December 2016: The Movie List Series

05-12-16

Metro Manila (2013)

Rating: 4.7/5

Genre: Crime, Drama

Synopsis: Seeking a brighter future in megacity Manila, Oscar Ramirez and his family flee their impoverished life in the rice fields of the northern Philippines. (IMDb)

Cast: Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, Althea Vega

Director: Sean Ellis

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Rating: 4.2/5

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family

Synopsis: When Jacob discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time, he finds Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. But the danger deepens after he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers. (IMDb)

Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson

Director: Tim Burton

Christmas in Homestead (2016)

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Romance

Synopsis: One of the most famous actresses in the world heads to the Christmas-obsessed town of Homestead, Iowa, to shoot a holiday-themed movie. She is thrown for a loop when a romance brews between her and the town’s mayor. (IMDb)

Cast: Taylor Cole, Jeff Branson

Director: Steven R. Monroe

12-12-16

Love Actually (2003)

Rating: 4.8/5

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Synopsis: Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before. (IMDb) Christmas in London, England.

Cast: Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley

Director: Richard Curtis

10-12-16

Underworld: Blood Wars (2006)

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Action, Horror

Synopsis: Vampire death dealer, Selene fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. (IMDb)

Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies

Director: Anna Foerster

19-12-16

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rating: 4.4/ 5

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Synopsis: The Rebel Alliance makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow. (IMDb)

Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whittacker

Director: Gareth Edwards

24-12-16

Crown for Christmas (2015)

Rating: 4.3/ 5

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Synopsis: After getting fired from her job as a maid at a ritzy New York hotel, Allie reluctantly accepts a temp gig as the governess to a young girl who is part of a powerful family in Europe that lives in an actual castle. (IMDb)

Cast: Danica McKellar, Rupert Penry-Jones, Ellie Botterill

Director: Alex Zamm

Trolls (2016)

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Synopsis: After the Bergens invade the Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends. (IMDb)

Cast: Anne Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel

Director: Walt Dohrn, Mike Mitchell

Moana (2016)

Rating: 4.7/5

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Synopsis: In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain’s daughter’s island, she answers the Ocean’s call to seek out the demigod to set things right. (IMDb)

Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House

Director: Ron Clement, Don Hall

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance

Synopsis: A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets. (IMDb)

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor

Director: Baz Luhrmann

28-12-16

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Rating: 4.7 / 5

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Synopsis: An art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale. (IMDb)

Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon

Director: Tom Ford

29-12-16

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Synopsis: A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover. (IMDb)

Cast: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz

Director: Cameron Crowe