My Favorite Movies

The best actor from the 50's and 60's (Henry Fonda, not Charles Bronson) + the best director + the best music, throw in a bit of Bertolluci on scrip = Best Film Ever

Could be subtitled "Life is shite and then you die". Masterful story -telling of a fantasic story

Great take on Red Riding Hood, and has the added bonus of being set in Birmingham. Mind, is Hoskin's accent more Black Country than Brummie?

Multi-layerd experimental and challenging. Great film art with a philosophical approach. Of its time and place

Existential Western with a knockout soundtrack. Punchy, finely acted and beautifully shot

Loyalty and satisfaction versus pride and ambition on an epic scale. The lost in the fog scene demonstrates with great effect the power of the camera to define. Ambition, distrust, trechery, disloyalty, pride, fear, cowardice, suspicion and manipulation; all the essential ingredients of politics and your average workplace

Tails away a bit towards the end. but the build up to the half way point is really something. Culminates in the great line, "Now it gets psychological"

One of Hitchcok's finest. Mulit-layerd and fantastically staged, this gets better with every viewing. Great performance from the baddie

"Get in here and cut my toe nails" or something like it. Hilarious take on Hitch's classic. Made when Danny Devito was still funny and could could spot a decent script (re: Even Money

Dark and satirical, smart and off beat. Cracking contemporary noir

The Grandfather of the serial killer genre. Made with foresight, precision and expertise. Interesting view on the power of ear to engender mob panic just before Hitler took over in Germany. Magnificant, unrushed story telling with a mystical gothic feel. Perceptive to see how the killer murders through compulsion and is undone by the same. Hugely influential on Hitchcock etc

Asks and answers any significant question the modern male has. Gerat depiction of crime and punishment

Heart rending and compelling without ever descending into the over sentimental. Neo realist yes, but also poetic and visionary

Powerful acting from Alan and great script (of course) from Dennis. Mysterious and enticing

Influential and made with class and expertise

Great characters, and interesting take on men who never really grow up. Poignant take on location and the possibility of escaping it

Gritty and moving film noir centred around a boxing ring but mostly set in the more interesting location, the dressing room. Great on camaraderie between warriors and containing a sad air of inevitability

A real little gem of a film. Dealing with ordinary people's relationship and reflections on momentous events, and doing that with a twinkle in its eye

Errol moves gracefully, but his acting is a bit wooden. Too much idiiotic comedy, especially in the first half. the movie does get darker and more interesting as it moves towards the battle at Little Big Horn

Great early view on mental illness and it's treatment in teh post war era. Revealing if slightly superficial portrait of Freudian psychotherapy. Less interesting when focusing on the causes of the lead's psycosis and more when looking at her experiecnes in the institution. Influential and significant

Should have cast Fonda in the lead role. but entertaining and well told

Maxes out on romance and melodrama. Entertaining and full of spectacle but too long

Highly influential, non natural masterpiece. A great tale of, amongst other things, good agaisnt evil. Mitchum stands out, but all otehr aspects of this film are laced with similar class

Touching realism from Italy which doesn't let the side down. Low key and developmental rather than revelatory, but loses nothing for that. Kafkaesque examination of man and environment

Thought-provoking and profound, but a bit difficult to come to terms with in places. Actors cross the line from melodrama to overacting occasionally, but also graced with masterful strokes from Bertolluci. Intersting the way the audience is expected to fill in a lot of the gaps and the script in minimal to say the least

Quirky, but at times self consciosuly so. Stylitically, the director never puts a foot wrong and weaves an interesting morality fable

Intriguing update on realist cinema. the film draws you in through the strength of performances and the resonance of subject matter. Demonstrates teh differecne between authentic, which this is, and real, which it isn't

Script is preposterous and the acting is wooden, but still an enjoyable romp

Intersting mix of politics, gender, society and football with an underlying humanitarian sensibility. Fascinating to see women attempmting to gain access to a celebration of nationhood and all the paradoxes involved

Highly rated film noir set amidst the carvivalesque world of various entertainment industries. Interesting inpalces but a bit studied and slow overall. The lead didn't have the requisite ambiguity for me. Overall though, haunting and memorable

Starts promisingly, with some great one liners. but Woody wears thin after a bit and I started to notice annoying things about him which aren't apparent in the classics

Champagne film making. Why anyone bothered making a film about film again (take note Woody Allen) is beyond me. Philosophical, beautiful analysis of creativity and loneliness and isolation and imagination and etc etc

Lauren of course smoulders off the screen. Top notch script and charaters only slightly let down by a predictable story with rather a sudden resolution

Still has contemporary resonancer when guilt for future crimes and hidden trials seem ever more acceptable. Experimental yet accessible mix of realist and experssionist film-making. If you only ever watch one film ...

Deeply symbolic and beautifully poetic. Captures the language of dreams perfectly

A bit pedestrian in places, but a moving account of one's man's stand agasint the tyranny of local mafia

Beautifully lit. An amazing acheivement given the constraints of the age. An early marker defining cinema's ability to deal with the good versus evil dichotomy

Moving in places but also a little superficial in intis condemnation of communism and privilidging of Catholicism. Interesting historical account of the spark for solidarity - a femail welder feted as a hero worker in the early days who later falls foul of officialdom

Powerful acting, especially from Chris Cooper and subtle storytelling. Resists the urge to demonise Hanson, apart from the added lipstick which becomes evident once his deviousness is out in the open

Rock n' Roll film-making at its best. Forget 28 Months later - this really does pack a punch

Strange and complex folk tale told with some skill. Intersting perspective on community and heirarchy in pre-industrial Japan

What is Forest doing in this rubbish? Predictable, boring and badly scripted. Bookie to potential girlfriend: "I'm just giving people a dream", Girlfriend:"No, your taking people's dreams away" - NO!

Hard-hitting in places, urban fairy story reflecting something of the underbelly of Parisienne society. Ultimately, however, quite a conservative message and perhaps unavoidedly a bit sticky in places

Has some attractive elemtns but lacks a bit of humanity. The main characters aren't interesting enough to get away with their alienation. the film's message seemed to be based on quite a conservative and old fashioned world view centring on family values

Massive scale, well realised but a bit picture postcard in palces. Seemed made with overseas viewers in mind. Maxes out on entertainment and spectacle

Sombre, well crafted and composed Subtle and engaging but one blip - the weak coincidence which the plot reverberates around. Interesting levels of reaslity at play when the hero starts to fall in love with the woman he's tricking. Quite stunning opening sequence

Low key and a bit diffcilt to engage with. In places the film seemed drenched in artifice and pretense, particularly in some of the acting. Littel in the way of dramatic tension and plot, but a strangely powerful and off beat social document of family life and generational conflict in Japan. A slice of life rather than a strong story, the sheer volume of interior shots give s the whole thing a claustrophobic feel

Strange and slighly camp French crime piece. Some great characterisation and interesting in the way conflict develops between those whose world view is basically decent and those on the other side. Some pretty marked social commentary on various groups of society such as working men (the criminals), aristos and the artisan who is the films moral centre. Clearly influenced by and on American crime genre works

Edward G is outstanding as a seen-it-all before investigator. Good if somewhat simple story with the expected touches of quality from Orson. Some of the acting gets a bit hammy at times, particularly the wife as things start to fall apart. Interesting inclusion of some early psychoanalysis

Top notch melodrama. Atmospheric and moving, full of conflict including some unusual class commentary, with Henry as a working class everyman and Vincent as a dastardly nihilistic entertainer

Rightfully regarded as a classic. Virtually defines a genre. Brilliant zoom in for our first glance of John Wayne. Superb characterisation. Full of warmth (apart from towards Native Americans), heroism, humour and incisive social comment. "I haven't been of much economic benefit to you, but would you mind putting this one on credit" (Drunk to bartender); "Somewhere sometime there might be the right bullet or the wrong bottle"; "Somethings in life a man can't run away from" - enough said

My reading of this was basically pro-neo con propaganda. One dimensional, shallow and heavily partial. The lefty academic is shown as the sinister manipulator. The lefty cell use all the visual and verbal language of Islamic fundamentalists. Meanwhile, there motivations are not really explored in any kind of depth and their is little attempt to portray any entity outside of this group, thus de-contextualising the whole thing. That said, I could be wrong

Great cast: Zero Mostell, Jack Palance and Richard Widmark directed by a legend. But only Jack really shines as a really nasty baddie. Can't realy make its mind up which genre it fits in, borrowing formula from noir, police procedural and disaster. Widmark stars as one man against a cities bureaucracy fighting to save ordinary people like you and me. Interesting depression era background as workers have to decide whether sacrificing jobs for more chance of safety is worthwhile

Intriguing mix of the sensibilities of music and film through a comedic vehicle. Rex Harrison makes quite a good fist of both conducting and slapstick comedy, neither of which evidently came easy to him. Interesting and distinctive use of flashforward and mix of genre. Quite forward thinking

Superior cat and mouse suspense thriller. Looks a bit dated now and verges on the comic in places, but tight directing and strong performances from Alan Arkin and Audrey, apart from when she has to cry or shout. A lesson in tension building using minimal sets and hardly any action

Solid politics,interesting sensibility centered around cultural understanding and integration. Particularly resonant post 9-11. Notable for the early appearance of Apache in the story and the significant amount of screen time given they are given. Memorable when the Indian chief tries American style irony. Interesting to observe how the Apache discourse is more visual while the Americans more verbal / lexical. The Apache chief realises his peoples' power is in decline and they need to sue for peace. Ironic that this is probably close to America's position in today's globe

Fonda is quite simply staggering. Poise, power and brains. The movie aims for and achieves that most diifficult of things to capture, change. Brilliant script and direction means the restricted set and plot are hardly noticable. Great supporting cast of wonderful character acters. Interesting use of the table to weave the characters together. Top moment, seeing how many different meanings one word can have, "guilty" when uttered by different actors. Mixes in reasonably effortlessly social commentary and family politics

Static story and wooden acting. As a viewer I got the impression there was a much more intersting story taking place off screen connected to the imprisonment of Richard. None of the excitement of a similar film made a year or two later, Knights of the Round Table. The wobbly sword is a bit much to take even for the 50s

James Mason is perfectly cast as a valet on the outside looking upwards and inwards onto British society. The film contains elemetns which would reappear later in Bond films: exotic foreign sets, escape through a funeral march, bluffs and double bluffs. Brave film making only 7 years after the end of WW2 as this posits an anti-hero traitor at the centre. Mind, there are a few contradictions there as he never wavers in his belief that Britain will win the war whatever he does. "You Germans are never any good at following people. You always want to overtake the people you're following". Tight script and direction. Interesting that later he directs Sleuth

Like other Westerns made around this time, it gets more interesting as it develops, starting off light-hearted but darkening as conflict sets in. Interesting casting with Fonda as the unbending, arrogant racist and Wayne as the more open-minded and Indian-friendly weather-beaten character. A liberal message of mutual understanding and respect sits uneasily with glorification of the military, but resonates today given the US's foreign policy in misunderstood regins. Unmistakable signs of class from John Ford with gerat photography of the countryside, music used to bring characters together and some cracking action

Robert Altman, check; Warren Beatty, check; Leonard Cohen, check. From the fantastic opening panning shot to the last sight of Beatty in the snow, a visual treat. Altman says on the commentary that he wasn't really interested in the story but was more interested in composing a film like a painting and it shows. Unique looking, almost an antidote to Westerns. Esoteric, melancholic and tragic. Altman has a great feel for events on the periphery. Also, one of the great compositional mixes of music and film

Great use of symbols and imagery in a dark gothic murder mystery. Influential but now familiar arena for the viewer as we track the undulating fortunes of an accidental killer who tries to conceal his crime. Interesting early introduction of a writer gaining inspiration and titilation from real life crime, reminiscent of the lead murderer in Rope. Some to-be-exptected deft touches from a master film maker but somehow feels lesser than earlier German based movies like M or Spies. A great study in evil from the lead character

Ambiguous and mysterious, this movie captures the essense and sensibility of the songs almost perfectly and throws them back at the audience in visual imagery. Occasionally hard to watch but never less than intriguing, Haynes has an original way of looking at the world around him. The film rejects the conventional biopic format but is no less true for that. The film seems to present 7 versions of Dylan garnered from either the songs, the media or Dylan himslef and never makes any kind of claim that any of them are more real than any other. In essence a treatise on identity and Americana. 7 Dylans (a magic number in fairy stories and folk tales) - haven't we all got at least 7 sides to our identity? A glorification of America's life affirming capacity to reinvent itself and change; to mask and disguise

Provides some insight into morals of the late 50s and sets the scene for a more liberating 60s. A bit like Pretty Woman with balls or Rebel Without A Cause without. Strong, oscar-winning performance from Liz Taylor sadly not supported by the other actos or the script whihc is mystifyingly bad in places: Weston "I'm going to kiss you now on Chesnut Street in the worst possible way". Gloria"You know I'm glad you're in chemicals". What's that about, then?

Not enough mainstream films feature the plight of immigrants from their perspective so this is a welcome addition, in the category or family drama rather than social. Hard hitting if a touch predictable and simplistic. Then that can be excused as we view the story through the eyes of a young boy. Emphasises the need for mutual support as a family move through suicide, abuse, betrayal and poverty. Could have done without the use of period TV to set the social zeitgeist in Australia, however

Evil plays out on the landscape of the southern states of the US. Why is there something so simply right about modern westerns? Stand out scene in the hardware store is wonderfully well done for tension building and sheer strangeness. Notable too is the way the Cohen's often shoot the strange physicality of Bardem's movements and frame him from behind. A powerful uber-cool cat and mouse thriller

Noble but ultimately disappointing if faithful rendition of Joyce's short story. The problems might stem from the fact that the film is too similar to the book. . Notable change of tone at the end of the party when everything gets serious and interesting too how religious and political tensions simmer under the surface but are never brought out explicitly. In its finer moments the film captures something of an elegiac mood, but this does not sustain itself for long enough. Also there is a suspicion that Huston is poking fun at the party goers in a couple of places. Spot a connection to Alien 3?

Too many stand out moments in a stand out film. Highly original and unique in many ways. Craft-defining performance from Daniel - one to stand there with De Niro in Raging Bull. I found myself gaining a new view on what could be done with acting. Brilliantly documetns the contradictions and similarities between religion and commerce as they establish themsleves and the American state - none more so than in the stand out baptism scene. Somehow more significant and long lasting than No Country and this should have won best film oscar

Rewarding for film students, intellectual and artistic but sadly a bit of a drag. Well framed and edited to emphasise the disturbing and perverse nature of the relationship between the two main characters. A heavvy influence on French New Wave and clearly original when made. But this could have done with being a bit more watchable

Poetic, lyrical and moving account of a young Russian searching for a conventional childhood during a nightmare period in human history, World War Two. Clearly brings out the major horror of war, it's corrupting of innocence and youth. Amazing dream sequences reminiscent of Spellbound and Enfant Terrriblethe landscape is brilliantly shot to emphasise the infernal quality of the countryside and the dream-like reality of the front line. Most effective when indicating teh desire of teh young lead for a regular childhood and how this has been snatched away from him by adults

"That's gold. That's what it does to us. Never know a prospector yet who died rich". The whole film cuts acrosss to the audience with inciscion and humour. Humphrey is perfect as a scehming, dreaming bum down on his luck in Mexico. Profound in it's positioning of gold as nothing but a burden, and real depth to Humphrey's performance as he descends into a greed filled paranoic madness

How can this not be a five star? Produced in 1927 about events which took place 10 years previously, documenting one of the most significant moments of the 20th Century. Experimental, influential, intellectual and groundbreaking

Fascinating study of the effects of the tools of repression on both sides. A refreshing change to see people living under Communist rule portrayed with depth and humanity. Standout performance from the eavesdropper, but more than that this film is a heart rending study of loneliness, alienation and the redemptive power of art. The focus of this movie is much more the impact on the voyeur of observing than on the observed. This bought to mind two other films, a Czech movie called the Ear and Gene in The Conversation. A masterpiece spanning topics like record keeping, heroism and hope. There was one problem which detracts from the overall intensity, however; the resemblance of the lead actor to the cowardly one from Blake's 7

Low key but notable in its own way. the camera stays unobtrusive throughout most of this film. Absorbing more than spectacular and this film perfectly catches the therapeutic benefits of getting away from hassle in the countryside. Sleepily sexual, using the forest as a place where barriers drop and social conventions are stripped away, in this case along with clothes

Chronicles a group of people each individual trying to make a little scratch on the world during their brieft time inhabiting it. Atmospheric and thoughtful. Humphrey is charasmatic, if a touch OTT. Great support from other actors

Great opening, but like most wartime propaganda, eventually a bit of a let down. Tight script, ("I can't take a chance. the fleet's in and she's defence minded"), but the plot is predictable. Entertaining enough and Humphrey is always good value

Magnificent deconstruction of The Casbah ("There's not one Casbah, but hundreds, thousands"). Portrays a magical city of divisions and connections. Some gerat unconventional playing with form such as the two virtually unheard sidekicks who shadow Pepe almost everywhere. Clearly a major influence on Casablanca

Less to recommend it than the companion pieces, Rio Grande and Fort Apache, but arguably a stronger performance from John. Beautiful scenery of course, but light on action and too formulaic. Standout sequence is the cavalry marching through a storm. Generally, however, more one dimensional and less tolerant of difference than the other two films

Could have been called McMusic. Loks heavily influenced by The Office, and is therefore an incisive examination of commercialisation of culture and quite funny at the same time. Most of the music trod a diffcilt path between alternative and kitch quite successfully, but the film doesn't quite have the courage of its convictions as it starts with an alterative feel but plays out quite predictably

Now we're talking. Leonne on acid, Clint after one two many bongs. The cliches can role think and fast. Intriguiging, disturbing and subversive acid-fuelled Spaghetti Western on themes like revenge, cruelty, atonment and oneness with all and everything. Made before 60s counter culture had been appropriated and castrated when protest and alterative really meant something. Hardly any script, unconventional editing and at times nonsensical charaterisation

Love, romance and therelationships dissected and displayed in decadent Parisieene society. Felt a bit lightweight when compared to great Renoir films and I thought it kind of ran out of steam

Pschotherapy seems like a natural subject for a crime drama. As the psychotherapist peels layers off teh mind, the audience does the same with the story. that's what this films works so well,a s well as peculiar but powerful interlude when Gregory recounts his dream. Not the geratest Hitchcock but still riveting and unmitakably wotk of the master

No question that this is a masterpiece and Orson's performance sticks in the memory. Doesn't have great support like in other noir, but more than makes up for that with a sleazy close to the edge sensibility which must have been greater when released. Resonates with Othello as Charlton plays a decent upstanding citizen dragged down, allbeit not all the way, by the fiendish Orson

Fautless

"Only two things more beautiful than a good gun. A Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere". Brilliantly conceived and executed Western, with John pushing the limits of his acting playing against type as a man moving towards losing the plot (figuratively speaking). Excellent at weaving the audience into the experience of crossing the wild west with a thousand or more cattle. Montgomery is notable for a strong but vulnerable performance and the herd is spectacular. In these digital days, this kind of film is quite an experience

Great story and standout performance from Robert Mitchum as the eponymous gum shoe. Strangely light outdoor locations for a noir, but still packed with disillusion, broken promises and unfulfilled promise. Not sure Kirk is cast well as a baddie. Razor tight script

Beautifullt shot black and white , authentic portrayal of the Middle Ages in East Europe. Mysterious and even possible a bit too obscure, but a film that demands a second viewing. there is something difficul tto define but quite remarkable about the sound

Insighful, inspiring and yet experimental examination of art and trickery and the middle ground between the two. "A magician is just an actor playing the part of a magician". Influential years later with the fast cutting and jumps in stroyline / setting. As well as being riveting, the insights on film making as a form of trickery are profound. Although ostensibly a documentary, the rhythym of the editing and other features make this feel more like a movie

Epic agrarian saga set againstteh backdrop of famine and revolution in turn of the century China. Considering the time it was made, both technically and politically this film is some achievement. Themes like land ownership and use, community versus family and man versus nature all crop up. Less interesting when the two stars entre the Great House and move away from nature where things meandre somewhat

Prewar Paris, witnessing the mobilisation of the left and their eventual betrayal by Stalin and the USSR. Sounds exciting, but that is misleading. This film has some strong virtues and is sound enough in terms of motivation, but it is too reserved and staid. Subtle and mysterious yes, but in the end unsatisfying. Most interesting when presenting differeing attempts at capturing the world around, in original new reel and in the art work of Arsinoe. Unusually for paintings featured in movies, these are pictures you can actually believe in

The main problem here is that nothing really happens: no drama, no disruption, no nothing really. A fairly nice chap comes to Paris, meets a fairly nice woman who fall smadly in love with him and they basically get on with it. Cliche ridden, purile in places and deeply sexist. A romantic comedy that's neither funny nor romantic. If this is what passes for love and laughs in Spain, there must be a lot of bored disastisfied couples there

A surprise that this was thoughtful and intelligent. Brave film making to have Will alone for a large proportion of the movie, and he was up to the task, producing a performance of some depth and charisma. Better than 28 Days Later and streets ahead of that movies sequel

Pretty Woman without the knickers. Familiar territory here, love and lust and the fuzzy interground, but told in a more original style and much more explicit manner than usual

Overinterested in telling us how life is sooo hard for Las Vegas thesp types. The major problem is that no-one appears to actually listen to anyone else. The only 2nd party who gets any attention from anyone is the camera. Generally, the whole thing carreis with it an air of overindulgence and self pity

Does exactly what it says on the box. Excellent social message movie which is well paced and entertaining. Pulls few punches in revealing the betrayal faced by returning soldiers from the Great War and the harsh treatment meted out in the name of rehabilitation to fellas who may have taken a few wrong steps in live. It shows the attempt of a determined war hero to achieve his freedom having endured years of depersonalisation in the war. Quite remarkable, especially when you remember the year it was made

Unpredictable and enticing movie, dealing with dreams and love the the difference between teh two. Visually some achievement given the constraints of the day, this film is an influential example of using the stage to great effect on film. However, it was a bit long and the love angle was a bit overdone at times

Great People's Cinema from Russia. Feels a bit idealistic and propagandistic in places, but also affecting and humanistic as we get to see the best and worst of what peole do to people in war. Excellent how the faces of soldiers returning from teh front tell the story of what has happened to them without needing words Standout naturalistic performance of strength and honour from the lead character. Similalrly memorable sequence when the band turn up to entertain the soldiers"What's you name?", "Everone's got the same name at the front, "Soldier"'

Magnificent dark sudy of the dark side of acting and a fine early example of filming the stage. Multi-layerd and insightful use of language, editing and sound to create a portrait of a man disintegrating into a vacuum. INtersting to note how the "real" version of the story is more filmic than the theatrical one. Although momentum is lost a bit as the police investigation starts, the darkness and depth is never lost

Stupid name, stupid story, no pace and unpleasant characters - rubbish film. Makes a stab at weightiness by hinting at global forces at play, but fails by sticking the main protagonist in knickers through most of the film

Pure spectalce. The sting might be a bit outdated now, but the great performances give this film a resonance even today. Nothing too weighty but perfect entertainment, apart from the uncharateristic comedy march across to the bank

A bit trite and superficial. Henry seems miscast although the father and daughter are capable comedians

Joyless, loveless and hopeless

Familiar territory for David Lynch but more obscure than usual. Great use of digital film to launch a new form of media. The lost section is too long and more frustrating than usual but the whole things is rewarding and confounding in equal measures

Heart-rending and well meaning but verges onover sentimental in places

Challenging and moving. Great early example of a buddy movie with real heart and soul. No easy ride this. Dustin and Jon contrast with style and in Voigt's case, a healthy dose of naivitie

Superficial and self consciously hip. Ground breaking in its day, I guess, but that was th elate fifties

Quite remarkable portrait of a country fighting for it's identity and athe main character losing his. Achieves an encapsulation of that most difficult of human experiences to put on film: change

Great examination of love gone wrong

Existential story telling. Gerat examination of the professional and artisanla qualities of the craft of bank robbery. Not often do films use silence so powerfully

Forgetable and ill thought out propaganda

Strangely forgettable. The transformation from good guy on the wrong path to bad guy is not well weaved but reliable performance from Dustin

Atmospheric and genuine essay on heroism and resistance

Cracking small scale story but big on significance. The politics are pretty faultless and the movie is made with sensitvitiy and conviction. Great acting from all concerned

Great pairing and great fun. "I see a badge wearing a drunk". not too taxing but very entertaining

Taught, tight and minimal thriller. Great performances but possibly a little too static for some. I liked the slowly unwinding nature of the plot and the great performances from the two leads. Some back story explaining her intense connection to the piano would have been interesting as she already seemed a crotchet short of a quaver at the start of the film

Original and commpelling suspense samurai drama. Seminal statement on honour and commitment

Wong Kar Wai's worked but the others never really took off

Tense and forawrd thinking examination of direct action and the damage it can cause. Interesting departure for Audry

Promising but not dark enough. Disappointing considering the cast. The character of the spurned wife showed promise but this wasn't really followed up with any conviction

Great music, compelling drama. Set at a crossroads in American popular culture development. Verges on the made for TV occasionally, but never succombs

Effective story-telling, even if Vincent is a littel over the top at times, with deep meaningful stares off camera at the end of scenes

This is really Edward's film rather than Steve's. Great, measured performance in aging (dis)gracefully. Great supporting performances, notably from ever reliable Karl Maldren

Delightfully dark and dysfunctional

Small scale but significant. Great use of children in film

Well realised road movie with a hint of Antonioni

Inventive and well performed. The section set in the UK doesn't match the other two parts for intensity and interest. As a whole, this work holds together well

Crazy looking road movie with the focus on spectacle. Interesting look at a transforming society

There's something indefinably right about way Bergman moves his players across the camera. A film about wondering, living and dying (of course), but also looking, sufaces and the difference between mind and body. Profound in a way film rarely achieves

Cinema of resistance. Great film made from the point of view of the exploited. Fascinating alternative history and great looking. Made with passion and conviction

Profound, composed and sedate. This is not exactly Big Hand For The Little Lady. Directed with panache and intense acting. Interestingly focuses on the people rather than the politics of the day

Memorable and insightful introspection on domestic life going wrong. Comedic and melodramatic but also down to earth. A forceful and resonant view on contemporary married life

Downbeat cinema at its finest. Extraordinary ordinariness encapsulated through an urban fairytale with no fairytale ending. Immaculately paced and lit with a unique worldview beaming through, which is the most you can expect from any director. The auntie sums up well the sentiment of the film, managing to radiate an attitude that almost make sit look like the actor doesn't realise she's in a film. Great moment she watches the three drive off, slowly turns round and stumbles back to her house muttering "son of a bitch"

Not subtle, dated editing and acting but some great set pieces and high on adrenaline. Touches of depth from Chow but few and far between

Nothing lasts forever and it certainly feels like it watching this unfunny, derivative rubbish. A combination of the least funny parts of Hitchhikers Guide and Monty Python. Why can't Canada make any good films? Dopey, sentimental tripe at best, the only interesting part is when no explanation is offered for what's going on. When the reason becomes clear, the only point of watching goes

Heartfelt if slightly naive film-making. There is an underground feel which sits well with the content

Sadly the awful acting never allows the suspension of disbelief needed to make this work. Consequently, it becomes a series of horror cliches with no real pace or class. Some good touches but not many. Hints of Name Of The Rose and The Omen

Eloquent and moving portrayal of a priest losing his faith. Familiar themes for Bergy but nevertheless well worth this memorably airing

Fairly predictable flimsy Hitchcock imitation. Notable for being Norwegian and a thriller but not much more

Bizarre barely scripted but powerful antiwar film reflecting changing fortunes of two sides in a conflict. Effective combination of brutal and touching

Ground-breaking filmmaking documenting the agony of genius and the trials of creativity. Shame about the music though!

Operatic, grand retelling of an epic, but riddled with mis-casting. Not Henry's finest hour

Masterful storytelling and mesmerising performance from a very young Mr Fonda. Stand out speech at the door is really powerfully delivered. Heartfelt all round

Captures the details of China very accuratey, the generosity, harshness and resiliance of the people and the environment. Observes but rarely condemns or comments. A cracking observation of a society in transition

Well meaning and powerful tale of power and its abuse. Occasionally confusing in recounting events but clear in its indictment of the powerful. Interesting to compare the down at heel nightmare of Afganistan to the hi-tech version of American custody. Heart-breaking when one of the lads puts his faith in Americans after seeing them as good guys on the tele. Simply weird when, asked where he's from in the middle of the chaos of Afganistan just after invasion by a CIA operative, one of the lads replies in broad Black Country "Tipton"

Like most Jack Black vehicles, I found him really funny for 29.5 minutes and then suddenly hit a wall and he started to really grate. A one joke picture which wears thin by the end to put it mildly

Eloquent and esoteric. A jazzy free form feel reveals an original take on a couple searching for inspiration as their relationship unravels. Unique and influential, with magnificent performances especially from Jeanne Moreau in a brave role

Masterpiece retelling of the Bob Ford story. Great ambiguity running right through this with Fuller determined that no-one should shine as totally good and no-one on the opposite side

Low key but powerful and heart felt rendition of a handover from the Bosnian war. Great performance from Crescentia in the lead role. For such emotionally raw material, this rarely descends into the realm of sentimentality

Staggering idictment

A bit too "by-the-book" and with little edge or real tension. Billy doens't really convince although it was pleasant to revisit some aspects of the TV show again, surely for the last time

Three stars largely for the music. This movie doesn't manage to avoid the cheese associated with rags to riches tales of musical groups. However, the cliches are laced and graced with pleasing naivite which saves the movie from being too expoitative or without worth. Some good acting too, particularly from the wronged wife. And then there is the music, a showcase for an unexpected diverse range of styles and messages