My Favorite Movies

Much imitated, never bettered horror classic. Polanski ratchets up the tension practically from the beginning and the story cleverly puts doubt in the viewer as to whether Rosemary is right to be paranoid or if she's just delusional (for instance, was the dream real or imagined?).

Mia Farrow is inspired casting, giving a pitch-perfect perfomance and using her physicality to great effect (she seems to get paler and more fragile as the movie progresses).

Little bit of trivia: Ira Levin, who wrote the book the film is based on, dedicated the sequel, Son of Rosemary (which was also made into an abysmal made-for-TV film) to Mia Farrow.

Three things, to me, elevate this movie to five-star excellence. The first is the brilliance and relateability of Lauren Ambrose's exceptional performance. She can project five emotions just through a facial expression. The second, is the simplicity of the story, and its realism. And the third is perhaps more personal; one scene features the Leona Naess song "Comatised" - one of my faves of all time!

"All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words."

I can't even begin to adequately describe how I feel about this film. Everything about Milk works so beautifully and has been brought to life with the utmost care, in times of writing, direction, performances, editing. This is one of Gus Van Sant's most 'straightforward' films but is no less effective for being simple, fluid, honest. I can't go on without talking about the final act of violence in this film, which shook me to the core. Despite my knowing how this was going to end, my mind and heart were screaming "no" and I was physically shaking. When Penn held his hand out defensively something in me happened that is near impossible for me to articulate. In the end, this in an inspiring, but angry film - a metaphorical call to arms. But where are the Harvey Milks of today? With every step taken forward for gay rights, something seems to continually happen to push back (right now, the "National Organization for Marriage" is spending obscene amounts of money on a campaign of fear). But. I still have hope.

"For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban on gay marriage to sit and reflect, and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone." - Sean Penn.

We all get it in the end.

You know, I'd read so many positive things about this film in the press and through recommendations that I had exceptionally high hopes, but even so I didn't think I would fall so head over heels in love with it. The last time a film has left me feeling so simultaneously happy and reflective was after seeing C.R.A.Z.Y. for the first time.

Shortbus is infamous for its explicit, real sex featuring the leading cast in all different forms, partnerships, genders etc. It's also become something of a cliché to read reviews stating how the sex is just a small part of the film when in fact the story goes deeper (no pun intended) than sex itself. But the sex is a necessary part of the film and is a part of the narrative, and in a way quite apart from other 'real' films featuring real sex (9 Songs and twenty-nine palms for instance, both of which feature real sex, completely fail to achieve anything except boredom; they're not even arousing). It helps that the cast all seem to be genuinely 'into' it, and director John Cameron Mitchell gets fantastic, way beyond the call of duty performances from pretty much the entire main cast; they should all be proud of the film they have made and deserve to be cast in more features.

Things I loved about this film include: The way the city of New York is visualized through computer graphics and art design (which includes an almost show-stopping power out moment). The end music number. The music, period. The story of the 'spying' guy. The funny, relatable script. The homes of the characters set design/props are extremely well thought out and fit well into the stories. The heartbreakingly funny moment when a character confesses their real name, and another moment where a character gets a visual of how worthless they feel. The uplifting ending. And everything else.

"...it's a great workout, it feels good, and I love, you know, loving my husband. It's just you know there comes a point sometimes where it just gets really... a lot of pressure, and kind of like, uh, it feels a little bit, ah, kind of like, um, like someone's gonna kill me and I just have to, you know, smile and pretend to enjoy it. Yeah. That way I can survive."

Proof that British cinema is capable of producing something other than stuffy romantic comedies or hackneyed Gangster flicks, Me Without You is an assured, compassionate, involving and perceptive film. The title is perfect - at once somehow ambivalent, poetic and eloquent, with directing, writing and acting to match. The film tells the story from childhood, through adolescence and early adulthood of two girls who have a friendship that is supportive and strong as well as suffocating and destructive - imbued with jealousy as well as tenderness.

Holly (Michelle Williams) is the mousy, Jewish girl with a love for brooding and inner emoting, and a mother who essentially tells her she is clever but plain. Living next door is Marina (Anna Friel), extravert, flirty, looking to experience life, and with a mother who only eats party food, drinks cocktails at all hours of the day and talks frankly about her sexual life (very similar to Rayanne's mother from TV series My So Called Life, which this films shares some similarity to). The girls admire each other, and envy each other, not just each other's characteristics but their personalities and upbringings.

Michelle Williams (who has a not-quite-right English accent, but it's consistent and somehow suits the character) is absolutely superb as Holly. She shines in many scenes, particularly when trying, and failing, to express herself adequately - she is certainly a very gifted actress. Marina, potentially an incredibly unlikeable character, is made sympathetic and real thanks to very good writing - we can see how her manipulation is actually eating her up inside as she slowly hates herself more and more - and Anna Friel's brilliant performance highlights the truth that sometimes friends do awful things to each other.

I was becoming exhausted emotionally near the end and was worried about how the film would wrap up, but, save for a misjudged final glimpse into the future which should have been left as a deleted scene, the film's very best sequence (involving a New Year's game) is one of the last. Very highly recommended. Oh and the soundtrack is perfect!

"Where are you going?"
"I don't know."
"...Can I come?"

"He just kind of held his arms out and disappeared. And I wasn't sure if I was imagining this, and so I drove for a few seconds and looked in my rear-view mirror and my heart rate went up. And I almost felt like I wanted to start crying because I thought to myself, 'wow I might be one of the last people to ever see this person alive'. When I went into the tower and I talked to the highway patrolman, you know I asked him blatantly, I said 'is this a rare occurrence or does this happen often?' And he looked at me and kind of smiled and just said 'it happens all the time'."

A touching, perceptive and sometimes unexpectedly beautiful documentary, concerning one of the few remaining taboos - that of suicide. Eric Steel interviews witnesses, friends and family members of 23 of the 24 people who chose to end their life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in 2005. Not easy viewing, the film shows footage of the suicides themselves that is undeniably disturbing and difficult to watch. Much criticism was levied in the press at Steel suggesting that he was in someway culpable for those who died - the argument being that surely he should intervene and stop those shown from jumping. It's an argument that's difficult not to find some truth in from watching the film alone, but something that has been rectified by the DVD's liner notes, which features a Director's statement outlaying Steel's intentions and methods. In fact, the crew would call the authorities whenever they saw someone they believed could potentially be a 'jumper' near the railings and probably did prevent some people from (at least initially) committing suicide. But the manner in which the film was shot - from a long distance away from the bridge itself with telescopic lenses - meant the crew were rarely on the bridge itself and therefore had to rely on the authorities getting to those about to jump in time. And of the 24 people who ended their life, most did not hang around on the bridge for long, but very quickly, and shockingly easily, stepped over the railings and plunged to their deaths.

Amongst many other things, Steel finds in his interviews with friends and family members reasons as to why so many people choose the Golden Gate Bridge to end their lives.

"I think the bridge has a romance... a false romantic promise to it. Because he's dead. And he doesn't get to benefit from the romanticism of it... It romanticises him a bit in the legend, but he doesn't benefit from it. So what if his story has that at the end? He's gone. And so I think there's an empty promise; it's almost like when alcoholics talk about the romance of the bottle... maybe the first sip is really good, and everything else is hell... Maybe walking out there he had a romantic moment or two or an hour, but hitting the water can't be fun."

Almost without exception, the interviewees are intelligent and articulate people and some of their testimonies are very, very moving. The insight contained in this film is invaluable, rare and honest. There's an extremely painful and truthful moment when a close friend of one of the people who jumped from the bridge declares that they wished they had done something more;

"I made the mistake of giving him some space to recover, and that was a bad call I think... I didn't want to humiliate him and have him be in a psych facility, cause I wasn't sure they were really gonna help him, and I didn't want to cross my boundaries. But I will never again not intrude. I wont respect their privacy. And I will not ever again not do something because I'm afraid they might be embarrassed."

The bridge is shown from different perspectives: in close-up, from a field where young girls play soccer, in the distance as artists sketch and paint the powerful architecture. Contrasting the different shots, different reactions to the suicides are offered, showing the many different ways the actions of those who have died have affected those they have left behind. Some feel relief that those obviously in so much pain and depression now no longer have to struggle. Some are in denial; one family member hides behind religious beliefs and tries to justify his sister's suicide as an accident or a conspiracy. Many can't believe how a person could find the courage to take the step into something so final. Others are profoundly angry that they could do something they see as selfish.

"I couldn't fully cry - the overwhelming emotion was anger. I was extremely pissed... I don't see any reason for people to do that. And Gene had people in this world that loved him. And he hurt them. If I see him again, that's what I wanna tell him. He hurt me. And I didn't think he would ever do that."

The Bridge is undeniably bleak and sometimes depressing. Even the remarkable story of the young man who jumps and lives to tell his story doesn't really have a happy ending. Suffering from bipolar disorder, his friends walk on eggshells around him, his father doesn't seem to understand what he's going through, and his declaration that he wont try taking his own life again doesn't really convince. But there are moments of absolute beauty here too. The bridge itself of course is a stunning, iconic image, and the photography makes full use of this. There's hope in itself from understanding about mental illness and suicide, and the preciousness of life. The Bridge even proved to be a convincing polemic: in 2006 when it was shown a part of the Tribeca Film Festival, the authorities went ahead with a study into looking at providing a 'suicide barrier' (the construction of which is estimated to cost some $25 million); at present action has yet been taken. Investment was made into 'non-physical' suicide prevention in the mid 1990s by means of bicycle patrols, security cameras and phone lines, but the suicide rate shows no signs of decreasing and there are still around 25 to 30 suicides every year.

A film quite unlike anything I've seen before, The Mudge Boy deserves a larger audience then it is ever likely to get, thanks to its peculiar title, cheap, 70s looking cover art and "funded by cable" credentials. But it's a stunning film.

Duncan (Emile Hirsch) is a teenager trying to come to terms with the unexpected death of his mother. An outsider who doesn't have the self-awareness to express himself adequately and without any support in friends or his emotionally unavailable father, Duncan, who helps out on the farm he lives on, cycles the countryside with his favorite chicken and begins to form relationships with some of the people he meets.

Psychologically rich and complex, realistic, beautifully photographed and stunningly performed (Emile Hirsch, Richard Jenkins and Tom Guiry are all superb), The Mudge Boy builds to a devastating conclusion that is truly shocking and difficult to watch; a brilliant depiction of teenage life, sexuality and grief in all its forms.

Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, winner of the Grand Jury Award at L.A. Outfest.

Fabulous experimental homage to French New Wave cinema; it is warm, perceptive, tender and funny without being pretentious - quite a feat for a film that features direct to camera narration, voice-over and one (superb) musical number. It's one of the few films I've seen that effectively portrays what it's like to feel your heart break, how no one can help you through it but yourself, how wallowing in depression can be an addiction, and how the smallest incident can gradually take you out of it.

Romain Duris (The Beat That My Heat Skipped) as the heartbroken Paul, and Louis Garrel (The Dreamers) as womanising Jo, two of France's most talented actors, give effortlessly truthful performances as the brothers. A number of narrative tricks and 'gimmicks' are used but the film never stops flowing - this is what experimental cinema should be about. I loved every minute - more please!

I had been itching to see this film practically since I first found out about it - on this very website as it happens. I sometimes don't know how I managed to keep sane as there was always a voice in my head saying "er yeah, so when you going to get round to watching 'May' then?". I had high expectations - they were met, they were exceeded.

This film works so well: it is in and of itself, near impossible to classify (not that I would want to label it anyway). It's a stunning work and by the time the ending rolls around - which is beautifully, heartbreakingly poignant - May becomes a defining film, by which I mean it becomes something iconic, so good that by proxy other films look less successful.

It's impossible to imagine anyone other than Angela Bettis in the lead role - she plays it exactly right - even amidst the bloodshed it is always clear where sympathy should lie. Jeremy Sisto is equally excellent - smouldering, charismatic - possibly his best performance to date. I've watched Lucky McKee's Masters of Horror instalment as well as his feature The Woods prior to watching this, and although they could all arguably be considered as horror they are all completely different from one another, save for their originality of vision and inventiveness. I am now very much anticipating Roman.

"...you and I are the same. We're both going to die soon."

In Time to Leave (Le Temps Qui Reste), thirty year-old Romain (Melvil Poupaud), a successful fashion photography, is diagnosed with cancer, and his prognosis is not good. He decides to forego the chemotherapy that would give him a slim chance of prolonged survival, and, unable to tell his boyfriend - who he subsequently breaks up with - or his immediate family, he instead confides only in his grandmother (Jeane Moreau). From there, he tries to find acceptance and meaning in his mortality, and is given an opportunity he never thought he would have after a chance encounter with a waitress.

This is a lyrical, intimate and economical film, without even a hint of artifice in the writing or the performances (Melvil Poupaud is surely an actor to watch). Refreshingly free from sentimentality, with realistic characters - Romain is not exactly a hero and doesn't become one in the course of the film - and a script with few words but which has a lot to say. Writer-director François Ozon filmed Time to Leave in cinemascope, an interesting choice for such a small-scale film, but one that rewards with a staggeringly, beautifully shot denouement. A thoughtful, moving film.

Nine years on from when they first met on a train in Europe, Jesse and Celine meet again in Paris. Almost instantly, they re-connect, and talk about what they've been doing with their lives. For both of them it seems, that day nine years ago has had a huge effect on their lives.

A continuation that is just as good, if not better than Before Sunrise, Before Sunset is one of the most beautiful looking films I have seen - Paris is bathed in golden sunlight and the architecture of the city is brought stunningly to life. Taking place in real time, the film is only 78 minutes long, and director Richard Linklater keeps cuts to a minimum, instead using gorgeous tracking shots, which make you feel like you're in Paris with the characters.

Although short, the film is perfectly formed, and Jesse and Celine feel like real, breathing people, conversing naturally (sometimes it feels improvised) and sharing laughter and pain. The film also ends absolutely perfectly, on an ambigious but hopeful note. The romantic optimist in me adores this film.

"Jack, I swear..."

The best film of 2005, and should have won best picture at the 2006 Oscars.

A short story that spans many years is faithfully transported to the screen, ideas and hints expanded to full scenes with the spirit of the source remaining intact.

The synopsis is pretty much common knowledge by now, but the label of "gay cowboy" movie is unhelpful as it will, unfortunately, prevent a larger proportion of an audience in seeing this film. It greatly troubles me to hear of people either boycotting this film outright because of its subject matter, or walking out of screenings, since this is a beautiful, moving and heartfelt movie. At the screening I saw, I'm glad to say the audience all seemed to appreciate the film, and I found it interesting to see that when the lights came on at the end, most of the women were crying and most of the men were sat in silence or deep in thought (or, indeed, crying themselves).

In any case, this a stunning film: the direction, the photography, the music, the writing and of course the acting; at the time of release, the film was graced with career best performances from all five key cast members - Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, and in a small but key role, Linda Cardellini as the waitress.

Required viewing for everyone who loves film.

Absolutely stunning film, telling the story of Zac and his family of four older brothers, mother and father over 25 years from his birth in 1960. I have so many superlatives for this film I risk spouting hyperbole, but this is truly a terrific piece of work.

Zac, born on Christmas day, grows up in a Catholic family (and his mother is convinced that that his date of birth means he has powers to heal the sick) feeling isolated, an outcast - he feels inexplicably different and longs only to fit in. As a child, Zac seems to be favored by his father but as he enters his teens there's a key shift change in their relationship and things are never the same.

This has to be one of the most successful coming of age films, and more specifically, coming out films I have ever seen. C.R.A.Z.Y. features an exceptional performance from Marc-André Frondin as Zac, who convinces as a 15 year old right up until his mid twenties, inspired direction, with an array of camera and effects techniques that never grow tired and avoid pastiche, a perfect soundtrack (Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Patsy Kline, Pink Floyd) and a resonant, moving story. Gripping from beginning to end credits, the film finishes on a hopeful note that feels genuinely earned. *Love* it.

"I'm not asking you to love me. I can do that enough for both of us."

Wow this is good. My lovefest for Pedro Almodóvar continues unabated - this is a fantastically written and constructed melodrama-slash-thriller. The lives of two policemen, a teenager and the women he is infatuated with are all brought together by a bullet fired in an altercation. Over the years, their paths continue to cross in a tale of lust, love, and revenge (and the pointlessness of vengeance).

Rich, warmly directed, fantastically acted across the board and incredibly satisfying, the story is very, very clever with lots of twists that are earned and enhance the plot and the emotional connectivity rather than cheapen it. Brilliant.

History. It's just one fucking thing after another.

Absolutely loved this film, based on the stage play of the same name (and using the original cast). Really wonderful performances from everyone, even Richard Griffiths whom I normally can't stand.

A testament to the high quality of this film is that I adored it even though the first time I saw it I was on a plane: If there's ever a death for a film to a viewer, it's if it's watched in a cramped environment at 30000 feet with some kid kicking your chair from behind you, and a 70 year old grandmother with apparent ADD continually adjusting the position of her seat in front of you, causing your very hot beverage to spill over your jeans. Twice. (I Kid you not.)

Anywho, back to the film. It's brilliantly written of course (penned by Alan Bennett), unflashily directed and very well performed. A coming of age tale that deals with subjects such as sexuality, education, "belonging", and hell, growing up, in a refreshing and honest way.

I've rarely seen the concept of knowledge for knowledge's sake shown on screen so strongly, and movingly, before. All this, and you get a stunning version of "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" performed by Rufus Wainwright over the end credits.

"The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you'd thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you've never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it's as if a hand has come out, and taken yours."

Extremely powerful, compelling and very well structured film, featuring excellent performances from Brad Renfro, Nick Stahl and Michael Pitt.

Marty and Bobby, two teenagers living in Florida, have been 'best friends' most of their lives but their relationship has always been troubling. When Marty's new girlfriend, Lisa, starts hanging out with them, she sees how Bobby treats him, and then things start to spiral out of control...

Based on true events, it's a familiar story that's been utilised in different ways before and since (Fun and Mean Creek are two examples I can think of), but this is probably one of the best films of its kind I've seen. The camerawork is dizzying at times and I really felt like I was there. The storyline is also a lot more complex than appears - there's definitely a lot of subtext to Bobby's story that is hinted at - and the film is also surprisingly subtle at times (Ken Park this is not). Fantastic film.

Oh... and I love the final scene with the music which gets gradually louder.

Astonishing, absolutely wonderful acting in this movie from Toni Collette (where was her Oscar nomination?).

Sandy, a geologist in Australia, is given the seemingly thankless task of playing tour guide to a Japanese businessman (Gotaro Tsunashima) - a potential investor in her company - and immediately their cultures clash and communication problems arise. With a little time though, the two soon find themselves unexpectedly drawn to each other, as they journey through the beautiful Australian outback.

I can't say too much more, which is unfortunate as I'm sure the above doesn't sound too fascinating, but believe me, this is a brilliant film.

The movie switches genres - comedy, romance, survivalist drama, and more, and defies expectations as it progresses, without once feeling schizophrenic. The photography is beautiful, the editing is exceptional, and Collette skilfully, and sometimes without words, expresses every possible emotion at some point during the film.

An obvious comparison might be Lost In Translation; this film is every bit as good, but I always root for the underdog so to me this is a much better film.

Superb coming of age French film made in the 70's but set in the 50's, which focuses on an adolescent boy coming to terms with his sexuality and his relationships with his mother, father and brothers.

Very tenderly directed, the film features stunning and unforced performances from Benoit Ferreux as lead character Laurent and Lea Massari as his mother. In other hands the subject matter could seem exploitative and unnecessarily controversial, but Louis Malle displays an assured light touch. The period detail is also very impressive and the warm cinematography is another plus.

The Criterion DVD features a pristine transfer that makes the film look brand new, and comes with a very well written and informative essay by film critic Michael Sragow.

A very fine film indeed.

Superb Hitchcockian thriller with a fantastic double act in Emmanuelle Devos & Vincent Cassel, who are both excellent. The film is unbearably tense, romantic, sexy, offbeat and finally oddly beautiful. The cinematography is great, the central conceit is used to great effect (sound design is particularly effective) and the direction taught. The director, Jacques Audiard, who has gone on to make the equally impressive The Beat That My Heart Skipped, is fast becoming a personal favorite...

Excellent, almost life-affirming movie, filled with exceptional performances from a very talented cast. The characters and their relationships with each other are so vivid; at times I was reminded of the work of Michael Cunningham (Flesh & Blood, The Hours), only in Spanish of course. I can't believe it took me so long to getting round to see this, and I'm so glad I did. *****

Very dark and depressing material is sensitevly brought to the screen in this one-of-a-kind, emotionally draining and astonishngly acted drama. I found it hard to watch but at the same time couldn't tear my eyes from the screen; this is one of the best book to screen adaptations I've seen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbett are amazing in the lead roles. The ending shot is probably my favourite ending in any film I've ever seen.

A fave at Sundance, this film may not boast the most exciting-sounding storyline in the world, but this is truly a wonderful movie.

If you ever want to see what good acting is really about, then watch this. Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale and Peter Dinklage all give fantastic performances, in a film that's basically all about friendship and understanding. Sounds meh? It isn't, I promise. This is the kind of film that life is about - my heart breaks and reheals itself whenever I watch this. Go see it now!!!

Quite possibly one my favourite movies (yes, really); it portrays grief and guilt realistically and is poignant without being sentimental (aside from a just-about-forgivable courtroom scene towards the end). Gyllenhaal gives a performance that surely would have had directors speed-dialling his agent, had the movie been the box-office success it deserved. Five stars.

I saw this film for the first time in an open-air screening in New York and it was an amazing, possibly life changing experience. My favourite of Stanley Kubrik's films, I couldn't tear my eyes off the screen for a single second. It's absolutely incredible to think this film was made in 1968. Some of the shots are absolutely beautiful and the surreal coda seems perfect to me.

Movies dealing with terminal diseases usually come across as "Movie of the Week" dross, manipulating you with icky sentimentality and displaying all the subtlety of whacking you over the head with a large stick. My Life Without Me on the other hand, is subtle, well acted and poignant. Polley is magnificent.

The Descent is probably my favorite horror movie of this decade so far, and horror is one of my favorite genres so I don't make the claim lightly (especially since I didn't care at all for director Neil Marshall's debut, Dog Soldiers). Don't just take my word for it though, respected film magazine Sight & Sound (published by the BFI) ranked the film in its top 10 films of 2006 (alongside such films as Brokeback Mountain and The Beat That My Heart Skipped).

This film is tense, scary stuff (even before it takes a more supernatural turn around half-way through). I actually felt claustrophobic watching this at home in the dark, but resisted the urge to turn on the lights.

You know that feeling you get when you're watching a superb movie that is going to end soon, and you have a slight anxious feeling that the ending is going to be a cop-out, or fudged by the acting or writing? Well this has not only a perfect ending, it has two (watch to see what I mean) - and the final scene is haunting in its psychological weirdness.

Absolutely brilliant.

An extremely well written, directed and acted movie of the kind that only independent cinema could ever offer. This takes the now familiar device of intertwining characters and storylines (a la Go, Heights, Look Both Ways etc.) and breathes new life into it. The film shows a fundamental truth of human nature; that people lie. And not always to be deceptive, but out of habit, or because it's easier, or without realising it. Don Roos, as in his earlier flick The Opposite of Sex, writes vivid, multi-layered and three-dimensional characters, and shifts between them and their different storylines effortlessly.

In addition to the excellent writing and direction, the film is graced with a compeling cast, all of whom deliver fantastic performances. I always enjoy Lisa Kudrow's work outside of Friends, and this is probably her finest film to date. Maggie Gyllenhaal excels with typical flair as a sultry, coniving character that lesser actors would've portrayed as unsympathetic or overly kooky. Instead, Gylenhaal gives a finely nuanced performance, and who would've thought she'd have a great singing voice too? Jesse Bradford is as good here as he was in Heights but plays a very different character, showing he has talent with the right director guiding him. And Steve Coogan especially impresses with an emotionally heavy role, despite a pretty wobbly accent.

If you want to see what a talented writer/director and a great cast can do on a small budget, then look no further.

I've now seen this movie over 10 times and the final image *still* sends shivers up my spine.

One of the most profitable films of all time (largely thanks to its ingenious marketing), it was released to almost unanimous critical acclaim but has since had a fair amount of backlash.

For some people it just didn't live up to the hype, but for me this was a breath of fresh, scary air, and undoubtedly a groundbreaking (psychological) horror film. The film was largely improvised and the three performances by Joshua Leonard, Michael Williams, and in particular, Heather Donahue are astonishing.

A hastily shot sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, followed a year later but lightning didn't strike twice (although it's still an interesting failure).

Generally, I have a very low tolerance for Michael Douglas, but he was actually very good in this film about a writer struggling to complete his next book, and the pressure from it being as successful as the first. Sounds dull? Well it really isn't - though that's because Douglas is surrounded by brilliant characters played by excellent actors; Robert Downey Jr, Tobey Maguire, Kaite Holmes and Fracnes McDonald. This is one of my very favourite movies.

A little known gem of a movie, with exceptional performances from its ensemble cast (particularly Julianne Moore and Noah Wyle). The storyline hardly sounds like gripping stuff - an extended family reunites for the Thanksgiving holidays, and have to confront each other and their secrets - but it's expertly done and very well photographed and edited. Definitely worth a look.

The best Stephen King adaptation I've seen; Kathy Bates is brilliant as usual, Jennifer Jason Leigh is (suprisingly) excellent in a role which is potentially very unlikeable (especialy to begin with), and there's an award-wining performance from Ellen "Dead Like Me" Muth.

NICK: Do you think you're getting over the shock?

MERYL: The dad shock or the accident shock? Do you think you can have two at once? Maybe I'm into 'bargaining' on one of them. Y'know, the seven stages of grief. What's the point in knowing where you're up to when you've still got to go through it anyway?

This is one of those clever-clever films that feature an ensemble cast of characters who are all linked together in someway without knowing how, in the style of Heights and Crash. Unlike the latter, however, I never felt like I was being continually hit over the head with a stick or that coincidences and links became too contrived or over calculating.

Look Both Ways is a film that everyone who has ever thought about or dealt with mortality or grief can relate to. Meryl, whose father has recently died, imagines her death everywhere she goes - train crashes, drownings, STDs. Nick, who has just discovered he has testicular cancer that has spread to his lungs, is on the verge of complete breakdown. Their paths cross at the scene of a train accident, and an unexpected connection is made.

If the film sounds depressing, then it is at times, but it is also very thoughtful, funny, observant and beautiful. The acting is first rate (Justine Clarke is particularly brilliant) and the direction is very inventive - Meryl and Nick's thoughts are shown as animation or sped up photo montages and it's a very effective way of showing what they are thinking. The use of songs rather than a music score was also a good decision.

Finally, there's another link between two characters that I had almost forgotten about that provide a nice and poignant twist, and the ending is done just right.

Fantastic.

Julianne Moore. Phillip Seymour Hoffman. William H. Macy. Paul Thomas Anderson directing. Based around songs written & performed by Aimee Mann. Enough said - 5 Star masterpiece which everyone who loves films should see.

An outstanding adaptation of one of my favorite books, graced with three excellent performances (Kidman gives more than just an 'uglified' performance and her accent is spot on), inventive direction and a fantastic musical score.

I know some people don't see what the fuss is about with the film, or find it too cold or calculating, but some of that is to the point, and despite the coincidences (which I didn't find contrived), I thought the film was excellent and its depiction of characters desperate to escape realistic and brilliantly portrayed. I should also add that the film improves with repeated viewings; quick glances, close-ups and silences become suddenly laced in meaning.

I only wish that author Michael Cunningham's "A Home at the end of the World" could have been equally well adapted and directed.

The story is simplicity itself - Jesse, an American man, and Celine, a French woman, both in their twenties, meet each other on a train travelling through Europe. The two begin talking and they both realise they have a connection, so Jesse, who is on his last day travelling before returing to the US, suggests that he and Celine spend the last few remaining hours together in Vienna, and she agrees. Walking through the streets, they discuss past memories, their hopes, fears, dreams, loves and possible futures.

I can appreciate that this is possibly a love it/loathe it film, but for me, this was one of those rare films, where, as in some literature I've read (and I'm paraphrasing Alan Bennett here), it was as if what was being said was like something that I thought was specific only to me, and here someone else had the same thought or feeling. It's a weird sensation. Personal sidethought over.

Before Sunrise is delicately acted, beautifully photographed and left me yearning for more. I love it.

I was completely cynical about this movie prior to watching it, so I was completely surprised & delighted that the film was pretty much perfect: the words flow like music, the central relationship entirely believable, unforced & deeply romantic. It's also a film with more layers than meets the eye - scenes burst with subtext & are filled with hidden glances & movements in the backgrounds of shots. The entire cast (Knightley and Sutherland especially) are teriffic.

Exceptional, well written and directed dysfunctional family road movie. Each of the six lead actors gets their moment to shine. After all the hype I was expecting to be disappointed, but this is really superb stuff - nicely poignant without being sentimental, sometimes laugh out loud funny, and the ending (which evidentally took some getting right according to the DVD) is perfect.

EDIT: I've now seen this movie a good six or seven times, and can't honestly find fault with it, therefore I'm changing the rating to five stars.

The sleeper hit of 2005, which I'd been meaning to watch for ages. This is a fantastic film - it's funny, superbly acted (the chemistry between the leads is almost palpable) and has an assured light touch from writer Shane Black, making an impressive directorial debut here. It's even funnier if you love flims, has probably the best use of a narrator device since American Beauty, and frequently confounds expectations and subverts cliche. *****

PERRY: Look up the word "idiot" in the dictionary and you know what you'll find?

HARRY: A picture of me?

PERRY: No, the definition of the word "idiot," which you fucking are.

Extraordinary. This film, using the Rotoscope ("Waking Life") technique, is funny, perceptive, scary and oddly moving. Keanu Reeves gives a rich, award-worthy performance, and the rest of the cast (Robert Downey Jr, Winona Ryder etc.) have also rarely been better. The best Phillip K. Dick adaptation I've seen.

Superb, gripping, brilliantly directed and acted Mexican film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrtu. The three interconnected stories are all excellent and frequently confound expectations.

There were several moments in the film when I was suddenly aware of what was going to happen because of previous foreshadowing, and it makes for amazing viewing - I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

Superior to the director's similar 21 Grams, this is a thrilling piece of work.

Outstanding, multi-layered, deceptively complex vengeance drama/thriller. There is so much going on in this film; the storyline could be summed up in a couple of sentences (you can read the synopsis to get that) but the level of details is extraordinary and is what really makes this a five-star classic.

Individual scenes and shots stick in my mind: the accidental drowning that is the catalyst for the violence to come, a tense, spooky and poignant scene in a lift, the autopsy which is heard, but not seen (sound is used especially well throughout the film).

There aren't enough superlatives I can think of to describe how brilliant this film is. The direction is first rate, the photography is quite beautiful, the acting is wonderful, and the message that vengeance can never be an answer is delivered with surprising subtlety.

Wow. And I thought it wouldn't be possible to better "Sympathy for Mr Vengeance"...

This is an inventive, psycholigically rich, twisty, arty, funny, scary, and brilliantly acted revenge thriller. I honestly didn't see the big twist coming but when it came it enhanced the film to excellency for me, puitting it in five-star territory.

The ending, which I know some people have a problem with, I found just the right mixture of disturbing and melancholic. As with "Sympathy..." the overriding message is that vengeance is not an answer, but this is far from a repeat of that film - this is one-of-a-kind stuff.

What a fantastic film, about real things; relationships, change, consequences, opposites, action & inaction, and possibly hope.

I sat down to watch this movie knowing next to nothing about it, other than the fact that Ryan Gosling was Oscar nominated for his role, and that's probably the best way to go about seeing it, so there's no 'synopsis' in this review.

Everything in this film gels together exceptionally well: the direction complements the fantastic locations (I haven't seen settings so perfect in a movie for a long time), the music score and soundtrack are faultless, the characters are all living, breathing creations, no matter how small, the performances feel natural, unpractised and vivid.

Ryan Gosling deservedly garnered much critical acclaim, but he's not the only rising talent on display. Shareeka Epps (who also starred in the short film this feature was developed from) is clearly going places, playing a character who is both older than her years and also a naive girl, often in the same scene.

And if that's not enough, the ending is also perfect - the final shot expertly framed and cautiously optimistic.

It's going into my faves.

A young British documentarian, Lindy Heymann, is given the assignment of finding a successful young British subject living in the US and making a career in show-business. She chooses as her subject Christian Taylor, a writer on the HBO series Six Feet Under. Just as she's about to film her final interview with him, she accidentally overhears him get fired by the shows creator, Alan Ball. Christian flees to Las Vegas, and Lindy follows. When she catches up with him, Christian, who does not realise she knows he was fired, claims he is doing research for a new script he is writing - an action thriller set in Vegas.

What follows is a brilliantly clever mockumentary, as Lindy pursues Christian (at first reluctantly) as he tries out for auditions as a dancer, in what he claims is part of his research for his script. The boundaries of truth and fiction blur as Christian soon becomes obsessed with the audition process and his research becomes ever more "method".

This is a very touching film. Christian Taylor (who really was a writer on Six Feet Under - though everything else is fictitious) is a brilliant presence and seems to have a natural talent; I frequently forgot that this was a mockumentary and not a documentary. The film raises questions about deception, ambition, and identity. It's also quietly heartbreaking - a scene where Christian discloses his awful feeling of loneliness, and another where he has an emotional meltdown in a dance class, are powerful, and the film is presented very realistically and without winking to the audience.

A nice surprise to a film I've put off watching for a long time. And I've just read it won Directorial Debut at the British Independent Awards..

'Nothing is what it appears to be.'

Wow. See, this is why I love cinema. Every now and then I see a film like this that is so original, so undefinable, so perfect it makes me glad to be alive.

This is a beautiful, haunting and stunning film that you should know as little about as possible before seeing it. A similar starting point to this film is Richard Laymon's book "No Sanctuary", with its theme of someone who quietly breaks into peoples apartments and houses when they are on vacation, but where the book developed into a horror story this film goes in a different direction that I wasn't expecting.

With the barest amount of dialogue, exceptional sound design, direction and acting, Kim Ki-Duk has made a film like no other I have seen before, and one I will not forget in a hurry.

"Why was Harold talking to this man? This man was an idiot. This man used words like 'wibbly-wobbly' and 'convo', and explained that trees were trees. Of course trees were trees. Harold knew trees were trees."

The kind of film that more 'mainstream' Hollywood movies should be like - this is a breath of fresh air. It's original, very well written, extremely funny, gripping and poignant. Will Ferrell gives a superbly understated performance (far removed from his usual Old School style), Emma Thompson is brilliant as always and Maggie Gyllenhaal once again manages to play a character who could've come across as odd or kooky but instead brings warmth and heart and allows for Harold's fate to matter.

The computer graphics used in the opening montages and the little effects with Harold's wristwatch are very well executed, the direction is frequently inventive (I love the scene on the bendy bus), and the soundtrack is good too, mostly using songs by Spoon.

Brilliant film.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat..."

Delivering on the promise seen in Duel, Steven Spielberg officially arrived with Jaws, one of the most influential and most profitable films of all time. Seeing it again now, the first time since I was in my early teens, I was struck by how nasty and vicious it is, and (considering it's a PG rated film) how bloody. The film's influence is still found today; everything from the wonderfully framed shots where things happen in the distant perspective, to the underwater sequences, to the iconic John Williams score, even to the characters (Robert Shaw's character in particular has been recycled and photocopied in numerous creature features), can be seen in many of todays action films. Scary, funny, stunningly photographed, acted with skill and above all brilliantly directed.

"There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it. "

I've seen this over half a dozen times and still think it a masterpiece. To paraphrase John Walker, though there's some properly shocking violence, it's the humanity that you remember.

"There's something movin' in here, and it ain't us!"

While it doesn't have the poetry or the same sort of Hitchcockian suspense as Alien, this still ranks as one of the best sequels ever made, and in my opinion is James Cameron's best movie to date. The extended version of the film is for once the better as far as Aliens is concerned, with more background to Newt, an insight into Ripley's life back home, and a brilliant moment where Ripley and Hicks reveal their first names. But the action sequences are the thing, and each one is better than the last; many action films show the money shot, as it were, half-way through the film and so the ending will always disappoint. Not so here, where the final action sequence is easily the most technically impressive and exciting.

Some of the one-liners have become over-familiar through pastiche, but otherwise the film still looks fantastic today, the alien creatures are still impressive (and the egg laying sequence still personally creeps me out), and Sigourney Weaver makes for a brilliant heroine with both brains and brawn. It's nice too to see that Carrie Henn, who plays the child and surrogate daughter Newt, gets second billing in the final credits.

"You know, I think I've met your sister, Cinderella."

Five stars? Hell yes. For me, star ratings are kind of dependant on what a film sets out to achieve, so whilst this many not be an all-out masterpiece a la Hitchcock, Polanski, 'insert your favorite auteur here' etc etc., Camp accomplishes exactly what aspires to, delivers in spades, and is in my view very successful indeed.

A mixed group of talented kids go to drama camp for the holidays to act, sing and dance - for some, Camp Ovation is the only place where they feel they fit in - it's a place where they can escape, or follow ambitions, or reset their personalities, and subvert their own and others expectations of them. The characters, chief among them 'plain Jane' Ellen (Joanna Chilcoat), handsome, somewhat confused and attention seeking Vlad (Daniel Letterle), gay outsider Michael (Robin DeJesus) and talented Dee (Sasha Allen), are surprisingly well crafted for a modern 'musical', and the actors who portray them are a talented bunch of people (Robin DeJesus is particularly impressive, and Daniel Letterle gets to show he's more than a pretty face as the movie progresses).

Some may accuse the story of being predictable, but it has conviction and follows through with plot points that in lesser films would be forced to the background or kept as subtext. Director/Writer Todd Graff, drawing on his own experiences at a musical camp, displays a knack for one-liners and adolescent emotions (sexuality is especially well realised), and the musical numbers are very well staged.

Funny, perceptive, emotionally engaging and way better than I had expected it to be. Crank up your volume for the musical numbers.

"I tell you something. They're a bunch of little freaks... and the more normal we try and make them, the more lonely and isolated they're gonna feel."

Evidence of a true genius at work, Pedro Almodóvar's Volver is a magnificent, deceptively complex film, which works on so many levels. As with All About My Mother and Bad Education, characterisation is as good as any novel you'd find by, say, Michael Cunningham. The story, which depicts three generations of women, is involving, warm, funny, poignant, and somehow both melodramatic and realistic at once. Penelope Cruz gives probably her best performance to date (she should really stick to Spanish language films; her American output always seems forced) and has several truly mesmerising scenes which I don't want to ruin here.

In fact, I'm not going to say anything else other than that you must see this life-affirming film.

Winner of the Prix du Jury at Cannes, Red Road is a powerful film where motivations are deliberately kept at a distance until approximately two thirds of the way into the film.

Jackie (Kate Dickie), a policewoman whose job it is to watch a bank of CCTV monitors for any suspicious behaviour, scans the screens daily, 'living' through the bland lives of others; she seems out of touch with her own life and so finds comfort in watching the cleaner in an office block sing to herself or the man walking his overweight, obviously ill dog. One night in front of the screens, she spots a couple having sex behind a wall. She continues watching, on the cusp of sexual arousement when she zooms in further and briefly focuses on the man, who it seems she immediately recognises. From here on in and for a long time it's not clear exactly who the man is or what his actions have done to Jackie, but he has evidently hurt her somehow in the past. She continues watching him obsessively; first going from camera to camera as he walks the streets or drives in has van, and then physically by practically stalking him in the poverty-stricken area of Glasgow where he lives (Red Road refers to a tower block housing estate complex, as well as possibly describing the journey Jackie goes on).

Red Road is an urban, gritty, somewhat depressing and at times almost unbearably tense film (the scene where Jackie and Clyde, the man she is following, see each other in a pub is especially hard to watch) where things gradually make sense: central to this is an absolutely mesmerising, bravura sex scene where tables are turned in one moment and the true story begins to take shape. The final section of the film has, understandably perhaps, been criticised for lessening the impact of what has gone before by giving closure to the characters and making the film more morally acceptable, but it also makes for a more rewarding viewing experience.

The performances from Kate Dickie and Tony Curran are both astonishing; their characters hold many secrets but they manage to make them sympathetic and believable even as they do questionable things. Oscar winner Andera Arnold has written and directed an astonishing, menacing, exhilarating and emotionally exhausting film that deserves to be heralded as a future classic.

Full review soon...

Much, much better than Goblet Of Fire and perhaps even better than Prisoner of Azkaban - the weakest book gets the strongest adaptaion and Daniel Radcliffe finally nails it as Harry. FANTASTIC! Go, David Yates, go!

Erm, so when's Half Blood Prince out?!

Could this be *more* perfect? No it could not. I'm watching it for the third time - all six hours of it. Even the friggin opening sequence is faultless [side note, the bit at the end of the titles where the statue moves and the music suddenly goes weird and the darkness creeps in gave me nightmares for at least a week].

Eight years ago, Alex's wife was murdered. Today, she e-mailed him.

The above tag-line is pretty much all you should know regarding the storyline before watching. This French film from director Guillaume Canet, and based on a pulpy thriller by US author Harlan Coben, does everything right with the genre of a thriller, and adds a few wrinkles of its own too. Much like in The Constant Gardener, despite being a thriller at its heart it's also a romance, with the protagonist slowly learning things he never knew about his wife that only deepens his love for her. As a thriller, the film works a great deal better than say, The Fugitive or The Bourne Identity, and there are some standout sequences, such as a thrilling chase across a highway, which are imbued with kinetic energy that give most US blockbusters a run for their money.

Clever and intelligently plotted without becoming convoluted or too complex, well acted by a talented and unshowy cast and with excellent camera work and music score, Tell No One is an ingenious and moving film. Oh and I would just like to add that the uses of the songs Lilac Wine (Jeff Buckley version) and With or Without You (a song I actually can't stand) are perfect (the latter is even relevant to the plot!).

The first time I saw this, I was impressed with the range and scope of the ideas, and the performances of the cast, but I found the essential 'quirkiness' too much. Either I was in the wrong mood, or was tired, or I got more out of it second time around, because watching it again - and yes, it is flawed - I discovered I just loved it to (little rectangular) pieces.

Despite what his *wretched* performance in the otherwise fair The Holiday may prove, Jude Law does have a talent for comedy and this is (in my humble opinion of course) his best role. The scene where he vomits into his hand at the thought of having to relay his tedious Shania Twain story for the nth time is hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure. Mark Wahlberg proves his acting chops too, Jason Schwartzman gets his character just annoying/loveable enough and Naomi Watts does sterling work in the most underwritten role. Hoffman and Tomlin are of course magnificent.

An Existential Comedy is the perfect tagline for this movie and from this you could probably decide if you would enjoy it (I don't deny that I Heart Huckabees is an acquired taste) - all I know is that I've found a new favorite film that I'm looking forward to watching again. Brilliant music score from Jon Brion too.

Hell (L'Enfer as it's known in its native France) is the second film in a planned trilogy that began with the underrated Heaven directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi, based upon scripts by the late, great Krzsztof Kieslowksi (the Three Colours trilogy). The two films share little in common aside from their 'unclassifiableness' and their emotional power.

A difficult film to analyse, Hell, directed by Academy Award winner Danis Tanovic (No Man's Land) is overflowing with ideas concerning philosophy, psyche, and emotional detachment and yet is still accessible, unpretentious and, whilst it takes itself necessarily seriously, it is also sometimes blackly funny. There's an exceptional eye for detail that's appropriately worthy of Kieslowski himself; even the opening credits concerning the plight of a bird and the eggs she is watching is gripping and gives the first insight into some of the horror that lies ahead. Although, in all probability, as with Heaven, the title is meant to be ironic, for despite some excellently shot shocks, a pervading sense of dread and a creepily effective final scene, there is some hope to the characters' lives as the film unwinds its secrets.

Stunning cinematography, a thoughtful color scheme (each story thread seems to have its own tone), featuring a nicely dramatic music score and complimented by a trio of leading French actresses giving nuanced performances (Emmanuelle Béart, Karin Viard and Marie Gillain), Hell is very impressive.

Wow, haven't heard such a huge spout of abuse from people who clearly haven't seen/read the film/book in question since... well, probably since I was harangued by a crazed little old lady in the Times Square Virgin Megastore in New York when I was quietly trying to purchase a copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Anyway, whilst the book had quite a strong anti-religious (not necessarily anti-god, and not necessarily pro-atheist, but more anti-oppression) bent to it, here the film is skewed more to an anti-intolerance/right to freedom theme. Indeed, when asked what the coming war will be about, Serafina (the gorgeous Eva Green) says "free will - nothing more".

Based on the first book by Philip Pullman (titled Northern Lights in the UK), The Golden Compass is packed full of fascinating ideas - and new-comers will probably be completely baffled, but hopefully enchanted, for the first twenty-five minutes or so until the story starts to become clear. There's some excellent special effects here - they're not the next step-up exactly and you can still see 'the joins' but they are well rendered - in particular, a stunning and difficult to watch fight between two Polar bears sticks out. The daemons, integral to the plot of the books and one of Pullman's best ideas, are very successfully realised, and fans of Pan (voiced by Freddie Highmore) should be very pleased. Nicole Kidman, who Pullman actually wrote with in mind for the character of Marisa Couler, is perfect casting, though newcomer Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra is a little too much like a character from Oliver Twist (though will undoubtedly improve).

Whilst this is quite considerably simplified from its source material and the pace is much faster, this absolutely succeeds as a film in a way that most of the Harry Potter films have not: there's a sense of awe and wonder, a great amount of intelligence, some sharp scares (a moment in a 'haunted house' was very effective) and an excellent cast that through the course of the next two films will surely all get their chance to shine. Bring on The Subtle Knife!

Perhaps the finest Pixar film thus far, Ratatouille is a beautifully animated movie, and features excellent voice work by all concerned. But I'm happy to say that the best aspects of this film are the story and the wonderful script.

One of the reasons I initially had this down as 'not interested' was that from the trailer, which did not really amuse me, it seemed as though Ratatouille was a one-joke flick that played on the title too much, and had a very specific idea that, surely, wouldn't sustain over 90 minutes running time. But though this is the story of a rat who aspires to be a renowned chef, there are many themes (in the classic mould) that are universal: being true to yourself, overcoming first impressions and prejudices, chasing dreams, admitting mistakes etc.

If this all sounds a little too, well, Disney, then I can assure it is not; there's no sentimentality here, and no preaching. There's also, refreshingly, not even a hint of ironic/back-patting nausea of the kind that make the likes of Shrek 3 so easy to hate. Instead, we have fantastic characters, some breezy one-liners, and an overwhelmingly moving and poignant moment that comes from somewhere completely unexpected, elevating Ratatouille, in my mind, to masterpiece.

Five stars. Totally, totally brilliant. Even though the film features three of the most photogenic, distinctive actors working in Hollywood at the moment, they all give genuine, unshowy performances. Full review soon.

I've not read the book, and stayed away from the film for some time because of the press quotes over the back of said novel, which compared it, rather worryingly, to Desperate Housewives. Instead, in spite of the knowing humor of the narration (a device which isn't really necessary but also doesn't feel out of place), Little Children is more subtle than that and despite the subject matter veers away from OTT melodrama.

In his second feature as writer/director, Todd Field has made a film that rivals and sometimes surpasses American Beauty as a trapped-in the-American-suburbs black comedy. The title of the film is perfect, and in the same way as, say, Go, it has multiple meanings, some of which don't become clear until half-way through. The performances are pretty much spot on across the board: Kate Winslet is excellent in a deceptively complicated role that deservedly garnered her an Oscar nomination. Jennifer Connelly impresses in a small part that could be seen as a thankless role, and one in which she somehow plays against her looks with a severe fringe and pissy attitude. Her 'realization' scene is a standout. Patrick Wilson does well in the familiar everyman role he has perfected, and Jackie Earle Haley (also Oscar nominated) is simply outstanding. Also impressive in a small part is Jane Adams (she of Happiness fame and Rufus Wainwright's BFF).

There's a harsh, almost cautionary (but crucially not moralistic) tale in this film about human nature which suggests that we don't really want what we *think* we really want, and combined with a bitter-sweet but redemptive conclusion, I think Little Children may well become heradled as a future classic.

Massively successful film adapted from a very complex, interior and monologue-heavy novel, Atonement is every bit as good as I'd hoped for given all the hype it has been getting.

It's entirely understandable, especially from a marketing point of view, that you see the characters of Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (Jmaes McAvoy) on the poster, the DVD cover and throughout the theatrical trailers - it wouldn't be possible to promote the film in any other way - but the film belongs to the character of Briony, and the three actresses who portray her. Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa Redgrave and especially Romola Garai (who the Academy have somehow forgotten) give exceptional, psychologically rich performances. That's not to say that Cecilia and Robbie's cruelly separated romance doesn't grip, nor that Knightley and McAvoy's performances are anything less than astonishing, but they are really the background to Briony's journey from 13 year-old brat to desperately repentant elderly woman, the conclusion to which rings so true it's almost painful to watch.

Superbly structured, masterfully scored and beautifully lit, with a breathtaking steadicam shot at Dunkirk beach that just about avoids showing off, Joe Wright, following his BAFTA winning Pride & Prejudice has another success on his hands.

I've never really been the biggest fan of the 'Fantasy' genre, in films or books. True, I have read all the Harry Potter books, was for a long time into the whole LoTR thang, and have a soft spot for Labyrinth. But I've never been big on the NeverEnding films, the novels of Terry Pratchett and find the notion of "Book IV of The Kingdom of Dragonsville" type stuff horrifying. But I watched Stardust for a few reasons: a) Clare Danes can pretty much do no wrong, b) I don't mind admitting I love the Take That song 'Rule the World', and so if all else failed I could look forward to the end credits, and c) The trailer looked nicely offbeat.

And I'm relieved to say that Stardust is pretty much superb - aside from an irritating cameo from Ricky Gervais, it doesn't put a foot wrong. Every minute there's a new idea - the script (based on the novel by Neil Gaiman) is buzzing with energy and invention, the camera work is frequently inspired and the cast do stunning work. And, considering the largely American faces, the film is very... British, but crucially is never *quaint*.

Playing it straight, Claire Danes and Charlie Cox are simply wonderful and provide the heart of the story. Danes is an unconventional choice for this role and it is in perfect keeping with the 'Fairy Tale That Wont Behave' ethos of the film - her British accent is also very good. Cox is a delight - he plays a flawed and sometimes selfish character but his motivations always seem genuine and it's never from doubt that deep down he means well - his journey from an ignored pushover to modest hero is convincing and exciting to watch. On the other side, Michelle Pfeiffer makes a surprisingly strong villain with a wicked sense of humor, and Robert De Niro camps it up to 11 as a closeted, cross-dressing pirate (his story, which so easily could have smacked of obvious jokes and homophobia, is actually handled with some pathos and sensitivity).

Though the conclusion is a little predictable, it's the journey here that counts, and there are some surprising twists along the way - which includes the twisty reveal of the title and how this will fit into the story. Matthew Vaughan has gone from a director of a clichéd, workmanlike gangster flick (Layer Cake) to someone genuinely worth watching.

[Shallow aside: Charlie Cox is just beautiful in this, even more so when he has his 'makeover'; I kept having to resist the temptation to freeze frame and ogle.]

"Candy went missing."

A stunning, believable and astonishingly acted film detailing the relationship between Dan, a struggling poet and Candy, an aspiring artist, and their heroin dependency. This is truly one of the most affecting and intense films I have ever seen. Economic in the very best sense, this goes to show what a skilful, small crew can do on a meagre budget with two incredibly talented actors - Abbie Cornish and the much missed Heath Ledger. There seems to be no artifice here at all, no hint of study or rehearsal. It's painful to watch as, all too easily, Candy and Dan turn to prostitution, petty theft and fraud in order to maintain their addiction, and even harder when they try and go 'cold turkey' and it seems like they are going to succeed. The film hints at deeper psychological reasons behind their motives for turning to heroin - a standout moment occurs when Candy's mother asks Dan what happened to her "beautiful little girl", and Candy replies:

"What happened? What happened? Can't you see? Don't you understand? I have been clenching my fucking fists since I was six years old! Look at my fucking fists, look at them! Look at them you fucking bitch! Don't you understand?!"

Powerful and beautiful, and not to be missed.

Easily as good as The Royal Tenenbaums, if not better, The Darjeeling Limited is unmistakably the work of Wes Anderson and yet feels different from his other work in terms of tone and structure.

Wes Anderson's greatest skill is once again the extraordinary attention to detail (especially with things like labels and signs, or the typed short story or the laminated itineraries the brothers receive underneath their carriage door each morning). In The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, this had the slight counter-effect of the narrative not feeling spontaneous and a little too 'calculated', but here the balance is just perfect. The story is simple but effective - three estranged brothers reunite on a train journey in India to try and reconnect - the comedy is sometimes farcical, sometimes subtle, and often comes out of the strangeness of the situations the brothers find themselves in. Like Anderson's previous films, it is also very moving at the most unexpected times and the emotion usually comes straight after something very funny, giving a bittersweet tinge.

In the acting stakes, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Anjelica Huston are all on perfect form. The chemistry between the brothers is pure gold and watching them spar off each other is simply a joy. Wilson's not doing anything particularly new in his routine but it absolutely works here where it annoys in his 'frat-pack' comedies. Huston only has a small appearance but her performance is wonderful.

As always, Wes Anderson films are an acquired taste - this one definitely wont win any new fans - but if you're of the persuasion then this is really worth seeing. Awesome music choices on the soundtrack too.

"Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?"

Everything you could think of for the formula of a successful action flick is in evidence here, making Speed a film I can happily watch over and over without growing tired. A tighter plot, better shot film than say, Die Hard, Speed does admittedly indulge in cliché on more than one occasion but in general it's just a solid film, and a classic of its genre. The action sequences are exciting (not one, but two brilliant lift scenes in the first 20 minutes) whilst largely steering clear of "you just killed a helicopter with a car!" stupidity. It's also a pretty funny, quotable film (though there are a couple of clunkers too) and the lead characters are memorable, root-able heroes.

Keanu Reeves gets a lot of stick for his lack of acting ability but he's hugely successful here. If this were remade using today's stars we'd likely have Josh Hartnett in the lead role - just imagine just how awful that would be. Sandra Bullock, all charm and good comic timing, has tried unsuccessfully to emulate her performance here in many of her roles since (including the craptacular Speed 2: Cruise Control which Keanu Reeves wisely passed on). Dennis Hopper is your generic villain, hamming it up like John Lithgow in Cliffhanger, but it's refreshing to have a blockbuster action flick where the bad guy isn't German or Russian and the motives aren't on the scale of 'try to take over the world' craziness.

Following Speed, director Jan de Bont has gone on to make some of the most risible films committed to celluloid, suggesting this was a fluke success. It's therefore not particularly encouraging that Speed 3 has been green lit.

Review soon.

"I don't want to give the baby to a family that describes itself as 'wholesome'... I just want someone a little more edgier... I was thinking more like Graphic Designer, mid thirties, y'know, with a cool Asian girlfriend, who like, dresses awesome and rocks out on the bass guitar. But I don't want to be too particular."

One of the biggest things I love about this film, and what many people who don't like it seem to take most criticism to, is that it has its own language and rhythm. In much the same way as Brick or Serenity, its idiosyncrasy is a joy - though I concede the first five or so minutes are deluged with teen speak that is initially hard to swallow, you soon become immersed into Juno's world and the language soon starts to feel natural (as well as very funny). Much has been made of Diablo Cody's script and how she's now "hot property", a dangerous declaration that has previously found to be premature (anyone know what Max Adams is up to now, other than flogging badly written - oh the irony - screenwriting guides) but here there is definite promise. It tells the story of one teenager's experiences of going through pregnancy, selflessly giving her child up for adoption. Criticisms that Juno's journey is too 'easy' I find insipid, and anyway, this is just one person's experience, and it's a film, not a documentary.

Aside from the script, the greatest asset to Juno is, no, not the music, but the outstanding acting. Ellen Page undoubtedly deserved her Oscar nomination - her words are delivered so naturally, her comic timing is exquisite. A fully realised character from the very beginning, she's truly brilliant. Michael Cera delivers a softer version of his Superbad character and is just as loveable, with the same vulnerability. He's excellent, though I hope he gets to show something different in his next film. Best of all in my humble opinion, is Jennifer Garner. She has truly got a fantastic role which she plays with aplomb here - a character that feels, initially, like a stock suburbs/Stepford hybrid, hers is a very rewarding performance and there's much warmth, heart and emotion to her arc by films' end. These are the kind of pictures that Jennifer Garner should, and hopefully will, continue to make. I would go so far as to say that a supporting actress award would not be taking things too far.

If I were to find fault, it's with the songs which seem to try too hard; their simplicity and naivety are not charming, but annoying and distracting. But to counter this, the final song is, it has to be said, gorgeously and imperfectly performed by Page and Cera.

"Thundercats are GO!!!!"

Stunning, I can't fault it. Review soon.

Review soon.

An extremely unique, deeply personal and very affecting documentary, Tarnation was made for under $300 and is comprised of home movies, telephone messages, photo montages, some 'dramatic re-enactments', candid footage and pieces of 80's pop-culture TV and music. If ever a film deserved one of those 'Originality of Vision' awards, then this is it. Jonathan Caouette expertly constructs all the elements in a stunningly visual way with at times almost Lynchian surrealism, but the film is never less than heartrending. A filmic love-letter to Caouette's mother and a powerful documentary about the destructiveness of mental illness, Tarnation has redefined the possibilities of what a low-budget film can achieve and is a mesmerizing experience.

Oh fuck off, naysayers. I went into it expecting to see Sex and the City: The Movie, not an Ingmar Bergman film. Calling it shallow is missing the point. I loved it. Review soon.

The Savages is a near-perfectly made, flawlessly acted gem. Suddenly forced into 'real life' at 42 and 39 years of age, siblings Jon and Wendy have to care for their estranged father, who has developed dementia. A simple, character-driven story dealing with a messy subject in a subtle, intelligent and cathartic way that pulls none of its punches and never wallows in sentimentality. Refreshingly told with beautiful camera work and filled with truthful observations, melancholy, black humor and poignancy, this is just a wonderful film. It's essentially a two-hander (though unusually we do also see things from the father's perspective sometimes), with Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman never putting a foot wrong. The Savages reminded me very much of Alexander Payne's About Schmidt and Sideways (and Payne is one of the Exec Producers) - not just in terms of style but in substance too. Definitely worthy of your time.

Wow. Review soon.

Oh, and by the way people, Guillermo del Toro did not direct this - mearly executive produced and 'presented'. The film was in fact directed by Juan Antonio Bayona.

A stunning film that together with predecessors Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy presents a massively important, vital body of work. Some spoilers ahead.

I have to admit that I initially found Lady Vengeance to be heavy going. The stylised flourishes and the apparent coldness of the lead anti-heroine didn't hook me immediately, and it's a much more complex film than the first two parts of Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy. But I persevered, and am very glad I did because this is every bit the masterpiece I was hoping for. Once again, Chan-wok Park has a knack for saying so much with so little words. The human condition is laid bare and it's ugly and it's beautiful. Rarely do you get to see a film that tackles the subjects of vengeance/revenge and redemption/atonement so well and with surprising subtlety, even amid all the fancy camera techniques, graphics and bloody violence. Speaking of the violence, it's interesting to note that, as if often the case, what is not seen is what most lingers; here the most uncomfortable sequence involves the reveal (or non-reveal) of home-video footage. As the story concludes its pivotal, edge-of-the-seat act of group vengeance, it's clear that although there may be an initial catharsis for these characters, they have become shells of themselves, forever haunted or dead inside, or else deranged and trying to occupy themselves with small talk. Vengeance has not been the answer, a conclusion strengthened by the 'fade-to-white' version of the film, and the final act of seemingly self-sacrifice (tinged, as much of what has come before, with biting black humor).

Directed with vision, scripted with economy, beautifully photographed and featuring a memorable music score, this is a resounding success. All of this would be for nothing if the viewer was unable to connect (eventually) with the lead character (the alternate title is Sympathy for Lady Vengeance after all), so thankfully Yeong-ae Lee is pitch perfect as the outwardly blank but internally complicated and multifaceted Geum-ja Lee.

Just fantastic, and I wouldn't change anything; I even like the abrupt ending. Peter Sarsgaard and Patricia Clarkson are magnificent. Review soon.

A fantastic conclusion, Death Note 2 is even better than the first film. A complex, very clever story with some brilliant twists and a perfect ending. Review soon.

Very, very impressive. Review soon.

Masterpiece? Yes, I think so. Beautifully photographed, sparingly but powerfully scored, and above-all, intelligently written and very well acted, The Mist left my jaw dropping on the floor at least half a dozen times, and the double-whammy ending is one of the finest things I've watched this year. Funny, clever, and frequently very scary - this is the kind of film that had I watched when I was 11, could seriously have fucked me up. Clearly, Stephen King's short stories make the best films: The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me and now The Mist. I honestly think in 20 years time this will have true recognition. Review soon.

Stunning.

Sheer brilliance.

A masterpiece, excellent in every field, it is proof of the power of forgiveness, compassion, altruism. Review later, watch it now.

Just seen it for the second time. Still fucking amazing. Review soon.

An exceptional horror film - there's not a gram of fat in the 79 minutes running time .Taking full advantage of its concept, location, micro-budget, special effects and the ability of a more than capable cast, Splinter crosses the invading parasite from The Thing with the mentality of The Evil Dead but without ever winking to the audience. As well as a well thought out creature with its own rules, that slots effortlessly and unfussily into the picture from the off, there's plenty of scares, thrills, some laughs and even well earned emotion and pathos ("You don't have to prove anything to me", one character says to another, revealing so much knowledge about them both in that moment that you want them to live so very badly). The script is efficient, the high drama never escalates to shrill hysterics as is so often the case with films like this, and the style, and economy, is highly impressive. Not to be missed.

"Er... that was kinda odd; what are you saying?"

Ohmygosh, this is brilliant, brilliant stuff. With verve and intelligence The Signal accomplishes so much on a TINY budget that I can't help but be completely overwhelmed, and ignore any (mostly cost related) failings.

Told in three parts with three different directors and from three different, but connected and blurred, points of view, the concept sounds on paper like a mish-mash of Stephen King's Cell (which I'm still waiting impatiently for a film adaptation on) and the 28 Days/Weeks Later films. But there's a lot more to it than that - this isn't a straightforward pseudo-zombie flick, as the signal in The Signal not only insights homicidal rage but also fucks up people's perceptions. The damage this does to the characters would only be involving if there are people to actually care about, and luckily the film doesn't rely merely on its concept but also the skill of the actors and the idiosyncrasies they bring to the screen. Especially effective in this regard is Anessa Ramsey as Mya, who is our way into the film and whose perspective the first part of the story we see things from. Ramsey truly brings so much with very little dialogue - her reactions are completely believable, making the third, final section especially difficult to watch and the ending poignant and bittersweet. The bizarre shift in tone to black comedy in the second section, sort of Frasier-esque in delivery but with the knowledge that lives really are at stake, works exceptionally well, even though the Jim Parsons cameo (though very funny) does slightly outstay its welcome.

Though the budget limitations inevitably mean the scale is not as grand as hinted at (there are precious few city shots, and those that we do see look too obviously like they were filmed at 3 AM in order to get the required 'deserted' look), there is so much going on here and it's handled with such panache that I found myself with jaw open on more than one occasion. This is so very good, and together with Splinter has reasserted my faith in American horror. Best of all, in the end, it's all about love.

"Even with that faraway stare, she looks just like she did in our wedding video."

P.S. Loved the ending.

P.P.S. Don't ask me why, but Scott Poythress (Clark) really does things for me.

Wow. This film still packs a powerful punch. The science behind the concept may be a bit shaky (though undoubtedly would have been considered more accurate at the time the film was made), but then On The Beach isn't interested in the science but in what happens after the fact; how the surviving members of the human race after a global nuclear war, deal, or not deal, with their inevitable fate from the fallout. Whether in denial, carrying on as normal, turning to alcohol or becoming consumed in 'frivolous' activities, all the reactions are utterly believable and entirely human. An outstandingly good cast give their best - Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck's romance is particularly well played - and the direction is assured. I especially love the way the Australian anthem Waltzing Matilda is continually entwined and riffed on - towards the end, the extended version is drunkenly and amateurisly sung much to the apparently irritation of Dwight, until the reality of the words (which after all intone suicide) seem to register. The lush score by Ernest Gold also is very powerful. This is a poignant and surprisingly relevant film, up there on my list with the 2000 version of Fail Safe, about the futility of war and the hope of survival, with a difficult to watch ending.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Stuck is an exceptional, genre-bending, powerful and absorbing film from cult favorite Stuart Gordon. I won't bother with a synopsis as the one here on Flixster is well written and to the point. Suffice it to say that has become a new favourite of mine. The simple structure of the film, shifting point of view from Brandi to Tom, to Brandi & Tom, very effectively ratchets up the tension and grotesqueness, and every sequence has something going for it. At only 85 minutes running time, the pace doesn't drag, and despite the deliberate hysteria of the situation, Stuck never gets tiresome and more surprisingly, doesn't approach a "now, hang on a minute" moment. I personally think a huge amount of credit should go to Meena Suvari and Stephen Rea, two terrific, underrated actors. As Brandi, Suvari continues to make horrible decisions, but key is despite the inherent unlikeability of what she continues to do, it's impossible not to lose hope that she'll turn her situation around and do the right thing. Hers is a fearless performance. There's something about her physicality here, and oddly, her braided hairstyle angles her face in such a way that her emotions and thought processes are easy to read; thus even towards the end there's still, somehow, the ability to 'root' for her. There's a brilliant, disturbing and horribly funny moment early on, where Tom is still stuck in the windshield of Brandi's car in the garage, whilst in the house she is fucking her drug-dealer boyfriend. She has a flashback to the impact of the crash, whilst having sex, and Tom's face appears and she screams in horror - her boyfriend mistakes it for a powerful orgasm and proceeds to speed up his thrusts. In this moment, Suvari's whole body language changes, and for an instance, post-coital and wracked with anxiety, she looks like a child in the womb, almost alien-like. Stephen Rhea is equally good as Tom; he has little to say except "please, help me" and variations there on, but the things he has to go through! Whenever Tom manages to move another foot out of the windshield, or blast the horn, or (shudder) remove a foreign object from his body, the amount of effort it visibly takes on him feels like massive progress. I can't say more about Rhea without giving away too much, but his is continually excellent. Aside from the acting, the story is frequently clever, the writing is fresh and witty (sometimes stupid-funny, other times dark-funny), the direction assured. Props too to the sound effects. A very memorable film.

"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi

For me, Dead Man Walking is the most compelling and convincing film I've seen against the death penalty. It is also incredibly fair, balanced and unbiased, continually flashing back to the horrific crimes committed, and showing the points of view from the victims' families. In fact, every possible point of view is shown, it never panders to one argument, it never explicitly says that the death penalty is wrong, and it won't necessarily change someone's beliefs. The later The Life of David Gale worked as a thriller but it was anti-intellectual in tone despite some strong writing and good performances. This film by contrast doesn't get bogged down in snappy one liners or statistics, and instead with conviction and simplicity tells one story. Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn are both magnificent, as are the supporting cast (watch out for early performances from Jack Black and Peter Sarsgaard). A masterpiece.

Fresh, vivid and irresistibly acted, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is, really, a magnificent return to form for Woody Allen. His magic with words and simple visuals works wonderfully in the Barcelona setting, and the deceptively simple story flies by. This film is like Woody Allen filtered through Christophe Honoré by way of Pedro Almodóvar - there's, appropriately, a real European sensibility, with neurosis pared back and instead a concentration on characters' desires and longings. The acting is superb across the board. Vicky could have been the typical anxious Allen character, but Rebecca Hall plays her perfectly, emotions just barely on the surface with an inner thunderstorm of feelings she stops herself from lingering on, whilst analyzing everything around her. Cristina, as the narration points out, is her opposite, and finds Scarlett Johansson on terrific form, giving into impulses without questioning them or worrying about perceptions. Penelope Cruz was rightly applauded and awarded a supporting actress Oscar for her fiery performance, dazzling and dizzying and alternating in Spanish and English with apparent effortlessness. Her scenes are a joy to watch. Heck, even Javier Bardem rises above an underwritten role. Very funny and sometimes unexpectedly moving and also quite dark, a hugely enjoyable film, and with beautiful music.

"The city doesn't discriminate. It gets everybody."

An underrated masterpiece, Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out The Dead is a bleak, extremely dark drama/comedy. An onscreen credit states that the film "takes place in New York City in the early '90s", but it's not needed - the sense of place and time is evocative and vivid; Paul Schrader's script is excellent, as is the dreamy, beautiful photography from Robert Richardson. There are no 'show-stopping' moments here since every scene has something extraordinary happening in it, be it a performance, a framing technique, or a small irony in the script, though certainly the "Red, Red Wine" sequence is especially remarkable. And, ohmygosh, Nicholas Cage is astonishingly good, giving a layered, nuanced, haunted performance of great depth. The words 'starring Nicholas Cage' often make me shudder, but he's brilliant here (please can someone make him sign an exclusive contract with Scorsese?), and in fact all the performances are exquisite, with Patricia Arquette a stand out. Considering how (potentially) depressing Dead is, it doesn't half move at a stonking pace - I actually felt a little breathless when the end credits rolled. Very highly recommended.

Watching Poltergeist again now, so much seems to be entwined in my memories of being a kid watching a film I probably shouldn't have watched. I was still a baby when it was released in the cinemas, so experienced it during the era of the VHS Rental boon in the mid eighties in my pre-teens, round a friend's house. I remember parts terrifying me but overall not enjoying it as much as (oddly) the third instalment. But growing up has, as with so many other films, given me a new appreciation to its pleasures. There's so much excellence with this film; stunningly directed (though it looks much more like the work of producer and co-writer Spielberg than it does Tobe Hooper), it is scary, funny and frequently clever. What's surprised me on watching it now is how well scripted and acted it is. In particular Tangina's explanations and evaluation of the poltergeists is very well written and Zelda Rubinstein has a great deal of presence in a small part. Beatrice Straight and JoBeth Williams are also impressive and special mention should also be given to the late Heather O'Rourke as Carol Anne. The special effects still look magnificent and the music score is memorable. Despite decades of imitations, homages and spoofs, Poltergeist remains a solid, gripping and superior genre piece. Memorable parts: the clown, the swimming pool, the introduction of Tangina, the final end credits (spooky laughing - I remember this particularly creeping me out as a kid).

For me, this was just perfect. An ingenious and simple plot allows for a soft 'reset' that remains true to the spirit of the original series, and Gene Roddenberry's vision, whilst retaining a hard edge and abandoning the political correctness that sometimes marred The Next Generation and Voyager. The cast is pitch -perfect. Chris Pine, as Kirk, retains something of William Shatner's jerky delivery but makes it his own, and is thoroughly convincing and the perfect lead. Zachary Quinto as Spock fits his role effortlessly, struggling to reconcile his human emotional responses with his Vulcan logic. Possibly best of all is Eric Bana as the villain of the piece - perhaps one of the best 'villains' in Trek history, largely thanks to his believability, and, despite his horrific, casual genocide of almost an entire race, his empathy. The story crucially keeps things relatively simple - even the time travel aspect is told in easy to understand terms - enabling newcomers to embrace these characters whilst self-confessed Trekkies like me get their kicks. This really couldn't have been a better beginning; tense, funny, emotional and satisfying, JJ Abrams has effectively rescued Star Trek and made it once more a franchise worth watching.

An extraordinary, shocking and disturbing documentary that follows up from the fist film. A case where three teenagers convicted of a crime without a shred of tangible evidence is called even further into question as new evidence brought to light is completely ignored, whilst the probable perpetrator takes every possible opportunity to wax lyrical about the case, his personal history and his movements, each time with a different, contradictory and conflicting story, bile spilling from his mouth. Meanwhile, the Memphis Three remain in jail, one on death row who alleges being repeatedly abused and raped. I am truly angry. A masterpiece film documenting a huge miscarriage of justice. Justice for all, unless you wear black and listen to heavy metal.

"Shortly after three eight-year-old boys were found mutilated and murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, local newspapers stated the killers had been caught. The police assured the public that the three teenagers in custody were definitely responsible for these horrible crimes. Evidence?

The same police officers coerced an error-filled "confession" from Jessie Misskelley Jr., who is mentally handicapped. They subjected him to 12 hours of questioning without counsel or parental consent, audio-taping only two fragments totaling 46 minutes. Jessie recanted it that evening, but it was too late-- Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols were all arrested on June 3, 1993, and convicted of murder in early 1994.

Although there was no physical evidence, murder weapon, motive, or connection to the victims, the prosecution pathetically resorted to presenting black hair and clothing, heavy metal t-shirts, and Stephen King novels as proof that the boys were sacrificed in a satanic cult ritual. Unfathomably, Echols was sentenced to death, Baldwin received life without parole, and Misskelley got life plus 40." - from wm3.org

This film documents a huge miscarriage of justice where a guilty verdict was reached based on an unreliable statement and because the three accused listened to heavy metal music. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky don't make judgements - they don't have to - this film speaks for itself. Prepare to be shocked and angered beyond belief.

"Life is but a walking shadow. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing." - A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare.

"Pure black, looking clear, My work is done soon here, Try getting back to me, Get back which used to be." - Harvester of Sorrow by Metallica, from the album Injustice For All.

This French/Canadian production is the latest in a recent trend of extreme French cinema, alongside films such as Frontière(s), Haute Tension and À l'intérieur. This is undoubtedly the most effective of them, however, with an ingenious, genre-bending plot, extraordinary twists, lots of ideas and plenty of scares to justify the blood-letting. Unlike À l'intérieur, Martyrs is making valid points, and despite its excesses I found it moving and imbued with tragedy (though it's still undeniably difficult to watch). Morjana Alaoui and Mylène Jampanoï both give exceptional performances that propel the film, and Pascal Laugier's direction is assured. Maybe I'm having some sort of short/long term memory glitch (i.e. déjà vu), but I'm sure that I've read somewhere about something similar to the concluding events in this film before, making it even more personally haunting, weirdly... resonant. The ending could be interpreted as mean-spirited or nihilistic. I prefer to think of it as existentialist. This is the stuff of nightmares, and dreams.

"Imagine someone is racing intentionally towards his own destruction and you can save him - do you go ahead and save him? Imagine there's an operation, and the patient is a drug user and the drugs are incompatible with the anaesthetic, but the patient is ashamed of being an addict and does not want to tell the anaesthesiologist - do you talk to the anaesthesiologist? Imagine a trial and a defendant who will be convicted if he doesn't admit to being left handed - do you tell the judge what's going on? Imagine he's gay, and could not have committed the crime because he's gay, but is ashamed of being gay. It isn't a question of whether the defendant should be ashamed of being left-handed or gay --- just imagine that he is." From The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink

In 2002, screenwriter David Hare and Director Stephen Daldry adapted Michael Cunningham's sparse, beautifully written novel The Hours into a critically acclaimed film, that shortly after the Academy Awards seemed to become the target for backlash and claims that it was overrated. Now the same seems to have happened with The Reader, again adapted by Hare and Daldry and again held to much scrutiny. In both cases, both novels are close to my heart and in both cases I was overwhelmingly happy with the screen adaptations. And in both cases, I am puzzled by the seemingly sudden strong change of opinion of the film's merits.

The book was written in past tense as described from memory by Michael. By necessity, the medium of film means a truly faithful adaptation would be impossible. Events are seen from other viewpoints, things inferred are seen, and a key scene in the film takes place that doesn't in the book. But in actuality, the film complements the book beautifully. Having seen the film after reading the book, I'm in a position, as with The Hours, of not really knowing if I would have appreciated it as much had I not read the book first. Though a film should stand on its own, I'm of the opinion that reading the novel would assist rather than hinder, as motivations make more sense - particular Michael's decision not to offer a valuable piece of information in court. In both film and book, I was impressed with the way in which the viewer/reader is aware of Hanna's secret long before Michael himself. David Kross expertly plays the eventual realisation in a superbly crafted scene, which is key to the entire film. Kate Winslet, who, yes, deserved her Oscar (though should have been nominated in the supporting actress category), is simply astounding in a dynamic performance, even as it is later through layers of sadly unconvincing age makeup. Ralph Fiennes is solid, and Lena Olin is wonderful in a dual role. Skilfully adapted, The Reader carries over the book's (deceptively) complicated themes of guilt (particularly generational guilt), fear and redemption. A masterpiece.

"It doesn't matter what I feel. It doesn't matter what I think. The dead are still dead."

Quite simply, this is a meticulously and ingeniously plotted film, tight as a drum, beautifully shot and with a powerful performance from Melissa George. Intelligent, creepy and sure to stay with you long after the end credits, and which I immediately wanted to watch again.

"No one forgets the truth, Frank, they just get better at lying."

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the most powerfully written, directed and performed films I have ever seen. Justin Haythe has superbly adapted quite an interior novel and made it seem effortless, and this is easily Sam Mendes' most accomplished film yet. Revolutionary Road has long been the project Kate Winslet has most wanted to do and she wisely waited until she was of the right age and experience to make it, giving one of the most realistic performances committed to celluloid this century. She may have been excellent in The Reader but this is acting on another level and why the Academy failed to recognise it is a mystery to me. All other performances, even in the smallest role, are note perfect, so the film becomes not only about Frank and Alice but also permeates out to their friends and acquaintances too. A film meticulously detailing a crumbling marriage trapped in the claustrophobia of American Surburbia in the 1950s. It is often more disturbing than any horror film and acknowledges the truth that it is possible to immediately and irrevocably fall out of love - or realise that there never was love to begin with. That the artifice of what is accepted or expected can bleed into one's own soul, the realisation of that fakery tainting everything, forever.

Tod Williams skilfully adapts a portion of John Irving's "un-filmable" novel A Widow for One Year; A Door in the Floor is a wonderful, beautifully acted and photographed film and is an exploration on grief, guilt and love that feels both unique and, most importantly, completely real. Jon Foster, who plays Eddie as a mixture of confused hormones, has this almost monotone delivery, which, like Keanu Reeves' most honest performances (My Own Private Idaho, River's Edge), draws you in and makes you very aware of the actually quite complicated feelings beneath the words being said. Kim Basinger proves once more that she can be a remarkably good actor; Marion is a broken being, unable to be close to her daughter for the feelings that just being near to her bring up. But it is Jeff Bridges who really delivers. Initially what seems like his default 'slacker' mode (Ted wanders his house either wrapped in a sheet or naked, completely unbothered by embarrassment, and makes Eddie type the same lines out over and over, with minor grammatical adjustments, in search of the perfect sentence) is revealed to be a kind of survival mechanism, for he too is grief-stricken - in a very different way, but no less damaging. The film offers no real resolution but does allow at least two characters a kind of catharsis. The final images are sure to raise questions but it isn't the answers that are important, in this fascinating and unquestionably moving film.