Edinburgh International Film Festival — A–Z of films

Ozon's quirky French murder mystery-cum-comedy-cum-musical is a brilliant pastiche on so many genres, it has no right to be as entertaining as it is, or as gripping.

This Chad/France co-production is pleasant enough viewing, but felt somewhat calculated, polished and ersatz to me.

Beautiful to look at, as well as anarchic and contemporary.

What makes the film work is the incredibly earnest acting of the main players.

Despite the depressing nature of the subject matter, the film is heartfelt and uplifting.

This gritty realism is enhanced by the manner in which the film is shot, using not-so-steady camerawork.

Don't expect anything new, or original.

Backyard is as staged as the action you see on television. Knowing this, however, doesn't detract from a queasy feeling and sense of exploitation.

The film's strength lies in its simplicity and humanity.

Strangely disjointed.

I only wish there was more of it.

At turns funny, violent, bitter and over the top, it's a curious little fable about boredom, risk-taking, and the frustration experienced by trained fighters in peacetime.

Shot in an interview style, Breath Control is not particularly revolutionary... However, what really sets it apart is the director's love of his subject.

Neither good, nor bad. Just average.

The script does its best to make the audience uncomfortable - embarrassed, disgusted, socially repulsed - long before anything as sensational as murder occurs.

Gliding smoothly under the surface of what appears to be a serious film about coincidence and morality is that old black magic called sentiment.

Succeeds in making the familiar strange and the unfamiliar everyday.

Filled with great splendour and majesty.

With its lack of sentimentality, Cry Woman breaks the mould of beautiful looking, nostalgic filmmaking.

Nakata's technique is to imply terror by suggestion, rather than the overuse of special effects.

Some may find Decasia's approach nihilistic.

Anat Even and Ada Ushpiz manage to present these stories in a way that is less about the conflict and more about the human plight of the three women.

This is not so much a treasure doc as an upstate New York small town story.

Using handheld camera and naturalistic lighting, director Marius Holst's style might be summarised as Dogme-lite.

redolent with imagery and running metaphors that are deeply relevant to Romanian politics and social structures, but to an outsider they make the film seem beautifully surreal.

Instead of being driven by effects and action, Frailty holds your attention with utter disbelief. You can accept what is happening, but do you want to?

The humour is so crass, to call it dumbed-down would be expansive.

For an uplifting tale about an ordinary man, who is not a recovering alcoholic, or a typical British waster, then check this out.

Gordon has created a sweet drama that contains all the elements of a darn good story.

Small children would delight in this film, but most adults would be horrified by the thought of them seeing it.

There is simply no audience for this film.

With some awesome location shots of the Arctic circle and a brooding score from David Julyan, Nolan’s picture oozes atmosphere.

It is opaque in the style of Seventies art house movies, with an energy that leaps out and shakes your bones.

For all its confrontational posturing, there are moments when the film fails to take the leap into the abyss.

But the real disappointment is Everett, who gives a lazy performance, as if he knows he can do this backwards and simply can't be bothered.

An exceptional documentary.

The breadth and depth of Japon belies its standing as a directorial debut.

Ann Hui's quaint little film is enjoyable, despite being too static.

While the film is, indeed, freewheeling, some of us prefer to call it out of control.

The plot makes as much sense as a French haggis.

For a slow film, there is too much plot.

My Little Eye avoids kitsch, camp and pastiche.

Shows a maturity that embraces every aspect of what commitment and family means and why those sentimental things that blokes feel uncomfortable with have a purpose and a reason.

The film has an individuality about it and yet looks like a store front studio product.

It's awful, yet is so well directed and acted that you can't take your eyes off it, no matter how much you want to.

If you are turned off by European arthouse movies then this is more likely to confirm your dispassion rather than change your beliefs.

An interesting genre hybrid that hits more than it misses.

The narrative is so out-of-focus and the characters so unrealistic one cannot figure out exactly what universe the film inhabits.

Christopher Doyle's cinematography has a rawness that belies the romance of the outback. The

Andre Turpin, directing his first selp-penned feature, has created an absorbing film, which will easily captivate a willing audience.

Keeps the viewer enthralled throughout.

This movie is to be cherished.

Odoul's vision has a unique quality of strangeness and Bonnetblanc's performance is extraordinary.

For what is essentially a psychological horror film, Spider is remarkable for its quietness, its unassuming grace.

Overflows with classic moments.

It's all a bit superficial.

On the strength of this film, writer/director Robert Schwentke is a talent to watch.

The movie becomes bogged down.

Miklos is superb in the role of Anisio, striking a balance between menace and swagger, which gives him a comedic air.

Well worth the time and effort.

It has little teen humour, with the majority of the cast unlikely to see 40 again, and there is not enough plot substance to constitute an incentive for the older crowd.

An enjoyable way to spend two hours.

Cumulatively, the episodic conversations paint a vivid picture of contemporary Iranian life and, especially, of the place of women in the post-revolutionary era.

It's a great experience for the actors to get into such meaningful and intelligent roles and for us to be thrilled by their hard work and great performances.

Unfortunately the film is as vacuous as Hollywood at its worst.

The kind of film that will appeal to people with a penchant for bleak, gritty, naturalistic dramas.