Woman at War (2018)

Icelandic comedy-drama starring Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir as Halla, a choir conductor who leads a double life, sabotaging electricity power lines to make a point about the climate crisis.

The same actor also plays her own twin sister.

There’s humour and strong characterisation, but the film is slightly spoiled by the tricksy gimmick of showing us a band playing the incidental music. Repeatedly, when music begins, it fits the scene perfectly and helps build atmosphere – only for the camera to pan back or around to reveal the trio of musicians playing it. This device is clever, but after the first instance becomes quite irritating and erodes the narrative. In some scenes, Halla is meant to be alone as the plot is about her isolation, so placing her in a room full of musicians completely undermines that effect.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)

Written and directed by Mark Herman, this is an adaptation of a novel by John Boyne set in Poland during World War II. 

The eight-year-old son of a Nazi officer disobeys his parents and befriends a child held prisoner in a death camp. The story hinges on the boy not understanding what the place is (he thinks it’s a “farm”), and it’s painful to see the consequences of his naivety play out to their inevitable conclusion. 

Vera Famiga isn’t at her best playing the child’s mother, and David Thewlis doesn’t really excel as his Nazi father. It’s a somewhat simplistic account of events that seems geared towards younger viewers. And it was criticised for framing the tragedy around the officer’s family rather than the wider tragedy of the true victims of Nazi persecution.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Fascinating comedy-drama written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. 

It’s 1969 in Los Angeles. Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an actor famous for his role in a 1950s TV western. His best friend is his stunt double and personal assistant Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Times are changing and the pair are struggling to stay relevant in the film industry. Their next-door neighbours are actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and her director husband Roman Polanski. Also on the fringes of the scene is a young Charles Manson…

The film cleverly weaves together fact and fiction across multiple narratives, playing on what we know – or think we know – about the mythology of the Manson murders. It’s a kind of alternative history that finds humour and tragedy in the events, but not in the way that you might expect.

It’s visually rich and full of the iconography of the time, with Tarantino really relishing the period detail. Highly watchable stuff.

Vantage Point (2008)

A so-so political thriller that’s built around an interesting idea. We see the events leading up to (and away from) an assassination attempt on the US president at an engagement in Salamanca, Spain. The film adopts various perspectives, and we see the same action played out again and again from the "vantage point" of different characters.

Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver all feature, but there’s too little character development and too little dialogue for us to get much of a sense of any of them. Weaver in particular is underused, as if she only had a day available for filming and did it as a favour to the director (Pete Travis). 

I was expecting a mind-bending plot twist that never arrived, and overall it’s oddly unsatisfying.

Primary Colors (1998)

An engaging political drama directed by Mike Nichols, with plenty of comic moments. John Travolta plays a governor with presidential ambitions. Emma Thompson (with an American accent) plays his wife. And Adrian Lester plays the campaign manager, who tries to hold true to his idealism despite repeated incidents in which he needs to cover up for the governor’s reported transgressions. 

There’s a lot of dialogue, which gives the film extra richness, and it skilfully explores the relationships between the key characters. It’s not surprising to learn that it was adapted from Joe Klein’s loosely fictionalised account of the 1992 Bill Clinton presidential campaign. Emma Thompson even looks a little like Hilary Clinton at times.

Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates and Larry Hagman all co-star, and all are at their best.

Practical Magic (1998)

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman star as two witches in a highly flawed comedy-drama directed by Griffin Dunne. They are sisters trying to overcome a family curse that brings doom on any man they fall in love with.

It’s tonally all over the place – a sort of fairytale crossed with Thelma and Louise, Harry Potter and various horror/supernatural elements. Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest are miscast or misused as two eccentric aunts, and it wasn’t really clear why they were in the film at all. 

The film tries to address the topic of domestic abuse, but it’s a topic that requires a much more sensitive approach than this. The attempts to address it with comedy are inconsistent and grating.

Bullock and Kidman do their best with the material, but cannot salvage an awkward mess of a film.

Three Kings (2000)

David O. Russell directs this war film set in 1991 at the end of the first Gulf War, but it’s not up to his usual high standards.

George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg are more than passable as jaded American soldiers. Ice Cube is merely OK as part of their team going on a mission to retrieve stolen gold. 

It’s an interesting but uneasy balance of comedy, history and violence. The tone is all over the place and it doesn’t always work. It’s gritty without being believable, and it’s silly without being especially funny.

Lovely & Amazing (2001)

Comedy-drama written and directed by Nicole Holofcener.

Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) is the mother of two grown-up daughters, Michelle (Catherine Keener) and Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer). Jane has also adopted a pre-teen girl called Annie (Raven Goodwin). Each of them experiences various ups and downs in their personal lives, and the story expertly examines these domestic threads and how they interrelate.

Catherine Keener absolutely shines as a would-be artist who cannot sell her craft creations. She goes to work in a photo-development shop and becomes involved with a teenage co-worker (played by a young Jake Gyllenhaal), with inevitable consequences.

It’s a funny and perceptive film that’s highly entertaining.

28 Days (2000)

Comedy-drama directed by Betty Thomas.

Sandra Bullock plays an alcoholic who is forced to enter rehab after her drinking sprawls out of control. After initially resisting it, she eventually ends up coming to terms with a new way of life.

It’s a somewhat sanitised account of addiction. Even at her ‘worst’ moments, she looks fantastic. But – this being Sandra Bullock – there are moments of humour, and it’s always engaging.

Viggo Mortensen is underused as a fellow addict and possible love interest.

Dominic West is (deliberately?) annoying as Gwen’s bad-influence boyfriend, while Steve Buscemi is passable as one of the clinic’s counselors.

It’s nice to see (and hear) Loudon Wainwright, who strums his guitar and sings on a few occasions.

Unknown (2011)

Effective but unoriginal Liam Neeson vehicle, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. 

A professor (Neeson) has an accident on a work trip to Berlin. After he wakes up from a coma four days later, he has to prove his identity after no one recognizes him – including his own wife. Then another man claims to be him.

It’s engrossing if you don’t ask too many questions about the plot and if you don’t mind key elements of the story appearing to have been borrowed from the Jason Bourne films.

After the Wedding (2006)

Remarkable drama directed by Susanne Bier. 

Mads Mickelson stars as the manager of an orphanage in India. He is approached by a potential donor, based in Denmark, and travels there to secure the funds the orphanage needs. But the CEO, Jörgen (Rolf Lassgård), has other reasons for wanting to engineer this meeting.

It’s an intelligent domestic drama that takes off in unexpected directions and keeps you engaged and surprised to the very end. Mickelson is terrific, as ever, as is Sidse Babett Knudsen as his ex-lover.

Run Lola Run (1988)

Written and directed by Tom Tykwer, this is a German film that takes a somewhat experimental approach. Like a student art film, it’s quirky and doesn’t follow standard narrative conventions. 

Lola (Franka Potente) needs to raise 100,000 Deutschmarks in 20 minutes to save the life of her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). She has to run across the city and acquire the funds along the way. But, as with Groundhog Day, we see her repeat this narrative multiple times in her attempts to get it right.

It’s a great idea, but the execution is all over the place. At one point in the repeating sequence, live action is briefly replaced by animation. It’s also noticeable that one of the cameras produces higher-resolution footage than one of the others, making for an uneven mix. It’s unclear whether this is intentional, to vary the visual texture, or merely the result of poor production values.

Some of the acting is hammy, too. Overall, you feel it had potential that was never realised. But the central concept – of Lola running to the rescue – is a powerful one.

The Grey (2011)

Liam Neeson stars as the survivor of a plane crash in Alaska. He and his remaining oil industry colleagues attempt to walk to safety, battling icy storms and very hungry, very predatory wolves.

Director Joe Carnahan is effective at ramping up the tension, but the film – based on the short story “Ghost Walker” by Ian MacKenzie Jeffers – requires you to believe that the wolves are intent on hunting down the men and strategically picking them off one by one. I’m not sure how accurate this is in terms of the animals’ behaviour, but it’s certainly a negative depiction of the species, doing for wolves what Jaws did for sharks.

As it progresses the film takes on a more philosophical dimension, which just about works.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Matthew McConaughey is brilliant in this thriller, directed by Brad Furman and adapted from a novel by Michael Connelly.

Lawyer Mickey Haller works in a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car rather than an office, although not enough is made of this fact. He is hired to represent a Beverly Hills playboy accused of brutally beating a prostitute. 

It's an exciting, highly watchable thriller that's enhanced by McConaughey's considerable charm and charisma.

Whiplash (2014)

Excellent drama about a boy (Miles Teller) at a New York musical school wanting to become an all-time great drummer. His tutor, Terence Fletcher (J. K. Simmons), is pushy and sadistic in his methods, pushing Andrew to ever more painful extremes. 

It’s fascinating and often uncomfortable viewing. The music is tremendous, and the drumming sequences are almost unbearably intense. 

Director Damien Chazelle also directed La La Land and there are some similar motifs.

Gone Girl (2014)

Extremely disappointing thriller directed by David Fincher and adapted from the popular novel by Gillian Flynn. 

I’d heard great things about it, but it turns out to be oddly mannered and unconvincing. 

Ben Affleck stars as a man who becomes a suspect after his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), suddenly vanishes. The plot is ludicrously far-fetched and there's something silly about the whole thing. 

Visually and tonally, there's a "clinical" quality to it that's hugely unpleasant.

The Big Sleep (1946)

This smart adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s 1939 novel offers tremendous writing and acting.

The convoluted plot is difficult to follow but it doesn’t really matter because Humphrey Bogart (as private detective Philip Marlowe) and Lauren Bacall (as Vivian Rutledge) are so magnetic. 

It looks stunning and some of the dialogue is dynamite.

American Beauty (1999)

A brilliantly made and acted – but in many ways quite depressing – drama directed by Sam Mendes.

Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening star as a couple whose marriage is disintegrating. Spacey plays an advertising executive whose midlife crisis manifests itself in an obsession with the best friend of his teenage daughter. 

It’s compelling and disturbing stuff that ponders suburban ennui and the meaning of life.

The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)

Romantic comedy-drama written and directed by Steve Kloves.

Two pianist brothers (real-life brothers Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges) hire a female singer named Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) to pep up their act. This decision revives their fortunes but introduces complications when romantic feelings develop between Susie and one of the brothers.

It’s a well-written film with plenty of humour and intelligence.

Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)

Directed by Sharon Maguire, this is the third instalment in the popular series adapted from Helen Fielding’s mega-selling novels. Renée Zellweger is once again a loveable, accident-prone neurotic who, in theory, we can all relate to. She finds out that she’s pregnant and has to work out which of two lovers is the father (hints of Mamma Mia). Is it charming lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) or charming mathematician Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey)?

There are enough laughs to make it work, and it’s certainly superior to the second film, while lacking the freshness of the first. Zellweger is so appealing that she’s worth watching even when it’s not hilarious. And Emma Thompson adds depth as Doctor Rawlings.

All Is Lost (2013)

Intensely powerful and watchable drama, brilliantly written and directed by J. C. Chandor. 

Damaged by a large container that fell from a cargo ship, a man’s boat starts to sink in the Indian Ocean. He has to escape the doomed craft, only to then drift in a life raft with dwindling hope as he begins to reflect on his life and the decisions that got him to this point. 

Giving arguably his greatest ever performance, Robert Redford is pretty much the film’s only actor and he’s alone for most of the time. There’s hardly any dialogue at all, making his struggle even more elemental and powerful. 

There’s strong music and sound design, making it all seem very real. And there’s remarkable underwater photography, capturing both the beauty and the fierceness of nature. 

I first saw this at the cinema, and when I got home I vowed never to go on a boat again.

The War of the Roses (1989)

Black comedy directed by Danny DeVito, who also plays a lawyer narrating the plot. The story deals with a couple, Oliver and Barbara Rose, who plan to divorce but cannot agree on who will keep their large house. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner are reunited from Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, both of which also featured DeVito, although this is a very different kind of film. As the couple’s rivalry intensifies, they end up effectively trying to kill each other.

The comedy isn’t really funny enough, with some of the slapstick seeming very extreme. It badly needs more laughs. Instead, it’s certainly interesting and memorable but it’s tonally quite peculiar.

The Awakening (2011)

Rebecca Hall stars as Florence Cathcart, a professional debunker of supernatural phenomena, who is sent to a school where spooky goings on have been reported. As she begins to investigate ghostly sightings, it becomes clear that she is involved in these events in deeper ways than she realises. 

Directed by Nick Murphy, this is a genuinely creepy thriller that follows the first rule of horror: what you don’t see is scarier than what you do see. 

Imelda Staunton is excellent as a member of staff at the school, while Dominic West is pretty good as one of the teachers who becomes romantically involved with Cathcart.

On the down side, too much happens in the last 10 minutes, so the ending does seem a little rushed. And the deliberately ambiguous ending may frustrate.

Miss Potter (2006)

Directed by Chris Noonan, this is a biopic of Beatrix Potter focusing on the early part of the writer/illustrator’s career. 

I enjoyed it because Renée Zellweger is always so watchable, but it’s very thin on plot. And the addition of animated sequences in which Potter’s art comes to life are clunky and awkward. I found them a little patronising, too. We can see for ourselves that she regards her characters as “living” things because Zellweger’s acting makes it clear. We don’t need it spelled out in such a literal manner. 

On the plus side, Ewan McGregor is much better than usual. And there are some sweet moments detailing the couple’s romance. But ultimately Miss Potter feels like a branding exercise on behalf of the Beatrix Potter estate.

The Net (1995)

Directed by Irwin Winkler, this is a trashy but enjoyable thriller starring Sandra Bullock as a geeky computer expert whose identity is stolen and erased. Jeremy Northam plays the villain who initially seduces her before trying to kill her. 

While it’s very basic in some ways, and we never really learn what the villains were planning to do, there are genuine thrills and surprises along the way. The fairground sequence is highly effective. And it was difficult to predict the ending. The filmmakers wrestle with how to make typing on a computer keyboard look exciting and just about make it work with fast edits and unusual close-ups. 

As always, Sandra Bullock is highly watchable.

Vera Drake (2004)

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, this is an excellent drama about a 1950s working-class Londoner (Imelda Staunton) who illegally performs abortions out of a well-meaning wish to help young girls. Vera has a tight-knit family who know nothing of what she does and whose lives are completely transformed by the discovery. 

Imelda Staunton is superb in the lead role, adding depth and emotional complexity to the moral issues explored by the script. The fall-out of her actions and the devastating effects on Vera and her family are brilliantly examined by Mike Leigh, with his usual intelligence and empathy.

Career Girls (1997)

Brilliant comedy-drama written and directed by Mike Leigh. It tells the story of two student friends, played by Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman, who reunite after six years apart. 

They are complex characters, and the actors give astonishingly vivid performances to bring them to life. There’s so much twitchy energy when they’re on screen together that you don’t know where to look.

It would have been a masterpiece except for some plot problems. The pair keep bumping into people they knew years ago. This just doesn’t happen in a city as large as London. And for a story grounded in social realism, three major coincidences is two too many.

Comfort & Joy (1984)

Gentle comedy directed by Bill Forsyth with that director's usual offbeat wit and strong sense of place. 

A local radio DJ (Bill Paterson) becomes involved in a dangerously escalating feud between two rival ice-cream companies. 

It’s funny, but with moments of drama. Claire Grogan (credited as C. P. Grogan) plays a young woman working in the Mr. Bunny ice cream van and doesn’t get enough lines of her own. 

As with Local Hero, the locations are evocative and there’s a keen intelligence to the script.

Secrets & Lies (1996)

Absolutely masterful drama directed by Mike Leigh. The members of a family find out things about each other that transform their lives as secrets and lies are revealed. Brenda Blethyn and Timothy Spall star as siblings. Marianne Jean-Baptiste stars as Hortense Cumberbatch, an optometrist seeking her birth mother.

Leigh cleverly unpeels layers of the story, letting you know more about the characters and how they interrelate. It’s brilliantly shot, too. A party in the garden is framed like a play, with everyone in shot and everyone doing something at the same time. It’s fascinating to watch and definitely has the feel of a stage play. But, at the same time, the realism is such that it never seems “theatrical”.

Firefox (1982)

A truly terrible film directed by Clint Eastwood, who stars as a military pilot tasked with stealing a thought-controlled Soviet fighter aircraft.

It’s confusingly plotted. The acting is hammy. There’s a total lack of dynamism. Clint is alone for much of the film so has no one to play off or interact with. Indeed, he has to talk to himself most of the time. Meanwhile, stilted, static scenes of grumpy army generals standing around talking does not make for good drama.

A fundamentally misconceived mess.

Magic (1978)

Anthony Hopkins is at his absolute best in this riveting drama about a ventriloquist, Charles “Corky” Withers, whose dummy (“Fats”) appears to take him over. It cleverly walks a tightrope between a psychological thriller and a horror film. Is it all in the ventriloquist’s mind? Or is there a genuinely supernatural element, with the dummy actually coming to life? That question is eventually answered but not before you’ve been put through a terrifying roller-coaster. 

Magic was presumably influenced by Dead of Night, which had a section that explored a similar scenario. 

The film is brilliantly directed by Richard Attenborough. Burgess Meredith (the Penguin from the Batman TV show) is excellent as Corky’s agent, Ben Greene, who soon learns that nothing is quite as it should be.

Pollock (2000)

Absolutely excellent biopic of Jackson Pollock, starring Ed Harris in the title role. The film examines the man’s life and work, exploring his addictions and mental health while also examining the innovations of his art. 

Marcia Gay Harden is perfect as his wife, the painter Lee Krasner, in a role that’s satisfyingly developed.

Harris, who also directs, does a great job of articulating the artist’s gifts and his mental struggles, often at the same time. It can’t have been an easy role, but he convinces in the part to the extent that it’s impossible to imagine any other actor doing it so well.

Jennifer Connelly plays Ruth Kligman, who Pollock had an affair with shortly before his death in a car accident.

A Most Violent Year (2014)

Excellent thriller directed by J. C. Chandor and set in the early 1980s. 

Oscar Isaac stars as a New Yorker whose business – selling oil – is threatened by corruption and violence. Jessica Chastain plays his tough wife – a complex, brilliantly drawn character, whose father has a dubious criminal background. 

It has a Martin Scorsese feel and the choice of urban locations is superb. The title doesn’t quite work, though, as it could be applied to countless other thrillers.

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Judy Garland vehicle directed by Vincente Minnelli. 

The story begins in St. Louis in the summer of 1903, and moves through the seasons before culminating in the World’s Fair in spring 1904.

The songs are nice rather than sensational. I was expecting something a little generic but Judy Garland is always treat to watch, and overall it’s surprisingly enjoyable.

The Love Punch (2013)

Written and directed by Joel Hopkins, this is a lame comedy starring Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson as a divorced couple who set off on a silly mission to steal a diamond in the south of France. 

What might have been an interesting romantic comedy becomes a deliberately absurd slapstick caper. The actors are all strong (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie also star) but the script just isn’t funny enough and their talents are wasted on something half-baked and crudely forgettable.

Darkest Hour (2017)

Gary Oldman plays Winston Churchill during his early days as UK Prime Minister during World War II.

It’s brilliantly acted but poorly filmed. The overuse of shadows and light by director Joe Wright in pretty much every scene becomes wearing, and quickly feels clichéd, as does the naff music. In fact it’s quite “flat” all round. 

Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James are strong in supporting roles as Churchill's wife and secretary respectively. Oldman is superb and the film is worth seeing (once) if only for him.

Crash (2004)

An attempt by director Paul Haggis to make a multi-layered, interconnected narrative with a general theme about racism. It partially succeeds. 

The ensemble cast’s acting is strong (notably Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon), and the weaving together of threads is expertly handled. What spoils the film is the very intrusive, jarring music that just doesn’t suit the scenes it soundtracks. Also, the visuals seem over-filtered.

Heathers (1989)

The blackest of black comedies, directed by Michael Lehmann, this is an unusual film.

Winona Ryder stars as one of four girls named Heather in a high school clique. Christian Slater (who exudes the easy, relaxed charisma of a young Jack Nicholson) is new student Jason “J.D.” Dean, who begins murdering anyone who wrongs him. 

It’s tonally strange – a little like a much nastier Clueless – but there’s plenty of wit and intelligence among the morbid and tasteless elements.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Almost ridiculously epic and far too long, this second part of the Frank Herbert sci-fi adaptation is again directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Paul Atreides unites with the Fremen people of Arrakis to wage war on House Harkonnen. 

There are too many shots of Zendaya scowling at Timothée Chalamet.

It’s visually stunning but also quite ponderous in places.

The Thing (1982)

Directed by John Carpenter, this is an intriguing mixture of horror, sci-fi and psychological drama.

Kurt Russell stars as one of a group of US researchers working in Antarctica, where the team encounter an alien life-form able to take on the form of other beings – including dogs and humans.

The plot cleverly explores how no one can trust each other because of the risk that any one of them could have been taken over by the alien. There's plenty of tension, and – although I don't love his acting style – Russell is pretty good in the lead role.

The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)

Barbra Streisand directs and stars as a middle-aged academic, Rose, who begins a relationship with a fellow professor (Jeff Bridges). Both are determined that it will stay platonic, based on mutual respect and with no physical complications, but of course it isn’t that simple. 

Like most Streisand films, it’s a rich source of material for anyone wishing to psychoanalyse her. There’s lots about her childhood, her relationships with her parents (Lauren Bacall plays Rose’s stern mother), and her body image. 

It’s flawed but fairly entertaining – especially if you’re already a Babs fan.

The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

Biopic of the American band-leader, directed by Anthony Mann. 

In the title role, James Stewart seemingly makes very little effort to become the character, instead relying on his usual tics and mannerisms to carry the plot along. 

As a biopic, it’s weak. As a story in its own right, it’s reasonably entertaining but oddly childish. You learn surprisingly little about Miller’s life and career.

White Oleander (2002)

Absolutely superb drama directed by Peter Kosminsky.

Michelle Pfeiffer is Ingrid Magnussen, who is sent to prison for murdering an unfaithful boyfriend. Her daughter Astrid (Alison Lohman) is sent to a series of foster homes, which lead to problems of their own, but Ingrid’s controlling ways continue to determine events. 

Adapted from Janet Fitch's 1999 novel, it’s a sad and often harrowing story about the damage adults do to children. Pfeiffer and Lohman are fantastic. In other roles, Robin Wright and Renée Zellweger are also excellent.

One odd casting decision is having Billy Connolly play the murdered boyfriend. He’s hardly in the film at all but he does stand out as an extremely unusual and somewhat jarring choice for that role.

The Story of Us (1999)

Extremely well written and ultimately touching comedy drama about a couple and their marriage. 

Ben and Katie (Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer) choose to separate when the children are away on summer camp. We see them working through the new relationship status, while looking back on the highs and lows of the marriage. 

Director Rob Reiner (who also stars as a family friend) wisely keeps the film simple and focused.

The Blind Side (2009)

An intriguing drama, directed by John Lee Hancock and adapted from the 2006 book by Michael Lewis. It tells the true story of American footballer Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), who came from a poor background and a drug-addicted mother and was taken in by a wealthy Republican family. 

Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne, Oher’s new “mother”, and delivers one of her strongest performances in a complex role. 

Only one criticism: I misheard some of the intro and it sent me down the wrong path. I spent the whole film expecting Oher to fatally injure another player, which wasn’t where it was heading at all. That’s my fault, but I do think the opening moments could have been clearer.

Miss Congeniality (2000)

So-so comedy directed by Donald Petrie. 

Sandra Bullock stars as an FBI agent who goes undercover as a contestant in a beauty pageant after a terrorist threatens to set off a bomb. Michael Caine plays her coach, Victor, while William Shatner is the veteran presenter, Stan. 

There are a few funny moments, but not nearly enough. As always, Bullock is brilliant but the material isn’t worthy of her talents. It’s also somewhat ambiguous in terms of its messaging about beauty contests, seeming to both condemn them and praise them. Plus, there's not enough of her as an agent.

I don't think I need to bother with the sequel.

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Described as a romantic comedy, this OK film directed by Jon Turteltaub isn’t really funny at all. 

Sandra Bullock stars as Lucy, a Chicago Transit Authority token collector. She has a crush on a commuter, Peter (Peter Gallagher), who she sees every morning. One day he’s pushed in front of a train and she saves his life. He goes into a coma, and in a blaze of confusion she allows Peter’s family to believe she’s his fiancé. But then she starts falling in love with Peter’s brother (Bill Pullman). 

Whenever Bullock is on screen, she shines. Pullman is also pretty good. The problem is the ensemble case of family and friends – poorly drawn characters with too much screen time. It’s just not very well written. For example, when Peter’s actual fiancé shows up you expect all sorts of amusing misunderstandings, but that event is thrown away and a potentially interesting plot thread merely fizzles out.

The Truman Show (1998)

Jim Carrey stars as Truman Burbank, a man who doesn’t realise that his whole life has been filmed for a reality TV show broadcast to millions. This show is masterminded by Christof (Ed Harris), portrayed as an almost godlike figure.

It's a fascinating idea, but the execution seems fatally flawed. In places the storytelling isn't strong enough – mainly because you can’t easily tell what’s meant to be TV footage and what is us seeing what’s really going on. 

The plot only works at all if you don't ask any questions of it. For example, why does Carrey’s character perform as though he’s in a TV show when he doesn’t know he is? And how does the acting role actually work for his wife (Laura Linney), who is on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days per year?

Dead of Night (1945)

Extremely unusual Ealing Studios curio.

It features a series of short stories framed within one wider narrative. Each of these tales deals with some kind of supernatural occurrence. The best of these, by some distance, is the one featuring Michael Redgrave as a ventriloquist whose dummy takes on a life of its own. It's chilling and unnerving, unlike the other segments, which seem a little too mannered and silly to really work – with hammy acting that doesn't help. There's also a "comical" story about a deceased golfer who returns to haunt his rival.

You have to admire the ambition of this construction, even if not all of it works.

The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick's terrifying, mesmerising classic both adapts and adds to the Stephen King horror novel.

Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) and his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) spend the winter snowed in at the remote Overlook Hotel in Colorado. Their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), has a special gift of telepathy – also known as shining. As isolation takes hold, Jack suffers a mental decline that is only accelerated by supernatural events.

Nicholson is superb in the lead role – both funny and convincingly insane.

The music is incredible. It's hugely atmospheric. The "tricycle" scenes around the lonely corridors are hypnotic. The psychological domestic drama is perfectly blended with a supernatural thriller. It's surreal and impressionistic, but with a strong narrative pull.