This week’s Movie Reviews:

CLICK the Film Reviews and read the best of movie reviews from new films from Hollywood and around the world:

Film Review: BLEED FOR THIS (USA 2014) ***1/2

As the title of the film suggests, the success of a boxer depends also on how well he can receive hard punishment in the ring. For real-life Rhode Island boxer Vinnie Paz, the biggest hit he was dealt with was not in the ring, but in life, getting into a car accident that left him almost paralysed.

Film Review: THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN (USA 2016)

THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN is writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig’s debut feature. It is a coming-of-age story of a very awkward high-school junior, Nadine (played by Oscar Nominee Hailee Steinfeld from TRUE GRIT) who cannot get along with anyone including her own family – except for her father who dies early in the film and one best friend that she loses. Nadine mopes about the entire film till she finally grows up. For a film about such a loser, Craig’s film is surprisingly edge, funny and feel-good, though her script can be quite manipulative at times. But manipulative in a good way, one could also argue.

Film Review: ALMOST CHRISTMAS (USA 2016)

The premise is the patriarch praying for his family to get along. If they can honour that wish and spend five days under the same roof without killing one another, it will be a Christmas miracle. And somewhat of a miracle that a film with this well-worn plot would turn out any good.

Film Review: ARRIVAL (USA 2016) ****

The Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve has never failed to impress. From his early French Canadian films UN 32 AOUT SUR TERRE and MAELSTROM to his English Hollywood films SICARIO, PRISONERS and ENEMY, Villenueve has transcended different genres though his films share one common trait. There is the human angst mixed into a thriller/mystery story. The same can be said in his latest, most ambitious and biggest production to date – ARRIVAL. The ARRIVAL here could refer ever to the first contact of the aliens or the birth of the baby girl to the film’s protagonist, Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams).

Film Review: TROLLS (USA 2016) ***

The TROLLS are colourful figurine-sized doll characters who are known to be happy all the time. They sing, dance and hug constantly. But the happiness is now under threat as creatures known as Bergens have discovered the trolls and eating them up. They do so in order to be happy as Bergens do not know how to dance or sing or be happy. The name Bergens is likely derived from the coastal city of Bergen in Norway, the only country in the world known for trolls.

Film Review: DOCTOR STRANGE (USA 2016) ***

It also helps that the film is directed by a horror film director Scott Derrickson rather than an action director. Derrickson directed the two SINISTER films, THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE including the Hollywood version of DELIVER US FROM EVIL, the latter of which contained a lot of dead-pan humour, repeated in DOCTOR STRANGE. Those who have watched Benedict Cumberbatch in real-life know that this actor is prefect for deadpan straight face comedy.