David Parkinson

Olivier is truly remarkable in his portayal of the hammy actor, anti-hero Archie.

A simple, elemental tale that makes breaking the heart seem like the easiest and most natural thing a filmmaker can do to his audience. Which, of course, it isn't.

Interesting misfires from Wong Kar-wai and Steven Soderbergh barely manage to atone for the seedy muddle concocted by eightysomething Michelangelo Antonioni, who mocks his own reputation for existential ellipsis with his voyeuristic vignette.

Not one of Hitchcock's best, but with a few creative sequences and some sharp writing from Dorothy Parker.

Exploring workers' rights in an age of mechanisation and recession, this isn't always an easy watch. But it's played with spirit, filmed with integrity and is pleasingly full of surprises.

A powerful meditation on personal freedom from a Hungarian auteur.

Like "The Searchers", this is so brilliant that the only real effect of the other versions is to make you want to watch the original again.

There are some poignant moments, but Steven's decision to shoot a claustrophobic movie in CinemaScope and the stage-bound feel of the whole enterprise never bring the action to life.

This is simply the finest jazz documentary ever made.

Exposing the bleak reality of a supposedly more innocent time, this inspired blend of musical and melodrama succeeds in being both fond and forlorn, artistic and authentic.

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.

Less visceral than the battle scene in Seven Samurai, this is more of a free-for-all, with brute force leaving no room for skill.

Suspense gives way to metaphor in a stark thriller that hints at the work to come from master Carol Reed.

The result is both audaciously amusing and provocatively sophisticated.

The first Fred and Ginger feature is a little clunky and short on plot and character but a beautiful and atmospheric treat for all that.

Not Woody Allen at his best, this period piece has some clever writing but is not completely convincing.

Drags in places and deosn't even try for a true-to-life portrait of the great theatre entrepeneur but it's shiny and big spectacle with impressive choreography.

It may seem flawed in a number of ways to some people but this is monumental cinema and essential viewing for true film enthusiasts.

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.

The stinging bon mots occasionally sound handcrafted rather than raspingly spontaneous, but aspiring actress Anne Baxter’s rise to the top over the corpse of her supposed idol, Bette Davis, remains rousing and endlessly amusing.

Violent, visionary, vital.

Assayas' attempt to present a multi-perspective Polaroid view of Adrien and his circle fall back on the tired technique of abruptly punctuating grainy, handheld sequence with jump cuts. A disappointingly sterotypical French film.

Tense and slick, this early thriller remains a true masterpiece.

Poetic but bleekly pessimistic version of the Danish tragedy.

Packed with amusing graphics, animated sequences and damning testimonies, this is a landmark denunciation of Hollywood infantilisation and protectionism.

Avant-garde triumph revolving around the seemingly mundane life of a widow in Brussels.

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

Great songs, gentle humour and a dose of syrup which is not to everyone's tastes, but worth buying to keep that Christmas spirit going until next year.

Marlene Dietrich tries not to give anything away as usual while Agatha Christie's whodunit plot whirs tidily about her expressionless beauty.

Timeless classic. Superb performances and the infamous shower scene make this the perfect nightmare.

Comedy has rarely been so intricate, incisive and inspired.

Powerhouse performance from Richard Burton but a little too old to play the angry young man stuff that is essential to this tale.

Superb dialogue, beautifully played and hummingly atmospheric, this is sexy, poignant and tense with some surpising humour...only the plot shows cracks...

This has many more plus points than critics at the time were willing to admit.

Wry and haunting.

Sturges' no-holds-barred comic cristicism of American Forces abroad is still challenging and funny.

If you can see past the heavy-handed religious overtones you will encounter an inspired and deeply intelligent Bresson classic.

For the rare uninitiated, this is a fine introduction to Babs' talents.

This is still the definitive version of Charles Dickens' atmospheric and occasionally creepy classic.

The performance of Harvey Stephens as the young Damien has invested the film with the chill of genuine credibility.

Magnificent examination of the criminal mind and Cagney's finest moment.

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.

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.

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

This is Hitchcock's longest film and also his most self-referential. Little jokes abound about art and artifice, role play and reality, duty and duplicity and each viewing reveals something new to enhance the pleasure of watching the Master of Suspense at his most mischievous and assured.

Falls into the "interesting failure" category.

Emphasis has been placed on extravaganza, when it should really have been placed on getting good performances out of a talented cast.

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

Difficult love, Nazis, and a lovely soupy plot...brilliant.

Judy Garland is magnificent in this charming musical with a number of star turns from the impressive cast.

A lighter film for Hitchcock but with a wonderfully sewn narrative and some good performances.

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

The mood of the movie reflects the exuberance of youth and the wisdom of experience. New Wave gold.

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

Stylish and gripping at times, this wry very-French gender satire is definitetly entertaining but falls down a little in the third act.

A compelling study of a small-town lawyer's determination to challenge Cameroon's institutionalised chauvinism, which judiciously combines small triumphs with a daunting sense of the task that lies ahead.

The semi-improvised performances and gently nostalgic tone makes this endearing and captivating.

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.

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

A strange foreboding of what was to come from the Hitch.