David Parkinson

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.

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

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.

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.

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

A rich and imaginative evocation of a family in turmoil.

Once the political correctness is side-stepped, this contains classic chemistry from its two leads.

Powerful art cinema that challenges political and social unity in Iran.

Angry, impassionate filmmaking that demands - and deserves - serious answers.

The result is both audaciously amusing and provocatively sophisticated.

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

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.

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

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

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

Tautly scripted by director Per Fly and bullishly played, this is soap for the ciné-sophisticate.

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

A deeply disconcerting provocation about the future of civilisation: a powerfully performed vision of an insignificant humanity.

For all its self-conscious pizzazz, this is irresistibly entertaining.

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

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

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

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.

Despite visceral moments, it often feels like an excuse to use footage that didn’t make the 2010 film.

Poetic but bleekly pessimistic version of the Danish tragedy.

Packed with cultural references and sly satire, this is also a hugely entertaining comic romp.

Harrowing and complex, this study in terror is not for the faint of heart.

Challenging the truism that you can never go home, this doesn't entirely integrate its political subtext. But the storylines are involving, the setting is picturesque and the performances are impeccable.

Lustrous photography and a fine cast make this dark drama a compelling one.

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

A delight from start to finish.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Best known until now for Oscar-winning holocaust drama "The Counterfeiters," Karl Markovics flexes his muscles on the other side of the camera with terrific effect. A fine, moving debut for the new writer/director.

1954 musical that is woefully miscast in places and extremely dubious in its portrayal of African-Americans but does boast an on-form Dorothy Dandridge.

As meticulous as one of Claudel's sculptures, Hors Satan director Dumont and his star do this true-life story justice with an empathetic telling.

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

This director's cut might smack of self-indulgence, but it also says much about love and loss and the language of an artform that flirts with realism while remaining an illusion.

Quietly compelling, the cerebral slice of social realism is well worth hunting down.

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.

Masterfully manipulative and bloody scary.

A typically poignant lifestory illuminated by strong turns from Dussollier and Azéma, Alain Resnais' latest is one to stir the brain as well as the heart.

Chock full of larger-than-life characters, it's an enthralling insight into a raw, bloodied world.

Violent, visionary, vital.

Even if Rupert Murray's film does turn out to be a hoax, there's no denying the ingenuity involved in its making.

Nostalgic and charming romance with special moments in the extra-narrative action.

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

A fun and insightful slice of Roman life. Next up, M25: The Movie?

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

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.

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

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.

Hilarious in places, hideous in others, this struggles to make its philosophical case. But the performances are exceptional and the conceit could not be more daring or distinctive.

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

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.

Audacious, yet sensitive, Fire may shock traditionalists but is the sort of film that ought to win Indian cinema a whole new audience.

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

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

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

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

Bleak and compelling.

A charming, visually sparkling Parisian fantasy with a dark edge.

A snappy, quirky German indie that will thrill fans of early Jim Jarmusch.

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

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

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

Unpredictable and compelling, this draws parallels between Japanese and German cultures in interesting and moving ways.

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.

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

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

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

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

Despite its sketchiness, this offers a vivid insight into the rejuvenation of a decaying city through fury, activism and music.

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.

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.

Powerful, personal, but bombastic.

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

A powerful meditation on personal freedom from a Hungarian auteur.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Falls into the "interesting failure" category.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.