Flawless, essential viewing that would earn more than its five stars if only Empire would allow it.

Much more fun than its stuffy "Greatest Film Ever Made" tag suggests, with a literate script, stylish direction, a great song and cinema's most romantic couple in Bogie and Bergman.

Exquisitely shot, superbly acted and deftly written, this is easily one of the best arthouse films of the nineties.

Linklater’s beautiful film is an extraordinary achievement — tender, funny, wise and wistful, full of warmth and humanity.

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

Gripping throughout with frame upon frame of standout images and superb performances from the two leads.

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.

Incredible set pieces and songs that have entered the culture forever, this is also extremely well-paced and beautifully played. Truly one of the greatest musicals ever made.

Comedy has rarely been so intricate, incisive and inspired.

Astonishing cinematography and brilliantly played, this certainly one of the most influential crime movies in history.

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

A genre-defying film. Its visual splendour belies its tough, surface-level subject matter, while the performances pull us deep below that surface with their soulful naturalism.

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 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.

Not up there with the very top echelon of Disney classics, but Pinocchio will still work its magic on younger viewers.

From The Godfather to Heat, the stamp of The Wild Bunch is self-evident. Italian director Carlo Carlei summed up the debt owed to the film and its director when he said, "There is a chain of inspiration like The Bible... Everything comes from Peckinpah."

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

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.

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.

Dark, twisted and beautiful, this entwines fairy-tale fantasy with war-movie horror to startling effect.

Key to its success - along with its vivid characters and brilliant performances - is the snappy pace throughout. Non-stop gags, invention, twists and comic incident flow, as Joe and Jerry - sexy Curtis and screamingly funny Lemmon - elude mob boss George Raft by wriggling into an all-girl jazz band, with Josephine and Daphne’s legendary drag act taking in amorous adventures, seductive deceptions and madcap pursuits.

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.

A truly great documentary.

Kurosawa is always worth a look but this is a particular classic that has influenced so much to come, it's almost essential.

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.

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

A rounded portrayal that leaves an overwhelming sense of the miraculousness of life.

Ignored for a long time, this film is now impossible to ignore. Mitchum is magnetic.