LaGuerta

While I can understand the lack of screen time for the titular character is necessary to build suspense, it is harder to swallow 'human drama' which fills the gaps. The laughably cliqued dialogue and one dimensional characters who spend an inordinate amount of their considerable screen time open mouthed and staring above or open mouthed and frowning drag pace to a crawl. A safe option would be to give the film a miss and instead watch the two minute trailer which revealed the only interesting and well done parts of one of the dullest blockbusters ever witnessed by man, beast or winged preying mantis.

While 'Napoleon Dynamite' is undoubtedly amusing, the lack of a strong storyline reduces it's characters into quotable caricatures with a distinct lack of depth.

In its short run time, 'Fruitvale Station' captures the very essence of Oscar and the rich chaos of his life with an overwhelmingly authenticity. The quasi dramatic irony of his impending doom makes his story all the more tragic and hard to watch. An important film which demonstrates a societal problem which many incorrectly assume is no longer relevant

After spending 105 minutes with this film, I can honestly say I have no idea what was achieved. Too dull and predictable to take seriously and guilty of plagiarising from not only the first instalment but every competent horror film made since Psycho. It's worst crime however is adversely affecting how we see the first film which was far superior. Yet, despite it's incompetence, Mr Wan has the audacity to end by setting up Chapter 3, we can only hope for a short book.

Sinister, brutal and in possession of an abundance of lines to read between, 'No Country for Old Men' is a modern day masterpiece from the boots of it's cinematography right up to the Stetson of typically multi dimensional, Coen characterisation. I will no longer feel safe behind a locked door having witnessed the now, iconic realisation of Anton Chigurh.

Watching this film is an undeniably bitter-sweet experience and you cannot help but feel the highs and, more so, the lows with the victims. It's masterful use of archive footage ensures that the audience is dragged back to that time to witness the achievements of human will and the damage caused by prejudice, tradition and inaction. A truly moving and important piece of cinema.

American Psycho is the kind of film which one may enjoy watching clips of when inebriated but isn't as enjoyable to watch as a whole. This is because it doesn't take enough direction from the novel and focuses too greatly on Bale's performance and his killing scenes.

The problem with 'Sunshine' is that it strays from it's initial, promising stride into a lazy effort to entertain. Storytelling and integrity take a back seat when slasher elements are inappropriately injected. In the end, it becomes frustrating to watch, particularly due to the strength of direction, writing and acting.

A brutal film from the start, 'You're Next' is relentless in its delivery of gratuitous gore and terror. It avoids the trap that many modern horror films fall into of dragging out scenes in the vain effort to create suspense. While it loses it's stride slightly with the high kill count, this is a refreshing film which smacks you in the face. Or shoots a crossbow bolt into your back. Or obliterates your skull with a **** get the idea.

Showcasing Weaver and bringing an action orientated feel and a different dynamic to the cat and mouse ambiance the original so brilliantly captured means this is arguably the better out of the two. Arguably.

Like hairography, camera movement is relentless to disguise the lack of innovation and originality beneath it. It features dialogue which serves only to further stereotypes and drag plot in a direction slightly resembling forwards. Were I a magician, I would make this film disappear. I am not, so it remains.

Not only does 'Locke' demonstrate masterful storytelling and flawless performances, more importantly it shows up unnecessary spectacles such as Avatar and their mistaken notion that bigger is better. An important film in a disappointing time.

The tasteless need to explain every aspect of this film causes poorly written and artificial to dialogue to preside. As these explanations are given before the story has really begun, it is hard to care or even listen. Were it not for these problems, the film would amount to nothing more than a generic summer blockbuster. It's worse.

Nolan brings a fully realised and compelling Gotham to the big screen without resorting to the camp or ridiculous. Faithful to the finest comics, Batman Begins is the first live action film worthy of the Dark Knight.

Less easily impressed audience members will find themselves wanting to beat this film relentlessly until the maniacal laughing stops.

Just scene after scene of a poorly realised Creeper moving slowly towards a group of concerned looking adolescents.

With a giant god like hand, Whedon destroys viewer expectation by carefully crafting the perfect satire film with a wit, intelligence and depth that is often lacking in the films it makes fun of.

Revolutionary Road relies far too heavily on it's source material and in doing so encourages comparison which speedily brings the audience to the unsurprising realisation that the novel is superior. Despite this, Mendes fails to include the subtle and organic elements responsible for that superiority.

Relentless in it's intricately amusing ways, Fantastic Mr Fox is animated perfectly and written with an abundance of intelligence and wit.

While it could be easily argued that 'Moon' dispenses with it's mystery elements too readily, by doing so it allows the film to become intensely moving.

Schumacher succeeds only in adding yet another un-watchable film to his portfolio. 'Trepass' is flawed to such an extent that you wonder how it got made in the first place.

Goon flops out oafish quirk that doesn't really work as its main selling point. Poor characterisation and predictable story doesn't improve the situation. The film improves at the half way mark but not in the spectacular way necessary to make it particularly good.

'The Place Beyond the Pines' rushes through it numerous sections and fails to incorporate the plausibility and emotional depth required to make it the authentically gritty drama it desperately wants to be. Dane DaHaan is the only redeeming feature in a film which is too clichéd to be taken seriously and too drawn out to be entertaining.

A rare breed of film which compels it's audience to think and come to their own conclusions about what they are witnessing. From the soundtrack to every poignant shot, 'The Master' demonstrates technical excellence and brandishes a superb cast. How such a momentous piece of work can be so grossly overlooked is unfathomable.

Scott's severe dedication to suspense occasionally caused my eyes to drift away from the screen but not for long. This film is very much in control of itself and doesn't stray from the gloom it creates except for the few minutes when it is appropriate to do so. Markedly better on second viewing.

Soderbergh does well to subvert expectation. After a while, however, the feeling of being pleasantly surprised wears off and the once rousing strip scenes begin to drag on. The film eventually loses its magic by relying on predictable and uninspired storytelling

A glorified re-enactment which offers little more than a Wikipedia entry on the matter.

Undeniably well shot and, to an extent, acted. However, 'Side Effects' labours under the misapprehension that it is far more intelligent than it actually is and jams the story together like ill-fitting puzzle pieces.

A brilliant spectacle of violence, humour and quirk, what can be said about this film which hasn't already been said? Get yourself a big Kahuna burger, a tasty Sprite to wash it down and watch Pulp Fiction, Ezekial 25:17.

The inclusion of more characters at the expense of nausea inducing dialogue between the leads combined with the knowledge that this is the final film means that this is the best of the bunch. However, that says fairly little.

Blood Diamond's quality stems from its unapologetically brutal portrayal of its subject matter. However, in places, it panders to the audience by injecting typical Hollywood themes (you'll know them when you are smacked in the face with them) which serves to cheapen the story and characters.

Darkman is over the top yet rather stern, simultaneously. While it would have been perfect as a comic, it doesn't work quite as well as a film. However, it is uncompromising and refuses to patronise its audience and must be commended for that.

Katy's music must be embraced to be enjoyed and the same is true of this film. She allows her fans to roam in the cotton candy world she lives in but the unexpected honesty in this film makes the star relatable and ultimately inspiring. I defy anyone not to fall slightly in love with Ms Perry after viewing this film.

Avatar is the poster child for 3D cinema yet its other qualities are distinctly one dimensional, apparently 200 million dollars can't buy you a good story. Anyone who watches this is in for a headache-inducing three hours that they will never get back.

The script is dominated by a thorough lack of imagination as well as pointless and cringe-worthy winks at the audience. This film relies so heavily on special effects that it is, ironically, not particularly entertaining.

Meadows' understanding of everyday life portrayal is unparalleled. His partial use of improvisation induce a strong realism and hilarity into every scene. Seemingly with ease, he blends this with serious, and sometimes sinister, undertones which possess the same authenticity. The result is an unpretentious, honest and overall, touching film.

The Last Stand abandons the characters and neglects the story X-Men 1 and 2 spent so much time carefully developing and instead focuses on the crushing of motor vehicles.

If this is what Mike Leigh encounters in his every day life then I think he should find another circle of friends. His new friends should be calm, articulate and capable of getting through a sentence without the use of an idiom.

So inoffensive that it's offensive. It is cliché ridden and tries too hard to be quirky. Boden and Fleck select a subject matter that hasn't yet been given the treatment required for greater societal understanding and by approaching it in such a casual way, trivialise

An eerie and eventually horrifying look at the devastating effect of a broken parent-child relationship. Like Tilda Swinton's performance, this film is subtly impressive until the climatic ending brings about the realisation of just how brilliant it was.

The merciless skewering of Lucas's recent misdemeanours is witty, amusing and, as it provides so many different perspectives, fast paced. The real strength of the film lies in the almost touching demonstration of fans' adoration for the director's past genius and a desire to see more work from Lucas the artist, not the entrepreneur.

No modicum of effort has gone into this film and every lazy, predictable attempt at humour only serves to zap the energy audience members will desperately need to get through an hour and a half of, what can only be described as, crass commercialism.

Dark and exhilarating, X-Men returns brandishing the strong, action packed yet emotionally mature story that the original needed. However, lazy attempts at ensuring child friendliness detract from the overall quality. Fortunately, not by much.

This film plays to its two strengths, Bullock and Grant. Their charm and chemistry cause you to look more favourably upon the run-of-the-mill rom-com occurrences going on around them.

The film starts out acceptably but slips continuously into the realm of the average American rom-com and continues to lower itself with every misguided or half-hearted attempt to be inspirational until it becomes truly unbearable.

The superior cast and well crafted dialogue doesn't quite quell the underwhelming feeling brought about by a story that should reflect the best of the comics, but instead is unfocused and flirts with mediocrity.

The film is perhaps too light-hearted and not as cutting as it needs to be but it retains its message throughout, albeit to different extents.

You can only assume that Raimi intended to make a comedy but changed his mind at the last minute. Peter Parker dances away his credibility and the potential for a sequel.

Jar Jar, midi-chlorians, droids, The Trade Federation, C3PO built by Darth Vader are just a few reasons why I have a mirror **** bad feeling about this.

The emphasis on visuals takes away from the gritty characterisation and storytelling which made the last film so great. While it is nice to look at, it's not so great to watch. Still, it's Nolan's Batman.