Glasgow Film Festival — A–Z of films

A warm romantic drama with a real emotional punch.

There is no effort to sanitise characters' lives in order to get a message across, and as a result the film never feels preachy.

Lotte Reiniger brings a unique perspective to the look of traditional characters, as she uses intricate Eastern details to show off astoundingly delicate filigree cutting work.

A solid, grounded piece of work that approaches its subject with a maturity remarkable for a first feature from a young director.

The teenagers really feel like teenagers, even when spouting leaden lines.

A painstakingly deliberate neo-noir, heavy on atmosphere and taking its time to build.

What Black Souls does very well is to recapture the essential primitivism of conflicts based upon honour, fear of insult and the desire for revenge.

One of the most startlingly erotic mass market films of its era.

Every bit as interesting to listen to as it is to watch.

Like much of Burroughs' writing, the film has a shaggy dog tale quality, rambling along in a way which does not at first seem nearly as informative as it actually is, then bursting into moments of brilliant radicalism.

An authentic, no-holds barred roller coaster ride, which gives fresh hope for a new wave of British cinema.

Essentially a love story, Casablanca is darker than a camel's eyeball.

This is a film that takes no prisoners. It will live long in the memory.

There is much irony on the theme of generational gulfs, internet obsessions and the nature of creativity and culture. Unfortunately none of it rings true.

The problem with Clown is that, beyond that premise, there really isn't very much of substance.

Gong Li is magnificent as always.

To be a winner you must believe

This is an ensemble triumph, somehow made all the more amiable by its general lack of earth-shattering incident.

A corking action film.

Hard to forget.

Unflinching but uplifting, Longinotto's film shows how even one person, if they put their minds to it, can make an enormous difference.

Hansen-Løve's momentary excursions into animation, split screen, and possibly re-writing of world history are the most effective parts.

A breezy, captivating and balanced tale of a studio whose rise and fall is perhaps the only story actually more bizarre than the plots of the films that came out of it.

The two leads of Kiberlain and Lafitte spark off each as a pair of highly unlikely yet strangely engaging partners in crime.

With Chen brilliantly controlled in the central role, there is much that is fascinating simply in observing Ling as a character.

A visually masterful film that very much retains its power today, The Fall Of The House Of Usher introduced many of the tropes of the horror genre.

A bold edit based on what must have been a frustrating shoot, this film becomes a story not about gold but about people pursuing their dreams under the shadow of grand empires and hybrid religions.

A difficult film, and a film about difficult women.

The narrative arc is clumsy and disjointed due to inconsistent pacing, the tone varies uncertainly between grit and a kind of solemn sentimentality, and most of the scenes drag on so long and artlessly that the drama runs out of them.

This film includes a lot of material that will make viewers uncomfortable, but never gratuitously.

Donner's era-defining adventure is at once lighthearted, serious, scary and lots of fun.

Transformation is coming, although as with Sciamma's previous films this is not a simple, one-way manoeuvre, completed in double-quick time

An astonishing début that marks out Ana Lily Amirpour as an extraordinary directorial talent.

Litja... gives his character a sincerity and clarity of purpose that keeps us with him even when situations become ridiculous.

A simple but compelling dynamic... the execution is superb.

The best film of 2004 - and the best superhero movie ever!

A fast paced, witty comedy that sweetens its bitter social comment with an optimistic outlook.

Everything feels flexible in a film that seems to reflect human frailty and twist it into strength.

Stunningly shot by cinematographer Timo Salminen, who illuminated landscapes as if they were Eckersberg paintings, the film is framed in 4:3 aspect ratio, creating the sense that there's always something just out of sight.

Jodorowsky, amazingly vigorous at 84, is never anything less than captivating, funny, and passionate when on screen.

It's clear that director Seth Gordon is rooting for Wiebe - but it is not just a trick of the editing that means within 30 minutes of the political machinations of Kong beginning, you will be too.

The contrast between the characters and the actors sparky chemistry means the laughs have a head start, but there is also a considerable amount of psychological terrain being covered.

This is a film based upon letter carrying as an act of politics, a text where Mcluhan's "medium is the message" becomes circular.

A simple, lyrical film, with beautiful photography that amply conveys Mungo's love of his home.

An intelligent script and strong acting bring life and depth to the characters.

Dumont - for all the outlandishness of the film in other aspects - prioritises a messy realism over straightforward likeability in relation to his protagonists.

This documentary brings an important personal dimension to the long struggle for equal marriage.

Too niche to reach

A polished film that acknowledges its place in the canon of American mysteries and makes a worthy contribution.

Relying a lot on this brooding darkness and on symbolism, Ghobadi doesn't develop his characters as well as he might and at times this unbalances the film.

Heat and oppression hang in the air like an unspoken accusation.

Altogether the best exploration of Australian class conflicts through the medium of animated insects that you're likely to see this year.

It's always difficult to tell a story about nothing happening, and director Tim Sutton is not entirely successful in doing so here.

A sharp script full of camp and an emotional punch that knocks us over at the end.

The energy and sheer visual bravura carry it along.

Very much a film of two halves.

The hand-coloured drawings are exquisite, and who could fail to warm to the charms of these loveable nutters who want all the right things for the world?

Sexuality, Francois Ozon's latest film declares, can be as complex as desiring another person can be simple.

Ben-Shlush is riveting in the central role.

Its success is in large part down to Maczko.

The chemisty is perfect. Although Bergman dominates by sheer force of character, Grant's cool persona slips effortlessly into her pocket.

It's a brutal story, though full of good intentions and remembered with some affection.

Flawless central performances and a cool, observational approach from director Yoshida imbue it with a quiet power.

Petzold depicts a country in shock, where everyone is trying to rediscover a sense of self and where survival may be viewed less a miracle than something unbearable in the face of so many losses.

Often highly amusing and thought provoking... always gorgeous to look at.

Character is too often, for all the quality of the cast, too heavily sketched, a little too clumsy.

A towering performance from veteran actor Richard Johnson dominates the film.

Wang's China is a place where nothing is quite as it seems, or as habit and tradition say it should be.

The cast do a splendid job of portraying the rough and tumble inhabitants of the mining town, each with their own problems and desires.

A reminder that punk has, throughout its history, been as much a creative force as a destructive one.

A solid, and certainly heartfelt effort.

Wenders as a curious, excited filmmaker stretches out his hands to show us all the treasures he has found.

Considerably more enjoyable than it ought to be.

Everything feels contrived, overblown and - perhaps the worst sin you can lay at the door of a psychological thriller - utterly predictable.

Nadine Marshall delivers a performance of quiet intensity.

The Smuggler blends scatological humour, brutal violence and a few scenes that will put you right off your popcorn into something that is actually rather good.

All in all Spellbound makes for a good watch but shouldn’t be too highly hyped.

Unremittingly beautiful.

The character design, already well established by the TV show, is crisp, the stop-motion animation as ever is lovely, and the depth of detail in the sets is great.

Luhrmann combines an orgy of schmaltzy pastiche with satirical fireworks.

Moore runs away with the film.

The pitting of Kingsley against Caine in this context is delightful.

Stray Dog is really a very ordinary guy, but there's one thing that's extraordinary about him... he truly believes in America.

The passage of time - and a beautiful 4k restoration - have been kind to this reimagining of Jacques Offenbach's opera, with its deliberately operatic gestures and colours and stylised production design feeling sharply avant garde even today.

Uncovering extraordinary spirit in an ordinary community.

This is a well structured and affecting piece of film-making.

A frequently impressive but occasionally problematic experience.

One of the most powerful films of the year.

What marks out Uzumasa Limelight... is its willingness to combine withering criticism of the laziness and corruption in much modern filmmaking with graciousness in the face of change.

For a while, at least, The Voices rattles along like a charming slasher comedy of errors.

Leiper's performance is perfectly judged and holds the rest of the film together.

This is Woody Allen territory, except not as funny

Araki never digs deep enough, wasting the opportunity to expose her resentments.

Ferociously funny.

Wisdom is quiet and the future a mystery

Its deft handling of feminist issues make it all the more ironic that it has been dismissed as trivial when in many ways it's the female equivalent of Wall Street.

This is a shocking, visceral work. There are moments of humour, here and there, but it is the gallows laughing.

Utterly lacking in decorum or shame, this is a film that reeks of self-indulgence but gets away with it completely.

A strong film with an impressive central performance by up and coming star Asa Butterfield.