David Parkinson

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.

While beautiful, early scenes of shocking violence give way to philosophising and gauche symbolism.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

The archive footage is compelling, but the soundtrack is a muddle of voice-over, music and effects.

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.

Played with committed ferocity by the excellent Oh and Heche, this riotous state-of-the-nation satire may lack subtlety, but it has the courage of its socko convictions and certainly packs a punch.

Exasperatingly trite, but also rather sweet.

Ostensibly, a lovingly made study of homemade cooking and old-fashioned values, this beautifully played drama also contains a mordant denunciation of the lack of compassion that shapes Japanese attitudes to social stigma.

Falls into the "interesting failure" category.

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

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

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

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

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

Rinko Kikuchi's superb core performance and some striking photography stand out in the latest feature from the Zellner Brothers.

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.

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

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.

It's more than a little precious, but it's also sincere, touching and astute in its insights into social geography and human nature.

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

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.

A sparse and languid Italian thriller that carries a debt to Melville.

It feels more like a ciné dissertation designed to showcase Zvyagintsev’s appreciation of the medium than an original piece of cinema.

A subtle and sensual character study.

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

Ironically, it lacks journalistic rigour but it's a fond, nostalgic look at the gilded history of the Grey Lady.

Although there are fine homages to Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Eisenstein and Harold Lloyd here, this is a scattershot offering full of apolitical mockery.

Plenty of mileage is derived from Dujardin's dismissal of everything Arab, Michel Hazanavicius also throws in some supremely silly running gags, while keeping the plot moving at a clip and establishing a rapport between the hapless hero and his insouciantly accomplished assistant, Bérénice Bejo.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Love Jones is fun, at least for the first hour, after which the melodrama takes over and the characters stop being witty and become schmaltzy instead.

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

Rarely has screen satire been so bleak or so mercilessly funny.

This has a lot of good ingredients but just doesn't quite manage to pull it off. It's looks dated and Shirley Maclaine doesn't quite capture the sympathies of all audiences.

A neo-realist fairy tale that charms without losing sight of its key themes of exploitation and truth to one’s self.

The music, even after a quarter of a century, is the film's redemption.

A sometimes over-simplified but often affecting look at forbidden love.

A smart and incisive look at race, identity and dysfunction in modern French society.

An intriguing look at a lost voice.

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.

Bold and beautiful, this is a mystery worth puzzling over.

A mix of the fascinating and the frustrating: some of the dishes are exciting and interesting, however, 108 minutes of detail causes this documentary to fall short of its potential.

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.

Curious allegorical epic which was supposed to speak to Allied spirits during the second world war but was a trifle obscure in its symbolism even then.

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

Some acute performances do justice to the novel in a quirky adaptation of the novel. Balasko steals the show as the prickly concierge with the warmer side.

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

Tender and touching, this gay coming-of-ages story is underpinned by a terrific, subtle turn from newcomer Florizoone.

Too many generic tropes for this downbeat, detached melodrama to convince as a work of social realism but a strong central performance and convincing depiction of the compartmentalisation of Argentina's women.

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

Lemmon and Maclaine fail to reproduce the chemistry from The Apartment but this slight film is not as ignorable as reputation suggests.

A challenging and intelligent Swedish drama that still raises laughs.

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

The father and son chemistry give this blackly-comic slice of social realism a dose of Ealing-lite wit.

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

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

A very thin story stretched out for over two hours, this is a melange of the wonderful and the pompous.

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.

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

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

A romance not nearly as seductive as its lead actress.

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.

Well-served by a laudably authentic ensemble, the director explores both character and ethnicity with a canny wit.

The plot pieces might slot into place with a resounding clang, but what it lacks in finesse, this brutal actioner more than makes up for in bullish bravura and technical slickness.

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

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.

Forman and screenwriter Michael Weller brought a sense of coherence to the original freewheeling structure and Twyla Tharp's choreography imparted an infectious dynamism. But, the profanity, nudity and disregard for the fourth wall that had made the stage show such a sensation were lost in the translation.

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.

Interesting portrait of the shallow nature of fame but overall this fails to engage on an emotional level.

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.

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.

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

Lushly photographed by Andrei Zhegalov and impeccably played, it’s a long-overdue corrective to the kind of wildly patriotic war film produced in the Soviet era.

Powerful, personal, but bombastic.

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.

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

Quietly compelling, but lacks finesse in its characterisation and dogged denunciation of the Ethiopian justice system

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.

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

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

Over-the-top but blackly funny along the way.

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.

The life and crimes of Virgil Starkwell, a petty hoodlum who finds love with a laundress, Louise, in between botched blags and stints on a chain gang.

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

While it may prompt some to think again next time they're in Starbucks, this astute insight into the coffee business is better at lauding the good guys than taking the multinationals to task for the iniquities of the global economy.

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

Sokurov's use of space, religious symbolism and raw emotion compensate for any sense of exclusion.

Chekhov is notoriously difficult to film and this adaptation boldly taps into the play's mordant wit. But the fidgety and over-emphatic visuals detract from the themes and the stellar performances.

Laurent's brushstrokes always feel a little too broad to capture the finer details of the legendary New Wavers, but some fascinating archive footage saves his documentary from missing the mark altogether.

Dated even at the time of release this nevertheless has a comic performance from Walter Matthau worth catching.

With its bestial themes, conceptual humour and cartoonish thespians, this consciously arch farce will intrigue some and infuriate others.

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

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

A gruelling watch and a searing indictment of America's disregard for its indigenous peoples.

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.

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

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

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.

Charming but uneven, director Améris's film doesn't know whether to make us laugh or cry, and ends up doing neither. Still, a smart script offers plenty to keep incurable romantics happy.

Dated and a little clunky but with a few moving performances from the leads.

A gently moving film that's always thought-provoking if at times a little slow going.

If Cassavetes' hipster cine-language has lost a little of its age and the innovative improv style won't be for everyone, the themes he tackles, riffed by a masterful group of actors, remain enthralling.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Despite the nobility of its intentions and commitment of its cast, this would-be treatise on gig economical iniquity winds up patronising the very ‘invisible people' it's supposed to be championing.

If it weren’'t for Lost Horizon, this would have gone down in history as the Worst Musical of 1973.

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

Funny in places but not Allen's best writing...and its difficult to get beyond the conceit.