Okay Films

"Two Days, One Night" is a French film about Sandra, a woman who has a weekend to convince the majority of her workmates to give up a raise in order to keep her job.

Marion Cotillard does a great job at playing Sandra, a female who's fighting depression and for her place in a factory, she definitely sells and carries this film from beginning to end, and while I did find her character quite frustrating and annoying at times, It could also be argued that it adds to the authenticity of her persona, furthermore, she definitely deserved the Oscar nomination for this role, she lost weight just so she can appear like a woman who's recovering from an illness, and she also made sure to put in subtle details in her performance that added to the realism.

While you do want the lead to win over her colleagues, you can still understand why many of them are choosing to keep the bonus instead, so the movie has a unique neutral perspective on the happening events.

Personally, while I did find the main girl's acting amazing, that didn't stop it from reaching levels where it nearly became unbearable to watch, Sandra really frustrated me and got on my nerves, but I'm on the fence about holding it against the film or not.

Overall, "Two Days, One Night" is a well paced drama with an incredible performance, and an honourable message to convey. This is a high Matinee

"The Internet's Own Boy" is a biographical documentary film, about the lead up to the suicide of the internet pioneer, and leftist activist, Aaron Swartz.

Aaron Swartz's documentary is mostly about his astonishing accomplishments, the inequitable justice system, living up to our principles and his influence on today's world.

This biography is very informative, it not only enlightens the viewers on how much of an instrumental Aaron is, when it comes to how the internet currently functions, but also how deceiving the government can be with its overzealous prosecutions, which this information activist was a victim of.

It is also morally inspiring, here is this young man who stands by his principles even when his life is on the line, and that to me is pretty powerful.

Despite the film-makers trying to make this biography balanced, by reaching out to opposing points of views, that doesn't stop it any less from being such a tribute, and that is a significant problem I detest when it comes to documentaries, it lacks any minimal sense of criticism which leaves the presented story to be quite one dimensional and one sided.

I would still recommend this engaging morality tale to anyone, since it has enough heart to make a connection with everyone, not to mention, it has a bunch of inspiring morals to it that can teach us how to become better human beings. This is a Matinee.

"Force Majeure" is a Swedish black comedy drama, about a family's vacation turning into a disaster, after the father prioritised his own escape over saving his blood, during an avalanche.

Even though Ebba and Tomas (the parents) are the main characters, the film doesn't necessarily emphasise on just their relationship, but in fact, it could be argued that the central focus is instead a theme, and not a specific person, that theme being gender expectations in our society.

Ruben Östlund, the director, smartly films this picture by giving each shot a great sense of framing, he also is such a perfectionist to the point where while on the set, he plays death metal music to capture authentic shots of the actors, showing the sentiment of grief.

This drama is full of tension, frustration and awkwardness, and the actors greatly perform their persona, and project these emotions into the screen very well.

There's supposed to be a comedic aspect to the movie, but I personally didn't get that, except for this one hilarious scene near the end, that earned a lot of laughter out of me.

The cinematography is incredible, giving me a massive desire to visit the French Alps in the future.

The resolution of the main conflict is quite the fresh approach, and the ending has a lot of interpretations to it, which leaves the viewers craving for a conversation.

My only problem with the film is its repetitive and annoying soundtrack, but at the same time I can't be too mad, since it also introduced me to a quite catchy song.

"Force Majeure" is a thought-provoking, self-aware, artsy movie, that I highly recommend. It has an engaging avalanche of events, and well developed characters to look forward to. This is a Full Price.

"Magical Girl" is a Spanish film about the intersection of three people's lives; Luis, an unemployed literature teacher who tries to realise the last wish of his ill daughter, Barbara, a disturbed woman who suffers from mental disorders, and Damian, a retired maths professor who has recently got out of jail.

Each of the main characters have compelling stories that will easily get you hooked, and once they intersect with each other, it makes for a flawlessly assembled puzzle that doesn't feel forced, it also doesn't hurt that the three leads, pull off some great performances.

The director of the film, Carlos Vermut, develops an eerie atmosphere that stays throughout the movie, he also scatters metaphorical subtleties that make a double entendre, whether it's by imagery, dialogue, connections or details, which results into having a newer experience during second glance. Furthermore, there are things that are left for interpretation, provoking the viewer's thoughts, and that adds to the powerfulness of the film.

The movie also follows the rules of film noir, the cinematography consists of every shot looking pale and sick, which makes this feature much more effective.

The music resembles the final piece of the puzzle, it is so fitting and memorable while also playing its own important role.

This is such an interesting and thought-provoking motion picture, it ably captures the impact that a butterfly effect can provoke, and once the end comes, chills will be left down your spine.

Despite its slow pace, "Magical Girl" manages to hook its audience by incredible storytelling that lead to an intense climax. This is a high Full Price.

"Elevator to the Gallows" is a French film about a wealthy industrialist getting murdered by his employee, who unintentionally leaves evidence behind, thus leading to an unfortunate chain of events, when he goes back to cover up his tracks.

Once Julien Tavernier goes back to retrieve a rope from the crime scene, he gets stuck on an elevator for the rest of the night, leading to his car getting stolen, and his love interest wandering the Paris streets asking for his whereabouts.

The story is the most intriguing part of this film noir, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what the next scene has in store, although, there are quite a lot of apparent plot holes that take away from the enjoyment you could have, but none of them are substantial enough to ruin the movie.

The main characters are a bunch of anti-heroes, making the film feel fresh due to its uniqueness, while the acting might not be exceptional, it is enough to produce quality scenes.

The director does a great job with his cinematographer, by shooting each scene beautifully and skilfully, while also capturing some breathtaking imagery of the Parisian surroundings.

The jazz score is incredible to listen to, it guides the audience through the occurring events, while also adding to the realism of the setting and the time period.

The screenplay can use some modifications for the better, but just like the other flaws of the film, it isn't weighty to the point of complete ruination.

Louis Malle does a great job with his first feature film, it is high class, and a lot of highlights. This is a Matinee.

"The Bicycle Thief" is an Italian film set after WWII, when the opportunity of employment is slim, a poor father has to find his stolen bicycle or else he will be fired from his job, and won't be able to feed his already struggling family.

Since Italy was in such a poor shape post-war, the film ably portrays the conditions during that time period, by showing the importance of having any available job for the Italian men, the former builds up the significance of the stolen bicycle, and how devastating it would be if the protagonist isn't able to find it by the end of the movie.

Therefore, we follow Antonio, who's wandering Rome's streets, searching the corners of the city, trying to find his bike, bringing along his kid Bruno, who adds some humorous scenes and encounters, that break from time to time the ongoing tension that the film builds.

Lamberto Maggiorani steals the show with his ability to showcase powerful emotions, such as misery, frustration, desperation, hope...all through his facial expressions, no dialogue is needed to understand and feel what this man is going through, meanwhile, the superb cinematography neatly captures the distressing situation of that time's society.

From just a simple concept, Vittorio De Sica was able to build a masterpiece, by his amazing directing, especially in the final scene where the breaking point is reached, I was literally at the edge of my seat.

This is a must-see film and I can't get enough of praising it, I tried to find a flaw within it but I miserably failed. This is an extremely high Full Price.