45 Years

Slow-paced, beautifully moving, heartbreakingly sad. Outstanding performances from Tom Courtenay and particularly Charlotte Rampling make this one of my favourite films of the year. Difficult to decide whether this or Phoenix has the best final scene of 2015, but either way, hurray for great roles for women. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXAnjA9tAnQ

The Wolfpack

This is for me the best type of documentary, where there is no voice-over trying to explain or manipulate the story, and where the director has taken the sensible decision not to insert themselves into the film at all, leaving the exposition to the subjects themselves.And yet there were a number of occasions where I needed the …

Fantastic Four

A whole film which is little more than a trailer for an actual Fantastic Four movie. The characters seemed aimless, lacking intelligence, and had no connection between each other (which, considering they were either friends or family, was a puzzle). There seemed to be huge chunks of plot missing. And don't even get me started on …

Captain America – or should that be Captain Manchester?

I've know about this location for, well, ages, but because it's in the town in which I live and is virtually on the doorstep, I didn't think any more of it until I started to put together my 'on location' posts. There's a part of Manchester city centre known as the Northern Quarter, and it …

Трудно быть богом – Hard to Be a God

Er ... that is ... well, I mean ... hmm. Can someone explain to me how I can both totally understand the awe and wonder that people feel for this film, and yet at the same time struggle to appreciate it myself? I'm glad I've seen this, but I don't feel the need to revisit. Ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11sMDQIgggA

La Isla Mínima – Marshlands

Gorgeous, vertiginous overhead shots and wide landscapes are the visual hallmark of this Spanish detective story. With Spain still not sure of itself in a post-Franco democracy, two detectives not sure of each other's backgrounds, and everyone seeming to have a hidden agenda, the many layers mostly fall in to place by the end, although …

The Dead Lands

My research tells me there are few feature films entirely in Māori, and I certainly haven't seen any of them before now, so this was fascinating. At its heart is the story of a young man seeking revenge on a much more skilful and brutal warrior after some horrible things happen to his extended family on …

Iris

Albert Maysles points a camera at 93 year old style guru Iris Apfel and lets her guide us through her daily life and her wardrobe. What an amazing woman!She maintains an incredible, positive outlook on life and continues to shop for accessories and clothing with an energy that I can only envy. The one slight …