Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 81%
| Examined Life (2009) | "
The ones that work, Cornel West and Peter Singer for example, are intriguing and compelling but they don't all hang together so effortlessly." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 97%
| Tulpan (2008) | "
Perceptive and humorous, this gentle drama is uplifting and resonant." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 94%
| Goodbye Solo (2009) | "
Subtle and unflinching, this is genuine and charming." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 97%
| The Beaches of Agnes (2009) | "
Compelling and intriguing, this is the perfect director's autobiography." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 85%
| White Lightnin' (2009) | "
Dominic Murphy’s pseudo-biopic is as visually assured as it is audacious, but behind the slickly edited imagery, the debutant’s storytelling is exposed by shallow characterisation." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 100%
| The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) | "
An intriguing mix of French New Wave and Hollywood Musical, this still succeeds in sweeping you off your feet." — Empire Magazine Posted Aug 14, 2009 |
Rotten 2/5
| Fresh 74%
| Just Another Love Story (2009) | "
High concept thriller which fails to captivate due to unsympathetic characters." — Empire Magazine Posted Jul 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 25%
| Charles Dickens' England () | "
Whilst the tone and intention are admirable, the excess of facts and locations spread the message and cohesiveness a little thin." — Empire Magazine Posted Jul 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 91%
| Cloud 9 (2009) | "
This is a disarmingly tender human drama examining whether the elderly should prioritise lust or loyalty, shared memories or unforeseen adventures." — Empire Magazine Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 94%
| BirdWatchers (2009) | "
Having captured an authentic and compelling tone, the cliched story twists lets the film's down occasionally." — Empire Magazine Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 73%
| Rudo and Cursi (2009) | "
This is rarely anything more than an entertaining romp, going for belly laughs rather than satirical incisiveness." — Empire Magazine Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 86%
| 'Tis Autumn - The Search for Jackie Paris (2007) | "
At times fascinating, but De Felitta's presentation is sometimes a little skewed." — Time Out Posted Nov 21, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 91%
| Still Life (2008) | "
The despondent tone is lifted by moments of hope and, surprisingly, hilarity." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 20, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Rotten 42%
| A Bloody Aria (2006) | "
Won’s critique of the abuse of power in South Korean society lacks trenchancy, but he subverts convention with an incisiveness lacking in much transatlantic horror." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 24, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Rotten 42%
| A Bloody Aria (2006) | "
Won’s critique of the abuse of power in South Korean society lacks trenchancy, but he subverts convention with an incisiveness lacking in much transatlantic horror." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 24, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 100%
| Heavy Load (2008) | "
An engaging documentary." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 3, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Fresh 85%
| Unrelated (2008) | "
Hogg stages some scenes with a sure sense of composition and dramatic tension but too often the film feels self-conscious and ponderous." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 19, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 78%
| Ashes of Time Redux (1994) | "
Christopher Doyle’s mesmeric compositions remain unaltered, his experiments with colour, light and texture giving the imagery an artistry that majestically survive the moments of clumsy viscerality attempted during the fight sequences." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 12, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Fresh 64%
| Never Apologize: A Personal Visit with Lindsay Anderson (2008) | "
There’s plenty of fascinating material here, yet many of the anecdotes fall flat." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 5, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 70%
| Sakuran (2006) | "
The staging is sumptuous but the imagery is static and the anachronistic score is a major irritant." — Empire Magazine Posted Aug 29, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 84%
| In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2008) | "
Lovingly photographed in a monochrome that recalls Woody Allen’s Manhattan, this is a slickly scripted rom-com." — Empire Magazine Posted Jun 13, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 67%
| The Passionate Friends (1949) | "
It’s a fascinating snapshot of middle-class mores during the post-War socialist revolution, but it cries out for a heroine of Celia Johnson’s sensitivity." — Empire Magazine Posted Jun 5, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 14%
| Botched (2007) | "
Hugely derivative, but highly entertaining." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 18, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 88%
| Beaufort (2008) | "
This Oscar-nominated drama makes excellent use of its location and ensemble cast." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 18, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 100%
| Libero (2005) | "
Over-melodramatic in places but an impressive central performance from the young lead." — Empire Magazine Posted Jan 24, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 91%
| The Italian (2007) | "
Despite channeling Dickensian melodrama, first-time director Andrei Kravchuk skilfully avoids wallowing in sentimentality." — Empire Magazine Posted Jan 24, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 88%
| Back To Normandy (2007) | "
A typically detailed profile of people creating something remarkable together." — Empire Magazine Posted Jan 18, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 43%
| Infinite Justice (2006) | "
This attempt to understand the radicalisation of Muslims means well. But it feels more like a TV-movie with its dumbed down discussion of conflitcing idealogies and the melodramatic humanity of the relationship between the prisoner and his gaoler." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 28, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 86%
| 4:30 (2007) | "
A melancholic treatise on isolation and our failure to connect with those closest to us." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 21, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 79%
| A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2006) | "
Slick, striking and sobering." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 8, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 84%
| The Witnesses (2008) | "
Téchiné captures the changing attitudes of the times but some characters feel too peripheral." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 19, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 90%
| Witnesses (2003) | "
Téchiné captures the changing attitudes of the times but some characters feel too peripheral." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 19, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 94%
| The Singer (2006) | "
Constantly confounding expectations, this is a film of heart and humour." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 28, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 91%
| Tough Enough (2006) | "
Director Detlev Buck may be well versed in comedies but he manages to pull off a neat little drama thanks to some credible performances." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 21, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 50%
| The Legacy (2006) | "
A Hitchcockian atmosphere conjures up some genuine suspense but it loses points for falling into the realms of melodrama in the final moments." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 14, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 47%
| A Few Days in September (2006) | "
An inventive idea is let down by a weak script." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 11, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 86%
| Small Engine Repair (2006) | "
By keeping the mood downbeat, director Niall Heery squeezes some extra mileage out of a cliche-ridden idea." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 7, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 26%
| Copying Beethoven (2006) | "
Brief bursts of passion aside, this is a lifeless facsimile of the great artist's last days." — Empire Magazine Posted Aug 17, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 100%
| I for India (2007) | "
A deeply moving portrait of a family trying to retain their indigenous identity." — Empire Magazine Posted Aug 3, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 79%
| Private Fears in Public Places (2007) | "
An insightful reflection on relationships and solitude." — Empire Magazine Posted Jul 20, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 80%
| Taxidermia (2009) | "
Keeping it surreal has never been so nauseating and, at times, hilarious." — Empire Magazine Posted Jul 13, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 81%
| Sketches of Frank Gehry (2006) | "
A fond and always accessible portrait, but the lack of objectivity and drooling images of Gehry's work deprives this documentary of any objectivity." — Empire Magazine Posted Jun 29, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 67%
| Close to Home (2007) | "
A slyly subversive insight into the role of women in the Israeli military, this is a surprisingly compassionate satire that makes its political points without resorting to caricature." — Empire Magazine Posted May 7, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 89%
| Beyond Hatred (2005) | "
This deeply moving account of a French family's response to a needless tragedy is all the more effective as it eschews the sensationalism of so much modern reportage." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 27, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| N/A | The Sound Of Rio: Brasileirinho (2007) | "
The music on show is superb - but the lack of an historical context deprives viewers of a full cultural appreciation of the Brazilian charo." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 23, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 82%
| The Family Friend (2006) | "
Artistically, this scathing assault on human frailty couldn't be more accomplished. But there's something mechanical about the central characters' cynicism and their ultimate abasement." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 13, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 87%
| After The Wedding (2007) | "
The storyline is a highly melodramatic, but some solid performances and the relentless intimacy of the camerawork give this a Dogme sense of significance." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 8, 2007 |
Fresh 5/5
| Fresh 100%
| The Wages of Fear (1952) | "
A nail-biting drama that's a must-see." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 1, 2007 |
Rotten 1/5
| Fresh 67%
| The Bridge (2006) | "
If harrowing footage of deeply disturbed people contemplating a hideous suicide cross-cut with interviews with grieving loved ones who often blame themselves for failing to prevent the tragedy strike you as art - help yourself." — Empire Magazine Posted Feb 14, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 71%
| Climates (2006) | "
Making masterly use of sound and image, this is a desperately sad study of the difficulty people have to communicate and commit in an increasingly insular world." — Empire Magazine Posted Feb 7, 2007 |
IGN RSS Feeds