Directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano hope to tug on your heartstrings with The Intouchables, the story of a disabled wealthy French man who hires a Black Muslim ex-con as his caretaker. But as Jordan Hoffman writes: "even the French can make nauseating pap."  Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy star.

The Intouchables opens in theaters this Friday. Read the review.

At only 109 minutes, Andrei Zvyagintsev's Elena trades in the hefty moral issues familiar to Russian Literature and, therefore, demands to leave an imprint. The Russian filmmaker's first film The Return was sparse, deliberate and patiently observed. His second, however, seems almost like a rebuke.  Nadezhda Markina stars in the title role.

Elena is currently playing in theaters. Read Jordan Hoffman's review.

Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki follows her charming melodrama Caramel with a full fledged feminist comedy. Where Do We Go Now? is an audacious film  replete with fantasy musical sequences.

Jordan writes: " What the world needs now is a good film that details just how hashish and blonde exotic dancers are the true road map to sectarian peace in Lebanon, but it looks like we'll have to wait for the next one.

Where Do We Go Now? is currently playing in theaters in limited release.Read Jordan's review.

There are a great many subcategories under the wide umbrella of "world and independent films" -- bootstrap productions with five figure budgets, Oscar-baiting grand-scale foreign language films, and low budget horror flick with no stars. Jordan Hoffman gives you his permission to skip Alexandre Courtes' Asylum Blackout, a movie about lunatics in an insane asylum wreaking bloody havoc with all the good will in the world.

Asylum Blackout is currently playing in theaters in limited release and is available on VOD. Read Jordan's review.