Alan Morrison

A typically engaging performance from Johnny Lee Miller takes this slightly above the usual underdog movie cliche.

Morally dubious it may be, but this gory melange of torture, terror and darkly humorous depravity appeals to the sick puppy within us all.

Estes enriches the plot by refusing to present each character's emotional dilemmas in black-and-white terms.

Two things make Eastwood's task easier for him: a superb cast and a cracking source novel. Dennis Lehane's book is one of the very best thrillers of recent years, richer in Boston detail and closer in character study than anything Eastwood manages to bring to the screen.

A film that, despite being about theatre itself, is remarkably cinematic and entirely unafraid to revel in the English language.

Formula is now the name of the game, although a steady diet of stunts and shootouts ensures that the audience is never bored.

A return to the Western in its pure, cinematic form.

Slap a restriction order on yourself and don't come within ten paces of this hideous concoction.

An uplifting film that cemented the reputation of its star.

Already fêted, von Donnersmarck’s debut sets a closely focused, personal story against a more expansive backdrop of politics and power games -- a moving, enlightening tale of recent times.

Hollywood over-indulgence at its best.

Not up there with the very top echelon of Disney classics, but Pinocchio will still work its magic on younger viewers.

Abel Ferrara's debut is in the exploitation ballpark, but it's as much a product of Warhol low-budget artiness as the slasher genre.

Performances are good but not career best.

Relentlessly juvenile, it will offend moralists while making fans laugh out loud. It's only when demands of storytelling intrude that the film can't keep it up.

Those who have walked beside these heroes every step of the way on such a long journey deserve the emotional pay-off as well as the action peaks, and they will be genuinely touched as the final credits roll.

A finely-acted, sensitively-written tale.

Argue that von Trier's latest is theatre and not cinema. But at least acknowledge that Dogville, in a didactic and politicised stage tradition, is a great play that shows a deep understanding of human beings as they really are.

Plot holes and a mixed tone lessen the impact but Gordon-Levitt holds it together with a strong lead performance.

Bit of a mediocre drama from writer-director Assayas despite some good turns, not least from Nick Nolte and Beatrice Dalle.

A reminder of the astonishingly kinetic talent that John Woo maybe still possesses, this at times is on the verge of melodrama, but rescues itself from the brink with some fine gunplay.

There's a Cronenbergian coldness to Olivier Assayas' corporate thriller.

Stark, bold drama.

Surreal and wonderful in a way not often seen from Europe.

Despite strong turns, it feels little more than an Egoyan lecture on Serious Stuff; lots to talk about, little to enjoy.

A wonderful salute to British decency and a touching portrait of a friendship that bridges national boundaries.

A poignant reflection on what it means to be alive and, visually, a true cinematic experience.

A rare film in which the style IS the substance.

A disquieting tale set in the grim realities of trashy America. Some great, often insane performances make it a memorable trip.

A screen-acting showcase by a man whose best days, many thought, were behind him. There's life in the old dog yet.

Love is here in all of its many guises, brought together with a touch of subtitled sophistication.

John Woo's trademark style reached its zenith in The Killer, with its ying-yang relationship between a good-hearted hit man and an anti-authority cop. But underneath the Miami Vice tailoring, it's as much a doomed romance as a shoot-'em-up.

If your anti-Apartheid musical knowledge only goes as far as The Specials’ Free Nelson Mandela, this is a toe-tapping, thought-provoking education.

Oz’s influence is boundless. Spellbinding stuff.

Timeline takes the most ridiculous movie plot ever imagined and multiplies it by ten.

The Year Of The Matrix will be remembered as an indulgence for fans, while the original movie will be affectionately held as a separate entity by a bigger crowd, much as the original "Star Wars" trilogy hasn't really been tainted by divisions over Episodes I and II.

25th Hour proves that big ideas and an indie sensibility can still flourish inside the studio system. One of the more entertaining and thought-provoking Spike Lee Joints in a long while.

Fine, stylish debut from Alex Cox with some great turns from the two leads.

The script is structurally similar to "21 Grams," but restrained turns and perceptive direction make this honest rather than manipulative.