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A Gift from Room 7 (15)

Comedy / 127 / Korean

“A Gift from Room 7” centers around an intellectually disabled man, Yong-gu (Ryu Seung-ryong), who is wrongly convicted of murdering a child while purchasing a gift for his beloved daughter Ye-seung (Gal So-won).

He is thrown into a cell called “Room 7” in a maximum-security prison where a group of notorious criminals reside.

The prisoners are dumbfounded by Yong-gu, who acts like a 6-year-old child. As time passes, they start to become accustomed to his pureness and take care of him.

His cellmates come to learn that Yong-gu is the “father” of a lovely little girl, Ye-seung (Gal So-won). However, it is impossible to meet his little daughter due to strict prison rules . Yong-gu keeps telling his new friends that he wants to meet her.

His fellow companions decide to help Yong-gu out by bringing Ye-seung into the cell.

This very human comedy, directed by Lee Hwan-kyung, is a warm-hearted adventure. The movie portrays the world that director Lee dreams of and the dedicated fatherhood ingrained in Yong-gu. In addition, Park Shin-hye took the role of adult Ye-seung, and there are many other supporting actors such as Oh Dal-su, Park Won-sang, Kim Jung-tae and Jeong Man-sik that inject comical twists into the human drama. This relatable story is certainly worth seeing.

7 Days (18)

Thriller, Drama / 105 / French

Bruno Hamel (Claude Legault) is a 38 year-old surgeon. He lives in Drummondville, Quebec, with his wife Sylvie (Fanny Mallette) and their 8-year-old daughter Jasmine (Rose-Marie Coallier) in a lush upper-class suburb. Life is happy and uneventful until one day Jasmine is sent off to school but doesn’t make it to her destination.

Within seven hours, Jasmine is found dead and the family’s life as they’ve known it has been permanently altered. Bruno then sets out on a plan to kidnap the man responsible for the rape and murder of his daughter and torture him over a period of seven days.

There’s something special about revenge films (see: “Kill Bill,” “Oldboy”), and “7 Days” is just as satisfying as any. It has been described in some circles as “torture porn”, with some graphic violence that definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted, but provides a grim reward for those who can stomach it.

The film, from debut director Daniel Grou, is a disturbing, thought-provoking drama that features some superb performances and a twisting plot that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Moonrise Kingdom (15)

Comedy, Drama / 94 / English

Wes Anderson’s films each has a certain whimsical, sardonic quality, and they’re not for everyone. He commands an extremely loyal fan base, however, and those who like his films are in for one of his best, with “Moonrise Kingdom” arguably Anderson’s most successful effort to date.

Set on an island off the coast of New England in 1965, “Moonrise Kingdom” tells the story of two kids who fall in love, decide to make a secret pact and run away together into the wild.

As authorities attempt to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore - and the peaceful island community is turned upside-down.

The ensemble cast features Bruce Willis, who steals the show as a local sheriff, along with Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman as well as Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl.

Critics have lavished praise on the film, with Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus describing it as “warm, whimsical, and poignant,” and “Anderson at his idiosyncratic best.”

The film has been nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay.

The Impossible (12)

Drama, Action, Adventure / 113 / English

Based on a heart-wrenching true story of one family who managed to survive the destructive 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, “The Impossible” is an English-Spanish co-production that has earned Naomi Watts lead actress nominations for both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.

In this heart-wrenching tale, Maria (Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons, Lucas, Tomas and Simon, decide to spend their Christmas vacation in a tropical resort in Thailand. The family begins to relax when, without warning, they’re faced with the deadliest tsunami in human history.

A towering wave wipes out the coast and scatters the family, causing mass destruction in its wake. Injured and separated from each other, the family perseveres through the chaos and turmoil of post-tsunami Thailand to reunite amid a sea of wounded, dying or dead tourists and locals.

This emotional film features some standout performances from its cast, without becoming overly dramatic or sentimental.

It’s certain to leave an impression on those who venture to see it.

Henry’s Crime (19)

Comedy, Crime, Drama / 108 / English

“Henry’s Crime” is a cop and robber film mixed with a romantic edge starring Keanu Reeves, James Caan and Vera Farmiga.

Reeves plays an aimless tollbooth attendant Henry who lets people walk all over him.

When he is convinced by his friends to drive them to a sports match, unbeknownst to him, he ends up becoming a participant in a bank heist. Henry is quickly arrested by the bank’s guard for being the intended driver.

In jail, Henry befriends an ex-con Max (James Caan), who learns of Henry’s dream of robbing the same bank. Henry convinces Max to file for his long overdue parole then recruits his former cell mate to help stage a robbery.

To pull off the plan, Henry becomes an actor in a theater across the street from the bank but is torn between his new sweetheart, Julie (Vera Farmiga), and his lingering desire to make some money.

The Babymakers (19)

Adventure, Comedy / 95 / English

Audrey (Olivia Munn) and Tommy Macklin (Paul Schneider) are a happily married couple ready for parenthood. After months of failing to conceive, Tommy and Audrey visit a doctor to find Tommy’s sperm “looking drunk,” as Audrey puts it.

There is still hope left, though. Before the marriage, Tommy regularly made deposits at a local sperm bank to earn money for Audrey’s ring.

Trouble is there’s only one sample left, and it’s already spoken for by a gay couple who will implant it in a surrogate the following week.

Now the only option left for him is robbing the sperm bank and stealing that final specimen.

Will Tommy successfully break in and steal it in time?

The movie has received low ratings by most critics, but you be the judge.

“The Babymakers” is for mature audiences as it contains sexual content, foul language and a little drug use.