Alan Morrison

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

Oz’s influence is boundless. Spellbinding stuff.

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

A finely-acted, sensitively-written tale.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

It also takes too long in the final act to write itself out of its plot entanglements, and ends up looking rather too pleased with itself.

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.

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

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

Stark, bold drama.