Arbitrage (2012)

A hedge fund magnate's elaborate house of cards - a life built up around his lies, his sham business dealings and his secret all-round rottenness to his core - teeters on the brink of collapse in this corporate thriller that is uncomfortable viewing mostly because people like the fictional Robert Miller, played by a steely, silver fox Richard Gere, really do exist and really do have the power to behave the way they do.

★★★★☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

The Hateful Eight (2015)

The signature Quentin Tarantino violence, when it comes, detracts from this otherwise metered, suspenseful story of eight or so men and a whole lot of lies holed up in a snowed-in room; I'd have preferred more plot and twists to the From Dusk Til Dawn gorefest that brings everything to a decidedly unfun finish.

★★☆☆☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS

Funny Games (2007)

Michael Haneke displays his penchant for themes grim beyond belief with this rivetting story of torture for kicks, with the main antagonist, one of a pair of odd young men terrorizing a family, breaking the fourth wall to torture viewers with fleeting glimpses of American movie hope.

★★★★☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS