Edinburgh International Film Festival — A–Z of films

Far from dull, not as camp as you might expect, emotionally at a high pitch, expertly directed and nudgingly naughty.

What gives the film its strength is Bresson's refusal to compromise truth for the sake of expedience.

The passion and pain are more real than madness.

A remarkably sensitive, three-dimensional portrait.

Brian Kirk's film has a sentimental heart and a lovely performance from 11-year-old Iain de Caestecker, as Billy.

Although the film is nowhere near as terrifying as it's made out to be, its shunning of shock tactics in favour of distant sound effects and creepy environments creates a psychological terror which is far more disturbing.

The character of the players, the vibrant energy of the music, the faded grandeur of a city spared the vanity of restoration gives the film a unique quality.

Strangely compelling and scarily familiar.

Altman has chosen the perfect cast.

The atmosphere of languid role playing, overlaid with a suggestion of promiscuity, seems to float in mist.

Linstrom ends so inadequately you want to scream.

The comedy is sharp, the acting excellent, the racial harmony likely to splinter as suddenly as family solidarity.

Witherspoon gives one of those performances that obliterates all before her.

Hoskins is at his best here, controlled and manipulative.

Shot in handheld black and white with an obviously-low budget, it might seem rough – but what we’re watching is still pure Nolan.

Even though the film is immaculately shot and has an outstanding cast, there's nothing really at the heart of the film for the audience to connect with.

The humour is fast, the car chases hairy, the characters way wicked, the venues seedy, the fun accident prone, the sex tantric and the chance of living until tomorrow slim.

The problem lies with the script, which is credibility shy and littered with loose ends.

What lifts the film above the level of Horse Thief and Kundun is the wonder of the cinematography and the spirit of a unique people.

A film of extraordinary power.

Nicola Bruce resurrects the art film with scrupulous credentials and a beautiful score.

The film has a Wendy Mitty charm, although precious little else.

Ustaoglu doesn't fake it for entertainment's sake. She's the real thing.

A celebration of middle-class miasma.

Anything goes at the carnival.

Fraught with anguish, the film is enhanced by uninhibited performances of an exceptional nature from Charles Berling and Sophie Guilemin

Light Sleeper doesn't belong in any oeuvre. The feeling is personal, introspective, wounded.

John Sayles... ability to create flawed romantics with brooding secrets that lurk in the shadow of danger is remarkable.

Lancelot and Guinevere's passion comes across as cold water over grey slate.

This is a mood piece.

Deeply depressing.

Mackenzie has a terrific feel for comedy and the performances are beautifully understated.

The performances are generous and affectionate.

Bresson is doing what he loves to do, throwing salt into the wounds of romance.

This is not so much a love story as sex warfare.

Unfortunately, it's still very difficult to get away from the fact that this is a film primarily about bulldozers.

What The Personals really lacks is any clear moral.

Molotnikov's confidence in shooting out-of-doors is admirable.

What keeps the film one step away from Slush City is the crackling dialogue and the performances.

Despite all the right elements, something doesn't quite gel.

Best part of the film is the extremely stylish opening credits: don't arrive late.

The acting is patchy and, at times, wooden.

A masterpiece of realist cinema.

There is an artistic sensibility in Ramsay's approach to film.

Far from being the pastiche of a voodoo-style horror flick, this is intelligent, wonderfully acted by the African cast and genuinely absorbing.

The film's strength is its refusal to take its eye off Marie. No concessions are made.

Works both on a technical level and as sheer entertainment.

What gives this film an edge over conventional rites-of-passage movies is its oddity.

Both actresses give performances that touch the heart.

As an example of comic ideas going to waste, Aussie actor John Polson's directorial debut is a good one.

Another example of a film which looks good, sounds good, has a great cast, and is utterly boring.

What's really spectacular is not the functional script but the tremendous action set pieces.

The performances by mainly young unknowns are excellent and the script is the best Boyd has done.

Trick features something previously thought impossible: a delightful performance from Tori Spelling.

It is a measure of Brosnan's understated qualities as an actor that you never think of James Bond.

Performances by the two teenagers, Lara Belmont and Freddie Cunliffe, who have never acted before, are remarkable.

This shows what can be done with a low budget, imagination and balls.

Slowly raises the tension as the body count rises.

The performances electrify.

There are too many characters doing not very much.

David Mamet's adaptation is short on surprises.