Questions of freedom, the law, and existence are put forth in the powerful Far From Men – a film that is not to be missed. Documenting a moment at the start of the 1954 Algerian war for independence, it follows schoolteacher Daru as he must deliver a prisoner to the closest French garrison to receive justice. Caught between the two warring factions, the men must struggle for their lives and their freedom – throwing into sharp relief the choices they still possess within a world of randomness and contingency. Shot as a thrillingly tense western, the film slowly reveals a magnificent political and philosophical punch.

Schumer and Apatow’s Trainwreck takes on the careworn genre of the romantic comedy and loses, becoming a funny but recycled series of sketches arranged around the dullest plot imaginable. You may not be convinced that these two lovers are destined for each other, or that marriage and family contain all happiness, but you’ll hear some crackerjack jokes along the way. You’ll also see a lot of material that has already been used to better effect in Inside Amy Schumer. Also, LeBron James splits a bill. 

There’s jizz, jizz jokes, Chekhov’s jizz storage facility, Tom Brady’s jizz, a Mark Wahlberg covered in jizz photo posted to Facebook, black cock jizz, white cock jizz, indeterminate cock jizz, a dick-shaped bong that totally looks like you’re trying to get the jizz contained within, Winnie-the-Pooh unforgivably associated with a quest for jizz, and romance that probably ends in jizz. It’s a Seth MacFarlane film, or more accurately an extended episode of late-run Family Guy, and so you already know it’s terrible. It is going to make a ton of money and there’ll be sequels. That’s the world we live in now.

Results is a sincere and interesting attempt at reworking the traditional rom-com, bringing emotional depth and individuality to its central characters. Focused on a directionless millionaire trying to get in shape, and his developing relationship with both his trainer and her boss, the film attempts to grow interesting dilemmas out of fully formed characters in organic ways. Part satire on fitness culture, part investigation into combating modern alienation, the film is not as successful as it could be but is certainly worth watching.

Big Hero 6 can only be described as a bland disappointment; squandering a beautiful backdrop on a child wish-fulfilment fantasy that even four-year-olds will find predictable. That the film refuses to take a risk at any point is symptomatic of the Disney way of making animated features by committees, and aptly represents why more adventurous studios such as Pixar and Studio Ghibli have become more successful and celebrated.

Securing an interview with the most secretive dictator in the world, lightweight TV host Dave Skylark and his loyal producer Aaron Rapaport head to North Korea and to the lair of Kim Jong Un. But not before the CIA knocks on the door, coercing them into an assassination attempt on the young tyrant’s life. The abundant lack of competence the two demonstrate does not give the CIA pause for a minute, and as a result the film documents the pair’s numerous fuck-ups on the way to a typically worst of both worlds conclusion.

The AICE Israeli Film Festival remains a great showcase for Israeli films, and there were some outstanding films in this festival. It offered a slice of the identities and powerful passions that complicated the image of simply an “Israeli” festival, and demonstrated that there is more than just the politics of the Middle East that drives filmmakers to comment on these issues. The spectre of protests in Sydney was disappointing; in many cases, Palestinian advocates would gain a lot of sympathy, understanding, and new awareness from encouraging people to see these critical Israeli films.

Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a founding member of the terrorist organisation Hamas, was recruited by Israeli internal security force Shin Bet to spy on his father and infiltrate terrorist organisations. The Green Prince, as he was called, is transformed into one of Israel’s most sensitive and effective sources of information – but at great risk to Yousef and his family. Told through complimentary interviews with Yousef and his handler Gonen Ben Yitzhak, the story they recount borders on the unbelievable.

A chance meeting between old friends leads to the revival of the Israeli folk dancing group Hora 79 for one last performance. But after 33 years the dancers are past their prime and still stuck in old conflicts, loves, resentments, and jealousies. Reunited, these long dead feelings rise to the fore and the members must contend against them, as well as a rival manager who wants to see them removed from the festival, and an old director who represents the epitome of folk dancing evil. 

A team of would-be spies work to outwit the Israeli government, the French ambassador, the Russian scientific attaché, the representatives of Oman, the Iranian secret service, and a host of other international interests in their attempt to secure $100 million in diamonds for the stolen laptop of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh. Led by talented con-man Daniel, the team are picked up by Mossad and interrogated for their role in the assassination of Al-Mabhouh. What follows is a game of cat and mouse, and the respective players try to get at the truth while forwarding their interests.

Boris Gelfand, Israeli chess Grandmaster, has a shot at defeating World Champion Viswanathan Anand in a gruelling twelve games played over one month in Kazan, Russia. Album 61 follows Gelfand and his extensive team during that month; but also documents the story of Boris’ father, who devoted himself to the success of his son. Gelfand makes startling progress – drawing most of the matches and pulling off one unexpected victory. Anand is on the ropes, but still a World Champion; and the tense showdown has everyone on the edge of their seats.

Israeli filmmaker Ram Loevy documents the every-day life of his hometown of Ramat Gan, a city of Tel Aviv, and the stories of colourful locals. We meet an Iraqi barber whose father was barber to the King of Iraq, a quite amazing Russian accordion player who has a quote for every customer, a Jewish dollar store owner with a love for Arabic poetry, and several nostalgic ex-Soviets. People pass by, talking on their cell phones, and a poor parking inspector wangles with the general indifference of the locals.