What’s it about?
The tragic true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant III, who was fatally shot by an Oakland transport-police officer on the morning of New Year’s Day, 2009, following an altercation on a train. Viral video footage at the scene showed he was completely apprehended and posed no threat.

What did we think?
Alex says: We follow Grant (Michael B. Jordan, who fans of The Wire will remember as the equally ill-fated young Wallace) on what is to be the final day of his life. He’s no angel and has done time in prison but he is turning his life around and genuinely cares for his girlfriend and daughter. After his mother’s (The Help’s Octavia Spencer) birthday, Grant and his friends celebrate a fateful New Year’s Eve on the town. A very well-acted dramatisation that is thoroughly deserving of its two Sundance awards. Not a feel-good hit.

What Did We Think?
Marnie says: Historical epic The Butler paints an important, moving picture of the effects of injustice and systemic oppression by showing one uniquely placed man’s sacrifice and dedication to providing for his family against a backdrop of a radically changing America. An overlong, occasionally heavy-handed script’s quest to visit every historical signpost pushes its trajectory towards potted history lesson, but the film rightfully brings attention to the stories of the courageous, inspiring individuals who fought for racial equality in the United States.

What’s It About?
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

What Did We Think?
Rebecca Armour says: A chilling depiction of the hardships endured for those in third world nations, Captain Phillips wastes no time with boring introductions and has you on the edge of your seat within thirty minutes. Complete with moments of laughter to break the overwhelming tension, Captain Phillips is sure to take you on a heart-wrenching endeavour of survival.

What’s it about?
A young man discovers, at the age of 21, he can travel back in time. He obviously uses this to search for love.

What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: Stupid movie made me cry. And by stupid I mean delightful, intelligent and whimsical.

Richard Curtis (4 Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Notting Hill and the Vincent episode of Dr Who) gives us a simple yet entertaining romantic comedy about time travel. Admittedly it’s not a common genre combination but it works and delivers some simple messages without getting preachy.

It’ll keep you both chuckling and thinking. Not a blockbuster but simply endearing.

What’s it about?
A DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent.

What did we think?
Eleisha says: It’s like cops and robbers, except the cops are robbers. Cons: No real character development and a lot of questions left unanswered. Pros: Great movie for those looking for action and excitement. The cast (Denzel and Marky-Mark) make for the perfect companions in this comedic film with the occasional touch of seriousness.  A little formulaic but the chemistry (and explosions) make up for it.

Always strive for better work. Never stop learning. Have fun a clear plan for a new project or just an idea on a napkin?  Sky, land, and sea disappear together out of the world. The Indian girls, with hair like flowing black manes, and dressed only in a shift and short petticoat, stared dully from under the square-cut fringes on their foreheads.

The dawn breaks high behind the towering and serrated wall of the Cordillera, a clear-cut vision of dark peaks rearing their steep slopes on a lofty pedestal of forest rising from the very edge of the shore. Amongst them the white head of Higuerota rises majestically upon the blue. Bare clusters of enormous.

Above it all

The wasting edge of the cloud-bank always strives for, but seldom wins, the middle of the gulf. The sun—as the sailors say—is eating it up. Unless perchance a sombre thunder-head breaks away from the main body to career all over the gulf till it escapes into the offing beyond Azuera, where it bursts suddenly.

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.
Steve Jobs – Apple Worldwide Developers’ Conference, 1997

At night the body of clouds advancing higher up the sky smothers the whole quiet gulf below with an impenetrable darkness, in which the sound of the falling showers can be heard beginning and ceasing abruptly—now here, now there. Indeed, these cloudy nights are proverbial with the seamen along the whole west coast of a great continent.

• The dawn breaks high behind the towering and serrated wall
• A clear-cut vision of dark peaks rearing their steep slopes
• Amongst them the white head of Higuerota
• Bare clusters of enormous rocks sprinkle with tiny black dots

The gulf. The sun—as the sailors say—is eating it up. Unless perchance a sombre thunder-head breaks away from the main body to career all over the gulf till it escapes into the offing beyond Azuera, where it bursts suddenly into flame and crashes like a sinster pirate-ship of the air, hove-to above the horizon, engaging the sea.

Indeed, these cloudy nights are proverbial with the seamen along the whole west coast of a great continent.
John Doe

At night the body of clouds advancing higher up the sky smothers the whole quiet gulf below with an impenetrable darkness, in which the sound of the falling showers can be heard beginning and ceasing abruptly—now here, now there. Indeed, these cloudy nights are proverbial with the seamen along the whole west coast of a great continent. Sky, land, and sea disappear together out of the world when the Placido—as the saying is—goes to sleep under its. Indeed, these cloudy nights are proverbial with the seamen along the whole west coast of a great continent.

The Indian girls, with hair like flowing black manes, and dressed only in a shift and short petticoat, stared dully from under the square-cut fringes on their foreheads; the noisy frizzling of fat had stopped, the fumes floated upwards in sunshine, a strong smell of burnt onions hung in the drowsy heat, enveloping the house; and the eye lost itself in a vast flat expanse of grass to the west, as if the plain between the Sierra overtopping Sulaco and the coast range away there towards Esmeralda had been as big as half the world.

The Italian drivers saluted him from the foot-plate with raised hand, while the negro brakesmen sat carelessly on the brakes, looking straight forward, with the rims of their big hats flapping in the wind. In return Giorgio would give a slight sideways jerk of the head, without unfolding his arms.