|
77%
|
Grabbers ()
|
"A near-irresistible Friday-night-out monster picture in the tradition of Lake Placid or Tremors, with a boozy Irish charm that makes it a distinctive addition to the catalogue of alien invasions."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
61%
|
Jack Reacher (2012)
|
"Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise deliver on their promise, with a witty, violent take on Reacher that makes up for its lack of height with an abundance of smarts and thrills."
|
Mark Dinning
|
|
93%
|
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
|
"An endearingly oddball indie sci-fi."
|
Damon Wise
|
|
48%
|
Midnight's Children ()
|
"Thanks to Rushdie's sensitive handling of his own material, this is an adaptation big in both ideas and heart."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
89%
|
Life of Pi (2012)
|
"To produce a coherent film from Martel's tricky novel would be achievement enough, but Ang Lee has extracted something beautiful, wise and, at times, miraculous."
|
Olly Richards
|
|
80%
|
Pitch Perfect (2012)
|
"It's the kind of silly you can only get away with when your writing is very smart. A little bit odd and very, very funny."
|
Olly Richards
|
|
96%
|
West of Memphis (2012)
|
"Prepare to be shocked, disturbed, awed... and, if you expected justice to prevail at last, ultimately devastated."
|
David Hughes
|
|
65%
|
Love Crime (2011)
|
"This chillingly acted thriller is convoluted but compelling."
|
David Parkinson
|
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
|
"The Hobbit plays younger and lighter than Fellowship and its follow-ups, but does right by the faithful and has a strength in Martin Freeman's Bilbo that may yet see this trilogy measure up to the last one. There is treasure here."
|
Dan Jolin
|
|
83%
|
Smashed (2012)
|
"The sharp ends in Smashed are here for all to see, and Ponsoldt never shies away from their spiky, thought-provoking effect. Yet he also finds grace and warmth in the story."
|
James White
|
|
95%
|
Babettes Gæstebud (Babette's Feast) (1987)
|
"Still good enough to eat."
|
David Parkinson
|
|
78%
|
The City of Lost Children (La Cité des Enfants Perdus) (1995)
|
"The City Of Lost Children is as great a film as you thought Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was when you were five years old."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
94%
|
Beauty and The Beast (La Belle et la bête) (1946)
|
"Brilliant fairytale fantasy, well ahead of its time."
|
Louise Brealy
|
|
86%
|
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
|
"This year's Sleepless In Seattle. Only better."
|
|
|
85%
|
Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) (1951)
|
"Lashings of festive cheer and a fair dollop of fine performances will leave you in the mood for mince pies and a renewed sense of seasonal goodwill to all men."
|
Monika Maurer
|
|
80%
|
The Santa Clause (1994)
|
"Allen's schtick is a jabbermouth know-it-all."
|
|
|
76%
|
White Christmas (1954)
|
"Great songs, gentle humour and a dose of syrup which is not to everyone's tastes, but worth buying to keep that Christmas spirit going until next year."
|
Emma Cochrane
|
|
0%
|
All I Want for Christmas (1991)
|
"Clearly meant to be adorable, the kids crack jokes like screenwriters rather than children, and the plot is just as contrived as the self-conscious dialogue."
|
Torene Svitil
|
|
48%
|
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
|
"What most people remember is the mix of the live-action tracing within the traditional animation and just how effectively creepy it managed to be, but for the time this did a pretty good job of adapting the dense novels."
|
|
|
100%
|
Tu Seras Mon Fils ()
|
"Lustrous photography and a fine cast make this dark drama a compelling one."
|
David Parkinson
|
|
33%
|
Life Just Is ()
|
"Writer/director Barrett delivers a promising debut that pitches four believable characters into the euphoria and dismay of post-uni life."
|
David Parkinson
|
|
51%
|
The Man With the Iron Fists (2012)
|
"A mixed bag of lumpen dialogue and martial-arts magic that never quite coalesces into the delirious mayhem we'd hoped for."
|
Owen Williams
|
|
——
|
When Santa Fell to Earth (Als Der Weihnachtsmann Vom Himmel Fiel) ()
|
"Good, old-fashioned family fun."
|
David Parkinson
|
|
61%
|
I, Anna ()
|
"A classy, enigmatic thriller that shows off contemporary London at its cinematic best."
|
Anna Smith
|
|
68%
|
Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)
|
"A low-fi indie that swiftly slums into terminal feyness. "
|
Guy Lodge
|
|
81%
|
Seven Psychopaths (2012)
|
"Enormously entertaining, endlessly quotable, perfectly cast and packed full of the richest acting you'll see from an ensemble cast all year, but the result is ever so slightly hollow."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
94%
|
Cover Girl (1944)
|
" A creaking plot is made bearable by gorgeous colour, the even more gorgeous Hayworth, some oddly unsentimental and unsettling flashbacks with her playing her character's turn-of-the-century grandmother."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
90%
|
The Hunt (Jagten) ()
|
"Beautifully performed and tough as nails, Vinterberg's social drama could not be any more timely."
|
David Hughes
|
|
94%
|
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
|
"For sheer old-fashioned, childhood rekindling adventure you really can't go past it."
|
Ian Nathan
|
|
98%
|
Wings of Desire (1987)
|
"A beautiful, literate and romantic piece of cinema."
|
Ian Nathan
|
|
79%
|
The Neverending Story (1984)
|
"This was sweet and charming at the time but now it just lacks either the comedy or sophistication of kids' fantasy film that we've all become accustomed to."
|
Ian Nathan
|
|
100%
|
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
|
"A terrific alternative to the diabetic's nightmare that is most of Disney's output, Kiki's Delivery Service takes pride of place in Miyazaki's exceptional body of work."
|
Andrew Osmond
|
|
81%
|
Dragonslayer (1981)
|
"An unknown treasure of a fantasy film and well worth a look for fans of the genre."
|
Ian Nathan
|
|
100%
|
The Witches (1990)
|
"Deliciously cruel to children, Roeg remains true to Dahl's underlying sense of real horror."
|
Ian Nathan
|
|
68%
|
Great Expectations ()
|
"Newell and Nicholls' safe, schoolteacher-friendly interpretation makes no real case for going down this much-travelled road once more."
|
Guy Lodge
|
|
74%
|
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
|
"It's gorgeously designed, deftly written and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. For child or adult, this is a fantasy to get lost in."
|
Olly Richards
|
|
87%
|
Sightseers ()
|
"Wheatley's film serves as a black-comic state-of-the-nation address."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
51%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
|
"You'll know exactly where it's going, but it still has Clint doing full-on-cranky and is a fun finger-up at corporate suits the world over. "
|
Mark Dinning
|
|
70%
|
Laurence Anyways ()
|
"It's hard to imagine that the prodigiously gifted Dolan is still in his early twenties. This is another work of marvellous maturity and assurance."
|
David Hughes
|
|
85%
|
End of Watch (2012)
|
"It's a collection of cop-movie clichés but presented with sufficient flair and strong performances that the ride is enough, even if it's on rails."
|
Olly Richards
|
|
33%
|
Nativity 2 ()
|
"Even this charming cast struggle to bring life to an overlong story that has all the sizzle of leftover turkey."
|
Helen OHara
|
|
68%
|
Starbuck (2013)
|
"A French comedy that pitches for wit over broad comedy, it's successful in salting what could be a over-sugary confection with healthy dose of wryness."
|
Philip Wilding
|
|
91%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
|
"Jennifer Lawrence is the standout in a tonally uneven, eccentric romantic dramedy that fuses The Fisher King with Romy And Michele's High School Reunion."
|
Damon Wise
|
|
14%
|
Gambit ()
|
"A few smiles and some fraying charm, but big laughs are missing. This just about gets away with it rather than romps off with the loot."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
48%
|
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)
|
"Fans will be left on a high; other viewers will be confused but generally entertained by a saga whose romance is matched only by its weirdness."
|
Helen OHara
|
|
92%
|
Amour (2012)
|
"Old age may not be a reality you wish to confront, but you must see this film."
|
David Hughes
|
|
100%
|
Lawrence of Arabia (Restored Edition) ()
|
"Lean's great Lawrence Of Arabia biopic honours him with a complex, sympathetic but a compelling portrayal."
|
Kim Newman
|
|
82%
|
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet (2012)
|
"An intense, emotional ride. Uplifting and inspiring."
|
David Parkinson
|
|
64%
|
Hit So Hard (2012)
|
"A carefully constructed survivor's tale."
|
David Parkinson
|
|
96%
|
The Pool (2008)
|
"A fascinating narrative set in modern-day Indian and full of insights into a class-riven country."
|
David Parkinson
|
Earn Movie Rewards
89%
73%
17%
22%
31%
76%
