeovah's Witnessess upbringing, Smith eventually broke away from the movement to pursue her unique artistic path. 

Rating: 10 Stars

10 Christmas movies for the entire family

Here are 10 carefully selected suggestions that the entire family will enjoy for sure. Keep up the spirit. Merry Christmas you all! 

1 

Christmas with the Kranks, 2004 (So much fun)

Christmas with the Kranks is a 2004 American Christmas comedy film directed by Joe Roth, screenplay by Chris Columbus, based on the 2001 novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. It stars Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis in the leading roles. The film also stars Dan Aykroyd, Erik Per Sullivan, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey, and M. Emmet Walsh.

The story tells of a couple who decide to skip Christmas one year since their daughter is away, much to the chagrin of their neighbors until their daughter decides to come home at the last minute.

2

 Spirited, 2022 (Good moral lesson, interesting)

Spirited is a 2022 American Christmas musical comedy film directed by Sean Anders, and written and produced by Anders and John Morris. It is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol and a satire of the various adaptations since. The film stars Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page, Marlow Barkley, and Tracy Morgan. In the film, The Ghost of Christmas Present is nearing retirement, which would mean a return to Earth. He sets his sights on an "unredeemable" man named Clint Briggs, who ends up helping the Ghost come to terms with his own past.

Spirited was released in select cinemas on November 11, 2022, before its streaming release on November 18, 2022, by Apple TV+. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its original songs and the performances and chemistry of Ferrell and Reynolds, but was criticized for its lack of improvement over previous adaptations of the novella.

3 

A Christmas history 2, 2012 (Gather the family)

A Christmas Story 2 is a 2012 American Christmas comedy film directed by Brian Levant and starring Daniel Stern and Braeden Lemasters. The film is a direct sequel to the 1983 film A Christmas Story and ignores the events of the 1994 film My Summer Story. The film, set six years after the original, follows fifteen-year-old Ralphie as he wishes for a 1939 Mercury Eight convertible for Christmas, but crashes the car before he even owns it. Now, Ralphie and his friends, Flick and Schwartz, must find a way to raise enough money to fix the car before Christmas.

4

Christmas on Mistletoe farm, 2022 (kids will love it)

Christmas On Mistletoe Farm is a 2022 British Christmas comedy musical film, written and directed by Debbie Isitt. It was released on Netflix on 23 November 2022.

Matt Cunningham, a widowed father of five, finds out he has inherited a farm. After some persuasion, he leaves his London home for the farm to use it as a retreat to get a pitch that his boss is hampering him for completed on time. However, when he arrives, his farm hand Beano along with his kids and the village people have other idea.

5

Santa Mi Amor, 2023 (To preserve children's belief in Santa Claus). 

Lucía is a single mom so devoted to her Christmas-obsessed little daughter Leo that she has essentially shut herself off to the idea of romance. But when she agrees to go on a blind date with dreamy chef Sergio, the spark is undeniable and they enter in a big Christmas adventure to help Leo to continue to believe in Santa Claus. A great and emotional history. 

6

A Christmas Mystery, 2022 (kids and parents)

When her best friend's dad is falsely accused of stealing the town's prized jingle bells, but a young amateur sleuth and her friends must find the real thief before Christmas.

7

 Christmas at the Chalet, 2023 (For the adults)

Ex-TV host Lex finds herself spending Christmas in a chalet with her son, ex-husband, and his new girlfriend. As she couldn't find a room because the hotel is full booked, she volunteers to work as Chalet girl, all while documenting it for her new followers.

8

Your Christmas or mine?, 2022 (For adults)

Hayley and James are young and in love. They decided to go on vacation with their families in a hotel in the mountains. There they get in a misunderstood and almost break up. With their family's help, Hayley and James resume dating and get engaged. 

9

The Art of Christmas, 2022 (Romance for adults)

After her latest gallery exhibition literally goes up in flames, struggling artist Liv James accepts a teaching job at a local elementary school to make ends meet.

10

Get Santa, 2014 (for kids and parents)

Get Santa is a 2014 British Christmas comedy film directed and written by Christopher Smith. The film stars Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Warwick Davis, Stephen Graham, Jodie Whittaker and Kit Connor.  Steve (played by Rafe Spall) has just been released from jail and is determined to stay out of trouble. However, when his young son Tom insists that the real Santa (portrayed by Jim Broadbent) has crashed his sleigh and is hiding in their garage, Steve finds himself drawn into an unexpected adventure.