Joe Walsh

With 12 Years a Slave, McQueen has not only created his finest work to date, but also a potential modern masterpiece.

All of this is achieved with the signature levels of emotional intelligence that Pixar are renowned for. The level of detail with which they have created this world is staggering, with each aspect of the psyche carefully thought out.

The first Paddington was a joyful and somewhat unexpected treat, and the sequel is no different.

A garishly macabre vision of a Britain exiting the war years and trying to come of age, it presents a time when society was ridding itself of the shackles of its Best-Of-British conventions, and forging a new path. Sadly though, with any coming of age tale there are those who are unable to grow at the same rate. Withnail is one of those, too happy to take all the pleasures, and never wake up to reality.

Heavenly Creatures is a rare film that can be watched and re-watched, revealing more and more layers of subtext and meaning with each viewing. This is no simple tale of murder – this is a tale of obsession, friendship, imagination, gender politics, family and much, much more, and is almost certainly Jackson’s finest film to date.

While the premise of Rafiki is well-worn, the context of the film is not and Kahiu brings fresh zest to a familiar story which is told with spirit.

It's an offbeat narrative, and it demands patience, but it's so worth the wait in the final moments of the film, proving to be a graceful examination of love found and lost.

The sumptuous colours, outstanding choreography and toe-tapping tunes are nothing but first-rate.

Skyfall drips in the legacy of Bond, standing tall as an action-packed swansong to Britain's best loved hero of recent years, whilst also showing a great deal of affection for the decades of movies that have come before.

If we allow ourselves - as Scorsese asks us - to place ourselves in the shoes of these priests, then we have a graceful film of stoic power, which wrestles with the very nature of faith.

To modern audiences the nostalgia and issues seem dated and trite. Whilst it touches on several interesting themes, Colin Welland's script only succeeds in establishing the tension of the two conflicting characters. He fails to truly engage with the issues at hand, and most surprising of all is how this sporting saga of triumph over adversity fails to ever uplift.

Logan Lucky is satisfying on the simplest of levels, but if you peel back the layers it becomes evermore rewarding.

Devoid of cash-in cynicism, and full of belly-shaking humour, Paddington proves to be not just a wonderful contemporary rendition of the bear, but a polite hat-tip to the man who created him, paying homage in the best way possible: by bringing a gentle, slightly reserved, smile to audience faces.

While there is the odd bum note, The Jungle Book is an immersive, visually breathtaking family adventure and a welcome addition to their new spate of live-action reimaginings.

Kent, who gathers a cast of extremely bright young things, creates a drama that glides with sorrowful grace, pitching at a respectful and tear-inducing tone.

The rage that fuels Singleton's film is harnessed to great effect, he shows the reality, and while it builds to a melodramatic conclusion, it depicts life at its most raw.

Adoring fans of the original will surely not be disappointed. Disney have cast their magic spell once again, creating a modern romantic fable with lavish visuals and wickedly entertaining performances.

There's a certain bloatedness to much of the first half, while the film in general lacks the balance of humour to hard-hitting found in Shane Black's superb Iron Man 3 and/or Whedon's two Avengers outings.

MacDonald’s Whitney is compellingly told with compassion and style, showing just how great a gift Houston was blessed with, but also the demons that pursued her all her life to its tragic end.

By the third act all the stone-stepping plot points that get us from set-piece A to set-piece B start to wear thin.

Once seen, Aldrich’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is hard to forget, as it charts the sad path of many a former child star to the backwaters of the Hollywood hills.

Impressively, Waititi manages to retain his unique brand of humour while fulfilling his obligations to the franchise with Thor: Ragnarok.

Girl is an extraordinarily moving film.

Legend crucially lacks almost any sense of gravitas, although the bold and brash approach does keep you entertained.

Ghost Protocol is action fluff, and on that level alone it works well enough.

Far from breaking the mould of the survival drama genre, Arctic nonetheless offers thrilling moments and entertains throughout, mainly thanks to Mikkelsen’s muscular performance as the grizzled Overgård.

The Imitation Game's approach is successful as entertainment but not totally satisfactory in providing greater insight into its subject.

Tender, charming and made with substantial care, Next Goal Wins celebrates the cliché that it's not about winning, but the taking part.