Men In Black 3

There are many reasons why "Men In Black 3" shouldn't work. It's the sequel to a film that was released ten years ago in abysmal "Men In Black 2," Will Smith is too old to be playing the young and brash Agent J, and at a glance it seemed to be a movie vehicle for Will Smith to get back in the lime light since the disappointment of his 2008 box office bomb, "Seven Pounds." But in spite of these reasons, "Men In Black 3" does work and we should all be happy this kind of summer blockbuster exists.

Moonrise Kingdom

For the past eight years, filmmaker Wes Anderson has grown in the cinema world. Not only artistically but in popularity, but despite his somewhat mainstream appeal, his films have been hit or miss since 2004, with the release of "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." Seemingly, Wes Anderson felt more concerned with aesthetic than storytelling and characters. But in 2009, with the release of "Fantastic Mr. Fox," Anderson seemed to be turning the corner in terms of blending his eye of detail on an art direction level and a general engagement to a general audience. "Moonrise Kingdom" has sharply made that turn for the better but still feels as if Wes Anderson is waiting at a traffic light.

Tonight, You're Mine

It feels reductive to look down upon romantic comedies. Some say, they're formulaic, conventional and are overly saccharin. The same can be said of any genre and any bad movie. As put, a bad movie is a bad movie, and by the same token, a good movie is a good movie. "Tonight, You're Mine" is a good movie. On the surface, it's a concert movie but underneath it, it's a romantic comedy, a good one at that. It turns the mundane into interesting and exciting, and the conventional into passionate and thrilling.

Elena

Starting with an extremely long take of the outside of a luxury apartment, filmmaker Andrei Zvyagintsev almost challenges the audience to pay attention to every detail in the frame of his film "Elena." As the shot pushes on, it's as if the filmmaker is telling the audience not to go inside, not to get involved with the rich drama that is happening, the shot is the point of no return for the audience. This invokes so many ideas about voyeurism and the nature of human interactions; smartly Andrei Zvyagintsev builds upon these ideas once we get inside.

Postcards From The Zoo

From the start of this film, the audience is led into a mysterious zoo filled with exotic wildlife, park rides, darkness and fog. We get the impression that this zoo is completely different from the real world or from anything anyone has ever seen. It's a fantasy world and it's wondrous! We then see a small girl, who is wandering the zoo trying to find her father. She is lost but we never see how or why, all we need to know, as the audience is that she's lost. Indonesian filmmaker Edwin has effectively captured the strangeness, fascination and awe of childhood and the transition into adulthood, while trying to retain a sense of magic in his new film "Postcards From The Zoo."

Graceland

It seems like crime, corruption and politicians go hand in hand. The idea that you are above the law is tempting to anyone who has a seat of power and authority, which is probably why it's never shocking to hear news of a politician in trouble with the law. In the new film from filmmaker Ron Morales, "Graceland," he explores what any man will do when his family is threatened, by severing all loyalties to protect your loved ones.

Sleepless Night

It seems like this year, simple high concept action films seem to be the trend. There’s, of course, “The Raid: Redemption,” a film that is a self contained, high octane, martial arts showcase; and for the Tribeca Film Festival we have “Sleepless Night.” A film that follows suit with its single location nature and high stakes action aesthetic, only with “Sleepless Night” we have a deeper narrative and poignant character moments.

Comic Con: Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

San Diego Comic Con is the biggest pop culture event of the year. Every year people who are considered geeks and nerds make the pilgrimage to San Diego for this four-day event. Not only do they come to celebrate all things geeks, they spend the year to shine for a short period of time. In Morgan Spurlock's new film, he explores all facets of people trying to break into the comic book industry, sellers and collectors of comic books and action figures and people who feel like the only place they fit in is in San Diego during Comic Con. As it stands, it is the best representation of what it feels like being at Comic Con without actually being there. It gives an audience the best sense of what makes this event so special.

The Island President

It's pretty amazing to see the impact one small island nation and their leader have on the world environmental landscape. The actions of larger nations like the United States affect every other nation in the world. The new film by filmmaker Jon Shenk (Lost Boys of Sudan), "The Island President," which was also part of the DOC NYC Film Festival last year, explores the environmental effects on the small island nation of the Republic of Maldives and what their president and leader, Mohamed Nasheed, will do to prevent his nation from extinction.

Why The Hunger Games Will Be Nominated For A Best Picture Oscar

Last Friday, Lionsgate released the first installment in "The Hunger Games" trilogy to an extremely impressive box office response of a $152 million opening weekend, with a mixed but overall positive critical response and enthusiastic fanfare. What does this mean? Well, it means a lot, in terms of longevity at theaters, expectations of Young Adult fantasy genre and more importantly, the cinematic conversation. This gigantic opening cannot be ignored. Love it or hate it, "The Hunger Games" is a pop culture phenomenon, feeding the current social and political zeitgeist.