Cambridge Film Festival — A–Z of films

Much Ado About Nothing was like being given a surprise invite to a lavish summer party in Tuscany; this feels more akin to being trapped in a 'back to nature' weekend theatre workshop where the actors are having a lot more fun than you.

A true feast for the eyes.

Black Gold presents a richly detailed portrait of the coffee industry, all the way from Ethiopia to the barista competitions and fashionable coffee houses of the West.

By focusing on the journey of how a spy becomes the Bond, James Bond we all know, the movie manages the impossible task of coping with all the baggage laid before it and reinvigorating our interest.

What is astounding, is the restraint shown by director Gary Winick - nothing takes us from the quiet rural life of America in the Forties.

The sort of movie that would be a great jumping off point for class discussions in senior schools.

A touching and honest look at awkward teenage romance under the disapproving eye of mum.

Careful facts started seeping down my neck until I was almost in a state of shock.

They really do do nothing but walk. Across the desert...this is all no doubt a radical deconstruction of conventional narrative assumptions and cinematic codes. It’s also very boring.

Looks terrific and moves with the fluidity and energy of a much classier picture.

Drawing Restraint 9 is no more an easy cinematic experience than a Rodin is a catchy picture postcard.

What follows is another trip into the middle of nowhere, which in some respects you can't help but feel you've seen before.

Scores heavily as a mood-driven character exploration of the nature of familial love, duty, conflict and its impact on the innocent.

You know you can’t be certain of anything. And that’s disturbing.

Despite all the hard work by the special-effects teams, this is lazy film-making.

Its depictions of the callousness and paranoia which can develop in war are intelligently handled, yet they make it difficult for the viewer to feel much real concern for the fate of these people.

The plot is thin... but the highly choreographed songs make up for it big-style.

The UN describes Haiti as the most dangerous place on earth and this haunting documentary shows us why.

G.I.T.S.3 once again merits its sci-fi credentials by being punchingly relevant to today in its view of tomorrow.

What's fascinating about Gypsy Caravan is the way Dellal becomes involved in her subjects' lives, enabling the viewer to do likewise.

Hallström successfully captures the style of the Seventies, aided by a breezy original score by Carter Burwell. He also shows us the dark undercurrents of the period.

Few documentaries can ever have been put together with the same level of meticulous care as this one, clearly the product of exhaustive research.

A reasonably polished film considering the minuscule budget.

For those who like thoughtful, literary cinema, this is a delight from beginning to end.

Last Tango In Paris is perhaps Brando's last truly great film, and bringing him together as it does with Bertolucci, it's something which no lover of film can afford to miss.

Longing is an interesting film in that it doesn't concern itself so much with the morality of its protagonist's actions as with their practical consequences. It provides a far more effective demonstration of the destructiveness of those actions.

Svankmajer makes the whole world a madhouse and all humanity its patients.

Some viewers will think this Macbeth scarcely deserves one star, whilst others will fall head over heels in love with it.

From the opening credits, this is a visual treat.

Pretty much a must for anyone who enjoys schlocky Seventies horror.

A timeless story, beautifully told through the medium of traditional song and dance.

Every scene is a rich, visual treat.

Holds little relevance to a British audience.

In clumsier hands this might have been yet another flimsy drama about a group of people longing for romance, but Alain Resnais' astute handling gradually illuminates those human interiors and shows us much more going on.

A few contrived moments, such as the metaphorical stag the Queen spots on her estate, only marginally detract from what is otherwise a fascinating drama on previously uncharted cinematic territory.

Realistic fly-on-the-wall performances prevent Sherrybaby from descending into a sentimental hard luck story.

The Singer is a healthy reminder of the unequivocal natural force that Depardieu can summon when he's in focus and on target.

This is clever writing, smart filmmaking and excellent acting. It grasps your nerve endings and gives them a twist.

Playing a game for your life is a beautiful metaphor. Of course, it wouldn't have been the same in a squash court.

Boy meets nun, boy loses nun, boy marries nun, boy and nun go on the run.

Hurley has a keen eye for a good picture and often put himself in dangerous situations just to get the image he wanted.

A seaworthy effort, both as an impressive debut from someone who has never previously worked in animation, and as a fine (if somewhat bewildering) piece of synoptic adaptation.

With painterly mise-en-scène and the subtlest of CG effects to aid the camera's fluid movements... Taxidermia always compels us to stare wide-eyed at the screen in awe as much as disgust.

The landscape plays a major role in this movie, with its bleak, open spaces, adding to the feeling that the characters and their emotions are curiously incidental.

A real cinematic gem disguised as a rhinestone.

By keeping the plot simple, the characters are allowed to find their voices and flourish.

One-liners come thick and fast in this bittersweet, whistle-stop romp, with Shelly almost always managing to undercut her syrup with something more stringent.