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.