David Parkinson

Slightly jerry-built reconstructions detract from an intriguing film with a unique angle on the country legend.

A romance not nearly as seductive as its lead actress.

Atmospheric and engrossing, this meticulous recreation of time and place acquires an unsettling contemporary relevance through its analysis of the mindset of a mass murderer with a death wish.

A lengthy, visually impressive period piece with little in the way of new material or fresh spins on history to distinguish it.

The science is haphazard, the techniques gimmicky, but the point is cogently made.

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.

Having taken such pains to establish Tom’s Finnish background and its attendant dangers, Karukoski hurtles through the sketchy American section without exploring any of its crucial issues in sufficient depth.

Telling an unfamiliar tale in a highly predictable manner, this is a laudable, but lightweight tribute to golf's founding fathers.

A must for movie buffs, but too much of the charm resides in the clips and exhibits and those unaffected by the nostalgia will find the romantic triangle a touch too contrived.

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

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

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

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

Shot in magisterial black-and-white, veteran director Trueba's drama is a welcome return from the Belle Epoque man.

Enjoyably satirical and occasionally insightful, it's betrayed by some lazy stereotyping.

Although lacking specific context and fussily presented, this is a harrowing account of the Arab Spring as witnessed by seven reluctant and committed activists in Libya, Syria and Bahrain. The footage of the violence inflicted upon civilians is truly terrifying.

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

If not quite on the level of Garbus's terrific Bobby Fischer documentary, this still filled with fond recollections of Mazza's life and career. Fans will relish it.

Veers too close to hagiography, although it's visually arresting enough to carry you through sagging in the narrative.

This leaden relocating of an iconic German saga to 16th-century France isn’t helped by the miscast Mads Mikkelsen’s morose display as Michael Kohlhaas.

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

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.

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.

A fascinating life is reduced to a series of skittishly edited and visually stylised vignettes that do scant justice to Marie Curie's scientific achievements and Karolina Gruszka's laudably intense performance.

A romantic-comedy that isn't funny or romantic.

A slick, enthralling look at the life of Vallanzasca but fails to truly get under his skin.

A quirky road-trip movie with things to say. A return to form for Depardieu too.

Unstintingly raw and cynical, this disconcerting and deeply affecting State Of The Union treatise regularly comes dangerously close to caricature.

Rising to the challenge of doing something new(ish) with an overworked sub-genre, this may not be particularly scary or funny. But it belies its modest budget to splatter to knowing effect.

Despite a wonderfully witty voiceover and the bullish playing of a willing ensemble, this bawdy romp consistently stumbles over its more contrived excesses.

Wrongly branded misogynist by PC kneejerkers, this is a scathing assault on the exploitative nature of pornography and the emptiness of sex without love.

Charming performances from both leads and insightful vignettes makes up for occasional clumsy writing and plot developments.

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

A road trip movie filled with simple pleasures. Ashmore does a solid job as a mariachi musician without a single grenade-launcher in his guitar case

A largely dour romantic drama, hampered by thrusting non-actors into challenging lead roles.

This grungy anti-musical will offend just about everyone with its attitude towards women, gays, kids, and the elderly.

A brave effort from Richardson with another outstanding performance from Foster.

Ruinously prioritising chic over content, this is intellectually and stylistically shallow when it should have been dynamic and compelling.

Notwithstanding the efforts of a game cast, this is a grotesque miscalculation that disrespects the memory of those who perished in one of the darkest episodes in recent history by turning it into a piece of white-knuckle entertainment.

Notwithstanding the efforts of a game cast, this is a grotesque miscalculation that disrespects the memory of those who perished in one of the darkest episodes in recent history by turning it into a piece of white-knuckle entertainment.

Persuasively played by fine leads and a well-cast ensemble, this thoughtful treatise captures provincial life and the medical mindset with authenticity and tact.

Regardless of the skittish structure and illegible subtitles, this is a valuable reflection on an incalculably influential career, which serves as a timely reminder about the pitfalls of artistic tyranny.