My Monthly Movie Mumble (MMXVIII)

Decent Hammer thriller with nice performances in a beautifully restrained affair that manages to maintain interest though could do with a little more punch in it's climax imo

Drama/road trip that's well enough acted and perfectly watchable but for me the central characters aren't particularly likeable and their relationship never seemed particularly credible

Downbeat romantic drama in which the lead is played very nicely by Ms. Dunne which helps elevate a relatively simple tale, though one does wonder exactly what her character sees in her stiff counterpart

Comedy coming-of-age drama that has it's moments of amusement and is on occasion a touching tale but it's also very patchy and overly childish at times

Romantic drama with some nice light-hearted moments that has a very nice lead performance from Ms. Ronan in a tale which is nicely written, feels fairly authentic and is generally engaging though for me proceedings are somewhat less believable during the return to Ireland

Biographical drama about a theretofore unknown garden designers' unorthodox entry into the RHS Chelsea Flower Show that's a tale worth telling but the employment of a standard Irish comedy/romance template in places, an occasionally overly manipulative score and too much emphasis on the romantic subplot dilute what should have been an endearing watch

More 'action adventure' as opposed to 'horror' that presents an interesting enough take on the origins of Dracula and is watchable but most of the action scenes belong more to a comic-book movie and as such for me are not that enjoyable

Very nice crime drama that might be a touch televisual but is nicely acted and uses the split story and slow pace to draw the viewer in to a quite engrossing and effective watch

Made-for-television bio-drama centred on the man at the outset of his journey to becoming the world-renowned theoretical physicist that manages to make it's scientific content accessible without overly diminishing it and is generally acted well enough, but far too much time is devoted to periodically intercutting the scientists that helped prove his theory - making the primary tale feel rather piecemeal

Gritty drama mired in crime that's nice and grimy in tone with decent performances but the score is a little hit and miss with me and the narrative could have done with more flesh on it's bones

Socio-romantic drama that never really hits any highs and has an uneven flow but the leading pair do make it watchable and even enjoyable in places despite the workmanlike script and Ned Sparks' character being a fish out of water

Drama that's quite slow and imo overly long but the two young leads are both likeable and the tale a heartwarming one that for the most part manages to stay the right side of twee

Drama with a side of romance that improves once out in the boonies, partly thanks to Thelma Todd, but is dreadful up to that point and sadly concludes rather lamely too

Western drama with decent performances that's reasonably enjoyable though the script is a little creaky in places and the whole feels somewhat one-note

Gritty drama with it's roots in reality that depicts two illegal economic migrants as they journey to and seek to settle in Southern Italy which is well enough acted and builds an air of authenticity though it does feel like it somewhat cherry-picks what to present

Animated fantasy adventure that's nice visually but for me the story isn't particularly compelling and it's 'message' is imparted with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer

Silent comedy drama that captures the worldview of a certain age quite marvellously and even though the tale is quite pedestrian it is very nicely playful for much of it's runtime

Time-travel offering that has a few decent effects and a concept that might have had some merit (even if not exactly original) but the presentation contains far too much horrible hand-held camerawork and editing to be even remotely enjoyable for me

Low-budget comedy drama that managed to draw out the odd smile despite the frenetic and slapstick humour not being to my usual taste and whilst the core tale is nothing out of the ordinary, both leads actually manage to give it a little heart when the clowning around is absent

Drama that's a mix of romance and crime and though the first few minutes aren't particularly good once it settles down it's a reasonable offering with a nice enough lead performance from Ms. Colbert

Enjoyable historical adventure that's nicely paced with strong performances from both Messrs Tracy and Hardwicke which successfully manages to impart a sense of scope though for me the romantic 'attachment' was unnecessary and the score a little mixed

Made-for-tv romantic/family drama that's extremely formulaic, twee and lacking subtlety and whilst the acting might generally be commensurate with such fare Ms. Long's performance varies, being particularly stilted in places

Medieval adventure that's quite vibrant visually and told reasonably well, anchored by decent performances from both Flynn and Rathbone, though the score is over-egged at times and some of the earlier action scenes a little weak (though in fairness the finale is superb)

Light-hearted romantic drama that's a little slow to find it's stride but comes alive more in the second half, helped by a nice supporting performance from Ms. Westley

'Philo Vance' murder mystery that's a little creaky in places and there's very little for the viewer to actually pick up on but is still a reasonably entertaining watch once the murder has been committed

Comedic murder mystery that's fairly routine with it's twists and turns but is quite a fun watch with nice enough performances and some amusing interplay

Initial 'Philo Vance' murder mystery (in terms of film) that's a slow but enjoyable enough watch for the most part though the manner of the complete resolution is a little matter-of-fact and flat imo

Fairly entertaining adaptation of the classic period revenge drama that's a little slow in the first half but gathers pace later on and is suitably acted and scored

Comedy mystery drama with a helping of romance that has a nice, offbeat air of whimsy which makes it an amusing watch and is well enough played but for me proceedings are too drawn out with the final act something of an anti-climax imo

Absurdist comedy horror that has a perfectly suited offbeat soundtrack and does contain a few worthwhile moments but the penchant for belabouring everything quickly becomes tiresome and childish as does the constant vulgarity

Biopic about Britain's equivalent of Hugh Heffner with a mix of drama and comedy that's presented in suitable fashion and well enough acted but despite the copious on-screen drugs and nudity the tale still feels rather sanitised and lacking in depth

Romantic comedy that has a nice performance from Ms. Dunne, that is ably supported, and the humour is delightful in places but proceedings do also go a little too over-the-top at times for my taste

Depression-era drama / character-study that for the most part is both well acted and presented and is also paced quite delightfully though perhaps ironically one of the most frenetic part of proceedings (the first Derby) which might be helpful in terms of said pacing but is actually one of the weakest for me and I don't think enough is done to make the climax truly believable

Crime drama laced with dark comedy that's inspired by reality and though it may lack finesse and go a little too overboard at times the central performances make it a captivating and enjoyable watch

Comedy that has the usual enjoyable interplay between Hay, Moffatt and Marriott and is a fun enough watch though the increased reliance on both farce and slapstick in places does somewhat lower that enjoyment for me

Light-hearted road-trip/adventure based in reality that has a decent performance from Mr. Nolte and the odd amusing line/moment but in general it's a fairly poorly written, mundane affair imo

Made-for-tv mystery thriller that's very much a run-of-the-mill offering with unremarkable acting and a script and plot that are serviceable but hugely predictable whilst the overly long coda actually plays like it was intended as a pilot for tv crime drama series

Modest drama mixing romance and crime that suffers a little from it's low production values and rather flimsy plot but remains watchable and even enjoyable to an extent

Gritty crime drama with a restricted budget which is worthwhile at times but also pretty poor in places and though the acting and dialogue are mixed the soundtrack isn't bad

Drama inspired by the poem that's acted well enough and overall a reasonable watch though the score is over-egged and intrudes far too much at times, whilst both the vision of hell and the climax certainly impress in scope the former is too drawn out imo and the latter quite ridiculous in places too

Drama that's not bad once it settles down and the star-studded cast deliver good performances but whilst the first quarter of an hour or so may set the scene, to me it's just not a very enjoyable opening but thankfully the intertwined narrative that follows is weaved reasonably well

Made-for-tv 'thriller' that's passable in terms of production values but also completely unoriginal and by-the-numbers leaving it decidedly run-of-the-mill and of little interest

Comedy horror that has some amusing moments and riffs on it's culture quite nicely but ultimately it's just another comedy zombie movie that's a fun enough watch but nothing more

WW I drama mixing espionage and romance that has it's roots in reality and even though a touch melodramatic in places generally tells it's tale nicely and is anchored by a charismatic lead performance from Ms. Garbo alongside some able support

Romantic sci-drama with an interesting premise that's delightfully understated imo and contains decent performances which even a slightly intrusive score on occasion does little to mar

Relationship drama that does eventually improve but starts from an abysmal base so needs to and the mixed acting and dialogue alongside a score that occasionally assaults the listener means far too much damage is already done

Drama that pushes it's gender message a little too strongly, has the occasional corny line and is hardly unpredictable but despite a few sound issues with the copy I watched it's reasonably well put together, generally manages to avoid drifting into melodrama and is well enough acted to provide a fairly entertaining watch

Nice musical rom-com that imo may make a little too much of it's fashion scenes at times in what is a rather contrived story but the song and dance numbers are good and the principals are all on form, with Ms. Rogers being particularly delightful

Musical romantic drama with a side helping of light-hearted that's easy to enjoy thanks to it's simple but effective tale, some excellent musical numbers and solid, likeable performances (especially Mr. Winninger)

Underwater sci-adventure that contains some nice effects work in places and had great potential but imo sadly for the most part opts to be a fairly routine affair, with a few plot contrivances and mixed results, before adopting a Spielberg mantle and coming to an extended, overly saccharine conclusion

Romantic comedy which makes decent enough use of it's comedy of errors plot that's an easy watch with Ms. Oberon a delight and some quite nice snippets of dialogue/badinage but the score can be overly intrusive imo and Mr. Olivier hams it up a little too much for my taste at times

Modest crime/courtroom drama that's little mixed in terms of script, especially with regards it's attempts at a lighter tone, and does get a touch melodramatic toward the closing stages but the acting is generally reasonable and the tale remains of interest throughout

Horror/thriller that's somewhat 'hammy' in places and builds rather slowly but the tale is a classic and once the 'game' begins it's quite a thrilling watch with plenty of tension and suspense

Satirical comedy with leanings to farce that has a few worthwhile moments but proceedings generally are quite stilted, especially in the first two-thirds

Romantic drama in which the cast do their best but the plot is rather flimsy and the sometimes stilted and preachy dialogue drags any possible enjoyment down at times

Comedy drama that has a lovely premise, a likeable sense of humour and is well enough acted but for me the score is a tad overblown in places and though an enjoyable watch there's nothing to really elevate it above that

Biographical drama that's nicely put together and acted but sadly the portrayal of events lacks much variation leaving it quite a dry watch that feels all of it's run-time

Decent music drama that has a level of intensity that is palpable for the first half with good performances from both leads (even if neither character is particularly likeable) but the tale lacks credibility at times and once that intensity is gone even a nicely presented rousing finale can't quite reignite the spark for me

Light-hearted made-for-tv murder mystery that's very 'production line' in terms of story and presentation but the touches of humour do give it a little extra entertainment value and help maintain interest

Romantic crime drama that's an enjoyable tale which is generally well acted and presented though for me preference is for the original French version

Familial drama that certainly has some decent performances but for me only really becomes of interest in the second half, once proceedings stop being centred quite so much on Ms. Streep's overblown matriarch and the rest of the ensemble are allowed to contribute more fully

Downbeat crime drama that's acted well enough and the story passable but it's rather predictable with no real subtlety and sentiment is laid on too thickly in general

Made-for-tv biographical relationship drama that's nicely performed by both leads and deserves a nod for it's make-up effects but whilst the tale is certainly not without interest imo it's also overly long as proceedings do drag a little at times

Zombie horror that's quite nicely inventive in places and on the whole a pretty entertaining watch though it does get a little overly sappy or silly here and there, the cgi is a bit mixed and the odd scene is overly drawn-out imo

Crime drama based in reality that's rather televisual in presentation but the principals play it quite nicely (especially Mr. Oyelowo) and although it's Christian text kicks into overdrive with the credits imo it's not overly pushed in proceedings themselves

Crime drama that has a lovely inventive use of Morse Code and does provide some entertainment but the script isn't up to much, neither is some of the acting and the plot is rather hokey

Modest-budget espionage drama that doesn't have the strongest plot and mixes both light-hearted and serious with mixed results but remains watchable and becomes quite a decent watch in the latter stages imo

Low-budget drama with a side of romance that's rather predictable and not that well acted or scripted but does remain watchable even if not exactly an electrifying watch

Sci-action thriller that doesn't start well, is rather contrived at times and underneath it's thin veneer of originality is just a routine affair but Mr. Costner puts in a decent performance and there's enough 'fun' to maintain interest

Romantic drama/comedy that's hardly original and whilst watchable the majority of the attempted dry comedy is ineffectual and production values range from moderate to annoyingly sloppy (one scene in particular has presumably had the script reworked after being shot, additional dialogue being overdubbed resulting in a little apparent ventriloquy)

Romantic drama in which the acting and delivery are quite mixed, the pace somewhat sluggish in places, the flow a little choppy here and there and sadly I couldn't find a copy without a sound issue that does intrude a little but the tale's a classic that's still good enough to retain interest regardless

Romantic drama that gets a touch melodramatic at times and both script and direction have a tendency to be a little stiff (plus unfortunately the print available was visually impaired in places) but the tale does manage to maintain interest and although the final third is a little incredulous it's also reasonably taut and helps elevate proceedings.

Romantic comedy that too often is far too raucous for my taste but there is some fun to be had in it's less manic moments and Ms. Arthur puts in a decent enough performance

Pseudo-biographical music drama that's mainly well enough acted but for me struggles to maintain interest as much of it feels quite repetitious and despite being based around dance music fairly lacking in energy

Fantasy adventure that's entertaining at times but does also drag in places and somewhat disappointing in terms of spectacle whilst also lacking depth

Action thriller with an ok premise that starts acceptably but for me the introduction of the completely ridiculous 'hit man' character begins to derail proceedings while the sparsity of exhilarating action not only belies the title but also leaves it a rather dull watch at times

Made-for-tv racial drama based in reality that's nothing more than standard tv fare with commensurate levels of acting, direction, tweeness and simplification

Horror/thriller that has a score that irritates at times, a couple of the cast that fail to convince and rarely bothers to even try and build any tension but at least the sporadic violence is generally well managed and does give it a level of entertainment

Murder mystery that does provide a little entertainment though it is tempered by the sheer volume of wooden acting and stilted delivery

Notorious western drama rooted in reality that's well enough acted, depicts it's period nicely and, despite an overly drawn-out opening, does manage to build and maintain interest, though that interest is dented in places by sound issues and being a little disjointed at times

Icelandic farming/familial drama that for the most part is very slowly paced but remarkably effective in slowly drawing you in with it's small moments of humour amidst what is a predominantly bleak yet rather heartwarming tale

Comedy drama that's a bit hit and miss for me, being a little over-egged at times, but it does have it's moments of amusement and is a moderately entertaining watch

Disaster adventure that's predictable, chock full of clichés and average or below for that genre of movie in pretty much about every department imo

Romantic comedy that has excellent lead performances and is, for the most part, thoroughly enjoyable though for me the latter stages simply cannot live up to that which has preceded them

Comedy that's very energetic and does contain some witty repartee in what is a reasonable idea for a tale but it's only amusing in phases, leaving it quite tiring when it isn't and the often frenetic pace makes the whole thing feel rather rushed

Light-hearted, semi-biographical drama that has decent performances from both Ms. Lawrence and Mr. Cooper in a tale that is entertaining in part (the soundtrack is certainly nice) and is visually pleasant but the switchback tale is very formulaic and rather easily forgettable while the various ancillary characters were not only one-dimensional but their various quirks unwanted

Comedy drama that's quite nicely written and though it takes a while to hit it's stride certainly has it's moments of amusement once it does

Revenge thriller that certainly isn't perfect but it does keep twisting nicely, is mainly well acted with a good, fitting soundtrack and for me is simply hugely entertaining

Disaster drama based on reality that's quite effective in showing the scale of the tragedy and even though overly sentimental and manipulative at times, effects are mixed and some of the supporting cast are quite wooden, the central adult performances are good enough and memories of the actual disaster vivid enough to give proceedings a level of emotional heft

Horror in which the acting is no more than passable and the dialogue mediocre and delivered rather woodenly but they actually give it a kind of charm and it's a nice enough watch that oozes atmosphere in an enjoyable tale with modestly suited effects

Zombie horror that's mixed in terms of score and effects and rather choppy initially but despite also being poor in terms of both acting and script it manages to be an entertaining enough watch for those that quite enjoy their gore smothered in cheese

Nicely paced crime drama with a nice enough lead performance that contains one particularly nice cinematic flourish though the acting and presentation do show it's proximity to the silent era at times

Horror that's a little hammy in places with one specific character that for me works against the overall tone but it's a classic tale that's nicely rendered with a lovely lead performance from Mr. Lorre

Drama that's not acted too badly but whilst thematically it may be of some interest it's quite poorly realised and has some seriously annoying sound issues at times

Comedy drama that's semi-autobiographical at it's core but whilst touching on some serious issues and genuinely humorous in places, it lacks the subtlety and tries to touch on too much to be really meaningful yet fails to go far enough over-the-top to be mindlessly enjoyable leaving it a somewhat cluttered mess in no-man's land imo

Comedic romantic drama that does manage to provide the occasional smile or moment of pathos but despite a reasonable central cast some of the performances feel laissez-faire at times in what is a formulaic and overly manipulative tale that certainly feels all of it's run-time

Murder mystery that's fairly light in tone and a little contrived but it's generally nicely performed and does provide a level of entertainment despite not being the most exciting of watches

Murder mystery that opens quite nicely, has some nice playful touches and ends with a glimpse of the director he would later become but proceedings are too pedestrian at times with both acting and dialogue prone to being a little stilted and the sound is far too cluttered in places

Nice downbeat drama infused with a modicum of levity that may be far from perfect on a technical basis at times and the lead character arc would certainly have benefitted from a little more depth but it's well acted and an engaging watch that's generally quite nicely presented

Indian drama/romance that has a little stiff acting in places early on (most of it is decent though), concludes a little weakly and doesn't always flow that smoothly (it is partly missing in defence) but whilst the tale is relatively straightforward it's mostly presented both nicely and effectively (without drifting too much into melodrama) and the songs are generally interspersed quite nicely

Crime drama that for the most part is well acted in a tale that's paced nicely as it gradually unfolds, with the growing frustration of the young policeman palpable and the weather like an extra character, though the social commentary is laid on a tad thickly at the end imo

Light-hearted murder low-budget mystery that's a bit creaky in places, fairly routine in terms of story and the humour is very hit and miss but despite it's weaknesses and low production values it still manages to provide a little entertainment within it's twists and turns

Nicely presented Austrian silent horror/crime mix that mostly manages to avoid being overly melodramatic and has a very nice lead performance from Mr. Veidt in a tale that gradually reveals it's truth, perhaps a little slowly but quite effectively

Thriller that improved a little after the poorly written and staged initial scene, but only for a short while and for the most part simply failed to hold interest

Buster Keaton comedy that does provide a few smiles here and there but it struggles to build any real momentum, clearly shows it's origin as a stage farce and for the most part is just not very entertaining

Indian romance/drama in which the central performances are decent in a tale that's perfectly acceptable but proceedings don't always flow that well (primarily thanks to some stiffly acted/directed scenes and a little stilted dialogue) and for me the climax was very slightly marred by a little unintentional humour

Playful period romantic comedy that's quite enjoyable and well enough acted though it does become rather predictable and the deception upon which the tale revolves has been managed better elsewhere

WW II drama that may be factually based but does no real service to those it portrays as aside from a brief spell aboard the boat it is poorly written and presented

Action crime adventure with an unoriginal but passable story that's watchable but some of the camerawork and direction are poor with the fast-cut editing during the action sequences particularly irritating

WW I espionage thriller that's tries to misdirect but not with any great degree of success and though the performances are ok and there is the occasional directorial flourish the humour and interaction between characters doesn't always work well imo

High seas 'adventure' inspired by reality that has some nice performances (even if not very believable) and is well enough made but sadly doubles-down on fairly run-of-the-mill romance rather than adventure (what there is is decent though) and to further mar interest for me throws a child star into the mix too

Crime thriller that's a little lacking in action and lacks any real intrigue but is quite nicely paced and acted and an entertaining enough watch

Low-budget horror that has a nice premise (inspired by a E. A. Poe short), a decent lead performance and despite a slow first half and a rushed conclusion isn't paced that badly but production values aren't high and some of the support is poor whilst the tale itself is padded with pointless fluff

Prison drama that's well shot and generally nicely enough acted with a tale that maintains interest even if there is a small amount of preaching it's message involved

Semi-biographical sexual-identity drama that's quite pleasing visually and has decent performances but proceedings do feel a little drawn-out, while the dialogue and score tend toward insipid at times

Low-budget crime drama that's pretty poor entertainment even by Saturday matinee standards

Crime drama that suffers from poor production values and a plot that's thin and predictable but despite being quite poorly made is actually a reasonably enjoyable watch with a decent pace and Clara Blandick providing some nice comic relief

Romantic sci-drama that's visually quite magnificent, nicely complimented by the score, with an excellent performance by Mr. Jackman though the 'future' segments seemed to exist primarily to add some of that visual flair and for me the sound levels could have been better normalised at times

Low-budget drama/romance that's watchable with acting that's generally ok and despite the prolonged apiary lesson being probably of limited interest to most plus events being a little cloying at times the tale does evince some genuine emotion in the latter stages too

Period mining drama inspired by reality that recreates it's era quite nicely and is well enough acted (the accents are another matter entirely) and though the tale is somewhat pedestrian at times it's mix of sabotage and espionage provides for some entertainment

WW I drama that's a reasonably entertaining watch and well enough acted but far too often espouses it's anti-war sentiment, thus losing some of it's potential impact

Drama that's reasonably well acted but the tale is not only clichéd and shot annoyingly at times but is also really not very realistic and suffers accordingly

Home-footage horror that conforms to just about all the aspects of that type of film that I dislike - over-exaggerated acting, overabundance of 'to camera' pieces and exposition heavy dialogue, static camera shots that simply scream 'staged', use of frenetic 'shakycam' (albeit only relatively briefly) and over-reliance on jump scares - which is a shame as even though the 'twist' is hardly original the actual premise isn't a bad one

Comedy crime drama that has nice twin roles from Mr. Robinson with Ms. Arthur providing much of the amusement in support but whilst proceedings begin strongly (with the interrogations being the highlight) that level sadly isn't maintained leaving it entertaining enough but also feeling like it could have been better imo

Crime adventure that's a little ponderous but nicely enough made and acted and a reasonably entertaining watch even if the tale is rather routine

Light-hearted mystery romance/drama with a tale that provides a little amusement and a lead couple that are likeable and well matched but in general the script rarely allows proceedings to go above mediocre

Gender based drama that clearly shows it's stage roots and though the core of the tale has merit it's undermined by generally being quite poorly written and presented whilst the inclusion of supposedly comedic content, aside from the occasional one-liner, mainly falls flat. Full disclosure: about a reel of the film had it's sound missing in the copy I watched

Slightly noirish drama that for the most part is nicely acted and though the script's a little mixed and events rather telegraphed, there are some nice touches here and there and the whole is quite an entertaining watch

Romantic dramedy in which the story might be a little contrived and proceedings do dip occasionally but it's nicely acted with a goodly amount of humour, thanks in part to co-writer BIlly Wilder, and even a relatively poor print can't mask the nice cinematography and direction

Jungle drama involving an average tale that drifts into melodrama at times but provides a rather strangely entertaining watch with Mr. Laughton's affected, and at times completely overblown, performance dominating proceedings to the point where the whole is quite ridiculous yet oddly compelling

Nice musical romantic drama that for the most part is well acted and presented, with the title number being a particularly grand spectacle, though for me the comedy is a little hit and miss whilst imo Mr. Brent is somewhat miscast as Pat Denning and it does irritate slightly that the fate of his character is left unresolved

Comedy musical that's nicely enough made but whilst it has a few good one-liners and the occasional nice piece of slapstick imo it just isn't that amusing and feels somewhat laboured

Comedy that does have the odd moment of worthwhile humour and might have been a reasonable short but as a feature-length proceedings are already well on the way to tedium by the halfway point and not even a little half-decent animation in the final act is enough to rescue interest

Musical romantic drama that's nicely acted and for the most part very nicely presented though for me the brief WW I sequence doesn't fit that well, the concluding minutes are somewhat contrived and whilst Ms. Faye's vocals are perfectly suited to the style, aside from Heatwave I don't find Ms. Merman's that well suited

Noirish gangster drama that's quite nicely presented with decent performances from all involved though the light-relief from Frank McHugh is unnecessary imo and there are no real surprises in store with even the melodramatic ending being telegraphed

Period romantic drama that's an enjoyable enough tale which is generally well acted and nicely presented but the score is a little overblown in places for my taste and Mr. Brennan's affected Swedish accent is far too much of a distraction imo

Made-for-tv racial drama with it's roots in reality that's a fairly decent watch even if the presentation is rather routine and the whole rather sanitised

Period silent dramatic mix of action and romance that has a nice lead performance from Mr. Mozzhukhin and mostly stays away from being overly melodramatic though the middle act and finale do both suffer from being somewhat drawn out

Romantic drama in which the sets are quite stunning making it a visual treat but whilst the acting is decent and the core tale always worthy of telling the whole is just so overblown at times for my taste which sadly detracts somewhat from the enjoyment and aside from one spectacular dance number it's a little mixed in that regard imo

Period horror that's very nicely realised with a good lead performance and mainly solid support and although drifting into melodrama at times remains an enjoyable watch with some nice effects

Comedy that does have some amusement dotted throughout and the portrayal of the brash, cocksure salesman is rather relatable but too much of the content is either too 'loud' or repetitive for my taste

Enjoyable enough thriller that twists a little predictably but the moral dilemma posed is of interest though I doubt proceedings bear that much relation to reality and sadly some of the performances feel just a little flat to me

Crime drama that doesn't take itself seriously and isn't too bad for the first third but descends into monotonous nonsense that for the most part is neither interesting nor amusing

Modest drama that's watchable but crams in too many characters and storylines for it's brief runtime imo

Slowly paced drama that's nicely enough made and builds to an effective final half hour but isn't particularly engaging and does drag at times in reaching that point

Animated comedy that's a series of vignettes in which the animation's stylistically crude but rather effective and endearing with the content quite amusing, though naturally some pieces are better than others and it does descend into silliness for a while in the final third

YA mix of romance and adventure with a slight sci-fi tinge that's watchable and Ms. Ronan is dependable as ever but there's nothing really fresh to it and it's all rather predictable and pat

Crime/prison drama based on real events that is a decent watch and works well as the indictment of the way some penal institutions were run but imo fails to maximise it's potential impact by bare-bonesing the second stint in prison

Romantic and racial drama with a lovely lead from Ms. Colbert and able support in which the story may be rather predictable and even slightly twee in the odd place but is delivered nicely enough to still make it a very effective watch imo

Period piece that's well presented, nicely acted and switches from musical romantic drama into disaster movie very successfully, but whilst the scale and spectacle of the final third are hugely impressive both the musical numbers and attempted touches of humour earlier in proceedings are rather lacklustre imo and the repeated line about the O'Leary's just grates

Enjoyable sci-horror that's paced nicely, with mainly decent make-up effects and builds to a lovely conclusion though Mr. Laughton does overplay his role a little - as is his tendency

Modest satirical drama that's quite nicely acted and remains watchable though for me it's tale about the negative effects of fame is rather overshadowed by the far more interesting romance

Juvenile crime drama that isn't acted badly but it's 'message' is extremely heavy-handed while the plot is predictable with an ending that's just terribly trite

Classic creature feature that builds a little atmosphere and tension in places and contains some lovely animated model work in the second act but sadly is very mixed in that department in the third while the facial close-ups aren't at all realistic

Drama draped in horror that suffers quite badly in terms of flow at times (mostly in the first half) but Mr. Huston puts in a good lead performance and for the most part is supported well in a tale that may not surprise but does manage to fascinate

Comedy crime thriller that has some amusing darkly comic moments along the way and decent production standards but the story is hardly that novel and the whole just rather bland imo

WW I POW drama that's very nicely acted and presented and even though a little light on drama and a somewhat anti-climactic ending is a very enjoyable watch that maintains interest throughout thanks to some very human characterisations and lovely cinematography

Nice noir murder mystery that twists and turns quite nicely and is performed well though whilst plentiful in intrigue it's rather light in either suspense or action

Crime/romantic drama that's beautifully put together and acted very nicely though it does tend toward melodrama in the closing stages

Romantic drama that doesn't have the greatest production values and the story is inherently twee at times but it remains watchable and the acting is generally passable

Comedic romantic drama that has a few moments and Ms. Watson is good as the shrewish mother but there's very little chemistry between the two leads and the tale itself is rather fragmented and lacklustre prior to a somewhat unfitting tonal shift for most of the final quarter hour

YA sci-action adventure that has some fun action sequences and is somewhat engaging but it's rather formulaic/generic and is written rather poorly/lazily in places

Low-budget crime drama that's decidedly mixed in terms of acting and rather stilted initially but does show the odd directorial flair and eventually coalesces into a quite interesting, if rather odd, piece

Light-hearted murder mystery that's entertaining in places, with Ms. Blondell making it watchable, and uses a nice set but unfortunately the creaks and groans come from some of the script, acting and direction rather than the house

Mystery thriller that provides a little entertainment but is light on thrills, has precious little mystery and is all just too silly and poorly presented for my taste

Mystery thriller that's quite entertaining though most of the attempts at humour are a little irritating and the whole is a little light on action

Mystery crime adventure that's perfectly watchable but is little more than matinee fare and somewhat light on action

Fairly routine crime thriller that's fairly enjoyable but is somewhat predictable and devolves into standard action fare in the final act

Mystery crime drama that doesn't really pose that much of a mystery as it's fairly obvious but it's a welcome return to form for the series, being a much more worthy and entertaining watch

Drama that's slow and quite wordy in places, with one eye on social commentary, which sadly is not really that engaging until the final quarter of an hour thankfully makes it a far more worthwhile watch

Enjoyable enough period drama that would have benefitted from a little further refinement but is acted well, visually appealing and interweaves it's twin tales quite nicely

Romantic comedy/drama that's rather slight in terms of plot and the dialogue is rather forced at times but it's an acceptable enough watch and Ms. Lombard is good as the lead

Romantic comedy with a satirical nature and the occasional nice directorial touch that's certainly amusing in places and has suitable performances from it's principal players but the screwball nature of it's comedy is rather hit and miss for me

Human drama that's quite effective and for the most part nicely staged and acted though some of the supporting characters could be better realised imo

Silent historical drama re-enacting the October Revolution that has some very nice imagery, is certainly impressive in it's scope and does maintain interest though for me there is excessive repetition of shots making proceedings, especially earlier on, feel somewhat drawn out and the added score was mixed

Romantic drama that's quite beautifully put together and even though some of the aerial work fails to be believable and the story has it's contrivances it remains quite immersive and for me Jean Arthur is simply adorable in it

Unfinished drama mixing romance and comedy that's nicely shot but the acting is decidedly mixed and sadly whilst what there is of the tale is enough to gradually garner interest, it's also over too shortly after for me

Light-hearted romantic fantasy that's very enjoyable at times with a lovely lead performance from Ms. Turner but for me it's rather uneven and Mr. Cage is quite irritating in places

Comedy horror that begins in horrible hand-held fashion and initially plays it as if a serious entry in the canon but thankfully not long after revealing itself as comedic reverts to more standard camerawork ..... sadly though the humour is fairly thin on the ground and the fun kills too few and far between

Romantic drama that begins rather weakly imo but improves as it goes on to become a rather enjoyable, if mainly unsurprising, watch

Horror offering that's certainly pretty bloody horrific and undeserving of any more of my time

Made-for-television sci-horror that puts the 'bollock' in diabolically bad but does have the grace to not take itself completely seriously which makes it quite amusing to watch in places

Silent drama with an excellent lead performance and a tale that may not be the most original but is well enough told even if some of the support is not really up to snuff

Adventure/thriller that's nicely paced and presented with good acting from the principle cast though for me the flashback sequence in the latter stages was rather weak and unwanted

Music biopic that feels a bit like a series of vignettes in the early stages but once the group forms it gradually coalesces into an entertaining whole with a nice semblance of realism

Portuguese romantic drama shot entirely in b&w that's rather slow in terms of pace and split into two distinct chapters, the first being quite mixed with pockets of poor dialogue and acting but the second opts for dialogue to be narrated only and, combined with a far more immersive tale and some nice imagery, is very effective

Animated fantasy adventure that mixes some nice artwork with some that is rather crude and though the tale is interesting enough it's presented a little too childishly in places for my taste

Biographical drama with comedic aspects that is pretty poorly presented for the first quarter of an hour or so and does have some sound issues but eventually settles down to tell it's complex story quite nicely with some decent performances

Drama that may be somewhat modest in terms of production but is acted nicely enough, has a decent pace and is fairly entertaining even if there really are no surprises in store

Decent enough mix of sci-horror and drama with good production values and effects that's generally acted nicely with a likeable lead performance from Mr. Barrymore but the plot is definitely best not scrutinised too closely

WWI drama that mixes a little light-hearted within the generally sober, anti-war sentiment and the aerial work (both real and simulated) is presented rather well but whilst Frederic March is excellent as the increasingly jaded and jaundiced lead, and generally supported well, Cary Grant doesn't fully convince in his adversarial role and Carole Lombard rather wasted

Period western that's slowly paced with sparse dialogue initially which works quite nicely and some decent acting but sadly after the initial confrontation there's a lack of consistency to the characters and an increase in dialogue merely makes one yearn for the paucity in the first half

Nicely presented prohibition based crime drama that's acted well and has some nice, snappy dialogue in a briskly paced tale

Delightfully light-hearted murder mystery with excellent lead performances and writing that transcend the rather routine mystery

Thriller/drama that's watchable and put together and acted reasonably well but there's not a lot of depth to proceedings and one has to just accept the story at face value as the longer it goes the less credible it becomes

Crime drama that's watchable and enjoyable in places but the tale is neither very original nor particularly captivating and the score was somewhat irritating for me

Sci-thriller that evolves nicely for a very entertaining watch with good performances throughout though for me young Cole looks more like a junior Mr. Pitt than Mr. Willis

Quick rewatch for the second 30's HOF

Comedic crime/romance that amuses in places and remains watchable but is unremarkable and does also drag a little at times

Zombie horror in which much of the acting is a bit creaky, the score decidedly mixed and imo Karloff's Legendre is a little too similar in style to his Dracula from the year before but though the tale is rather slight it's decent enough, the sets are good and there are some nice uses of sound and light here and there

Reality based action drama that's overly schmaltzy and drawn out at times and the action is very mixed but it's a relatively entertaining watch that builds some quite nice tension in places

Low-budget, oddball mix of crime drama and comedy that imo would have been better played straight but remains watchable and entertains in small doses

Marx Bros musical comedy that's quite amusing in places but sadly also somewhat laboured and drawn out at times too

Made-for-tv drama with comedic aspects based in reality that has decent enough performances and remains watchable but there's nothing out of the ordinary on display

Crime/morality drama that's very nicely presented with excellent performances from Messrs. Cagney and O'Brien (alongside decent support) who both embody their characters very well in a tale that builds slowly but leads to an exciting climax and a surprisingly effective conclusion

Marx Bros musical comedy that certainly has it's moments with some nice gags and a lovely musical interlude at the piano but the humour is very hit and miss for me and some of the gags are over-elaborated or drawn out far too long imo

Classic period romantic drama that's visually nice with an excellent performance from Ms. Garbo in the titular role and the tale generally manages to flow reasonably well though imo a longer presentation to put a little more meat on the bones wouldn't have gone amiss

Stylised version of the Tolstoy period romantic drama that is visually quite pretty and paced reasonably well but imo is a very superficial telling which is oddly toned at times, lacks any real heart (in part due to some bland characterisations) and places far more of it's efforts on style than on substance

Romantic drama that has a nice performance from Ms. Astor in the lead and a tale that remains of interest even if totally predictable with mixed dialogue and dragging a little in places

Sci-horror sequel that has some nice scenes and does generate some decent atmosphere in places but is rather poorly conceived and executed with it's mixed tone working against it imo

Crime drama that's reasonably well acted and fairly entertaining though the story is a somewhat slight and the presentation quite mixed

Musical rom-com in which the humour is very hit and miss for me, with a few delightful exchanges interlaced with variable running gags and farcical elements, whilst the song and dance numbers are also mixed with the best saved for the final third - where Mr. Berkeley produces two extended sequences, the first of which is one of his more bizarre efforts but the second nicely employs his customary 'kaleidoscopic' effects

Romantic drama that drifts into melodrama at times but oddly is actually none the worse for that and despite Mr. Bogart flirting in and out with an Irish inflection plus Mr. Brent's performance being somewhat one-note (not necessarily his fault) it's a thoroughly delightful watch - thanks primarily to Ms. Davis in the lead along with some very able support from Ms. Fitzgerald as her friend and secretary

Crime drama with decent performances which is generally very nicely presented and has a premise that is quite compelling even if it does go a little overboard in the closing stages

Romantic drama that makes good use of it's musical numbers, is performed very nicely and aside from a few transitions being a little jarring is presented well

War of Independence frontiers drama that's generally nicely acted, presented and paced though the 'run for reinforcements' chase scene is a weak point imo and the jingoistic closing somewhat schmaltzy

Drama with comedic aspects that has too many interwoven tales leaving it a little fragmented but still remains a fairly entertaining watch with some nice enough performances

Drama that's acted well with some nice use of the camera in a tale that must have been quite radical for it's time but whilst perfectly watchable and fairly enjoyable it's also a little disjointed at times and the concluding act feels a little rushed

Drama with a touch of humour that has some nice performances and it's message is laudable but whilst perfectly watchable and well enough presented there's nothing new on offer and the horribly twee resolution is just as sickly sweet as the previous thousand iterations of it's use

Social drama that's nicely presented and an interesting watch with somewhat unusual narrative and mainly good performances though the lead character is too docile imo and the attempts to inject a few moments of humour not only unwelcome but detracting

Relationship drama with light-hearted aspects that's initially quite stiff and starchy but does eventually thaw somewhat thanks to the introduction of Mr. Horton and both Ms. Harding and Ms. Astor play their roles very nicely

Marx Bros musical comedy that has a few laughs here and there but the humour is very hit and miss and the flimsy plot devolves into a rather mundane farce in the final minutes

Light-hearted adventure sequel that has some fun on offer in places but there's little to get excited about and not much on display transcends average

Modestly amusing romantic comedy that has decent enough performance from from the three main protagonists and a sprinkling of witty repartee and comic situations but it's all mainly rather one-paced and formulaic up until the final few minutes

Animated period romantic drama that's a little mixed in terms of animation but the tale is generally well enough presented to maintain interest though for me the score outside of the songs isn't particularly good

Slightly offbeat drama that mixes the light-hearted with the sombre and melancholy to mainly decent effect and is quite beautifully acted and presented

Romantic drama with light-hearted flourishes that's a little disjointed early on and the plot a little overly convoluted imo but it's reasonably well acted and a fairly enjoyable watch

Period drama with a side of romantic that's beautifully presented with Mr. March giving an excellent performance as the lead and even though Mr. Laughton hams it up in places (as so often was his wont) the whole remains a very nice watch

Animated period drama that's exquisitely created in the style of Van Gogh when in the present and is cast very well in terms of likeness though some of the voice acting is lacklustre (q.f. Mr. Sessions) and the narrative a little weak

WW II drama/romance about the Warsaw uprising that is definitely bizarre/surreal at times and somewhat loose with it's narrative but holds the attention and is quite fascinating to watch

Comedic series of very loosely linked vignettes that might possibly be hilarious if you're about twelve but are mostly juvenile and generally laboured efforts that struggle to raise more than a very rare semblance of the merest beginning of a smile

Mystery thriller that's a fun enough watch in an acceptable story but the attempts at humour are rather lame and it is a little repetitive at times

Low-budget and rather cheesy exploitation 'thriller' that meanders in terms of plot (but is primarily an excuse to periodically show some t&a anyway) with acting and production standards commensurate with such an affair (best guess is the sound engineer was somewhat partial to a bong)

Romantic comedy that's well acted and has some nice witty dialogue in places but for me they were too few and far between and whilst technically well made for me it's just too flat in places to be that engaging a watch

Whimsical society satire that's a little overly stiff in places and slow to get into stride but is quite the entertaining watch that's nicely played by most when it does, though the final few minutes are somewhat drawn out

Romantic comedy that isn't acted badly but the story is rather slight and whilst there may be plenty enough of Ms. Rogers on display sadly there are relatively few amusing moments to be found

Period drama that nicely recreates it's period, is well acted and dryly amusing at times though without ever really hitting any highs and the whole feels a little lacklustre

Sci-fantasy action offering that has some nicely managed robot vs. robot fight action and is well enough acted but the cloying sentimentality is formulaic and clichéd and even though somewhat effective also irritates

Mystery thriller inspired by reality that's fairly routine in it's presentation and lacks any real surprises but is well enough made/acted and does manage to create a little atmosphere here and there

Thriller that's well enough acted by both leads and watchable if completely unremarkable and let down by one especially irritating plot point and a very unimpressive brief chase sequence

Romantic comedy that has a decent enough premise and is quite entertaining at times but it's a modest affair that's rather patchy and at times laboured imo

Silent comedy/romance that's quite nicely acted and does have some fun sight gags but sadly the tale itself is not overly engaging

Comedy romance that's watchable but entirely unremarkable and the dialogue is very stiffly formal at times whilst the humour is mostly by implication, leaving it feeling rather dated in places

Romantic drama that has a nice enough performance from Ms. Lombard but the tale itself is very predictable and rather unremarkable

Musical animated fantasy in which the animation may be a little weak here (oddly enough Snow White is one example) and there but the dwarves and creatures are simply delightful and though the tale is slight and rather padded it is done so quite charmingly with some lovely touches of humour dotted throughout

Comedy that has the occasional moment but the majority of the 'humour' is extremely laboured and falls completely flat leaving it mainly a rather tedious watch

WW II drama that isn't badly acted but the overuse of slow motion and poor CGI neuters a fair bit of it's limited action and far too much emphasis is placed on the human drama which is drawn out and only of limited interest

Modest romantic comedy that's atypically British with some decent enough performances and amusing in places but does also on occasion drift into silliness and certainly makes all it can of it's rather flimsy plot

Musical rom-com that's nicely acted by all involved with Rogers/Astaire a delight together as usual and some nice song/dance numbers though the slight tale takes a while to fully engage and the ending is really rushed

Reality based war drama that generally develops into an interesting enough and watchable piece, albeit a little drawn out and with added twee, but initially is dreadful with really poor dialogue and some acting that is mediocre at best

Adventure drama that nicely manages to capture the spirit of youthful joie de vivre, mixing both humour and drama quite well with decent enough performances from most involved

WW I drama that's generally nicely acted and presented which reuses some decent aerial work from the earlier version (though the simulated action is not so good) and whilst the story fails to provide any surprises it's still quite an effective one

Mystery thriller that's nicely presented and acted with some lovely atmosphere in the moors scenes to make an effective enough watch with the dual mysteries working well together

Period drama/romance that's a little uneven but Mr. Laughton is superb as the titular outcast and his spirited defence of the titular cathedral and Esmerelda a joy to watch

Comedy drama that's made and acted well enough and has some reasonably comic moments here and there but it all becomes uninspired, clichéd and predictable

Sci-thriller that's a reasonably fun watch even if a little hokey but with it's relatively slow pace does feel a little drawn out in the first half

Crime drama with a side of romance that has a marvellous supporting performance from Mr. Digges and the tale remains watchable even if it is quite poorly written in places, somewhat smug and rather ludicrous

Low-budget murder mystery that sadly creaks and groans more than the reasonably suitable old house setting with some rather wooden acting and script but it's watchable and even entertaining to a point

Decent gangster drama that may shy away from it's inherent brutality but is none the worse for that and is generally acted and presented quite well though less lines for Ms. Harlow wouldn't have been a bad idea imo

Historical drama with romance that has some nice imagery with great use of lighting (q.f. the close-up of Ms. Dietrich during the wedding) but for me too many of the sets feel claustrophobic or cluttered belying the supposed grand scale of things and with Dietrich overplaying the ingénue the first two thirds are slightly underwhelming, proceedings only really coming alive in the final third imo

Musical fantasy that's more memorable in some parts than others but is delightfully cast and made with possibly one of the most iconic theme songs ever

Drama with sides of crime and romance that's reasonably well acted and watchable but is paced too briskly for the first quarter hour and the tale itself somewhat weak and bloated in the middle imo

Adventure drama that's a reasonable watch and retains some of the spirit of it's source material though the presentation is a little lacking in both excitement and the senses of youthful wonder and mischief

Espionage spoof that certainly has it's moments of hilarity but isn't zany enough to overcome a rather pedestrian pace at times, leaving it no more than a modestly amusing watch

Drama that's acted nicely enough and although initially lacking somewhat in cohesion with it's narrative skips slowly grows into quite an immersive watch

Animated romantic coming-of-age drama that's reasonably well animated but the score is overly schmaltzy in places and none of the primary characters are particularly sympathetic or realistic leaving the tale rather distant to me

Period western about the growth of Wells Fargo in the US, centred on one of it's pioneering employees that's nicely enough acted (Mr. McCrea giving a solid performance as the lead) and proceedings mainly move along at a decent clip with enough thrown into the mix to maintain interest, though there's nothing particularly remarkable or memorable on display

Romantic drama that's light-hearted in places and watchable and somewhat entertaining but despite the strong cast it's quite a run-of-the-mill affair and for me it would have been better ended with Ms. Harlow still in the building

Romantic drama with loose links to reality that has some decent aviation shots and is watchable but there's no real spark between the leads and proceedings fail to excite even during the climax

Predominantly silent footage of the antarctic expedition that's quite a fascinating watch with moments of excitement, humour and sadness

Romantic drama that's very nicely presented for the most part with good performances and whilst thematically the tale may be a well worn one with no surprises it's effectively done without drifting into melodrama

Musical romantic drama that despite the efforts of both leads struggles to give the story backdrop any real believablility and aside from the odd moment lacks any real emotional heft but Ms. Streisand sings beautifully and the theme song 'Evergreen' is an enduring classic

Mystery thriller that has a decent enough premise but just doesn't work very well for me as it takes far too long to build any rapport with the central character, the story becomes quite clichéd and struggles for credibility whilst the score is far too intrusive at times

Documentary that covers the whole life of the iconic actress and is generally fairly well put together and perhaps surprisingly it's her off-screen activities that prove the more fascinating imo

Low-budget relationships drama with darkly comic aspects that's a series of vignettes, at least some with improvised dialogue, which vary quite a lot in terms of quality and success (none achieving much better than average) leaving the whole rather uneven and at times painfully dull and uninteresting

Wartime drama centred on the effects of capture on both those involved and their loved ones that has some strong acting performances and at times is quite an intense and powerful watch despite being rather clichéd but too often seems somewhat scared to allow itself to get fully immersed in the darkness of it's subject matter and it's conclusion is both rather tame and somewhat twee

Relationship drama that has some nice cinematography and does manage a little intrigue but with it's slow pace and somewhat monotonous story that intrigue gradually wanes and when the tale eventually comes to fruition it's a bit of a damp squib imo

Crime action drama that's really a transplanted western and makes no attempt to disguise that and though far more style than substance with not a lot of originality it's still quite an entertaining watch if one is prepared to allow it be

Slasher that's slow in it's build up and a little light on excitement but does generate pockets of tension here and there and whilst there's nothing particularly new on offer and the washed-out colour palette is not very appealing it just about does enough to be an okay watch

Slasher sequel that builds some nice atmosphere in places with a little tension and even though trope laden (some good, some irritating) is relatively well paced and for me definitely an improvement on the original

Supernatural horror/thriller that's well acted, very nicely shot and rather effective though the early moments of humour don't initially fit that well and the lengthy lighter toned sequence after the mid-point is a misstep imo and one line about three-quarters through did somewhat telegraph later events to me

No frills crime drama that's quite realistic and an interesting enough watch though for me despite the 2hr duration there's not really a great deal of depth and it did feel a little one-note overall

Drama mixing romance with the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War that's acted nicely but despite the backdrop shaping so much of the story there's a lack of any real depth outside of the dual relationships that imo sadly renders the whole a far less effective watch than it should have been

Crime drama that may not have the quirks or flair of some other Tarantino films and be a little slow in places in the first half but is generally a beautifully written and presented piece with nice performances by all, a killer soundtrack and imo is simply a joy to watch

Western that's acted well enough and remains watchable but the story is rather slight containing nothing new and imo the manner of it's telling not particularly conducive to an entertaining watch

Horror that's quite a demanding watch in order to follow it's non-linear, somewhat convoluted storyline but imo the effort is rewarded by a rather effective and decidedly creepy experience (even if some of the effects are less effective than others) with a myriad of small moments that can easily be missed

Crime drama that's nicely acted and presented and whilst it's sparsity of dialogue is of mixed effect (parts do feel rather slow; the heist sequence is made nicely tense; the final act feels somewhat too rushed by comparison) it's still a solid enough, enjoyable watch as a whole

Horror that doesn't really bring anything new to the table and is somewhat over reliant on jump scares but is still a decent enough watch that does manage to build some nice atmosphere and a little tension along the way whilst it certainly can't be accused of overstaying it's welcome

Made-for-tv light-hearted drama/romance that's run-of-the-mill fare but watchable and it's message about self-worth generally well intentioned if a little heavy-handed in places and ends up being somewhat mixed

Crime thriller that opens really poorly and struggles to improve with really poor dialogue, clichéd story/characterisations and the action scenes generally edited so poorly as to be irritating rather than exciting though the odd scene does very nearly transcend into unintentionally humorous

Reality-based made-for-tv drama about one particular happening in the 'troubles' (the Warrington bombing and it's immediate aftermath) that begins quite nicely and is well enough acted and presented to maintain interest though there's nothing particularly remarkable or memorable on show

Mix of light-hearted and serious drama with a romantic hue that's slightly oddly cast with Mr. Caine playing the widowed American lead but has a nicely played supporting role from ex-Potter alumni Mlle. Poésy who brings some warmth to a tale that is moving in places even if it does falter badly in it's concluding act

Light-hearted blend of crime and romantic drama that's somewhat mixed and realistically a pretty average affair but there are a few smiles along the way and in the places that it works well it's actually quite endearing

Drama/romance that's acted reasonably well and probably well intentioned but the tale's overly drawn out, lacks credibility in places and at times even feels a little condescending

Looney Tunes short that's hugely inventive and quite delightfully bizarre with it's humour

Period drama that has some nice cinematography and in general is well enough acted but there's nothing particularly compelling about either the characters or the narrative, leaving it a rather unedifying watch

Mystery thriller with good performances all round that twists and turns nicely, though for me the opening act would be better without the occasional attempts to impose an air of mystery/foreboding on proceedings and the complex plan imo would have been better thought through in reality, but it's still an enjoyable watch nonetheless

Action revenge drama that's fairly generic in terms of story and wouldn't be winning any awards for dialogue but it's a reasonably entertaining, if rather predictable, watch with some modest but well enough presented fight scenes

Post-US Civil War romantic drama that's quite nice visually and acted well enough and though the tale is a little pedestrian and generally not presented particularly well it does manage to coalesce into a reasonably effective final act

Crime action-adventure with an excellent premise at it's core that's well enough presented and a reasonably fun watch with occasional pockets of tension even if plausibility and script aren't part of it's strengths

Animated fantasy adventure that's mainly ok in terms of animation and the story has a few nice touches of humour dotted throughout but the score is very mixed imo and whilst the tale has plenty of action it's all a bit childish and for me just wasn't particularly engaging

Somewhat offbeat crime drama that's fairly average in terms of narrative but has a nice lead performance from Mr. Cage which helps elevate proceedings into a more compelling watch

Dryly black comedy drama that misses the mark for me, being neither particularly amusing nor interesting, and outstays it's welcome long before reaching a conclusion that's lazy and uninspired

Documentary in which the tale is quite bizarre and fascinating though for me the presentation at times strives to give proceedings a darker air than is actually warranted

Made-for-tv relationship drama that's acted well enough by the principals but though the tale is serviceable, it's predictable and bereft of any real spark of originality just like the score

Laurel & Hardy short that's quite inventive and even though a little laboured in places it's still a very amusing watch

Routine thriller that's entirely predictable with plenty of clichéd moments but is competently enough presented to be a moderately entertaining watch anyway

Documentary about Edwyn Collins and the stroke he suffered that's certainly a story worth telling but sadly the presentation focuses far too much on trying to place the viewer in his shoes in the first half with the result being rather unpleasant at times but is far better in the second when generally told in a more conventional manner

Courtroom drama that's a little slow at times and is rather predictable but remains a decent enough watch imo

Period drama with fantasy elements that's well paced, nicely acted and beautifully shot with some lovely atmosphere at times and though the tale treads a fairly well worn path it does so very nicely

Low-budget sci-fi that's reasonably well acted but the budgetary constraints hinder any small amount of excitement it tries to build and whilst the story is passable the whole is sadly no better than watchable imo

Comedy crime drama that stretches it's premise rather thin and is generally quite inane but does manage a few moments along the way where it is genuinely amusing

WW II thriller that doesn't really contain any surprises, is a little lacking in excitement and the overt propaganda in the closing stages isn't really necessary but overall it's a passable film of it's type with solid performances from all the main players plus a bit-part from the indomitable Margaret Rutherford that as usual is a delight

Drama that's quite slowly paced and a little predictable but does maintain interest with it's depiction of the tribulations in three women's lives involving a mix of modern Palestinian living and more traditional mores

Found footage horror that belies it's reasonable budget by looking just as cheap as many low-budget films of the same ilk, employing little that hasn't been seen before and for the most part with the same yawnsome results for me

Tongue-in-cheek comic-book adventure that's fairly enjoyable but whilst the tone may be somewhat different the core is just yet another comic-book offering and as such for me the action sequences became somewhat repetitive and tiresome

Drama/thriller that's lacks originality and is written so poorly, both in terms of story and dialogue, that events not only lack credibility but actually tend toward the ridiculous

Made-for-tv crime mystery that plays like a feature-length pilot and is watchable but at best mediocre tv fare with a weak story and a little annoying camerawork/editing every now and then

Fantasy comedy/horror that's generally a little too childish and lightly toned for my liking but is reasonably well made and does contain a few enjoyable moments, mainly after the initial transition has taken place, such as the prolonged final confrontation in the store

Mix of Vietnam war drama and ensuing relationships drama based in reality that's quite watchable and nice that it's centred on a Vietnamese perspective but is a very mixed affair imo with some scenes that are quite powerfully presented alongside others that are overly melodramatic and even mawkish at times with the odd mediocre arthouse sequence also thrown in

Documentary examining the financial state of collegiate education in America that's fairly interesting but also fairly unremarkable

Mystery thriller that has nice performances from all the main players and does manage to maintain interest even if only to see how it will resolve but the score is over-egged and the eventual payoff somewhat disappointing imo

WW II resistance drama that's somewhat disjointed to begin with but does soon settle down to a more cohesive watch that manages to maintain interest

Post apocalyptic action adventure that's quite nice in terms of colour palettes and does entertain in places but also for me struggled to maintain interest with no real depth to the tale in the first three-quarters making it difficult to really engage with any of the characters up to that point, whilst though technically lauded the action and effects are quite mixed in terms of visual appeal imo

Action thriller that for me suffers from the editing in some of the action scenes and to say the plot is weak and lacking in credibility would be rather kind but as a mindless action offering it's mostly watchable

Comedy crime adventure that isn't acted badly but it's rather generic fare that's lacking any real spark and aside from the odd moment simply isn't very amusing, leaving it feeling all of it's runtime and then some imo

Mystery thriller with a side of romance where the unsophisticated style of presentation works quite well in places and is enjoyable to an extent though the first few minutes are awful, the premise neither original nor believable and the final act rather insipid and crass

Made-for-tv drama/adventure that's watchable but incredibly predictable, quite poorly written in places and never even attempts to be anything other than routine fare

Thriller with shades of horror that remains watchable and does manage to subvert expectations but there's a lack of any guile in the way it does so and as a mainly dialogue driven film the writing is nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is leaving the whole feeling rather flat

Drama that's ok technically and acted reasonably well but there's very little depth to the tale meaning it doesn't have the emotional heft that imo it could/should, leaving it feeling rather disappointing

Sci-fi/crime drama that's a little whimsical in tone and benefits greatly from the presence of both Mr. Langella and Ms. Sarandon but the whole does suffer from being rather tritely written in places and has the feel of an overly sanitised offering à la Disney imo

Period drama that's watchable but rather twee in places and despite the principals putting in reasonable performances their characters (and by extension the tale) struggle for credibility whilst the occasional voiceover narration is quite irritating imo

Bittersweet comedy drama/romance that tries too hard in places and is a little light on laughs but is generally acted fairly nicely and works far better when allowed to be more natural

Action thriller that although a rather routine affair with no real surprises in store is an enjoyable enough romp if one just accepts it for what it is

Drama that's somewhat slow and understated but has a very nice lead performance which helped maintain interest throughout for me (doesn't hurt having Tara Lee in a sizeable enough role either)

Sci-adventure that's very hit and miss with regards it's humour, the effects mixed and has a story arc with zero originality but it does at least manage to be somewhat entertaining once it finally gets into groove

Drama with an air of mystery within that's competently made but to me there's little of interest as the characters are too ridiculous, the dialogue somewhat pretentious and the whole absurd just for the sake of absurdity

Action thriller that has a nice performance from Mr. Keating which helps to maintain interest but the tale itself is rather contrived and just a little too ridiculous at times

WW II drama based in reality that's a little pedestrian in it's depiction of one of the most victorious wartime defeats and doesn't initially tell either strand of it's tale that well but it does retain interest and the final act is easily the best even if its anti-war sentiment is laid on a bit thickly

Primarily light-hearted romantic drama with a good performance from Mr. Gandolfini plus decent enough support from Ms. Louis-Dreyfus that has some nice moments between the two central characters but some of the passages with peripheral characters are sadly not so well written imo

Pseudo-documentary that from it's use of sound wants to get under the skin but as a mediocre college dissertation orated in monotone fashion over a montage of loosely associated film clips it's just dull and for me quickly descended into a game of 'name the film title from the clip before it comes up on screen'

Revenge thriller that's rather contrived/ridiculous and not as engaging as some of To's other output but it's still somewhat enjoyable with his usual flourishes during the action sequences

Made-for-tv drama that's totally predictable and rather tweely written with acting commensurate with it's format but is still watchable and even mildly enjoyable

Low-budget drama that never really rises above mundane with low production values and presumably primarily improvised dialogue, much of which is delivered quite poorly

Light-hearted drama that has a few amusing moments dotted within and looks pleasant but as a whole fails to elicit much of anything from me as it all feels somewhat lacking in conviction

Fantasy drama/mystery that as an homage to early cinema and George Méliès in particular is quite marvellous but for me both the tale and tone are rather hit and miss whilst the whole feels longer than it's actual runtime

Fantasy drama that presents a triptych of interwoven tales which are watchable and performed well enough but for me just lack any real spark outside of the final few minutes

Stylised horror that's visually appealing with a decent score and an ok premise though the plot is somewhat loose whilst both acting and dialogue aren't always great and the whole lacks conviction and is a little pedestrian at times

Drama that's well enough made with decent enough performances from both leads but whilst watchable and coalescing quite nicely in the final few minutes it's not always the most engaging of watches

Made-for-tv romantic drama that's very predictable and overly twee at times but the two leads work well enough together to make it an enjoyable enough watch for the most part

Action thriller that's hilarious in terms of realism (or lack thereof) but as long as one can overlook that does actually provide a level of mindless entertainment

Documentary on the life of a young Congolese charcoal maker that's not entirely without a little interest, even if rather slow and tedious, and does show how tough a life it can be though I can't help feeling parts of it are possibly staged and for me the sporadic use of music didn't always feel particularly well suited

Fantasy adventure that's very mixed in terms of effects and is never going to win awards for it's dialogue but does manage to entertain somewhat during it's action sequences

Cold War drama that's well acted and builds quite nicely to a tense climax even if it does feel a little contrived at times

Light-hearted fantasy drama that's generally quite nicely made/played and perfectly watchable but a little too saccharine at times for my taste

Thriller that improves as it goes on and has a nice performance from Herbert Lom at it's centre but there's no intrigue and it's a little light on thrills

Period drama/romance that doesn't begin well (the first ten minutes or so are awful) and though the acting isn't bad in a tale that has potential it's told in too fragmented a fashion with characters that are too slow to develop and an occasional tendency toward melodrama ... whilst the less said about the (thankfully little used) score the better imo

Animated fantasy adventure that's well enough animated and not without a little charm here and there but there's not a lot of originality in what is rather standard Pixar fare

Thriller that starts somewhat unconvincingly, struggles for originality and the hand-to-hand fight scenes aren't particularly convincing but the cat and mouse chase in the second half is still quite a fun watch

Drama that's well acted and carries quite an impact when the real nature of the tale is eventually revealed though for me the final act then feels somewhat anti-climactic and is overly drawn out imo

Light-hearted made-for-tv family drama that's fairly unremarkable and does descend a little too far into childishness but is generally made/acted well enough, amusing in places and has a reasonable sense of Christmas spirit

Horror sequel that's played more for laughs than scares and whilst it does have the odd fun moment it's also far too childish and irritating at times for me

Made-for-tv mystery drama that's watchable and for the most part well enough made and acted but the tale is somewhat lacklustre, the reveal comes as no real surprise and whilst it does build a little atmosphere in places it does little with it most of the time