The Woman in The Fifth

Pawel Pawlikoswski's The Woman in The Fifth (UK, 2011) - Ethan Hawke and Kristin Scott Thomas star in Pawel Pawlikoswki’s supernatural thriller Woman In the Fifth, currently shooting in Paris. Director Pawel Pawlikowski ventures into the dark heart of classic Roman Polanski territory with The Woman In The Fifth, a bewildering, Kafkaesque conundrum set in the murky shadows of an unfamiliar Paris. 2011ROMic, 2011TOR, 2012PALM, 2012SEA. RATING: 2

Rocker

Marian Crisan's Rocker (Romania, 2012) - Victor, a rocker in his forties, is ready to do everything for his drug-addicted son. He helps him and his rock band to prepare an upcoming live concert in a bigger city. In the meantime, Victor tries to rebuild their family. But his mixed-up life seems to slowly overcome him. Maybe the only thing that is still there for him is rock music...2012SANSnd. RATING: 5

Yuma

Piotr Mularuk's Yuma (Poland, 2012) - It’s the beginning of the 1990s but the situation along the Polish-German border hasn’t much changed since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Twenty-year-old Zyga (the talented Jakub Gierszał) is tired of looking at the latest fashions and Western conveniences in glossy magazines. He and his friends decide to brighten up life in their sleepy, gray town by bettering themselves and their fellow citizens. Overflowing with goods, West German stores are just a tad too tempting for the young men. Piotr Mularuk’s impressive, action-packed drama drew inspiration from the situation (and the Polish news headlines that accompanied it) that unfolded on the Polish-German border following the breakup of the Soviet bloc. The debuting director adroitly weaves Western motifs into the film, referencing, among others, Delmer Daves’ renowned 1957 movie 3:10 TO YUMA, which Zyga dreamily watches in the half-empty local theater. 2012KVeotw. RATING: 5.

If Not Us, Who?

Andres Veiel's If Not Us, Who? (Germany, 2011) - 2011LOLA 5 nominations. So drenched in detail it ends up losing its main dramatic thread, "If Not Us Who" attempts to unravel the messy, decade-long relationship between radical-left poster girl Gudrun Ensslin and writer Bernward Vesper. This feature debut by eminent documaker Andres Veiel ("Black Box BRD") strains to distinguish itself in the shadow of two other major films about Red Army Faction figures, 2002's "Baader" and 2008's "The Baader Meinhof Complex." Sadly, despite some impressive perfs, particularly from Lena Lauzemis as Ensslin, Veiel's take lacks kick, or even the kitschy appeal of its forebears. Pic should do OK domestically but bomb offshore. 2011BERic, 2011LOLA, 2012PALM. RATING: 7.

Chasing Mavericks

Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted's Chasing Mavericks (US, 2012) - The outstanding big-wave footage proves more credible than the overfamiliar dramatics in "Chasing Mavericks," an earnest account of how Jay Moriarity became a Northern California teen surfing legend before his diving-accident death at age 22. Clunky and touching by turns, this conventional effort from directors Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted centers around the relationship between the intrepid youth and his tough-love mentor, both of whom embrace the ocean as a means of escaping, and eventually conquering, their deep personal heartaches. Overlong result won't benefit from Fox's low-profile marketing push, which should generate mid-range B.O. ripples. RATING: 7.

Cloud Atlas

GREAT MOVIES: Tom Tykwer and Wachowski Brothers' Cloud Atlas (US, 2012) - The powerful, inspiring epic Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution. Starring Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Grant. 2012TOR, RATING: 9.

Sleeping Sickness

GREAT MOVIES: Ulrich Kohler's Sleeping Sickness (Germany, 2011) - The titular illness of German pic "Sleeping Sickness" comes in two stages, with the latter, ultimately lethal stage typically associated with disorientation, headaches, nighttime insomnia and daytime drowsiness. Scribe-helmer Ulrich Koehler's third feature is also divided in two parts, the second of which displays similar symptoms. Story of a successful Cameroon-based European doctor who might need looking after himself becomes a distant dual-character piece that mostly seems content to just observe the lived-in perfs and impressive location work. Beyond fests and home turf, pic will likely be quarantined. 2011BERic, 2011NYFF, 2012SANF. RATING: 9.