My top films of the decade: 2010 – 2019

It seems to be the thing to do – as we enter a new decade, a list of favourite films from the one which is just ending appears to be de rigueur. So here we are. I’ve seen other lists where the writers have selected one film from each year of the decade to provide …

My favourite films of 2018

2018 turned out to be the year when I had press accreditation for the London Film Festival! As a result, I was able to see a whole host of films which haven't even been released in the UK yet, which was a real bonus. On the other hand, as usual, I managed to miss a …

My favourite films of 2017

Compiling this list of 2017 films has been an interesting task. There are usually a couple of films which miss the previous year's deadline due to UK release dates, but it's not often that so many of them make my 'best of' list. This year, some of my favourite films on this list may seem …

Umi yori mo mada fukaku – After the Storm

Another slice of domestic Japanese life seen through the lens of director Hirokazu Kore-eda. In many ways this is nothing new from the Japanese director, yet at the same time it is a different domestic arrangement which provides the backdrop for the narrative. Uncontrollable natural elements force together a broken family and we end up …

My favourite films of 2016

Being very strict with myself this year and definitely sticking to a top 10. It hasn't been easy, and you can see a ranking of my 2016 film viewing here. The top 12 and bottom 5 are in order, but the stuff in between is more of a general reflection than anything precise. One note - …

London Film Festival – First Visit!

Occasionally I find myself in London for work, and I was quite excited to realise that one of these visits for the first time coincides with the London Film Festival. So I've been able to squeeze enough time to see a tiny handful of films - I'd love to see more, but adding in accommodation costs …

Our Little Sister (Umimachi Diary)

Subtle, gentle, delightful and insightful - Kore-eda Hirokazu manages to present the delicate intricacies of family life in which on the surface not much happens, but beneath that, each family member learns something about herself and her sisters, without huge revelations or tantrums. Kore-eda's last two films, I Wish and Like Father, Like Son focussed on …

Picks from Cannes 2015

No, I won't be going unfortunately, but some of the films in this year's line-up have been announced today and here are the ones that I'm particularly looking forward to once they are eventually released to mere mortals (probably next year, if we're lucky). The opening film is La Tête haute, directed by France's Emmanuelle …

Ilo Ilo

Singapore, as the Asian economy begins to struggle, and a Filipino woman leaves her own country and family to work as a maid. She finds herself servant to a downtrodden father, a demanding, heavily pregnant mother and a very unpleasant 10 year old boy, whose attention-seeking behaviour makes his relationships with all the adults very …

My top 10 films of 2013

Some really good films appeared this year, and yet again it's been difficult to select the final 10. But without further ado, here they are, with links to longer opinions if you want to take a peek. Number 10 - Behind the Candelabra Blingingly touching story of Liberace and his relationship with a younger man, …