David Parkinson

Thrillingly capturing both time and place and fizzing with non-judgemental empathy and cinematic flair, this is a magnificent debut that catapults Laetitia Dosch into the front rank of French actresses.

The execution could be improved, but the sheer zip of the real life story just about carries this wartime tale along.

Simmering study of a petty hood-cum-wannabe pianist succumbing to his innate violent side - but there might be a touch too much ivory tinkling for some.

Tender and beautifully acted, it's a unflinchingly bleak glimpse of life on Australia's margins.

Combining widescreen lyricism and neo-realist intimacy, this is a poignant reflection on the stark situation awaiting so many migrants who risk everything to reach a false paradise. The methodology occasionally feels calculating, but the intentions couldn't be more sincere, as the struggles are destined to continue once the cameras leave.

Some may find this sprawling film hard to adjust to, but for those who can, it is a real find. With an imaginative plot and an amusing direction, this charming film is a fitting way to end Cocteau's career.

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.

A strange story that's no less disturbing for its unbalanced telling.

Complemented by its black-and-white photography and a moody DJ Shadow score, this is a gritty yet often tender look at society's margins.

An intriguing look at a lost voice.

A timeless musical treat and the most fun you can have with really elegant clothes on.

Despite Hitchcock's own reservations this is definitely worth a look. Interesting to his aficionados and darkly funny and depressing in turns.

A fascinating topic is attenuated by conservative storytelling and sketchy characterisation. Nevertheless, the sense of place is as assured as the vigilant performances, while the defusing sequences are genuinely suspenseful.

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

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

Sour as month-old milk and with a tang of off-screen animosity in its mouth, Robert Aldrich's melodrama is still hysterical in every sense of the word.

A touch twee at times, but the use of classic and original animation is admirable, while Owen emerges as the king of sidekicks.

A time capsule now of all that was considered controversial and gutsy in 1966.

Exasperatingly trite, but also rather sweet.

Although packed with compelling archive footage, this never quite gets into Joplin's head, heart or soul.

Humane and perceptive memoir from Allen, with a pleasant visual nostalgia and the usual slew of impressive performances.

Enjoyable Hitchcock spoof with much chemistry between the leads and some cracking one-liners.

A hauntingly beautiful film.

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

Accomplished and assured.

A touching and insightful black comedy that gracefully spans sixty years.

A laudably even-handed examination of a highly charged subject.

A challenging and intelligent Swedish drama that still raises laughs.

This tale of Mexican poverty refuses to lapse into sensation or melodrama.

An insightful examination of racism, homophobia and identity in Latin America.

A positive and personal look at the Israel/ Palestine divide through the quest of one woman to maintain her own property.

A bit theatrical in places, which is not surprising when you consider its provenence but it suffers for it.

Occasionally lacking in context but never less than intriguing, Jarreth Merz's polished film is a handy document to a rarely visited democracy.

This is a fascinating insight into the mind of the Nobel laureate and his city muse. Coolly intelligent and noirishly compelling.

An affecting reflection on the loneliness we will all have to face at our end, held together by Vicky Krieps's poised display of unself-pitying despair and liberating acceptance.

Not Garbo's greatest but it has a curious charm.

Pondering everything from free expression and sexual harassment to bourgeois guilt and migrant rage, this superbly acted saga may not always hit the target. But it unerringly leaves its mark.

Despite the almost caricatural Frenchness of the premise, this is a superbly acted and intricately directed drama that makes a virtue of its very human feelings and follies.

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

A gripping if occasionally overwrought drama radiated by a standout turn from Seydoux.

Tsangari proves she's one of the freshest voices in European cinema with this offbeat character piece.

The prototype for now ubiquitous 50 best blabla clips ever shows is well worth a look. They really are a bunch of the best ever.

Taut, tense and teasing, this fascinating exercise in screen storytelling keeps viewers guessing whether the prime suspect might just be a victim.

An unflinching and affecting depiction of the region’s tragic lunacies.

An atmospheric rite of passage that suggests big things lie ahead for its writer-director and young cast.

A desperately sad look at two men whose determination to rebel against their heritage and succeed in their artform has rendered them unable to communicate. Compelling stuff, though.

Impeccably played by Rebecca Hall, this is a thoughtful reflection on life’s casual cruelties and how little attitudes towards women have changed since Watergate.

Warm and thought-provoking portrayal of a journey and a man coping with the onset of age and all that might mean.

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.

Much-maligned it may be, but the so-called mumblecore movement continues to turn out gems. Lena Dunham's lo-fi, witty treatment of a semi-autobiographical tale adds another dozy to the canon.

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.

Keiller's follow up to his cine-essays London and Robinson In Space is another intelligent, thought-provoking piece of filmmaking.

A deeply affecting glimpse of a man's quest to salvage beauty from tragedy.

A timely documentary that seeks to amuse and inform as much as alarm.

Although replete with creepy shocks, this lacks the narrative finesse to match the committed performances and slick visuals.

Cocteau has produced a bizarre, interesting although at times tedious movie.

A little clunky at times for contemporary audiences but still manages to truly perturb at times...

Bahman Ghobadi can’t be faulted for showcasing so many bands, and the mix is wonderfully eclectic, but the linking episodes aren’t always riveting.

Forte and Peake excel in a notable debut from Green that marks her out as a director to watch.

Impossible to appreciate in a single sitting, this masterly piece of polemical filmmaking is as intoxicating as it is intriguing.

Abetted by Nicolaj Brüel's prowlingly ominous camerawork and Dimitri Capuani's soul-destroying interiors, Garrone proves once again that even the lowest-rung southern Italian gangster can't afford a shred of human decency.

A classic of the weepy genre so have some toilet roll handy.

More compelling when focusing on long-serving staff and their skills and opinions

An epic masterpiece, albeit in need of a tweak here and there.

An intense, emotional ride. Uplifting and inspiring.

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.

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

Baalsrud never claimed to be a hero and the emphasis of this gripping reconstruction rightly falls on the resourcefulness, courage and self-sacrifice of those who epitomised the spirit of resistance.

A final opportunity to see a master at work in this mischievously melancholic delight.

With Pendleton inhabiting three different bodies in the course of 93 minutes, this was quite an intricate storyline for a Hollywood comedy. But Alexander Hall (an unsung journeyman whose credits included Shirley Temple's Little Miss Marker) kept the action briskly accessible, even where Death was involved.

A daring, dark satire strewn with allusions to modern times.