MOVIES

REVIEW: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE: This Oscar-nominated documentary about the birth of AIDS activism in America’s gay community is being screened at the Encounters Film Festival. It's a testament to the human spirit and a moving and inspirational call to action, writes Luiz De Barros.

REVIEW: LES MISERABLES: The grim and astonishingly-long 80's musical epic finally hits the big screen with an impressive cast, including Hugh Jackman, who go all-out to impress. So, is it worthy of the adulation and awards?

REVIEW: MAGIC MIKE: Abuse and exploitation of women. Greed, envy and selfishness. Drug and alcohol abuse. Emasculation of men. If this is what you are looking for in entertainment, then Magic Mike will satisfy your demand, writes Daniel Dercksen.

REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: The Hunger Games phenomenon has been likened to the Twilight movies. The most obvious difference between these two franchises, however, is that The Hunger Games is actually a good movie.

REVIEW: SKOONHEID: This is no Leon Schuster movie: Skoonheid is a disturbing, insightful and extremely well-made film, confirming once-again that South African film really has come of age.

REVIEW: CHLOE: Chloe, a call girl, is hired by gynaecologist Catherine Stewart to test her husband’s fidelity. The doctor soon becomes seduced by more than Chloe’s tales.

REVIEW: INCEPTION: Inception is a reality-shifting blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief who, instead of stealing ideas from the mind, is tasked with implanting them.

REVIEW: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS: Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in a gay romcom? You'd better believe it. It's a pity that the gay themes will likely sink this movie.

REVIEW: ECLIPSE: It’s all about sex in the third film of the Twilight saga; a welcome improvement in what has to-date been a tediously drawn-out affair.

REVIEW: SEX AND THE CITY 2: Just like the first Sex and the City film, this over-the-top, botox-oozing sequel will be best enjoyed if you’re a fan of the hit television series that it’s based on.

IRON MAN 2: The greatest challenge when creating a sequel to a successful film is to provide more of the same AND up the ante. So, does Iron Man 2 succeed?

REVIEW: THE BOUNTY HUNTER: In an open letter, Christo Oberholzer writes to Jennifer Aniston; questioning her about her increasingly poor choices in film roles of late.

THE HURT LOCKER: Kathyrn Bigelow’s Iraq war film The Hurt Locker was this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture. Christo Oberholzer sizes up this acclaimed movie.

NINE: A musical film helmed by the director of the Oscar-winning Chicago and starring the biggest female stars in cinema today sounds like a can't-fail proposition. Sadly, it does.

THE BOOK OF ELI: It would be easy to dismiss The Book of Eli as simply another post-apocalyptic tale, but it does bring a few new elements to the table.

REVIEW: AVATAR: It’s one of the most anticipated movies of the year and, thankfully, Avatar also proves to be one of the most memorable films of the decade.

REVIEW: 2012: It’s the biggest disaster movie ever made but, while the film itself isn’t a catastrophe, it still fails to break out of the predictable Hollywood format.

REVIEW: NEW MOON: The second Twilight movie heralds the rise of another new screen idol, but is otherwise a feebly made orgy of pseudo-romantic teen angst.

REVIEW: LITTLE ASHES: Starring hottie of the moment Robert Pattinson, Little Ashes is more successful at generating sexual tension than exploring its subjects’ lives.

REVIEW: PEDRO: Presented as part of Cinema Nouveau’s Pride Month, Pedro is a moving, if somewhat erratic, biopic of reality star and activist Pedro Zamora.