David Parkinson

Edwards and Andrews insisted on using the picture to drive another nail into her detested Mary Poppins image.

Interesting depiction with a pretty decent performance from Holden and supported by a credible cast.

Hitchcock's coldest, hardest movie until its controversial ending.

Wry and haunting.

Knowingly blending realist grit with generic guile, this unrelentingly tense account of a fragmented family living in constant fear thoroughly merited the Best Director prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Exquisitely designed, this cornucopia of melodramatic fragments and movie pastiches will enchant Guy Maddin fans.

A completely merited cult favourite of the avant-garde genre. This is surprisingly compelling in places.

The performances are credible, but set-pieces like the water-cannoning of a procession of burkha-clad protesters are also impeccably judged.

Impassioned and disturbing, this documentary matches "The Cove" for marrying cool intellect with real fire.

Echoes of Dog Day Afternoon and Locke reverberate around this claustrophobic thriller, which is tautly plotted, precisely paced and grippingly played by Jakob Cedergren and his unseen co-stars.

The mesmerising García and sensitive direction by Lelio light up this delicate yet spiky drama. Terrific stuff from both Chileans.

One of Woody's most aesthetically gorgeous films as well as his classic love-hate letter to the city of his soul.

Intriguing and visually atmospheric melodrama with Dietrich doing her sultry thing.

Satirical Samurai action of the highest order.

Director Pablo Trapero seals his enviable reputation with this exceptional study of isolation and grief.

Instructive, insightful and inspiring, Maiden is a rousingly riveting record of a remarkable accomplishment that says as much about British bloody-mindedness as it does about feminist fortitude and underdog pluck.

Switching from dour humour to humanist drama without seeming contrived, this is a masterclass in combining character and landscape that is played with deceptive poignancy by the excellent leads.

One of Hitchcock's earlier efforts that was hacked around a bit to take out some of the more ambiguous psychological elements by the editor but still retains the old Hitch charm.

A subtle and sensual character study.

Storytelling of breathtaking scale and grandeur, even if the complex plotting may twist your synapses along the way.

Shot with grace and precision but paced with all the urgency of a Sunday afternoon stroll, Joanna Hogg's Haneke-lite study of an English middle class family is a well-crafted affair elevated by terrific moments.

Visually striking and explosively violent, this simmering parable makes exceptional use of its rustic locations — and the faces of a vibrant cast — to reinforce a sense of authenticity.

Complex and sophisticated, this genre-defying crime story is spellbinding viewing.

Bette Davis is captivating in this epic study of Southern chivalry.

Olivier's classic and personalised version of the troubled Prince of Denmark is still highly atmospheric and intriguing.

Demonstrating that the greatest political evil is indifference, this appeal to a world on the verge of war has lost none of its relevance.

At the venerable age of 84, documentary maven Wiseman hasn't lost his touch.

As simple and charming as you could wish for, this is a genuinely pioneering debut from a female Saudi filmmaker and a striking piece of work by any standards.

Unflinching in its depiction of rural reality, this may be a dour drama, but it has been made with sincerity and an exceptional sense of place.

Far from an easy watch, either in terms of its hard-hitting content, seemingly haphazard structuring or its dense symbolism. But this makes sense of the political intricacies by balancing the rhetoric and statistics with everyday occurrences that give the iniquities and inadequacies a human face.

You'll be left as much in the dark as the director about the personality traits that inspired the loyalty of three strong, intelligent women towards this self-centred, physically-resistible enigma.

A riveting slice of Romanian new wave drama, haunted by shadows of the Ceausescu era and never less than thought-provoking.

With each subplot reinforcing the simmering sense of unease, this compelling recreation of a pernicious period soberingly exposes the ease with which morality can become a casualty of human nature.

Funny and freewheeling, it's a joy.

Recalling the work of Jacques Tati, this is a grim but amusing and ultimately successful effort.

One of the finest documentaries ever made about the performing arts, this magisterial history of the companies that danced under the name Ballet Russe will enchant dance aficionados and novices alike.

A tough but deeply rewarding watch. Search it out.

Impeccably performed by its young leads and nurturing supporting cast, this deeply personal picture particularly impresses in the closing scenes, which are quietly devastating in their intimacy, insight and truth.

Tempering its flights of fancy with moments of whimsical humour and kid’s-eye realism, this thoughtful treatise on growing pains reveals a realist side of Japanimation that’s all too rarely seen.

What makes this such an affecting picture is the contrast between the wonderfully aloof camels and the interdependence of the extended family, whose smiling resilience only hints at the harshness of an existence that has changed little in centuries.

Typical James Stewart defeating bullies with integrity stuff.

Klayman exploits the opportunity to follow a man at the eye of a cultural and political storm, although more detail on his creative process and private life would have welcome.

Filipino maven Diaz delivers a bravura, literary human drama that does justice to its great source material.

Captivating and poignant portayal of life on the edge for the disregarded of our societies.

An uncompromising documentary which simply lays its subject bare and dares us not be moved by the raw humanity on display.

The scenario may be overly familiar, but the low-key approach and engaging performances make this an unexpected delight.

The second outing for Fred and Ginger which cemented their partnership can be irritating in it's romantic machinations but the Astaire flair is always winning.

A thriller that twists and turns with an understated power that will have you gripping the arm of your seat. Terrific stuff.

This is not just a treatise on post-colonialism and class. Sembène boldly uses his female characters to comment on Senegal's chauvinist patriarchy.

A powerful and provoking take on a violent and volatile era.

Insightful as ever but a little dated in the set-up and treatment of the shooting.

Detached, but never dispassionate, this may not be Andrew Haigh's best film. But its slow-burning authenticity suggests a versatility to go with his acuity for credible characters in recognisable situations.

A fly-on-the-wall look at the band that will thrill fans but may not convert too many non-believers.

Bleak brilliance.

Pascale Ferran as the first female director to adapt this notorious novel absorbs her successful vision with a uniquely romantic vibe.

Ultimately, Irma Vep doesn't quite have the courage of its convictions, but still provides plenty of scathing satire on the state of French cinema.

As angry and unflinching a piece of documentary filmmaking as you'll see this year.

Despite the striking photography, this fascinating denunciation of 150 years of persecution and oppression lacks Guzmán's customary trenchancy and restraint.

Hansen-Løve again shows what a gifted storyteller she is with this tender, realistic portrayal of young love.

A beautiful but slow moving celebration of life, stunningly photographed.

A few plot holes hold back what is otherwise a well cast and compelling picture.

Unsurprisingly, considering the circumstances, this is less a meticulous study of photojournalist's art than an privileged and emotional look at the life of a friend and colleague.

Unflinching in its eschewal of objectivity, this provides a unique perspective on a notorious case, while correcting some of the impressions about urban black youth the media cravenly peddled in its aftermath.

Filmed on a modest budget with a subtle sense of place and pace, this highly impressive debut considers mortality with a wry compassion that's rare for such a young director.

A bruising psychodrama from the Palme d'Or winner that taps into the dark heart of central European superstition.

While strong on establishment prejudice, the coverage of clashing egos and agendas isn’t always incisive.

Creaky, Aged and utterly enchanting. One to be seen on a proper print if you can.

This looks and sounds superb. Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Gregory are splendid. But the over-archingly smug sophistication of the enterprise robs it of some much-needed human interest.

It’s instilled with the bite and bark of Bilko’s capitalist fervour, and has a fun line in cool, snappy dialogue, although never intending to be quite so broadly a comedy.

Campion's grasp of her material is intellectually and emotionally assured, while Fox's extraordinary performance demonstrates an honesty, courage and power that's rarely attempted, let alone achieved.

Not quite as fully realised as the classic Adam's Rib, but generally good.

Shot in beautiful black and white with some stunning visuals, Gomes' narrative quest is a understated gem.

An intriguing and compelling documentary that provides insight into Kiefer's artwork.

Witty, warm and beautifully filmed by Franz Planer and Henri Alekan, it remains an unabashed romantic delight, with Hepburn particularly luminescent. [Review of re-release]

Meticulously controlled, but simmering with a tension that is suffused with fury, this treatise on dignity and depravity, aspiration and apathy is the Dardennes at their most accusatory and damning.

Ünel and the debuting Kekilli are as impressive as Akin’s atmospheric snapshots of Hamburg and Istanbul.

It's a stark vision of humanity in a hellish world. Tough and thought-provoking.

Played with restraint and individuality by a fine ensemble, this is a moving but provocative study of belief, duty, compassion and acceptance.

Impeccably mounted and played, this is gastro-cinema at its most sensual and intoxicating.

A touching and revelatory piece of film-making about the plights of real people living in an uncertain world.

Clara Bow is mesmerising in this ahead-of-its-tie air force drama.

Vibrantly recreating a seminal period in Jodorowsky's personal and artistic development, this bullishly played saga has enough quirky detail, audacious incident and visual panache to sweep the storyline through its less persuasive phases.

Romance novel in narrative this transcends its genre with visual depth and perceptive socio-cultural insights.

An interesting piece from Hungary with much to enjoy, only slightly dampened by the occasional clunky device.

A joyous exploration of family life that will touch and surprise.

Winning WW II story of british pluck that manages to side-step the propaganda trap.

Outstanding account of a pivotal moment in small-screen history.

Superbly judging tonal shifts and juggling disparate storylines, this snapshot of a Refice street reveals the class, gender, racial and historical fissures in Brazilian society, while also making for riveting drama right down to the shocking sting in the tail.

This is a suberbly structured thriller whose excellence is aided and abetted by a spirited cast.

This spends more time on the tensions between the dominant trio than their landmark campaigning.

If Tom Jones now feels something of a product of its times, it still deserves credit for attempting something new - no matter how derivative.

Challengingly spellbinding.

As Cunningham goes about his work chronicling changes in fashion and the city he loves, a portrait emerges of a man deserving of ever bit of the respect and esteem in which he's held. There's few sharp edges or dirt digging, but it's no less engaging for that.

Now practically an exile from his homeland, Kiarostami follows Certified Copy with another film-literate relationship drama with the enigmatic overtones of Hitchcock.

This intelligently scripted and imposingly played costume noir revisits the conventions of Victorian melodrama to comment on modern attitudes to oppression, prejudice and morality.

A fun and frothy mock-doc with a message buried in its axle.

As with a number of arthouse films, the ending leaves something to be desired. But, courtesy of its meticulously mundane digital imagery, this is a film of precise details that sketches an outline of existence and then leaves it to the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Superb star turn from Maria Alexandra Lungi but this doesn’t grip as it might.