Dune (2021)

 

The son of a noble family is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.

Despite stunning visuals and excellent production this version still doesn't come up with a convincing interpretation of the epic novel. 

 

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

 

A psychiatrist searches the globe to find the secret of happiness.

Simon Pegg does a good job in this well-intentioned comedy-drama, which remains obvious and predictable despite its meandering narrative and the humor doesn't quite work.

 

Insomnia (1997)

In a Norwegian city with a 24-hour daylight cycle a Swedish murder investigator has been brought in on a special case. Sleep deprived, he makes a horrible mistake which is discovered by the killer he has been hunting.

Chernobyl (2019)

In April 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics becomes one of the world's worst man-made catastrophes.

Harrowing account of the Chernobyl catastrophe takes some liberties with the facts, but is excellently produced with a good cast; the focus is - besides on the actual impact of the explosion - on human frailty and the political bureaucracy's attempts to contain the truth.

Our Kind of Traitor (2016)

A couple finds themselves lured into a Russian oligarch's plans to defect, and are soon positioned between the Russian Mafia and the British Secret Service, neither of whom they can trust.

Solid and entertaining spy thriller with a good ensemble manages to hold our attention without overdoing the action sequences.

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Oilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.

Immensely intense and depressingly realistic drama investigating issues of compassion, love, faith and innocence; Emily Watson's performance is spectacular.

Halliwell****: "A remarkable and striking film, though in some ways a dislikeable one. It has a raw, emotional power rarely encountered on film, owing its soulful and guileless central performance and the restlessly casual, close-up camerawork; but its theme, an apparent celebration of self-sacrifice through sexual degradation, is often unlovely and hard to take."

Maltin***1/2: "Extraordinary story...A bold, often unsettling examination of love and faith, given immediacy and power by von Trier's documentarylike  approach and Robby Müller's faded visual scheme, which root the miraculous in the everyday world. Watson, in her film debut, is unforgettable in the lead role."