“Getting old is expensive.” For these retirees, the truth of that adage has limited their selection of living arrangements. However, an adventurous opportunity to retire in India is too good of a chance to pass up – or to be entirely true. Nonetheless, the new residents of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful take advantage of their unfamiliar surroundings while their enthusiastic host (Dev Patel) attempts to ensure all their needs are met.

The first act of the film that anticipates the characters’ move to India is rushed and in some ways incomplete. It’s unknown how most of them came across the offer to relocate, though it does hint at why they might want to go. After a short prologue, they all congregate at the airport allowing the story to really begin.

Once in India, the culture shock is accentuated. Some of the residents embrace their new surroundings, exploring the city. Meanwhile, others refuse to leave the hotel and cling to the comforts of England that they brought with them, remaining miserable and tainting those around them.

While not requiring too much acting on the part of the retirees, they are still comprised of actors that are a joy to watch on the screen. In addition, Patel is an excessively positive ball of energy. His character has big ideas, including “outsourcing old age” by bringing the world’s seniors to India, but has trouble staying on track for the execution.

The second act is interesting as you get to know the characters, but the latter part becomes less so as the ex-pats adjust and the film begins to focus on the mundane. Moreover, the intermittent diary commentary does not contribute much to the narrative.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) is a corporate recruiter, also known as a headhunter. He is excellent in his role, but compensates for his low self-esteem by living a lavish lifestyle that he secretly funds as an art thief. However when an ambitious CEO (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) threatens his precarious balance, Roger is forced into a situation he never could have anticipated.

The film gets off to a moderate start, essentially recording a day in the life of Roger Brown. All of these proceedings are narrated by Roger, providing insights and general commentary which carries through the end of the film. At times this voiceover is amusing, but more often than not it seems intrusive; particularly as the movie nears its conclusion.

Though the picture starts off slowly, it eventually becomes a pretty intense thriller. The wild and irrational cat and mouse chase is generally shocking in terms of the lengths both sides are willing to go to come out on top. The Norwegian sense of humour is darker than some may be accustomed to, but if you can avoid dwelling on the awfulness of the situation, it’s actually quite funny. On the other hand, if you are going to be horrified by these moments, it could work on a different level.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The film is very informative, speaking about the different styles of yoga and interviewing various people who participate at different levels. From the most basic practitioner looking to strengthen their body, to the most devoted, traveling the world to share their expertise and open up others minds and souls. Every aspect is covered, and in great detail. There’s even a small segment featuring some of the more famous names who have embraced yoga, The Beatles and Sarah McLachlan to name two. Hearing the stories of a variety of people who have found peace in the study of yoga is as moving as it is educational, but it’s not the most important part of the film.

Occasionally, I’ll be able to enjoy a film that seems to defy explanation. If asked whether I enjoyed the film, I could honestly answer ‘yes’, but there is always something more there. That’s how Planet Yoga tends to feel.  The entire documentary leaves an impression on your soul. It’s a feeling that can’t really be put into words. How can you really explain an emotion? If yoga is a step on the path to balancing your physical, mental, and spiritual health, then Planet Yoga may be a good place to start. It’s inspiring in its simple beauty and the knowledge that is contained within the 87 minute running time.

An important note, and one that is reinforced within the documentary, is that yoga is not a religion. Speaking of spirituality can result in some people tuning out. Not everyone is in search of any sort of spiritual healing or awakening, but to automatically disregard yoga with the idea that it is religiously based might cause people to miss out. A perfect example is Richelle Donigan. Featured early on in the film, Richelle avoided yoga because of the religious feeling she got from it. She wasn’t willing to bow down to anyone and didn’t feel the need to take part. After some traumatic events in her life, she decided to give yoga a try, and has now become a teacher. Once she realized that yoga was about something more personal, and not the worship of someone else, it became a large part of her life.

If you’ve ever had the slightest interest in yoga, this is a documentary you won’t want to miss. I hadn’t thought there was so much to learn about yoga. Even if it’s not something you may be interested in, the stories of people who have achieved great things and helped others in the process should inspire viewers.

Planet Yoga opens Friday, May 4, 2012 at AMC Yonge & Dundas.

S.H.I.E.L.D. has lost control of the Tesseract to Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who plans to use the cosmic cube to bring intergalactic war to Earth. Unable to challenge the demigod alone, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles the world’s (and universe’s) superheroes – a group he named The Avengers. They must work together to avert total chaos and disaster, but there are a lot of trust issues that arise within the small circle. With the fate of the world at stake, they must pull together or watch the human race kneel to the darkness.

This film is everything fans wanted, hoped for and expected. The script is incredibly well-written, containing further character development, memorable dialogue and awesome action sequences. The story starts with some intense moments before easing off a little, but it’s never short on humour.

Director Joss Whedon is so familiar with each of the characters’ geneses that he is able to seamlessly draw elements from each history into the narrative. As a result, this is not just an action film. There are a lot of talking scenes, which build the story as well as the anticipation for the final act.

That said, the action in the picture is remarkable. Watching these giants of comic book lore face off against each other, matching their opponent blow-for-blow, is nothing short of amazing. The most entertaining bout is Iron Man vs. Thor, though there are several battles from which to choose. Of course if they’re not physically fighting they’re verbally sparring, which is equally amusing.

The cast is not only attractive, but display exceptional talent in portraying their characters. They’ve embodied their superhero personalities so completely that to see them interacting with each other on screen for the first time is almost overwhelming in its perfection. The addition of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk completed the circle, as he demonstrates the appropriate mix of contained power and vulnerability. Another newbie, Scarlett Johansson delivers a bit of a surprise with her physical prowess and effectiveness in playing the complex Black Widow. However, a special mention must be given to Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson, who is the on screen representation of every fanboy and girl in the theatre, and steals the audience’s heart in every scene.

And, as always, don’t leave before the end credits finish scrolling.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) were madly in love and after dating for a year, he awkwardly popped the question. Then in the midst of wedding planning they had to relocate, which resulted in an unavoidable delay. The postponement eventually seems never-ending for the couple and their families, resulting in shouting matches, depression and mistakes.

By the end, the film has followed the standard rom com rules, but the middle section does get a bit darker than usual. Going from sunny San Francisco to frigid Michigan is bound to be a downer so you can sympathize – at least until it gets weird. Unfortunately this section also lasts longer than it should, pushing the runtime to more than two hours.

One of the reasons the movie is so amusing is it spends a large portion of the film being over-the-top: On the other hand, this makes it difficult to relate to a lot of the specifics of their situation, even if the big picture is relevant to many relationships.

Co-writer Segel and Blunt are wonderful together. They are very believable as a couple, whether gushing “I love you” or yelling irately. Their narrative isn’t steadily engaging, but the supporting characters keep the story interesting. To this point, near the end of the film, Violet has a heated debate about her relationship with her sister, Suzie (Alison Brie). But because it’s in front of Suzie’s children, they do so using Elmo and Cookie Monster voices, which is probably the best scene in the entire picture.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) is an outcast among his far more successful brethren, never even a runner-up for the Pirate of the Year Award. But he decides this will finally be his year and while pillaging the ocean discovers his beloved, big-boned parrot Polly is actually a nearly extinct dodo bird. Escorted by Charles Darwin (David Tennant), the Pirate Captain goes to England to meet Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton), a collector of rare animals, who makes him an offer he can’t refuse.

The swashbuckler genre used to be a bit of a joke. Then Pirates of the Caribbean came along and raised the bar for any sea tale that followed. But Band of Misfits doesn’t seem to strive to meet this standard or even the one the studio set for itself. It remains relatively mediocre throughout, never really pushing towards excellent. It is, however, as stunning as would be expected from the studio.

Grant is an indescribably charming actor on screen. However, as a voice actor, he loses something of his appeal. He just doesn’t seem able to infuse the Pirate Captain with the charisma that makes him a winning leading man. Salma Hayek’s and Jeremy Piven’s characters are lively, though they make only brief appearances in the picture.

The story does have some fun with history by weaving in certain figures and images, including Darwin, Jane Austen, the Elephant Man and the Mona Lisa. On the other end of the timeline, it uses music from The Clash and Flight of the Conchords.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

You don’t have to be a fan of the fashion world to enjoy the film. You only have to be a person full of passion for any field that you may enjoy: that’s what makes Mann’s documentary so inspiring. Bruno Ierullo has lived his entire life with a love of design. Originally working as part of a family business, his true calling was always the world of fashion. Eventually, he decided that he had to live his dream, finding a workshop and a creative partner in Susana Benavides, his production manager. The two month preparation for his first runway show is where the documentary begins, and it’s a frenzy of fabric, planning, meetings, and madness as Bruno finally realizes his goal.

Ierullo now runs a 3,000 foot showroom in Yorkville, but at the time this documentary was filmed, he was only beginning. The knowledge that he’s accomplished his dream only makes this film more intriguing. You can always tell someone that if they try, they can achieve anything, but this is an actual example of a person who did just that. It’s not an easy road for Bruno, and throughout the film we’re given insight into his past and the hurdles he had to overcome to get where he is now. It also gives the viewer a look at the drive and ambition that Bruno has. Not content with what he saw around him in the fashion world, he set out to bring colour and happiness to an industry that he felt was too much ‘doom and gloom’.

It’s impossible to dislike Bruno. He’s constantly happy and kind to a fault, something his production manager, and friend Susana won’t let him forget. Bruno has trouble saying no, and that’s where Susana comes in. After working together for years, she’s less of colleague and more a part of the family, taking up a motherly role with Bruno regarding his business. It’s great to watch the two of them together, and it’s easy to see how they both compliment each other in the business. I’m willing to bet that if you took one of them away, everything would fall apart.

Bruno is an entertaining man, his mind constantly racing, which is mirrored in the filming. This can be a little overwhelming as the runway show comes closer. The camera is always trying to keep up with what’s going on in Bruno’s shop as he zips between racks of clothing, discusses the show with a stylist, and rushes to finish pieces of clothing in time. Moments of interviews are a welcome rest before we’re thrust back into preparation for the show. Although it may be difficult to keep up at times, it really gives the viewer a sense of what’s going on in Bruno’s world, and what he must deal with on a day to day basis.

Material Success opens April 27, 2012 at Projection Booth Cinema. Information is available at their website.

John Cusack plays Edgar Allan Poe, frequently drunk and struggling to survive as a writer. He’s also engaging in a secretive relationship with Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve), something her father, Captain Hamilton (Brendan Gleeson), does not approve of. When a string of murders occur, Detective Fields (Luke Evans) realizes that they’re all based on Poe’s work, forcing the two men to work together. The killer’s next target becomes Emily, leaving Poe in a race against time to find her before she becomes the next victim.

It doesn’t take very long for The Raven to offer up some bloody scenes. Within the first few minutes, a woman and her daughter are found murdered in their room. Not very long after, the pendulum makes an appearance, separating the upper half of a man from his lower half in gruesome fashion. Unfortunately, after these fantastic scenes of gore, something horror fans will surely enjoy, the film becomes rather bloodless.

John Cusack and Luke Evans both deliver some uneven performances. There are moments where each man seems to be really over the top and others where their performance is almost flawless. You could apply this same problem to the entire film. All throughout the movie there are some scenes that work so well, only to be followed by a scene that doesn’t. The final moments where the killer is revealed are some of the best in the movie. The murderer is incredibly twisted and the scene is extremely tense, but by then it’s too late. The middle of the film just seems to happen, and even a great ending can’t improve that.

It’s unfortunate that the middle of the film fails to excite, because writers Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare have done an amazing job of twisting fact into fiction. Combining the people, places, and events of Poe’s life with a fictional portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe is a great idea. He’s suddenly a character in his own work, a victim of his own morbid writing. A great concept that doesn’t seem to be fully realized. Readers familiar with Poe will probably find more enjoyment in the film. Lines of dialogue that are taken from his writing will give fans something to listen for, but might leave others out of the loop.

Overall, The Raven entertains, but it could have been a great gothic thriller. The mystery of the killer and the atmosphere of the entire film fail to reach the heights one would expect, and the performances of John Cusack and Luke Evans are too uneven to truly capture your attention. Fans of Edgar Allan Poe will certainly enjoy the film, but there’s not enough to entice the rest of the audience.

The Raven opens April 27, 2012.

Although my knowledge of the actual Wushe Incident is limited, what I’ve read about it seems to be almost exactly what is presented in the film. There are some disagreements over the depiction of Mouna Rudo, but the general events are widely accepted as factual, although the film clearly adds some dramatic flair. Sticking so closely to the truth is something that makes the violent scenes that much more disturbing. The Seediq tribes would take part in a blood sacrifice as a designation of manhood, receiving tattoos on their faces to show that they were no longer children. This blood sacrifice would often involve taking the head of your enemy, something that the movie doesn’t hide. There are quite a few decapitations and plenty of bloody violence.

Scenes of the battle between the Seediq tribes and the Japanese dominate the second half of the film. Set in the jungles surrounding the different villages, there’s a strange beauty combined with the violence. Gorgeous sunsets bathe the endless forest landscape with a red that seems to imply the carnage to come. Even when bodies lay scattered beneath the trees, it’s hard to ignore the beautiful scenery.

Unfortunately, the look of the film can’t prevent the story from lacking any real emotional impact. It’s hard to empathize with the Seediq tribes when we never really see the Japanese treat them as terribly as they suggest. The fact that they’ve taken their land is obviously an awful event, but the tribes are still pretty much free to hunt and live within that land. There’s also so much fighting between the tribes that the viewer is left wondering how bad their lives had become. If you can’t convince almost half of the tribes to revolt, can we really be expected to think that life is that hard? Later in the film, when the Japanese employ gas bombs to deal with the tribes, we gain a greater understanding of their fight. Although it’s a disgusting fact that poison gas was used, it’s in retaliation to the brutal slaughter the tribes had already committed.

With such a powerful event at the core, it just seems like director Wei Te-Sheng is playing it safe, trying not to anger anyone with the film. Nobody is portrayed as truly villainous or heroic until it’s almost too late. Perhaps that has more to do with the reality of the situation and the fact that Wei Te-Sheng sticks very closely to what we know about the Wushe Incident. Quite often in life, people are neither good or bad, but the victims of their own choices.

Warriors Of The Rainbow: Seediq Bale opens April 27, 2012 at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto.

Meet the player (Romany Malco), the mama’s boy (Terrence Jenkins), the dreamer (Michael Ealy), the non-committer (Jerry Ferrara), the happily married man (Gary Owen) and our narrator, the happier divorced guy (Kevin Hart). According to him, these are the men from which women can choose. But actor/comedian Steve Harvey has written a book to help women get the relationship they want: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Using the tips in his book, the women seeing these men begin to find the happiness they desire – until it all falls apart.

There is definitely humour in relationships. The witty script, endless jokes and charming cast combine for a lot of laughs, though sometimes it does appear to be trying too hard to be funny all the time – even if for the most part, it succeeds.

The categories and strategies presented in Harvey’s book are not Earth shattering. The men and women described are all stereotypes we’ve seen or heard about at some point. It’s all recycled dating propaganda that makes great fodder for comedy because it’s so ridiculous (the fact that it’s a real best-selling book is a whole other discussion).

The cast, fortunately, has fantastic chemistry together. The guys are entirely believable as long-time friends. Despite the four relationships to follow, Hart is generally the centre of the film. For him, almost every line is a punch line but he manages to be that consistently enthusiastic without being irritating.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars