s lack of plot that disappoints. Whilst the violence is fun, the downtime in between action scenes can get rather dull. It also suffers from characters who make the worst possible decision every chance they get, and the payoff is

The cinematography is stunning - I've never seen a forest appear quite so terrifying - and there's a wonderful sense that there is a titanic battle going on within the couple's minds (or souls) before things get (comparatively) worse.

What kind of message is being sent to young women here? The film barely stands up to scrutiny, and perhaps isn't meant to be considered in depth, but as it takes itself so damn seriously it demands the audience does

features some wonderfully old-fashioned smoke and mirrors type trickery. There are no expensive special effects to get in the way of the horror. I couldn't even begin to count the number of horror films that start out creepy but end

New Moon manages at least to get by with some nifty action sequences. Actually, the film has a couple of top moments, assisted by great cinematography, perfect editing and a great soundtrack - it's a slicker flick for sure. No

The idea of exploring the evils of capitalism in the USA is a much bigger job than exploring gun control, the healthcare system or even the political fallout from September 11. Capitalism rears its ugly head in almost every corner

David Caesar imbues his film with exquisitely animated fantasy sequences that put a lot of bigger-budgeted films to shame, but above all this is a story with heart. There aren't a lot of surprises and we've seen this narrative before

is chaotic and sprawling in a manner that ruins the quirky ideas and wondrous fantasies afforded by the premise. We often get to go inside the Imaginarium (filled with pretty but low budget CGI landscapes) and whilst it's kind of

to the glamour location of Bora Bora simply cannot sustain a near-two-hour feature film, and the failure to progress beyond an outline to a narrative that allows meaningful growth of the characters is perhaps its greatest flaw.

This simple fact means that a film like Julie and Julia must be savoured, attempting as it does to bring to life the struggles of two women, flawed as they are, to succeed in their chosen fields and, more importantly,

They get along well, yes. But we know that it isn't a well-balanced coupling. For anyone that's ever been in a relationship where the other person's had all the power, or who's watched a friend limp through a similar pairing,

The filmmakers have had fun depicting the differences between the highly polished, antiseptic surrogate world and the real world inhabited by their owners. Tom Greer's surrogate is wrinkle (and expression) free with a full head of hair whilst he himself

features some truly wonderful footage of Antarctican wildlife, the film contains so many other flaws it fails to succeed on most levels. Much like the problems I noted with his last documentary, the biggest problem with this film is the

Jugnot lends Borsellino a quiet dignity infused with a moral urgency that means he really does come across as the hero he is felt to be. Lucia Sardo nails her performance as the conflicted widow and mother, although she is

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2009, the Lavazza Italian Film Festival has become a staple on the annual calendar. We present some highlights...

Soderbergh has fractured the timeline of the film such that it often seems he threw all of the individual storyboard panels in the air and then edited the film in the order in which they fell. He does still manage

What's so wonderful about the film is the exuberance on show. The characters may forever be traversing an emotional minefield but the film is filled with a light-hearted sense of humour. It perfectly captures the silliness of teen angst but

Whilst the interviews are clearly scripted, you get a sense that the frustrations these wannabe filmmakers are facing are real. For anyone who's ever tried to make their own homemade masterpiece, their experiences are all too familiar.

becomes quite moving in its latter stages - particularly in its depiction of the relationship between Erez and his father. There is a remarkable quality to both of these actors, and they generate an authentic and touching relationship in spite