A dig into the nature of humanity from a director already fluent in the language of brutality and tenderness. A stunning love story that in its finest moments is pure poetry.

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

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

Ramirez's outstanding performance and Assayes' superb skill in storytelling make this a mini-series not to be missed.

Anchored by a strong central turn, Nowhere Boy crafts entertaining, small-scale drama out of Lennon's huge-sized legend. It just lacks the spark and ambition of its subject.

With jokes that routinely miss the mark and cringeworthy slapstick, this black comedy farce shouldn't work. Somehow, though, it does.

Manages to be both very silly and highly forgettable. Only for those who collect killer-children films.

The action is enthralling even if the storyline doesn't always have the ring of truth about it.

A vital, if slight, study of selfishness and fractured relationships, Leaving is illuminated by the odd, off-balancing twist.

A rich, understated character drama that gleefully exposes the petty playground politics at the centre of one of the internet-era's most bitter court cases.

Painting from a typical kaleidoscopic canvas Noé crafts a brain-bendingly metaphysical trip that definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea.

A brutally intense indie that commits to its bleak premise and doesn't back down. Tarantino will cackle as he watches.

This subject demands a Godfather Part II, but Stone and collaborators have turned in a Godfather Part III. There is a lot of good material, but LaBeouf nearly sinks it and we could use much more of the old Gekko brimstone.

This is unlikely to win Kathryn Lansky's antipodean owl fantasy any new fans, but even the bemused (and confused) can luxuriate in some grand-scale visual storytelling.

The Town is that rare beast, a grown-up genre flick, chock-full of compelling character dynamics and a clutch of pitch-perfect performances.

Arguably the best teen comedy since Clueless, it's easy to give this one an A. Well, A-.

A romantic-comedy that packs charm, humour and warmth in spades.

Lyrical in style and presentation, this drama alludes to serious issues but does not address them. Enjoyable stylistically, but not substantiated beyond glossy advertisement.

What fun there is to be had is undermined by drab 3D, hacked-out dialogue and rehashed plots.

Affleck's meta-satire riffs amusingly on celebrity culture without hitting too many faux-doc highs.

If it is at times a bit indie-by-numbers without the courage of all its convictions, this is a grittier, saltier than usual rom-com populated with laughs, smarts and a couple you can root for.

An instant gangster classic.

A gritty, brutal chase movie that's more about swords (and spears, and axes) than sandals - although it could have done with a lot more character-meat on those bones.

A rich and imaginative evocation of a family in turmoil.

Instantly gripping, with a powerhouse star performance, it'll make you want to speed through the weeks to get to part two.

The method is well-worn and the subject-matter familiar, but this is a smart, scary little picture.

With flying pigs and magical nannying, this will charm children - but it could have been a little more charming for adults.

Compelling performances and beautifully told heroics but the pacing is flawed in terms of a thrilling cinematic experience.

Remember the film you hoped "Snakes On A Plane" would be – this is it! By any sane cinematic standards, meretricious trash … but thrown at you with such good-humoured glee that it's hard to resist. It's a bumper-sticker of a movie: honk if you love tits and gore! Honk honk honk.

Despite winning turns by Lewis and an on-form Goldblum, the laughs are in short supply.

A Twilight pastiche with all the wit you'd expect from the makers of "Scary Movie" and "Meet The Spartans."

The set pieces make this well worth watching while director Goro Miyazaki shows he's truly his father's son.

More The Wild Geese than The Wild Bunch, The Expendables is not a wasted opportunity, but more one not fully exploited.

It's heartfelt, hilarious and a highly satisfying adaptation of the book. You don't have to be a geek to adore it; you just have to remember being young. But one word of caution: Hollywood, don't try to make a hundred of these. It won't work.

While the tone may shift from satire to farce at times, this is a highly assured debut by Rizvi.

A beautiful, languid travelogue, although with some of the source novel's empowerment diluted.

A small but perfectly formed crime drama. And, without making a fuss, a proper nail-biter, too.

With luck The Hurt Locker's recent awards haul should draw audiences to this equally intense and actually more brilliant depiction of war. It marks the arrival of a sensational new talent behind the camera and is a debut that deserves to be seen.

Skewers the action genre while also finding room for sheer madness. We've still yet to see the equal of Ron Burgundy, but this latest offering is a wonky yet worthy addition to the McKay/Ferrell pantheon.

More sentimental, less spiky than Mihaileanu's stock-in-trade, Le Concert is an enjoyable take on the underdogs genre. And Laurent and the music are sublime.

For an exposé very little is actually revealed, but as a neon-lit trawl through '70s New York, it's worth a look.

Nine years on from the first movie but somehow the effects have gone backwards and the charm has gone missing.

Hardly a classic given the talents of Carell, Rudd and Roach at his best. It bungles utilising plenty of talent in a lightweight comedy effort that brings little fresh to the table.

Possibly a brave and interesting triumph for its director, but definitely a cold-eyed heartless bore for his audience.

This is one of those documentaries that stays with you for years. The injustice infuriates and the story, simply and deftly told, breaks your heart.

Enjoyable enough nonsense, even if it barely cracks a smile.

Fans of the Ramona Quimby books will be disappointed, but tween girls will love it.

With physics-defying, thunderous action, heart-wringing emotion and an astonishing performance from DiCaprio, Nolan delivers another true original: welcome to an undiscovered country.

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

Valhalla Rising gets into your mind and stays there. You can argue what, if anything, it's trying to say, but it is impressive cinema.

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

Despite Cage in a snit, it's a likable if functional summer-show.

A solidly okay Saturday night effort, but unambitious considering the talent involved. Maybe Rodriguez should direct Predator Resurrection, but get a science fiction writer to script it.

It's no first-rank CGI cartoon, but shows how Pixar's quality over crass is inspiring the mid-list. Fun, with teary bits, for kids; fresh and smart for adults.

Far from the catastrophe the US bewailed, but still disappointingly clunky. Notch it between Eragon (below) and Dragonslayer (above) on a sliding scale of fantasy filmmaking.

By far the best Twilight film to date, Slade should satisfy the fan base while opening up the series to more sceptical viewers…

As harrowing as it is humorous, Giorgos Lanthimos' award-winning journey to a family's heart of darkness is unflinchingly detailed, thought-provoking fare.

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.

Stone's film could have allowed political voices that are rarely present to get a fair, and critical hearing. Instead he near smooches them to death.

Smug and lazy comedy that barely raises a chuckle.

Powerful, terrifying and soulful, this real-life Hurt Locker is an intimate, often brilliant insight into combat and comradeship.

They make a fun duo, but none of the constituent genres work in this overbearing action-rom-com.

A stately, rich and moving Italian melodrama in the spirit of Visconti.

A kids’ movie for grown-ups. A grown-up movie for kids. Exactly what you’d expect -- and hope for -- from the latest, and we’re guessing final, Woody and Buzz adventure.

Isn't one "Wild Wild West" enough? Okay, so Jonah Hex didn't come with the same expectations, but it's still an object lesson in how not to adapt a comic book. A crushing disappointment.

The Duplass brothers enter the mainstream with a touching, original and supremely funny film, whose improvisational style sets it apart from other comedies, and marks the emergence of two major new talents. Great performances, too.

Smith might be the focus, but while he’s got the charisma and the moves, it’s Chan who makes it punch above its weight. Nice scenery too.

An energetic escape from Development Hell: suitably OTT, often fun and always loud. The villainy is underpowered, the plot a mess, but Cooper and Copley impress. We, er, quite like it when a plan comes together.

A beautifully designed but overly formal biopic that can't match the greatness of the artists it depicts.

A vivid reworking of Daniel Woodrell's novel that brings the book's conflicted heroine to searing life in a piece of unhurried filmmaking too rarely seen these days.

Funny, whimsical and as warming as a big bowl of Irish stew.

Like most of the recent exports from Apatown, Get Him To The Greek -- aka Russell Brand’s My Filmy Wilm -- is patchy, but home-run hilarious from time to time. If only it didn’t detour into darkness so often, this could have been a genuine treat.

A documentary that practically defies description, Grimonprez's film is playful, provocative and very, very watchable.

Its restraint might put off thrill-seekers, but if you can endure the wooden dialogue and sloppy exposition, it musters the entertainment quotient of a middle-order Harry Potter.

Jeunet himself describes the film best: Delicatessen meets Amélie. But we'd add that, while it's certainly breezy fun, it's not quite as good as either.

Always intelligent and thought-provoking, it's a welcome return from Amenábar.

This feels bigger and more cinematic than the first film, and sees a progression in the lives of the characters. But many of the jokes are beyond broad, and the Middle Eastern stereotypes are shockingly cack-handed.

More Pistachio Disguisey than Austin Powers, this cheapjack comedy is nowhere near as ingenious as the man it sends up.

There’s no doubting the energy, but without Colin Farrell’s fervour, or any novel spin, it’s no more than treading water from this gang.

DreamWorks could be entering a period of fresh creativity. With How To Train Your Dragon and a balanced, darker-hued and very funny Shrek finale, they’ve found the magic again.

Grown-up but not too serious; action-packed but not juvenile… Not only is this the mullet-free Robin Hood movie we’ve been waiting decades for, it’s also Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe at their most entertaining since Gladiator.

More Oh Mama than Mamma Mia!

Play It Again, Eric... Ken Loach perfectly captures the feeling of football and the need for hope. Touching and hilarious — a blinder.

Rourke and Rockwell make satisfying, complementary villains, while Downey Jr. delivers again. Shame this sequel feels inessential, over-busy and a little, well, mechanical. Nothing they can’t put right for Iron Man 3.

A often grim vaudeville parade of Nashville's oddballs and ne'er-do-wells.

Funny and unthreatening, it's not subversive but it's plenty of fun.

A sometimes whimsical and magical take on the life of one of Britain’s most artistically charged rock stars. Serkis shines in his role as the troubled singer.

Goofball fun that will have kids - big and small - rolling in the aisles.

Essential stuff, even by the big man's considerable standards.

An indie with real pedigree and smarts, Holofcener's comedy of manners is well-observered and well worth watching.

This will not appeal to everyone, whether it will appeal to anyone is another question. With dark humour from time to time, underneath an extremely repulsive concept, this is a relatively conventional horror movie.

Lithe, bold, often funny and full of characters to cheer for, it never pretends to be anything more than a trigger-happy romp. If that’s what you’re after, The Losers offers plenty of explosive entertainment.

Sporadically amusing but rarely inspired.

A tangled narrative and damp-squib ending detract from an otherwise joyous Spaghetti Eastern.

A ridiculously entertaining, perfectly paced, ultra-violent cinematic rush that kicks the places other movies struggle to reach.

A meta-satire that doesn't quite come off.

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.