Silence is a quite ambitious project by star director Martin Scorsese and it isn't a surprise that this film has failed at the box office. It is particularly long with a running time of one hundred sixty-one minutes. The topic of Jesuits resisting persecution in feudal Japan is quite unusual. Aside of Liam Neeson, who only has about ten minutes of screen time, the movie focuses on rather unknown actors. Still, Silence is one of Martin Scorsese's best movies. It's obvious that he cared about this film and wanted to make it something special, regardless of grossing numbers.

On the positive side, Silence grabs your attention with a topic that hasn't been treated much and might even be unknown to most audiences. Following the struggles of two Jesuits in feudal Japan who try to spread hope to the few isolated Christian communities while trying to find their mentor who hasn't come home from a mission almost feels like watching an elaborate documentary. The movie is historically authentic, includes fitting costumes and landscapes and exposes us to Japanese and Portuguese customs.

Secondly, the acting performances in this movie are absolutely stellar. Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver have good chemistry and convince as initially motivated Jesuits whose faith is severely tested in their quest for survival. The supporting actors are also quite convincing from a resilient, old and clever inquisitor to a disillusioned, insisting and rational convert.

Thirdly, the movie has a quite sinister atmosphere that fits the serious topics. This is supported by the rural landscapes since most of this movie either takes place on the raw coasts of Southern Japan, the wild forests of several Japanese islands and the muddy city of Nagasaki where it always seems to rain. The dark lighting techniques, the gloomy soundtrack and the use of moments of tense silence also contribute to a very artistic, detailed and epic movie.

On the negative side, the film is obviously quite long. I didn't get bored at any time because I found the topic so fascinating but I have to admit that some scenes are somewhat redundant or repetitive. If you are looking for a movie with vivid action sequences, numerous different locations and long-winded dialogues, you won't get any of it. This movie is slow-paced, precise and atmospheric and tries to transmit a desperate vibe instead of quirky entertainment.

The ending of the movie blends in very well with the rest of the film and I liked it but it's quite unorthodox and maybe even unexpected by Hollywood standards.

To keep it short, it's great to see that renowned directors like Martin Scorsese still aspire to experiment in the autumn years of their careers. Silence is refreshingly different and unique from any other Hollywood production of recent memory. It has a unique topic, great acting performances and an intense atmosphere. If you are a viewer with an interest in historical topics who likes to think outside the box, you're probably going to appreciate Silence as much as I did.

I'm a massive hockey fan and was excited when I heard about the inauguration of a Stanley Cup Monument in downtown Ottawa. However, the monument doesn't really look spectacular and feels lost in the small alley. It would have made more sense to build a bigger monument or even a small museum close to Canadian Tire Centre, home arena of the Ottawa Senators.

Down, Wicked & No Good is a surprise release by In Flames that features four cover songs inspired by original material from Alice in Chains, Chris Isaac, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails. The band collaborated with Depeche Mode and even took over the band's Facebook page in order to promote In Flames' cover of ''It's No Good''. Aside of a few minor hints and snippets, this digital release wasn't however much promoted and seems to be a project the band did for fun and not for commercial purposes. Those who are accusing the band to sell out haven't understood that the group simply wants to experiment stylistically at all costs.

In Flames has become one of the world's most controversial metal bands over the past years because the group shifted its style from melodic death metal towards alternative rock with electronic elements. However, In Flames has been an experimental outfit throughout its entire career and had already covered Depeche Mode twenty years earlier on the critically acclaimed Whoracle record. The difference between ''Everything Counts'' two decades ago and ''It's No Good'' now is that the former song gave a Depeche Mode track a classic In Flames vibe while the latter is much closer to the original song and experiments with clean vocals and electronic elements. Still, the new song doesn't blandly copy Depeche Mode but explores a more contemporary synthpop soundscape. If Depeche Mode had written the song this year and not twenty years ago, I could actually sound like In Flames' version. This reinvention of the track is more surprising than what In Flames accomplished twenty years ago but it will also rather please synthpop fans than melodic death metal supporters.

This is also the case for the other three cover songs. In order to fully appreciate them, you need quite broad preferences and should appreciate the original artists rather than what In Flames might have stood for in its early career. Even by In Flames' contemporary standards, Down, Wicked & No Good is one of the band's most radical releases. It doesn't have anything to do with any metal or even rock subgenres and can be categorized a synthpop. If the name In Flames weren't associated with this release, it would actually be hard to believe that the Swedish group is actually behind this. In Flames' version of Alice in Chains' ''Down in a Hole'' is even more melodic, mellow and introspective than the original track. Instead of making the original material heavier as it would have been the case twenty years ago, In Flames now explores genres which are similar to the original tracks and focuses on a danceable, dreamy and electronic twist to the four songs chosen for this release.

If I were only a metal connoisseur, I would despise and reject this release and I can easily understand anyone criticizing this unusual output. However, thanks to my father, I have also grown up with music of the gothic scene and attended festivals where I could witness a vast spectrum of bands including synthpop artists. Even though the latter genre isn't my favorite, I can occasionally appreciate it and am able to judge what good or band synthpop is. What In Flames offers here is quite thoughtful, melodic and atmospheric synthpop that sounds unique, modern and fresh. I wouldn't listen to Down, Wicked & No Good on a regular base, but if I felt like listening to some unique and calm synthpop to relax, I would definitely go for this release. Surprisingly, despite being a first effort in its genre, this release is already a genre highlight and proves how talented and versatile the band is. I wouldn't be surprised if the band's next release were a new age or trip hop record and if it actually sounded really great. In Flames seems to be an amorphous band that could play pretty much anything it aspires stylistically as we speak, except maybe for classical music. No matter what you think about the final result, this disposition is absolutely astonishing.

The bottom line is that this surprising release is very good for what it is but that I can only digest it in small doses because it isn't exactly my favorite type of music.

Final rating: 70%

Suburbicon is a movie that doesn't deserve the overwhelmingly negative critics it gets. The movie is an ambitious mixture of a crime flick, dark comedy and social drama in almost equal parts. This isn't unusual for a script by the talented Coen brothers but Suburbicon is particularly out-thought and precise.

First of all, we have the story of a mysterious home invasion in a seemingly perfect town that leads to the murder of a physically disabled mother.

Secondly, the film portrays the small-town stereotypes of the late fifties in a humorous manner and also includes a solid dose of situation comedy.

Thirdly, the movie shows us the struggles of an African-American family in an otherwise homogeneous all-white neighbourhood.

In addition to this original mixture, the film is extremely stylish and portrays small-town stereotypes of the late fifties perfectly, including exchangeable family houses, flashy clothes and robust vehicles.

The movie includes numerous talented actors who are challenged to play unusual roles and deliver good to great jobs. Matt Damon really convinces as two-faced family father, Julianne Moore plays two roles and portrays both a bitter and disabled family mother as well as her manipulative and superficial sister and child actor Noah Jupe has his international breakthrough as he performs a shy and antisocial but also open-minded and clever boy. Even the secondary roles are unique and played by talented actors. One has to point out Gary Basaraba who plays a sympathetic but tough uncle, Oscar Isaac convinces as an investigative insurance agent and Glenn Fleshler impresses as scary villain.

If the acting is so convincing, it's due to the great work of the great directing effort. George Clooney is obviously rather known as an actor but he proves that he can also direct a great movie and I would even say that his precise work here is better than many of the somewhat superficial roles he has played in his career. It's great to see that George Clooney is still trying out new things so late in his career.

Some negative critics here focus on the fact that the movie portrays the racism of an all-white neighbourhood towards an African-American family and even shows the display of a Confederate flag in one scene where an angry mob smashes the windows of the family house. First of all, it's a matter of fact that racism was very present in those neighbourhoods of the United States of America back in the fifties and it sadly still is an issue today if we witness the numerous cases of police violence against African-American citizens. Secondly, the movie also shows that some residents aren't participating in the protests but rather trying to ignore it in order to not get into any trouble with their neighbours which was an attitude several people had back in those days. Thirdly, a few select people are shown which are helping the African-American family the best they can and it's a particularly clever move that the movie focuses on the friendship of a black and a white boy who show the ignorant adults around them that there is hope for peaceful coexistence in the future. Therefore, the movie isn't biased or left-wing propaganda as some angry reviewers try to make you think but a balanced and realistic portrait of a flawed society. Finally, the scene with the Confederate flag isn't offensive because the display of this flag is often associated with white supremacy. If you have a Confederate flag in your yard, you should seriously ask yourself what kind of person you are. This flag isn't anything to be proud of.

To keep it short, Suburbicon is an entertaining, original and stylish movie that mixes crime flick, dark comedy and social drama in a perfectly balanced way. Ignore the negative critics and enjoy one of the greatest movies of the year. The fact that the incredibly boring Blade Runner 2049 gets so much critical acclaim while Suburbicon is unjustifiably criticized proves once more that popular opinions don't mean much when it comes to understanding a piece of art.