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.