This multi- award winning film about the work of a bomb disposal unit in Iraq provides a powerful insight into the lives and minds of typical US soldiers involved in an unpopular conflict. Probably the best depiction of the aftermath of the Iraq war so far. Kathryn Bigelow's thoroughly deserved Oscar for Best Director is the first time a woman has achieved that particular coveted honour.
15 - 2008 - USA - 131 min - Dir: Kathryn Bigelow
A Korean mother lives quietly with her immature adult son, dispensing herbal remedies and acupuncture to neighbours. When a local girl is brutally murdered the son is arrested and charged. The police are inept and obstructive. Forced to investigate the crime herself, her utter dedication to the task (despite scant evidence involving golf balls and a mobile phone) makes for a powerful tale full of suspense.
15 - 2009 - South Korea - 128 min - Dir: Joon-Ho Bong
This unusual comedy is the directorial debut from Brass Eye's Chris Morris, about four would-be suicide bombers, a mostly hapless bunch of young Muslim men in the north of England. There are intriguing contrasts between their varying degrees of understanding/dedication to the cause and the fact that they are very likeable people. Funny, deeply uncomfortable at times, but very thought-provoking.
15 - 2010 - UK - 101 min - Dir: Christopher Morris
A rivetting drama set in a rural German community just before World War One, it portrays with increasing tension the loss of innocence in a baronial estate where strange incidents occur with growing frequency. Brilliant performances contribute to this study of social breakdown as a patriarchal community crumbles, and possibly where the seeds of fascism were sown. Won the Palme D'Or at Cannes.
15 - 2009 - Austria/Germany/France/Italy - 144 min - Dir: Michael Haneke
The true story of a young woman trying to get her life in order. She disciplines herself by spending a year preparing all the recipes from American food writer Julia Child's book about French cooking. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams give sparkling performances in this highly polished comedy from Nora Ephron (who wrote 'When Harry Met Sally' and directed 'Sleepless in Seattle').
12A - 2009 - USA - 123 min - Dir: Nora Ephron
This film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2009 and is a wry and insightful tale of a redundant cellist and his unintended career change to a mortician's assistant. The film shows the effect this has on his relationship with his wife and their outlook on life itself. Her pregnancy and the death of his father complicate their already complex lives.
12A - 2008 - Japan - 130 min - Dir: Yojiro Takita
Harlem, 1987: “Precious” is a 16-year-old African-American girl born into a life no-one would want. Pregnant by her absent father and abused by her mother, at school she conceals the fact that she can neither read nor write. Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. This is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and to overcome.
15 - 2009 - USA - 109 min - Dir: Lee Daniels
Centred on Rembrandt's masterpiece “The Nightwatch” and the interpretation that the painting is an encoded denunciation of the illustrious sitters as thieves and villains. Martin Freeman (Rembrandt) and Eva Birthistle (Saskia) give fiercely intelligent performances to convey the strain put on their relationship by the vengeful attempts of the Nightwatch patrons to ruin them financially and socially.
18 - 2007 - Neths/Canada/UK/France/Poland - 134 min - Dir: Peter Greenaway
Remembering a promise made to his wife long ago, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfil a lifelong dream of travel to the wilds of South America. Soon after lifting his house off using helium balloons, he discovers he has a stowaway, Russell – an explorer 70 years younger than him. So begins a delightful animated adventure involving a talking dog, a bird called Kevin and much more.
U - 2009 - USA - 96 min - Dir: Pete Docter and Bob Petersen
A poignant and deeply compassionate film based on the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood and set in Los Angeles in 1962. Colin Firth plays an English professor (George) finding life difficult after the accidental death of his personal partner of sixteen years (Jim). The film follows a day when George is tidying up some loose ends in his life and explores how his friends and acquaintances influence him.
12A - 2007 - USA - 101 min - Dir: Tom Ford
In this Oscar-winning thriller retired prosecutor Esposito is obsessed by a brutal murder where the killer was never brought to justice. He starts writing a novel based on the case and contacts Irene, the head of his old department, hoping to access the case files. The unfolding story reveals the intensity with which they pursued the investigation and eventually leads to a surprising resolution.
18 - 2009 - Argentina/Spain - 127 min - Dir: Juan Jose Campanella
Roman Polanski is back with a brooding political thriller based on a novel by Robert Harris, with a strong central performance from Ewan McGregor and also starring Pierce Brosnan & Kim Cattrall. The story is allowed to unfold slowly, and taut one-liners give the film a witty edge. Elegant cinematography and a stylish score all combine to make this one of the most enjoyable of all recent films.
15 - 2010 - France/Germany/UK - 128 min - Dir: Roman Polanski