Karlovy Vary International Film Festival — A–Z of films

Hamaguchi’s most pointed provocation is not that the nursing home becomes excessive in its care, but that ordinary neglect has trained us to see basic tenderness as excess.

The directors with their fifth feature take a humane view of the plight of their subjects but spare us any over-sentimentality

For all its quality, and there's plenty, it doesn't quite feel a thing complete. Its characters are disobedient, but their film is in part disordered.

It's a shame that this intriguing idea hasn't developed into the gem of a film it should have been.

A testament to tolerance, forgiveness and the ability of the characters to overcome differences.

Throughout, Yeon’s directorial skill and Byun Bong-sun’s stylish cinematography grip viewers’ attention.

I wished for Billy Wilder's spirit from The Apartment to take over the tone just a little bit.

The way Zischler and Hüller play their relationship is so wonderfully real and subtle and appropriately opaque for all us non-Mann family members, that it at times brought tears to my eyes.

Sociopolitics spritzes delicately, like the water from the club's sprinklers, over the whole affair.

Mungiu’s eye moves between the juggernaut and the barely visible.

Men are infrequently seen in Fruit Gathering, which is more interested in women’s status and struggle.

Seydoux takes us into the maelstrom with Lucy, determined and doubtful, angry and grief-stricken, fearful and belligerent all at the same time.

Pompeii becomes a place where fantasy is tested against historical violence, and where looking too closely can break the story one came to preserve.

It feels as fresh today as it did then.

A fascinating and mature ensemble piece

Successfully mixes genres rather purely being a social drama

Likely to put a smile on the faces of horror fans who favour the dissection of ideas over dismemberment.

It’s not that the journey is unpleasant but the stakes are very low and the lack of tension leads it to feel overstretched as a result.

Kes is one of those films that's perhaps dwarfed by its reputation; it's a deeply personal and humble little film at its core.

She clicks with Philippe, and there’s a wonderful openness about the film as she finds joy in being able to talk about everything with no fear anymore.

Although Lover, Not A Fighter is a decidedly funny film, it tackles a multitude of gut-wrenching themes.

There exists no safe ground when you are part of a regime that uses fear and threats as casual tools.

Undoubtedly one of the best films ever made.

A powerful experience, brimming with raw talent.

The Moment’s biggest misstep is making Charli’s defining feature indecisive flightiness.

Writer/director Hanna Bergholm walks the line with skill.

The Order might not be too original, both in the plot and the character department, but it is very effective, functional movie fun.

Told entirely without dialogue but with an upbeat, summery score from Talita Del Collado, it has an eco-conscious vibe.

The issue is that if you strip out the elevated craft and A-list performances, what is left is the sort of bread-and-butter plot arc Cagney & Lacey used to rely on back in the day.

Lance Hammer’s drama confronts its subject unsentimentally head on with no holds barred.

A strangely old-fashioned affair.

A stylish and twisty psychological thriller that easily goes the distance in terms of plot, even if the scripting is uneven in places

Apart from setting the tone and maintaining it, the strongest point of Schleinzer’s filmmaking is casting and directing the actors' interactions between one another and the environment.

Jenkin’s style, impressionistic when it comes to places, is particular in regard to objects, the real anchors of our lives.

Kingsley gives a chilling performance.

The title may seem a bit on the nose, but it certainly emphasises the themes, calling attention to them in both subtle and overt moments

Anderson and Einbinder are a terrific pairing.

Its comedy leaps barricades.

Director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet weaves an intricate life for Gabrielle without making it feel like a melodrama

What the narrative wants to test is the cost of principled resistance when you have a child to protect