Water, breath, fire, wind. Ice, snow, cold, wet. Pain and more pain. Violence, so much violence. Heartbreak, loneliness. Beauty and cruelty. Betrayal and treachery. Death, so much death. Whispers from beyond yet near and signs of hope. Body and soul, love and sacrifice. The natural and unnatural in a tension that hemorrhages blood and life. This is just a sample of what Alejandro G. Iñárritu's "The Revenant" is about.

Classic filmmaking has returned in "Brooklyn," an immigrant love story set in 1950’s Brooklyn and Ireland. Saoirse Ronan brings a quiet, yet strong presence to the character of Eilis Lacey, a twenty-something woman trying to find her own way in a new country. Forced to leave her home in Ireland for a job in Brooklyn, shy Eilis finds herself and a home.

"The Lady in the Van" showcases what living the Golden Rule can look like in today’s society. Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith) lives in her van parked on a street in Camden Town in North London. To stay within the law, she moves up and down the street at regular intervals and annoys the residents on a consistent basis. They tolerate her and even show her small kindnesses for which she offers no thanks. Then one person, Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings), against the advice of his neighbors, allows her to...

I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché, “If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Well, this saying perfectly describes the new Jennifer Lawrence film, "Joy."

"Concussion", starring Will Smith and Alec Baldwin, gives us a glimpse into the life and work of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-born forensic neuropathologist, whose research into a condition called CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) will make you think twice about how much you enjoy your Sunday NFL football game. It’s all about awareness.

Disaster tends to bring people together. When there is a major earthquake or tsunami, the world rallies to the aid of those affected with donations of money, food, and supplies. Volunteers travel to help with clean-up or in makeshift medical facilities. Sometimes government policies and red tape get in the way of a timely response but dedicated people find ways to reach out. The same happened when 33 men got trapped in a Chilean mine in 2010. Their story is told in "The 33."

The Letters is a moving and powerful portrayal of the life of one of the greatest saints of the twentieth century--a woman who truly lived the spirit of mercy. Going to the theaters and watching her life this weekend would make a great start to living the Jubilee Year of Mercy!

It might be stating the obvious to say that Steven Spielberg is a great filmmaker but his latest stint in the director’s chair, "Bridge of Spies," just goes to show that it’s still true no matter how many times you say it.

Matt Damon becomes "The Martian" when a severe storm hits the crew of the Ares III on Mars and Mark Watney (Damon) gets left behind, presumed dead. The story of his fight to survive and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of impossible odds is not a new story, but director Ridley Scott tells it like no other.

Although many critics panned The Intern, I believe the film has much to say, especially in a society where the elderly are often mocked or ignored just because they seem old-fashioned or have a hard time with technology. Writer-director Nancy Meyers, known for her female-driven romantic comedies such as What Women Want and It’s Complicated, knocks it out of the warehouse in this quirky comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro.