My Monthly Movie Mumble (MMXVII)

Reasonable period crime drama, nice performances, good soundtrack, fairly routine storyline

Overly melodramatic and schmaltzy dramatisation of Behan's account of his time in borstal and the unlikely friendship he forms but has some decent performances including a surprisingly sensitive one from Danny Dyer

Modern day piracy drama based on real events that's a tad overlong and ends with a little too much schmaltz for my personal taste but is generally well made and generates a little tension at times

Mixed sci-fi that on the whole is enjoyable but some of the effects are irritating and sadly for me the whole would have been far better if told more as a conventional tale as the sporadic interruptions add nothing and imo the ending is weak

Biographical docu-drama of socio-psychologist Stanley Milgram that's interesting enough thanks to the underlying experiments and has decent enough performances but doesn't really give much insight into the man himself and the continued breaking of the fourth wall in conjunction with the more noticeable playful tone in the latter half dilute any intellectual content

Unambitious action crime drama that doesn't start out too badly but gradually devolves into a routine affair that lacks credibility

Competent action thriller but also fairly generic in aspects and the lead is completely miscast if one cares about the source character whilst the attempt at injecting humour felt lame

Ridiculously over the top action 'thriller' that appears to want to be a parody of it's genre but only rarely hits the right tone leaving it neither particularly amusing nor very satisfying in it's underwhelming use of comic-book style mayhem

Dull and generally unfunny 'comedy' that suffers badly from it's script and at times dreadful direction/editing, if you can stick with it long enough there are occasional worthwhile moments but it's a big 'if' and even then such moments are too few and far between.

Unimpressive pseudo-documentary style found-footage horror that rarely builds any atmosphere or tension and is so monotone in it's presentation it feels far longer than it's actual runtime

Reality-based crime drama that presents events in a detached and disinterested manner resulting in a rather sterile and mainly uninteresting viewing experience

Nicely acted sporting drama with for the most part well staged fights but the story arc though engaging is a little twee in places and predictable and the ending rather overblown imo

Music coming-of-age drama with comedic overtones that's eminently likeable even if its central premise is only marginally more believable than a yooonicoorn being elected President of the Philippines

Horror that in employing primarily found-footage techniques also suffers some of the problems associated with that style of filmmaking and although the acting is generally acceptable and there is at least a level of ambition to the story most of it is not particularly well realised

Unsophisticated comedy that just isn't funny for much of it's duration and though it does have redeeming qualities in it's sentimental moments it's not even remotely enough to make it a worthwhile watch

Decent enough crime chase drama in which the plot isn't averse to the odd cliché and needed tightening up in places but aside from the conclusion of the final one the chase scenes are staged nicely enough to carry proceedings for me

Comic-book style caper that has a suitable tale and works quite well in places but some of the visual effects aren't very good and sadly it's initial sense of exaggerated fun gradually begins to dissipate in the second half

Offbeat mystery drama that is a mixed bag with a relatively interesting concept and some passable performances but the script and events are contrived at times and the 'reveal' and subsequent exposition are somewhat disappointing imo

Prison drama the first 20 or so minutes are like a substandard made-for-tv offering but actually evolves into a decent enough drama for most of it's runtime - shame about the start .... and the dose of schmaltz at the very end

Interesting documentary on the fascinating conversation between the two directors that comprised Truffaut's book alongside analysis of Hitch's body of work in general

WWII propaganda piece that is pretty heavy-handed initially but eventually concentrates more on it's human elements and is far better for it

Enjoyable crime drama about the infamous Marseilles 'French Connection' from the French pov that's nicely paced with two good central performances and although employing plenty of handycam style footage only rarely uses it poorly

Dry humoured drama that's nicely made and heart-warming in it's humanity but the score is overwrought on occasion and the tale itself not that believable

Fairly amusing homegrown comedy drama that starts weakly but does improve and is perfectly watchable fare with the odd high point even if it does feel rather homogeneous with standard Irish fare that has one eye on the international market

Unpolished Danish crime drama that's not entirely convincing and a little predictable but remains watchable

Mediocre drama that is beautifully shot as would be expected but the mainly dull palette is disappointing and whilst acted well in places the tale is overly drawn out and not really that interesting

Comedy horror that suffers from bad CGI, annoying visual effects and humour that misses far more often than it hits and even a few cameos aren't enough to salvage it

Swedish socio-drama centred on inner-city youth crime that attempts to be realistic but is fairly unengaging due in part to being rambling and overly drawn out (even before being intercut with a number of scenes on a Malmö-Göteborg train) and in part because of an overuse of dialogue where the speaker's face is obscured

Danish prison/crime drama that's quite bleak and effective thanks to it's authentic location and use of former inmates but the story could have been a little more fleshed out and paced just a little faster whilst at least one scene transition could have been managed better

Run of the mill action thriller in which Jovovich does what she does best and Brosnan although hamming somewhat appeals nonetheless but the story is hackneyed, some of the action is a little repetitive and nome of the peripheral characters of any real interest

Run-of-the-mill reality-based crime drama that does develop interest as it progresses but hardly breaks new ground in the way it is presented despite Jason Statham running through his entire acting gamut

Primarily understated piece of smalltown America drama that is beautifully shot with nice performances all round

Well made biographical drama that has a superb performance from Dame Helen Mirren but to me the whole thing feels as if it were presented with more attention paid to fitting a tried and tested formula than any interest in either potential insight or veracity

Relationship drama that's difficult to engage with as none of the adult characters are particularly sympathetic, the script isn't great and proceedings just aren't believably sold

Found-footage style horror that revisits a classic concept and has a few deserving moments but sadly, as happens so often with the budgetary constraints associated with the filming format, also has drama school quality acting (not aided by casting James Buckley imo) and a relatively weak script in places

Adventure drama set during WWII purportedly based on real events that suffers from a weak portrayal by Saoirse Ronan imo and a somewhat weak ending but is nicely shot and an enjoyable enough watch

Gritty French prison/crime drama with solid performances from the principle characters and despite being quite slow carries a frisson, an air of menace, in the first half but sadly doesn't really manage to carry that over to the second half leaving it feeling a little drawn out in places

Biographical adventure that has a nice enough performance from Witherspoon as the lead and is quite enjoyable but I doubt it will be particularly memorable and the ending didn't really do much for me tbh

Delightful action crime-drama that is paced beautifully and self-assured enough to understand less can be more sometimes yet still brutal enough with intelligent use of camera angles and editing when it needs to be

Spellbinding (anti) war drama that is a visionary delight in a number of places and for the most part a captivating story but imo wouldn't have lost any impact had the animal slaughter not been shown and the added plantation interlude is quite unnecessary

Crime thriller that weaves an interesting enough tale that is loosely based on fact and has a strong lead performance by Hardy though it has to be said proceedings do drag a little on occasion, the mawkish ending is unwanted and some of the accents are less convincing than others

Action crime drama that's nicely paced with good performances and a thoroughly enjoyable watch even if the final set piece does rather lack credibility and for me the initial meet with the arms dealers is too light-hearted

Crime/gangster drama that is more cohesive than its predecessor but aside from some nicely shot exploitation and an improved final half hour far too much of that which precedes it is poorly realised and daft rather than enjoyable

Reasonable drama that's acted well enough but is of more interest as commentary on the fate of the underclass within the nuclear power industry than romance as it simply takes too long to gain any real investment in the characters

Crime/gangster drama that is less disjointed than it's predecessor but in trying to be more stylised with it's action suffers in terms of intensity resulting in a rather sedate affair

Sober drama that for the most part is nicely shot and an interesting watch though quite why the director opted to interrupt the flow with the woman seeking a stove is beyond me and the very closing stages feel rushed and sadly don't match the quality of that which precedes them

Reasonably well made drama with a good performance from Olsen as the lead but events don't fully convince and it felt both lazy and devoid of originality

Dramatic offering that is far too ambitious an attempt to chronicle events in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh from the later days of The Raj through the lives of 'mystical' children - leaving it feeling overly drawn out, fragmented and difficult to maintain interest

Crime drama with excellent performances from the principles and for the most part a level of realism though it has to be said the raid by Customs toward midway feels out of place with it's semi-farcical tone

Darkly comic horror that certainly delivers on the 'dark' front in terms of lighting but sadly is neither particularly comic nor horrifying and despite a reasonably lively final act it's nowhere near enough to rescue that which precedes it

Nice enough animated drama that hardly surprises with it's content and is a touch twee in places but still manages an emotional impact nonetheless

Horror anthology sequel from Hong Kongese, South Korean and Japanese directors - 'Dumplings' is cerebrally unsettling and uses sound nicely, 'Cut' is fairly orthodox in terms of narrative but mixes the bizarre with unseen brutality well up until the final moments whilst 'Box' might be the weakest of the three in terms of horror but is nicely made and the most aesthetically pleasing

Action thriller in which Statham gives a masterclass in playing stock-Statham-character-#1 and though the story is a bit of a mess it would at least be somewhat entertaining were it not for the horrible editing in a number of the action scenes

Horror anthology from South Korean, Thai and Hong Kongese directors - 'Memories' is a seviceable but unremarkable ghost story, 'The Wheel' is a disappointingly routine tale of the supernatural with relatively low production values whilst 'Going Home', a nice slow-paced supernatural tale, is easily the pick of the bunch

Competently made coming-of-age comedy drama that is both whimsical and touching at times with a realistic central relationship but when outside that does also drag a little at times

Supernatural horror that builds slowly and hardly breaks new ground in it's approach but does create some nicely 'creepy' moments and eventually reaches a fairly satisfying albeit somewhat brief crescendo

Comedy crime drama that has the odd enjoyable moment but they are few and far between and imo would have been far better if played as a a much more madcap comedy rather than the weak mix it attempts

Disappointing pastiche of 80's cheese that for me by not fully selling itself as parody misfires in both tone and score leaving the acting feeling a little confused and proceedings underwhelming

Period supernatural horror that generates some nice atmosphere in places and the attempt at using contemporary dialogue is bold but sadly also ultimately damaging as one has to concentrate far too hard on what is being said and even then the delivery of some lines still renders them incomprehensible

Biographical drama that is understandably divisive and for me is patchy for the first few minutes but does settle down to be a mainly entertaining ride albeit going too far over the top in places with the whole feeling overly drawn out

Nicely presented tale that is delightfully playful much of the time and imo rather enjoyable even allowing for the odd minor dip in production values

Reasonably fun horror/thriller outing that slowly builds to a mainly satisfying final third but does require one to just tag along for the ride and not inspect too closely

Technically well made bio-drama with excellent performances from both Crowe and Connelly that's a decent watch once the madness begins and a reasonable depiction of paranoia/schizophrenia but as a whole feels somewhat 'sanitised' and by-the-numbers whilst although the score was Oscar nominated, for me it borders on cloying at times

Comedy horror that's amusing in places and incorporates some reasonable effects but also has quite a few flat spots whilst it's central source of humour feels rather thinly stretched by the end

Magical mix of fairy tale for adults and wartime drama that are intertwined well with excellent use of effects to bring fantasy elements to life though imo the faun could still have been better realised

Offbeat revenge drama that improves after it feeds into it's horror element but should have been a lot shorter getting to that point whilst the dialogue is really bad in places and the canine acting far outshines that of the humans, especially Body as the pivotal character Hagen

Rape/revenge drama of sorts that suffers from difficulties with plausibility in the first third, has at least one glaring inaccuracy, lacks variety and suffers a little from a slightly drawn out final third but for all that is actually not too bad a watch overall and does have the odd nice touch

Action thriller that's over reliant on fast-edits in the first half in what amounts to largely style over substance and although touches of humour do work here and there throughout and the second half is generally much improved that which precedes it and a weak conclusion are just far too damaging

Drama centred on the lives of those running and working in an upper-class Parisian brothel that's well acted, feels fairly realistic and generally well told though there are a few brief moments that detract from the flow and the whole could have ended a minute or two earlier without detriment imo.

Superb mystery crime drama that delights in subverting expectations aided by some lovely character portrayals and it's often laconic and slightly whimsical tone

Surrealistic dramatic horror that's well told and acted (especially Jan Tríska) but sadly for me the interspersed trademark stop-motion animation though up to standard isn't as interesting on this occasion

Passable action thriller that's not unenjoyable overall but does irritate in places and the action isn't that well managed or particularly thrilling really

Hammer horror that may be very dated in terms of some of it's visual effects and a little hokey at times but is well paced and remains nicely atmospheric and suspenseful in places with solid performances from all the principals

Delightful drama with touches of comedy containing strong performances throughout which allow both the slightly absurd and emotional elements to coexist quite happily

Moderate action thriller that lacks plausibility and is rather predictable but Liotta enjoys himself in his role and despite its faults it's not an entirely unenjoyable brainless watch

Drama that is a little oddly toned in places during the first half hour or so but improves once it settles down to present a nicely acted piece where the social commentary and plot coexist naturally and the tale generally well told

Surreal, nightmarish horror with a fantastic central performance that remains for me strangely compelling with it's beautifully striking imagery and fantastic use of sound

Arms length war offering that's fairly predictable and about as sterile in it's drama as the distant kills it portrays but it's watchable and adequately made

Low-budget revenge short with mixed choreography and effects but has it's tongue planted nicely in it's cheek at times and the deliberately over-the-top nature make it a reasonably fun, non-taxing watch

Feature-length follow-up that again has mixed effects but generally better choreography and some nice inventiveness but the whole suffers by trying to have more meaning rather than just being a fun ride which makes it drag at times

Home invasion horror/thriller purportedly based on real events that manages to build some decent tension in places with some nice set locations but it's visual style sadly reduces the feel to that of a video game at times

Animated fantasy drama that very nicely drew me into the story for the first half hour or so but begins to really drag in places for me once it relocates to the city and the culmination of the fantasy element is lacklustre

Light-hearted crime drama that's a little uneven with a score that doesn't always suit and does drag in the odd place but the dialogue is quite fun in parts and as a whole it's strangely enjoyable despite being mediocre fare

Quietly effective post-WWII drama that is nicely acted with some nice cinematography but also isn't always the most fluid in terms of narrative

Comedy crime drama with its roots in reality that's amusing in places but that's really about all it has going for it

Comedy drama that is competently made, an absolute delight in terms of most of it's cast and entertaining enough but sadly the tale is little more than serviceable and proceedings rather predictable

Home invasion thriller/horror that's a reasonably fun watch up until it starts getting exposition heavy

Drama that is visually appealing in places and unconventional as would be expected but the underlying tale is rather uninteresting and somewhat drawn out

Eminently watchable drama in which the score is both lovely and effective in terms of story, cinematographically is very nice and Binoche plays the lead very nicely but one minor moment does come across rather tritely (and isn't really necessary imo) and the early gaffe concerning the young daughter is glaringly obvious and really should have been caught and corrected

Delightful drama that is beautifully acted and put together but for me just disappoints with the very ending that is a little twee and inferior to all that has preceded it

Comedy drama that is dryly amusing in places and well enough made / acted but neither main character is particularly sympathetic and the plot feels as if proceedings should have been played more absurd at times

Light-hearted horror/mystery that's watchable but pretty lame and far more interested in it's 'gimmick' than anything else

Drama based on the real estate foreclosure issues in America that is quite well played and interesting despite an awfully irritating score up until the final few minutes where it opts to abandon it's audience and just head for the nearest exit

Divine - 'nuff said

Second entry in the franchise which has a main setting that not only allows for some wicked humour but also assists in making the viewing experience an inclusive one for what is imo the most enjoyable experience of the series

Third entry in the franchise that suffers from an overabundance of weak acting and inter-personnel conflict, with too many characters 'on the edge', but it's not without it's moments (especially in the second half), the setting is superb and the premise a viable evolution from the initial concept with the schism between army/science not only believable but imo most likely inevitable

Supernatural horror set in the American Civil War that's reasonably effective in creating atmosphere in places and though it doesn't really bring much that's new to the table and becomes a little too monotone it's still a worthwhile enough watch

Silent horror in which the sets and scale are impressive whilst the use of colour is inventive and interesting but proceedings are a little slow in the early chapters and whilst the modern score by Wudec is ok personally I'd have preferred something far more sparse as accompaniment

Weaker Hammer horror offering that despite some nice enough performances spurns an interesting concept by devoting too much of it's runtime to building it's tale with too little pay-off to be satisfying

Drama with horror aspects that might not contain the best acting or dialogue in places but it's an engrossing story which builds to a nicely atmospheric climax and that the real freaks are not the obvious candidates is incredibly powerful

WWII action drama that disappoints somewhat with it's midsection and occasional dramatic pauses mid-action in the final act but otherwise pretty much gives what one should expect from such an offering

Mystery/thriller with horror overtones that's better simply taken at face value and enjoyed for the non-taxing but reasonably fun light-hearted fare it is

Period horror that build nice atmosphere which is helped by a good setting and though the acting and dialogue are poor in places and technically it's not always the best made that's all actually part of it's appeal that help make it a reasonably fun watch imo

Really nice crime drama with just a tinge of horror that is well paced and builds intrigue even if there really is little surprise in the ending

Oddball crime drama that's somewhat self-indulgent in places and not entirely cohesive but also has some very nice moments and is strangely rather compelling

Important film in it's genre and initial entry into the franchise which manages to build and maintain atmosphere with nice use of background broadcasts and sporadic violence

Decent enough period horror that owes a lot to Kinski's portrayal of the count as a truly wretched being but sadly let down by a disappointing final few minutes and a score that is only partly effective imo

Just as enjoyable second time around despite the reasonably short gap of only five or so months

Murder mystery with supernatural elements that's reasonably well put together and generates the odd nice bit of atmosphere to morph into horror in it's latter stages

Supernatural horror that does have the odd lacklustre effect and does dip a little here and there but the tale wastes little time in getting going and builds nicely into quite an immersive experience with some truly magical moments along the way

Beautifully rich giallo which gradually draws the viewer into it's tale and generally has great use of both vision and sound and remains both entertaining and interesting despite some of the acting

Mediocre horror offering that's decent in places but the low production values and poor acting simply detract too much from proceedings imo

Quietly effective horror that epitomises the 'less is more' principle in gradually ratcheting up the atmosphere though the inevitable climax can't maintain the same level and whilst the ending is perfectly acceptable it's easily foreseeable

Lovely understated horror that may be slow but is effective thanks to it's sparing but delightful use of eerie sound and vision

Beautifully put together slasher that is both playfully amusing and an entertaining mystery that nicely throws suspicion in multiple directions

Decent slasher sequel that is playfully self-aware and though the first half is a little flat at times it's also not without it's memorable moments and leads into a nice, pretty tight second half

Musical comedy drama that follows a familiar emotional arc and the renditions of Proclaimers' songs don't always work that well imo but it's more enjoyable than it probably should be and an acceptable enough watch

Enjoyable enough horror that doesn't have the strongest acting or dialogue in places but is a relatively nice depiction of a toxic military accident and it's attempted cover-up

Delightfully put together tale of unrequited psychotic infatuation with a superb central performance by Robin McLeavy that mixes both the darkly comic and repulsive well though the relief element involving Jamie and Mia could have been pared back just a little imo

Decent horror remake that manages to preserve the tone of the original and albeit modified somewhat in terms of narrative the tale is just as engrossing if not actually slightly more so even if the coda is weaker imo

Delightful sci-horror mix that weaves its tale beautifully with everything working in unison to build tension as the paranoia mounts

Made-for-tv horror anthology all centred around Karen Black performances (and named after her characters) - both the first two being rather dull and not up to much but the third and final one, effectively a single-hander, has a decent amount of 'bite' to it and is a really fun way to round out proceedings

Low-budget supernatural drama laced with horror that is effectively a two-hander and struggles to maintain interest at times with passages of gobledespeak in an often slow pace and a score of the type that is fast becoming a cliché but the cast do their best and technically it's competent

Home invasion horror that sadly only really seems concerned about it's visceral moments and no matter that those are pretty good the whole is sadly somewhat underwhelming and disappointing

Comedy romance/drama with a side of sci-fi that's more watchable than it's stock characters and uninspired and manipulative emotional arc probably deserve, thanks in no small part to a delightful performance from McAdams, but never reaches any real highs and all feels rather by-the-numbers

Slasher that's pretty dated with some terrible acting in places and overly laced with histrionics in the first third but does actually develop into an acceptable enough watch

Powerful anti-war drama that's effective in it's war scenes and portrayal of life at the front in WW I and even though it does pontificate on occasion it's moments of humour and humanity far outweigh those moments

Quite nice horror with a lovely central performance and gradual drift away from normality though not all the characters are convincing, diction is poor at times and the pivotal event isn't depicted strongly enough imo

Sci-disaster b-movie that has nuclear concerns, a dying scientist, a love triangle, stock footage, lashings of scientific babble, a forced evacuation, the threat of world extinction and a race against time .... everything a film of this type needs

Nicely playful, darkly comedic horror anchored by a fitting performance from Lohman that despite a little substandard acting and dipping a little occasionally is generally nicely paced with a decent score and is a lot of fun

Decent enough mystery thriller even if Craig does go a little overboard at times in the first act and too high a dosage of 'twee' for my taste in the closing stages

Messy and ridiculous action offering to which Igawa lends a touch of class while on-screen but much of the rest is badly staged with some awfully 'hammy' acting and if meant to be humorous in parts only really achieves awkwardly embarrassing

Offbeat fantasy drama that's beautifully made (and deserved accolades for it's make-up imo) in which Denis Levant provides a superb lead performance and although it feels weird when Kylie breaks into song and I'm not sure I truly understand any underlying meaning but I don't always need to tbh and it's still a quietly compelling watch for me.

Slightly disappointing animated comedy that is a little flat in places and despite a really nice premise feels like it never realises it's full potential to me, a view bolstered by the vignettes during the end credits being of more interest than parts of the main feature

Romantic drama that's largely told via a series of flashbacks and likeable enough, with a nice performance from Rogers but whereas I enjoy her chemistry with Craig much of her screen time with Morgan just feels a little flat to me

Comedy romance/horror that has a nice performance from O'Shaughnessy but aside from the odd moment it's not very funny and being more surreal than horrifying leaves it to primarily play as an ok, if somewhat bizarre, relationship drama for most of its runtime

Low-budget zombie horror that wastes very little of it's relatively short runtime setting the scene and is a decent enough watch with a little inventiveness here and there even if much is pretty standard fare

Reasonably entertaining found footage horror that largely manages to keep that footage in context but the action does get somewhat repetitive and some of the acting and dialogue certainly could have been better

Enjoyable third entry in the horror franchise that lacks some of the spark of it's predecessors but retains the self-awareness that helps make the series work so well and holds an increased level of topicality today

Final entry in the horror franchise that lacks the same level of humour and although it has a very enjoyable second half the first is rather weak imo

Decent enough drama with a pretty good central performance that's quite well put together though the rather abrupt ending is somewhat unfulfilling and imo the 'comedy' and 'thriller' assignations on IMDb aren't particularly applicable

Fantasy adventure probably aimed more at kids than adults with shades of tweenage horror that displays a number of influences and despite building occasional atmosphere is fairly routine until opting for a surreal final act that's enacted reasonably well

Dryly comic crime drama that despite a very good shift by De Niro and a nice performance from Lewis sadly doesn't really do that much for me until the crime is actually executed

Enjoyable sci-horror that suffers a little in terms of both dialogue and acting in the early stages but the human elements do eventually play out quite nicely and does builds some reasonable tension in places with decent enough creatures and effects

Comedy adventure with dreadful dialogue and acting that's barely amusing but does at least have some adventure, albeit hardly thrilling or scintillating (Jean Hawkshaw does out-Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller tho')

Nice comedy-horror that uses it's reversed premise nicely with some decent visual gags but it's the dialogue and interplay that raise proceedings and even a more standard final act don't dilute the fun too much

Horror that's reasonably entertaining in places but also reasonably ludicrous at times too and despite attempts never really manages to build that much tension outside the first half hour leaving it feeling somewhat disappointing

Listed on IMDb as a comedy thriller but it's neither particularly comedic nor thrilling just fairly painful to watch at times and difficult to garner any enthusiasm for

Beautifully made romantic drama with aspects of comedy that has good performances from all involved and although employing the odd contrivance is an enjoyable watch

Mixed drama that allows Ms. Bow to show off her full range, and show it off well she does, but the tale is a little too fragmented at times for it's own good, some of the peripheral acting/delivery is rather wooden and the reveal is so telegraphed it has no major impact

Classic horror with nice performances from both Lugosi as the enigmatic titular count and Van Sloan as his adversary Van Helsing ,though some of the supporting cast are a little weak, and whilst the bat effects are rather ropey they don't really harm proceedings much imo

Very nice romantic drama with comedic aspects with some lovely dialogue and for the most part very nicely directed though it does veer a little too close to twee once or twice and sadly for me the final minutes just lacked the full emotional heft they should have had

Moderate romantic drama that takes a while to find it's footing and even then some of the acting is a little clunky but Bow mainly does well as the lead and most 'tart with a heart' stories play reasonably well with me as long as they're not dreadful

Icelandic drama that has some nice cinematography in places but the comedy is often a little too dry for my taste and the narrative a little too bizarre for it's own good imo

Period crime thriller adapted from Du Maurier's classic novel that's pretty well played by most and although the action scenes are rather lacklustre, it's a little melodramatic in places and there's little to really elevate proceedings it's still a reasonably entertaining watch

Reality based (at least in part) musical comedy/drama that's watchable and of moderate interest in terms of it's music references but it's overly long, mostly predictable in both primary character and story arcs and sadly, aside from the odd moment, just not very humorous

Surrealistic biographical piece about the director's childhood that is quite beautifully scored and put together with some nice acting and truly fascinating at times though far less so when concentrating solely on the travails of his father which for me dragged a little

Musical romantic drama that feels a little awkward initially but does grow to be a surprisingly enjoyable watch even though the scenes of conflict aren't particularly strong, the humorous moments somewhat out of place and the whole a little overly long

Lacklustre musical rom-com in which the story is serviceable but the songs and comedy aren't up to snuff, the dialogue is a little stilted in places and despite flashes of those involved enjoying themselves every now and then there's not a whole lot of chemistry between the leads

Combination of murder mystery and vampiric horror laced with touches of humour that has suitable enough performances and generally decent effects and builds some nice atmosphere but sadly the lengthy resolve is a let down and mars that which has gone before

Crime drama that is a little lacking in terms of acting and dialogue at times, flawed in terms of plot and decidedly unremarkable but remains watchable

Bleak drama that has a few touching moments amongst the squalor but the script is also weak in places and the acting mixed (Johnson very good; Jones decent; Cerquiera primarily one-note and bland) but as a whole it did stiffen my resolve to take a long, quiet shuffle along a short pier as and when the time is right

Cautionary crime drama that's watchable but somewhat lacking in terms of quality, mainly devoid of atmosphere and not a particularly exciting watch

Mediocre light-hearted adventure b-movie that's watchable but fairly predictable and although it has the odd moment it's ultimately not really all that entertaining

Light-hearted romantic drama backdropped by satirising the motion picture industry itself that takes a little while to settle into it's rhythm but when it does it's pretty nicely played and quite amusing in places

Very good drama centred around a developing mental illness that's a very slow build and for me had one or two minor sound issues but has generally good performances and at times a beautifully oppressive feel to it alongside some great visual touches

Slowly paced and fairly uneventful horror that so obviously wants to be enigmatic but feels more like a half-baked execution of a moderate idea still in it's infancy

Low-budget drama/thriller that delights in it's air of moodiness and tries very hard to manifest itself as clever and meaningful but it's loosely knit (and in places rather tedious) narrative coupled with an awkward attempt at displaying mental illness and at least one glaring lack of attention to detail leave it feeling an arduous and ultimately unfulfilling watch imo

Effective mystery thriller that may lack complexity and doesn't open particularly convincingly but once it relocates back to England moves up a few notches to become a nice, pretty taut affair

Light-hearted Ellery Queen outing in which the mystery is ok but never really that intriguing and the production fairly mediocre

Romantic drama with a side of crime thriller that's perfectly watchable with some mostly decent performances but the dialogue is overly melodramatic and unconvincing at times

Well made piece centred around prohibition-era America that's well acted, sprinkled with snappy dialogue and though more drama than action who wouldn't enjoy watching Cagney and Bogart for the price of a single admission?

Splatterfest that's childish, daft and completely ott but it's not without it's moments of fun though the whole is rather drawn out and uneven and whilst the final half hour does pick up the pace again by that point the novelty/amusement has already worn thin and interest waned

Unremarkable young adult action drama that is a little cringeworthy in places and doesn't really do its central premise justice but does remain watchable

Musical rom-com with the fabulous Rogers/Astaire partnership in which the comedy of errors is only moderately amusing but some of the song and dance numbers are worth the price of entry alone

Enjoyable MA/crime mix that has a good antagonist alongside some decent choreography in places and even the occasional over-the-top effects don't drag the fun down too much

Archetypal Hitch romantic mystery thriller that's a little flimsy in terms of plot in places but is an enjoyable enough intrigue with snatches of whimsy, excitement and nice closing act

Lovely romantic drama that also doubles as an at times biting commentary on fame and the movie industry and has very good performances with a lot of nice, crisp dialogue though imo the final few minutes are overly mawkish and would not be missed by me had they been relegated to the cutting room floor

Thriller with horror undertones that is visually appealing and aurally superb but sadly despite being of interest in terms of the intricacies of a sound studio the narrative is just half-arsed and ultimately unsatisfying

Farcical rom-com that's nice visually and occasionally amusing but all too often just childish, some of the interplay is too frenetic/loud for my taste and Grant's performance generally so over the top and affected that for me it's simply not a very enjoyable watch

Low-budget independent social drama involving murder and blackmail that does have some nice scenes but also suffers from some dreadful acting and dialogue in places whilst though firmly setting out it's stall against the practice of child-marriage strangely opts to also include an unnecessarily lengthy voyeuristic scene involving child nudity

Musical drama with a marvellous performance from Jannings in the lead ably assisted by Dietrich as his femme-fatale that for me is only average fare for the first half but truly comes alive in a powerful and compelling second half

Decent enough reality based WW I television drama that unsurprisingly considering it's subject matter (the drafting against their will and subsequent persecution of 14 outspoken NZ conshies) is not without the odd harrowing moment but opts to concentrate primarily on the men's spirit as well as mixing in the odd touch of humour and humanity

Espionage action thriller that's difficult to watch in places thanks to the horrible way it is shot and edited

Period Southern drama that's overly melodramatic in places and a relatively simple tale but Ms. Davis simply lights up proceedings in a marvellous performance and it's a bygone age that personally fascinates

Satirical comedy set within the music industry that has a mundane narrative style and whilst the satire can sometimes be amusing sadly it all too often mistakes an excess of crudity and coarseness for humour

Farce that's fairly well acted (suitable to the genre) and has some snappy dialogue dotted throughout but does also hit a few flat spots along the way and stretches it's premise just a little thin

Quasi-silent romantic comedy with satirical undertones in which Ms. Goddard is a delight and has some really lovely segments (the assembly line, the nightwatchman, the engineer's assistant, the waiter) but for me it does also drag a little outside of those

Delightful romantic drama that's mainly upbeat but also packs a powerful emotional punch and although a little overly chaotic in the early stages does eventually settle into a well put together and quite moving tale with some great performances from all involved

Comedy romance with a social conscience that's well played with some nice witty dialogue and amusing interplay

Horror thriller that's not without the odd fun moment but is also somewhat preposterous at times, the acting is quite mixed and there's precious little tension built throughout

Romantic crime drama that's watchable and thankfully has only the one song from Ms. Temple (none would have been preferential though) but Cooper isn't particularly convincing in his role and were it not for some nice supporting roles (particularly Guy Standing) proceedings would be rather dull and lifeless

Reasonably fast paced satirical comedy about the transition from silent fillums to talkies that's visually basic and ends rather abruptly but has decent enough performances and plenty of snappy dialogue used to mock both the big studio dynamics and picture industry as a whole

Sci-thriller with some fascinating macro-photography that's quite slow but imo nicely paced and uses both sound and vision pretty effectively most of the time but although the ending is reasonably acceptable it does rush somewhat in it's final minutes and would have benefitted from being fleshed out a little more imo

Low-budget drama with traces of comedy and horror that's poorly written and fairly devoid of atmosphere for most of it's runtime making it a laborious and largely tedious watch

Surreal mix of animation and live-action that's very reminiscent of Gilliam's work in Monty Python but sadly the least engaging from the director I've seen, even though the tale has a level of depth to it and some of the imagery is amusing/fascinating it's just too drawn out and a little monotonous in places

South Seas morality drama in which the Biblical weather plays as a suitable backdrop and both central characters are well enough portrayed but the dialogue doesn't always flow naturally and the pace somewhat uneven

Dystopian rock-opera sci-horror that's undeniably a bit of at mess in places, won't win any awards for it's lyrics, doesn't have the strongest singing at times and as much as it may desire the cult appeal of Rocky Horror it's nowhere near that worthy but some of the musical numbers are actually decent, Anthony Head is a revelation and if I'm totally honest I could happily watch Sarah Brightman recite the menu at McDonalds in Farsi for hours

Animated fantasy rom-song re-telling of Indian tale The Ramayana in which the humour is amusing at times and the inclusion of songs by jazz legend Annette Hanshaw delightful but the narration is irritating and garbled at times, the animation decidedly mixed and the modern day segments superfluous imo

Classic western with some beautiful cinematography that's content to eschew violence in favour of character building for much of it's runtime but still incorporates a reasonably exciting chase and builds to a nicely tense shootout for it's finale

Action adventure that's a little sedate for much of it's runtime, lacks originality at times and once more feels a little drawn out in places but it does provide entertainment even so and some of the animal use is well done

Adventure romance that's an entertaining enough watch with decent animal/model/costume work though the special effects are somewhat mixed and as a whole it's a little overly long imo

Classic mystery thriller that has some fun scenes between Donat and Carroll and tells it's story in great fashion in the latter stages but sadly not so well at times earlier where the pace isn't always that great and the occasional narrative skips really don't help the flow

Mystery thriller that's quite delightfully made and wonderfully intriguing once the unnecessarily long and slightly irritating introductory first twenty minutes or so are over and done with

Charming biographical drama that might overplay the schmaltz in places with the score but the tale is such a heartwarming one that's nicely told with a super lead performance it's only a minor quibble

Comedic sci-actioner in which the premise has some merit and the execution is reasonably amusing/entertaining in places but they're not often enough to stop the whole feeling little more than a rather dull retread

Propagentary of the Reichsparteitag in Nuremburg, 1934 that's impressive in it's sheer scale and, no matter how repugnant the ultimate ideology and many of those displayed might be, it's a generally well made and (at the time) powerful propaganda piece

Beautifully atmospheric horror fantasy that is perfectly suited by it's unhurried pace and at times ethereal imagery and though the acting in places is rather wooden it strangely enhances rather than detracts

Reality-inspired political drama that does veer into melodrama once in a while and could have been a little more fluid but is anchored by a wonderful central performance from Setsuko Hara and a powerful final third

Light-hearted musical romance that presents a pretty nicely crafted tale with mainly decent enough humour, solid music numbers and generally good acting though Jack Haley's frequent facial mugging is a tad irritating

Light-hearted musical romance in which the plot and most of the musical numbers are serviceable but while the comedy often aims for screwball some of it never makes it past cornball and why anybody would find Oswald (Tony Labriola) funny is completely beyond my ken

Excellent documentary about those 'background' vocal performers and their contributions to both live and studio recordings with input from some of those that have been or still are at the very pinnacle of that sphere

Relationships drama laced with a mix of humour, some nice acerbic lines and a fair bit of social commentary of the period that does occasionally suffer from the acting going a touch over the top or weak delivery but the characterisations are for the most part well played and the narrative generally moves along at a decent clip

Mystery short that's fairly basic but reasonably effective

Serviceable mystery thriller that generally moves along at a pretty decent clip until slowing down for a resolution that's slightly underwhelming

Real-life documentary following seven NY teenage female for three years that was actually far more interesting than I expected and aside from the occasional shot that I think would perhaps elicit comment if the director was male is nicely put together

Satirical psychological drama/character study that lacks subtlety in it's critique and a combination of being filled with unlikeable characters and attempted humour that doesn't hit the mark personally means it doesn't provide a very enjoyable viewing experience for me

Mediocre actioner that's watchable but fairly generic, the action is sparse and mostly lacklustre whilst the attempts at humour all too often fall flat and the montage during the opening sequence negates much chance of building tension

Romantic drama with a lovely central performance from Ms. Chatterton as the tart with a heart and although the tale is rather predictable it moves at a nice enough pace and is nicely presented

Musical drama involving both comedy and romance with mainly decent performances and some solid numbers that builds to a typical grandstand finish but sadly isn't so successful in terms of it's light-hearted aspects for me

Fantasy musical comedy with Laurel & Hardy that's very amusing in places and quite a fun tale even if it does get overly silly in the final quarter (the climactic scenes are classic though)

Documentary on mining and processing in China/Mongolia and it's environmental impact which contains some truly stunning visuals and successfully conveys a sense of the damage being done to both nature and man whilst also questioning it's necessity - but with very little narration (that's abstract anyway) it's a dry and somewhat challenging watch

Norwegian short drama that has reasonable performances from both leads but the narrative isn't particularly strong imo

Tongue-in-cheek family-orientated action adventure that's hardly original and despite having similarities in style has only small pockets of the charm that the directors previous feature managed

Laurel & Hardy feature that has some nicely humorous moments and includes Stan's 'pipe' which always amuses me but as a whole is somewhat sporadic and a little hit and miss in terms of laughs

Modestly amusing Three Stooges short that for me is fairly hit and miss with the gags

Comedy romance that has some inspired moments and is worth the price of admission just for the boxing scene alone but even though the tale plays out satisfyingly it is a little flimsy for the length and a tad repetitive in places

Reality-based crime drama that's a little televisual in feel at times but has decent performances and for the most part is nicely understated - making the more explosive moments carry more impact though conversely the swelling finale then feels overly manipulative

Interesting enough documentary on the food industry and obesity in Americky

Comedy drama that delights in being base and tries hard to shock with occasional grossness but aside from the odd moment it's not really very amusing and whilst certainly gross at times it's far more crude than shocking ... which is a shame as underneath it all there is a worthwhile story trying to escape

Gritty, no-frills drama that's quite absorbing and generally well written and acted

Low-budget crime drama set in Harlem that's somewhat mixed in terms of acting and certainly the editing and direction could be better in places but is interesting in cultural terms, moves along fairly briskly and is reasonably entertaining

Light-hearted softcore adult adaptation of the famous fairytale with modest production values that contains plenty of nudity but is marginally less amusing than stabbing one's own gonad with a compass, just slightly more erotic than an episode of Follyfoot and is almost as repetitive as Newton's clackers

Low-budget drama that's reasonably well made and acted for the most part but the core premise isn't one that particularly interests me and the combination of a drawn-out plot, cardboard characters, poor dialogue and a lack of credibility did absolutely nothing to alter that

Laurel & Hardy feature that has a wonderfully downplayed moment with Stan picking cotton, some nice melodic barbershop and spiritual numbers (that admittedly might not be for all), a couple of decent set pieces and a rousing final quarter hour or so but it does suffer from dragging at times earlier in proceedings

Crime romance/drama with elements of noir that's very nicely presented with good performances, especially Msr. Gabin as the troubled lead

Inconsistent rom-com in which Ms. McAdams is enjoyable and Ms. Keaton contributes well (when she's let) but is light on both romance and comedy whilst strangely underplaying part of it's premise (warring co-hosts) but does remember to include the expected emotional manipulation in the closing stages

Decent political pantomime/drama with touches of humour that's a good overview of the machinations of American politics and reasonably well constructed with some nice performances though imo Mr. Stewart does overplay his naive and bumbling character in the early stages, the whole is overly jingoistic at times and gets somewhat twee in the closing stages

Decent bio-drama centred on the lead flight attendant of Pan Am flight 73 that was hijacked in Karachi which is generally nicely acted and paced and does manage to build moments of tension reasonably well but some of the early camerawork and editing is a little off-putting imo

A double dose of Laurel & Hardy but sadly not twice the fun as although there are some lovely moments and the premise has merit it does get a tad repetitious which detracts from the fun and the exposition at the beginning is really clunky

Mystery drama that makes great use of video surveillance technology and score to create a very nice atmosphere of foreboding but sadly that also works against it a bit in the final quarter and the less said about the closing track the better

Drama that has a tendency to charge into melodrama from time to time and is somewhat stilted in places whilst Ms. Chatterton's accent is a little affected and wanders a touch in the early stages but her overall performance is definitely the highlight of the film (conversely Master De Lacy as her son is the lowlight) and though the tale is simply told it does manages to maintain interest

Laurel & Hardy feature that's a little drawn out in places but still has plenty of moments to bring a smile, with Stan in particular in fine form and even the spouses have a decent enough contribution to offer as does the musical interlude with it's delightful overhead lampoon of a big musical number

Romantic drama that may be a little overly manipulative in places and even twee at times but that's more than offset by an absolutely superb performance from Ms. Stanwyck that grants proceedings plenty of genuine emotional heft

Light-hearted musical romance that's perfectly watchable with good enough performances and some nice lines here and there but the whole thing is predictable and never really scales any heights

Simple but effective silent tale of love and adventure in the South Seas that may be a little slow at times but is beautifully shot and really benefits from its use of an indigenous cast

Enjoyable rom-com that's well enough played with a sprinkling of nice lines here and there though the scene in the Tick Tock club tend a little more toward brash farce which felt a little out of place to me and the attraction of Grant to the judge could have been underscored a little better imo

Low-budget slasher in which the effects are generally not too bad and is fun enough for the kills and occasionally building tension but outside of that is rather flat with acting in line with it's budget, it's twist is far too easy to spot coming and the final act overly drawn out

Moderate drama that's not without interest and has some convincing portrayals from the cast but it's social/class commentary is rather laboured and the whole rather unsatisfying

Low-budget, light-hearted slasher that wastes no time in setting out it's stall and is paced reasonably well but the kills are generally rather lacklustre and it'sattempt at humour generates mainly smiles as opposed to laughs

Simple but effective drama that has some beautiful imagery and nice performances though it is a little slow at times and personally I feel the modern score is best muted

Biographical documentary about the director's uncle that's centred around that man's own directorial exploits and is, for the most part, competently enough made and does manage to maintain interest

Superb Laurel & Hardy feature with both in top form that includes their best known musical number alongside some excellent routines and possibly their most beautifully crafted extended piece of farce (accompanied by Ms. Lynn and Mr. Findlayson)

Russian silent that has some beautiful imagery and a level of cultural significance but the simple tale is stretched very thin and at times it's a very dry watch

Slightly surreal French short that is fairly primitive and narratively poor but does have one lovely slow-motion sequence

Romantic drama with a side of war and a slither of espionage that's reasonably well made and acted but never really hits any high-notes along the way

Social drama with political aspects that incorporates elements of humour but sadly is rather lifeless and not particularly entertaining

Biographical war drama that's interesting and has some nice cinematography but is a little ponderous in the early stages, overly jingoistic and though the central battle is certainly epic and impressive in scale thanks to the staging and score it's also rather cartoonish in places

Mediocre Agatha Christie based whodunit with some decent enough performances from the supporting cast but little excitement or visual flair to maintain interest in what is a rather humdrum tale truth be told

Animated comedy sci-adventure that imo is at its best with some really sweet and funny moments when it's just Hiro and Baymax but for me proceedings drop down a notch or two during its predictable 'superhero' phases

Surreal comic drama mix of live action and animation that's amusing in places and quite touching in others but also drags at times and would have benefitted from being pared back slightly imo

Classic fantasy romance that has some sumptuous sets whilst the lovers are well cast and play their parts nicely but the humour is rather hit and miss for me and proceedings do veer extremely close to saccharine on occasion

Musical comedy that's well enough made and somewhat entertaining with some amusing moments and ok numbers but some of the humour is a little weak and it suffers from 'too many cooks' syndrome with its ensemble cast at times

Moderate courtroom mystery drama that doesn't have the highest production values and it's reveal knocks it down a touch but it's still an enjoyable enough watch overall

Immorality tale in which the dialogue is for the most part dreadful, the acting not really a whole lot better and the direction somewhat stiff

Silent comedy romance that's sadly damaged in places as well as incomplete (one third, reels 2 & 3, is missing) but thankfully still remains fairly cohesive and although difficult to rate Ms. Bow ensures it remains watchable (ably assisted by Mr. Clark) and though the humour sometimes falls flat it's not without a moment of entertainment or two

Decent HK crime drama that could have had it's runtime clipped a little here and there but is paced well enough to maintain interest and builds to a nice final half hour

Period Southern drama that marries it's mix of whimsical and dramatic pretty well thanks in part to a nice lead performance from Mr. Rogers and a level of warmth for the period that comes across in the direction

Completely over-the-top comedy horror that mixes the delightfully bizarre with the inanely childish with a side of racially offensive and slow to get into gear but is reasonably fun once it does and some of the effects are pretty good

Weak horror that spends far too long on a mainly uninteresting build-up to a climax that barely manages any tension (thanks in part to some poor acting and dialogue) and no worthwhile payoff to speak of

Fantasy adventure that's heavily CGI reliant and somewhat uneven but provides a reasonably fun alternative take on the tale of Sleeping Beauty which is for the most part an enjoyable and visually appealing watch imo

Very nice drama that's quite racy and somewhat lighthearted with a few lovely lines here and there for it's first hour but then switches to dark and more serious really nicely thanks to fine performances from both Ms. Twelvetrees and Mr. Halliday and even a touch of melodrama in the closing stages does little harm

Light-hearted musical drama about the Windmill theatre that's quite an enjoyable mix of humorous and sobering moments which has some nice interplay between Ms. Dench and Mr. Hoskins though other roles could have benefitted from also being fleshed out a little more

Mystery thriller that's a bit light on both mystery and thrills with some hammy acting and dialogue yet beside all that it's actually a reasonably fun watch

Biographical drama that recreates it's period quite nicely and is watchable but the whole is just rather bland and unmemorable

Documentary centred on the NYPD 75th precinct and primarily officer Michael Dowd from early-80s - early-90s that's nicely made for the most part and with it's mix of interviews, archive material and reconstruction easily maintains interest throughout though perhaps could be just slightly pared back

Very nice crime thriller with Mr. Jackman in fine form and quite an absorbing tale though the final twenty minutes or so see it starting to run out of steam and for me the very ending is a little crass

Modest romantic drama that's a little slow at times and doesn't have the highest production values but Ms. Blane & Mr. Darrow embody the leads nicely enough and the tale manages to maintain interest

Decent documentary on the special effects hero of both my childhood and those of far, far, far more importance

Low-budget crime drama that's watchable but never really builds much of anything (not helped by some missing frames) and is a bit stilted in terms of dialogue at times

Modest crime drama with a side of action that's fun enough once it gets to the meat of the story but the lead character is a tad irritating, some of the dialogue is poor and the early stages rather weak

Lovely WWII prison drama that is quite beautifully made and perfectly watchable though personally the humour provided by Messers Strauss and Lembeck grates at times

Light-hearted mystery that contains a few mildly amusing lines in places and is watchable but the mystery isn't particularly satisfying whilst some of the acting and dialogue leave a bit to be desired and the exposition is rather heavy-handed

Reality-based WW II drama that's an interesting tale and nicely enough told without being sensationalised though for me the introduction of espionage in the second half is a little underwhelming

Reasonably ok musical mix of live action and animation telling of Dickens' A Christmas Carol but whilst the humour is fun enough the songs really aren't up to much imo

Mystery thriller that's not only low on budget but sadly also on mystery and though watchable with touches of humour (both intentional and otherwise) and a nicely managed climactic sequence, some of the dialogue and acting aren't of a particularly high standard whilst both the score and sound editing are poor

Musical romantic drama that's quite beautiful visually with an especially nice main dance sequence and an interesting interpretation of the H C Anderson fairytale but the climax for me isn't up to the same level as that which has gone before and the speech to the audience delivered in such an affected fashion as to reduce any emotional impact for me

Star-studded comedy short made for charity that is as good as can be expected considering most appearances are extremely brief and it was put together via various locations with various directors

Romantic adventure that's fairly entertaining and for the most part shies away from melodrama but it does feel all of it's near two-hour runtime and it's major plot-points bring no real surprises

Drama in which Ms. Loy is decent as the central unscrupulous coquette whilst Thackeray's classic social tale is worthwhile as ever but it's a rather lifeless adaptation with precious little emotion on show up until the finale

TV crime mystery offering that's perfectly watchable but very 'production line' and certainly feels every minute of it's runtime

Crime/romance drama in which some of the dialogue is pretty dire and proceedings easy to predict but the two leads manage to imbue proceedings with a level of charm that makes the whole more enjoyable than it perhaps deserves

Russian WW II outing with roots in reality that ends with a little propaganda and does opt to not fully resolve a few potential conflicts but does also build some nice tension at times and the various characters are engaging enough to build rapport for them though the romantic element is a little twee