David Parkinson

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

Comedy has rarely been so intricate, incisive and inspired.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

If you only ever see one silent film, this is the one it should be. A masterpiece.

A tight plot that's enriched by wonderfully crafted characters that each have their own key weaknesses.

Alec Guinness shines in this hilarious British comedy.

The director left France during the German Occupation and, many critics would argue, his work never reached the same heights again. But, even with its immediate contemporary relevance softened, this film alone is enough to seal his reputation, as its playful love games, satirical bite and technical marvels refuse to diminish.

Wonderfully complex but warmly human, Bergman's drama is one of his very best.

Meticulously constructed, beautifully played and poignant.

This is not just a treatise on post-colonialism and class. Sembène boldly uses his female characters to comment on Senegal's chauvinist patriarchy.

Demonstrating that the greatest political evil is indifference, this appeal to a world on the verge of war has lost none of its relevance.

This MGM classic remains the most faithful and powerful adaptation of the great Dickens novel.

One of Woody's most aesthetically gorgeous films as well as his classic love-hate letter to the city of his soul.

A must see.

Has a vigour, a commitment and an intelligence that is absent from too much modern cinema.

Orson Welles second tribute to Shakespeare is an often-ignored masterpiece. Check it out.

The red-jacketed, Method-pouting James Dean steals every scene, but the ensemble playing is nothing short of exemplary.

Moving and atmospheric, this quest tale is among the best of its kind.

Both funny and touching, this showcases Chaplin at his best.

Ideal Sunday afternoon fare.

One of the Nouvelle Vague's boldest achievements.

Impeccably mounted and played, this is gastro-cinema at its most sensual and intoxicating.

A thriller that twists and turns with an understated power that will have you gripping the arm of your seat. Terrific stuff.

Although not all the loose ends are tied up in the telling of this bizarre and absorbing tale of love, grief and goose-bumps, one scarcely minds at all, since the fourth-dimensional doings on offer, (underlined with a marvellously moody, haunting score by Zbigniew Preisner) are like an erotic trip into The Twilight Zone.

A touching and revelatory piece of film-making about the plights of real people living in an uncertain world.

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

Typical James Stewart defeating bullies with integrity stuff.

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

Magnificent absurdist crime drama from the master of suspense.

Bleak brilliance.

Satirical Samurai action of the highest order.

Switching from dour humour to humanist drama without seeming contrived, this is a masterclass in combining character and landscape that is played with deceptive poignancy by the excellent leads.

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

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

Storytelling of breathtaking scale and grandeur, even if the complex plotting may twist your synapses along the way.

Bleak and compelling.

Less audacious than A Bout de Souffle, this is, however, one of Godard's most accessible pictures. A good place to learn how much of a debt modern cinema owes him.

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

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

Vibrantly recreating a seminal period in Jodorowsky's personal and artistic development, this bullishly played saga has enough quirky detail, audacious incident and visual panache to sweep the storyline through its less persuasive phases.

Subtle and multi-layered film-making with compelling performances.

Impeccably performed by its young leads and nurturing supporting cast, this deeply personal picture particularly impresses in the closing scenes, which are quietly devastating in their intimacy, insight and truth.

Knowingly blending realist grit with generic guile, this unrelentingly tense account of a fragmented family living in constant fear thoroughly merited the Best Director prize at the Venice Film Festival.

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.

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

The mesmerising García and sensitive direction by Lelio light up this delicate yet spiky drama. Terrific stuff from both Chileans.

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

Shot in beautiful black and white with some stunning visuals, Gomes' narrative quest is a understated gem.

Drolly scripted, impeccably designed and photographed, and played to succinct perfection, this may only be a slender drama, but it's also a cherishable summation of what makes Aki Kaurismäki special.

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.

It's a stark vision of humanity in a hellish world. Tough and thought-provoking.

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.

The result is both audaciously amusing and provocatively sophisticated.

Funny and freewheeling, it's a joy.

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

Exquisitely designed, this cornucopia of melodramatic fragments and movie pastiches will enchant Guy Maddin fans.

An intense, emotional ride. Uplifting and inspiring.

Violent, visionary, vital.

Hansen-Løve again shows what a gifted storyteller she is with this tender, realistic portrayal of young love.

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

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.

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

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

As startling and bleakly compelling as you'd expect from this rare combination of director and subject.

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

Dramatically, this may seem slight. But bounteous pleasures lie in the intimacy of the acting and in the exquisite cinematic and culinary craftmanship on display.

Detached, but never dispassionate, this may not be Andrew Haigh's best film. But its slow-burning authenticity suggests a versatility to go with his acuity for credible characters in recognisable situations.

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

Wry and haunting.

Echoes of Dog Day Afternoon and Locke reverberate around this claustrophobic thriller, which is tautly plotted, precisely paced and grippingly played by Jakob Cedergren and his unseen co-stars.

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

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

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

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.

The spirits of the old masters pervade this disquieting but deeply moving drama. But Kore-eda stands alone as the chronicler of family life in a country facing an identity crisis.

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.

A gripping study of treachery, identity and survival.

A welcome return from Hoop Dream director Steve James. Even at just shy of three hours, the format strains to accommodate such a complex, involving true-life story, but it makes a seriously impressive attempt.

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

With the camera placement being as meticulous as the use of Handel on the soundtrack, this impeccably played saga deservedly earned Mungiu a share of the Best Director prize at Cannes.

As with a number of arthouse films, the ending leaves something to be desired. But, courtesy of its meticulously mundane digital imagery, this is a film of precise details that sketches an outline of existence and then leaves it to the audience to draw their own conclusions.

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.

Courageous and indelible account and an invaluable perspective of the protests.

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

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

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.

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.

Showing how paradise can be hell, this audiovisual treat is spiritedly played by its leads and bristles with a brooding menace that can't quite disguise the story's essentially melodramatic nature.

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.

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

Exceptional, human filmmaking.

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.

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

Winning WW II story of british pluck that manages to side-step the propaganda trap.

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

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.

Powerful and mesmerising, this offers an fresh approach to a tough topic.

Campion's grasp of her material is intellectually and emotionally assured, while Fox's extraordinary performance demonstrates an honesty, courage and power that's rarely attempted, let alone achieved.

A hauntingly beautiful film.

The performances are credible, but set-pieces like the water-cannoning of a procession of burkha-clad protesters are also impeccably judged.

Olivier's classic and personalised version of the troubled Prince of Denmark is still highly atmospheric and intriguing.

Unflinching in its eschewal of objectivity, this provides a unique perspective on a notorious case, while correcting some of the impressions about urban black youth the media cravenly peddled in its aftermath.

A beautiful but slow moving celebration of life, stunningly photographed.

Creaky, Aged and utterly enchanting. One to be seen on a proper print if you can.

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.

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

A painful and poignant excoriation of the American dream.

Elements of self parody from the master of slapstick leave you yearning for the early work that made his name. But it's worth a watch to see Chaplin and Keaton in one of few on-screen appearances together.

Hitchcock's coldest, hardest movie until its controversial ending.

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

Superbly played and realised, this stays with you.

Filled with striking and scarringly disconcerting images of vandalised nature, satanic mills and redundant modernity, this is a mournful tribute to a maligned migrant workforce and a sobering reminder that nothing comes cheap.

This lesser known Kurosawa feature is worth a look, with outstanding performances and stunning cinematography.

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

Meticulously controlled, but simmering with a tension that is suffused with fury, this treatise on dignity and depravity, aspiration and apathy is the Dardennes at their most accusatory and damning.

Marx brothers anarchy that makes up for plot inconsistencies with infectious humour.

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.

Intriguing and visually atmospheric melodrama with Dietrich doing her sultry thing.

Superbly judging tonal shifts and juggling disparate storylines, this snapshot of a Refice street reveals the class, gender, racial and historical fissures in Brazilian society, while also making for riveting drama right down to the shocking sting in the tail.

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

Pascale Ferran as the first female director to adapt this notorious novel absorbs her successful vision with a uniquely romantic vibe.

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

Played with restraint and individuality by a fine ensemble, this is a moving but provocative study of belief, duty, compassion and acceptance.

Accomplished and assured.

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

At the venerable age of 84, documentary maven Wiseman hasn't lost his touch.

Louis Malle, possibly at his best here. The drama is subtle but affecting.

It might be lesser known, but certainly not deservingly so. This is a cracking piece of Brit cinema.

Filipino maven Diaz delivers a bravura, literary human drama that does justice to its great source material.

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.

This 1967 Ming Dynasty epic may lack plot complexity and period spectacle. But the stand-off in a remote inn is flecked with tension, wit and slick martial artistry.

Deftly played and beautifully photographed, this may lack depth, but its observations on human transience are deeply moving.

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

Director Pablo Trapero seals his enviable reputation with this exceptional study of isolation and grief.

Outstanding account of a pivotal moment in small-screen history.

A rich and imaginative evocation of a family in turmoil.

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 powerful and provoking take on a violent and volatile era.

Visually striking and explosively violent, this simmering parable makes exceptional use of its rustic locations — and the faces of a vibrant cast — to reinforce a sense of authenticity.

Not as depressing as the subject matter might suggest, this tackles heavy themes of modern life.

Woody's neuroses are still gloriously present, and the whole thing is made accessible by Herbert Ross' dynamic direction.

A moving treatment of a deeply personal subject (France's own partner died of an AIDS-related illness in 1992), and an enthralling depiction of a seriously fired-up popular movement.

Full of fascinating behavioural insights and moments that are both hilarious and adorable, this studied treatise on the personality and emotionality of domestic animals should provide plentiful food for thought.

Written with great insight by Kogo Noda and filmed with painterly delicacy by Asakazu Nakai, though Ozu's touch brings the magic to this domestic drama.

Poetic, provocative and unstoppably powerful. But, depressingly, it probably won't change a thing.

A delight from start to finish.

A bruising psychodrama from the Palme d'Or winner that taps into the dark heart of central European superstition.

Compelling morality tale that works on multiple layers.

A true emotional epic.

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.

Long, but engrossing and frequently enraging drama that not only exposes the flaws in the Romanian health service, but also in modern humanity.

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

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

Challengingly spellbinding.

Seminal feature from Tarkovsky, the master of atmosphere and multi-functional allegory is truly affecting, as well as fodder for countless film studies curricula.

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

Whether viewed as a political allegory or a domestic drama, this is the most accessible film yet from one of Europe’s very finest filmmakers.

A joyous exploration of family life that will touch and surprise.

A bleak and moving drama with reflective performance from Jack Nicolson.

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.

This study in chaos and calculation not only makes for harrowingly compelling viewing, but it also exposes the apathy of an international community that simply turned the other way.

Winning Best Film at that year's Oscars, this John Huston film typically epic with a faithful screenplay to Richard Llewellyn's famous novel. Strong performances from Crisp and O'Hara although McDowall as the young lead, gives a particularly memorable performance while the setting shows Wales at its most beautiful.

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

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.

The formula of an innocent thrust into a nightmare would fascinate Hitch for decades to come, but here he packs the tale with strong characters and important details.

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

Instructive, insightful and inspiring, Maiden is a rousingly riveting record of a remarkable accomplishment that says as much about British bloody-mindedness as it does about feminist fortitude and underdog pluck.

Impassioned and disturbing, this documentary matches "The Cove" for marrying cool intellect with real fire.

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

As angry and unflinching a piece of documentary filmmaking as you'll see this year.

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

Although time doesn't flatter the film much, it remains engaging and insightful.

Complex and sophisticated, this genre-defying crime story is spellbinding viewing.

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

Witty, moving and visually dazzling.

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

Witty, warm and beautifully filmed by Franz Planer and Henri Alekan, it remains an unabashed romantic delight, with Hepburn particularly luminescent. [Review of re-release]

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

For all the courage and ingenuity of this extraordinary film, it's clear that Caouette has actually resolved few issues and that his life is still very much a work in progress.

This intelligently scripted and imposingly played costume noir revisits the conventions of Victorian melodrama to comment on modern attitudes to oppression, prejudice and morality.

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.

The scenario may be overly familiar, but the low-key approach and engaging performances make this an unexpected delight.

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

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

A sensitive, sincere and humbling profile which is truly inspirational.

An explosion of garish colour, wacky detail and surreal complications, Almodovar’s very funny, urban comedy overflows with the unexpected. See it!

Douglas' teeth-clenched, dimple-thrusting megalomaniac is among his best work, while the gossipy screenplay (another Oscar winner) is served wonderfully by Minnelli's lush melodramatics.

As simple and charming as you could wish for, this is a genuinely pioneering debut from a female Saudi filmmaker and a striking piece of work by any standards.

A rose-tinted look at American history, certainly, but still a very entertaining one.

Evocative and endearing - a worthy string to the Lean bow.

A tough but deeply rewarding watch. Search it out.

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.

Bette Davis is captivating in this epic study of Southern chivalry.

This is intelligent, admirably unsentimental and utterly involving for its full three-hour running time.

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 typical older male mentore story...told with sensitivity and perceptiveness.

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

Making exceptional use of stillness and silence, this is a rather sad study of the passing of traditional concepts of American masculinity along with the landscape that forged them.

Tempering its flights of fancy with moments of whimsical humour and kid’s-eye realism, this thoughtful treatise on growing pains reveals a realist side of Japanimation that’s all too rarely seen.

Costa-Gravas at his hypocrisy and oppression-fighting best.

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

A magnificent comic performance and a film of genial hilarity.

A truly insightful art film that still manages to be easy-going and unpretentious.

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

Far from an easy watch, either in terms of its hard-hitting content, seemingly haphazard structuring or its dense symbolism. But this makes sense of the political intricacies by balancing the rhetoric and statistics with everyday occurrences that give the iniquities and inadequacies a human face.

What makes this such an affecting picture is the contrast between the wonderfully aloof camels and the interdependence of the extended family, whose smiling resilience only hints at the harshness of an existence that has changed little in centuries.

Recalling the work of Jacques Tati, this is a grim but amusing and ultimately successful effort.

Filmed over 13 days in Tuscany and based on genuine Balkan Route testimony, this is an innovative, immersive insight into the migration crisis that also reveals much about human depravity.

A riveting slice of Romanian new wave drama, haunted by shadows of the Ceausescu era and never less than thought-provoking.

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

An interesting piece from Hungary with much to enjoy, only slightly dampened by the occasional clunky device.

Whether rediscovering La France périphérique or hurtling through the Louvre, Varda and JR make a surprisingly empathetic team and their collaboration is as provocative as it is poetic and poignant.

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

With each subplot reinforcing the simmering sense of unease, this compelling recreation of a pernicious period soberingly exposes the ease with which morality can become a casualty of human nature.

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 daring, dark satire strewn with allusions to modern times.

Visually striking, intellectually challenging and emotionally harrowing.

Masterfully manipulative and bloody scary.

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

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

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

Hitchcock's penultimate film deals with many of his previous themes with typical grim comedy and insight into a psychopathic killer's mind.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

This spends more time on the tensions between the dominant trio than their landmark campaigning.

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 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.

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

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

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.

Farhadi’s gifted storytelling and direction is on show again in a damning look at Iranian society.

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

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.