Sundance Film Festival — A–Z of films

This is great stuff - a fantastic musical documentary.

The situation is played with an off-hand glibness that barely leaves a lipstick mark on the surface of what the quartet are doing.

Lowery's nostalgia works because it is so sincere and does not question America's fascination with Bonnie and Clyde as an excuse for bad deeds.

Soloway has crafted a well-observed script, too coarse and cruel to be dismissed as frothy romcom.

Some of their patients' stories are so heartbreaking that they will test the mettle of even the most steadfast opponents.

This is a warm-hearted pleasure for comedy romance lovers - Austen readers or not - everywhere.

A fairytale for old romantics everywhere, who believe that the weapons of friendship and commitment are as vital in the fight for a relationship, as love.

When it comes to what ultimately drove these two men to kill, Porto and Moors are more interested in difficult questions than easy answers and their film hits its target hard.

This is a fluid film which, though impressionistic in terms of its narrative, carries a weight of emotion and the positive energy of childhood as well as a longing for fundamental connection.

Tilikum, whose last victim Dawn Brancheau died in 2010, is still performing at SeaWorld - after watching this documentary, you'll think long and hard about taking your family to see him.

An affecting, unusual and intensely personal film, although it works more effectively on an emotional level than a fact-disseminating one.

Director Drake Doremus handles the material superbly, aware of its pitfalls and sensitive to all the vagaries of human behaviour which make these characters so intriguing.

This is a quality production all round.

It's the boxy Apple Mac precursors that are the real stars in many ways. It's hard not to feel a warm glow of affection for them, assuming you are a viewer of a certain age.

The cast are not professional actors but that, if anything, adds to the realism.

Despite Alvarez's good work with his actors, the oil of Sedaris's satirical characters and water of Alvarez's indie sensibilities refuse to mix.

A brilliant central performance from Robin Weigert.

A diverting, if not entirely satisfying, curiosity that is worth a look if only for Hoffman's fully committed and gripping performance.

With such a fascinating subject, it's hard for a documentary to go wrong.

An intriguing documentary which contains some powerful interview material.

Despite the seemingly grim subject matter, Gordon-Levitt goes the upbeat route with his debut feature.

The setting may be current and sound edgy on paper but beneath the zeitgeist veneer, the mainstream thriller formula they employ is as familiar as your slippers.

After it premiered at Sundance it was branded in fundamentalist quarters as "anti-Iranian" - what is certainly not in doubt is that it is "anti-viewer".

Showing a remarkably firm hand for a first-time director, Gray skilfully guides us through a sea of statistics concerning those dying from the disease and archive footage and recollections of the time, while building a cast-iron case against Big Pharma.

Despite its length, the film rarely drags, and its dramatic passages give one a chance to rest between episodes of stomach-churning violence.

And as Moreh probes the men, we, whether we agree with them or not, find ourselves drawn into their moral maze in all of its complexity.

The phrase "I don't want a theocracy but..." is used here.

Alison Ellwood may not be breaking new ground in the documentary form for her debut solo film but she handles the familiar workings of the rock doc with aplomb.

This is a curious film, an important film and, in its oblique way, a very funny film.

Despite the idiosyncratic characters, smart insider observations and interesting setting there are also too many laugh moments relying on off-the-shelf stereotypes.

Lovering has crafted an old-fashioned thriller for those who like to be gripped without gore and which offers enough surprise and inventiveness to suggest that he has a career beckoning beyond the confines of television.

Krikodas should be wary of letting his style run rampant over material that could have been both resonant and disturbing given some restraint.

A sweet and relatable film with an evocative setting, ultimately very hard to dislike.

This is a serious and entertaining character study - stripping down the lives of Soho and Raymond - that has the looks and acting talent to win over a crowd.

The harrowing latter half of the film could easily have become alienating, but Seyfried makes it compelling.

Worth seeing for the performances but ultimately confusion reigns.

Metro Manila is a film to be reckoned with, offering a gripping narrative, poetic imagery and some social commentary to boot.

This is first and foremost a celebration of life and life cycles but Heathcote's film also touches on deeper political issues surrounding the livelihoods of farmers.

In Nichols' world, understanding isn't taught but something that comes with experience.

The joy is in the detail of Dosunmu's film, the nuance of a relationship as richly complex as the African print dresses that Adenike favours.

Pablo Larraín's No is a resounding yes!

This film, a bawdy and full-frontal electro rock opera constructed from live recordings of stage performances by Peaches and her support group and dancers, is as transgressive, explicit, bizarre, angry and gender-bending as they come.

The end result is a kind of funny/kind of sad character study that asks questions about our relationships with others and our environment.

What does become difficult here is balance, in part because many of Pussy Riot's critics are so aggressive as to make their case for them.

Its intended jokes are mostly unfunny but as it develops, The Rambler contains enough hallucinatory imagery, lifted straight from low-budget sci-fi horror, to boil over with a certain nightmarish feel.

Kim Longinotto's documentary about the Tamil poet Salma burns with both indignation and a profound melancholy.

Managing to be funny, insightful and heartfelt at the same time without slipping into melodrama or cheesiness, Sleepwalk With Me also benefits from an extremely relatable and understated performance from Birbiglia.

Don't expect anyone to smile in this humorous and provoking film.

As a reflection of the mood and struggles of those seeking democratic change it is immersive and visceral even if its up close and personal approach means that the political sphere is rendered in broad brushstroke terms.

If Malick's lands were bad, then Wheatley's are sad, as small injustices, petty jealousies and perceived slights lead to cold blooded murder and childish revenge.

The heightened sense of India's reality is mimicked by Park's style and Miller's creations, who are pushed into the realm of melodrama and perilously close to caricature in pursuit of gothic thrills.

What is not in doubt is the raw emotion in this work - from Polley quivering with nervous energy as she watches her father read some of the more revelatory pieces of script - to the visible impact airing the family's dirty linen in public has on her sibli

At its best this film is a gripping look at what drives people to brave the heights, although it would have benefited from taking a more linear approach to its undoubtedly well-researched material.

As the teacher, Lindsay Burdge gives a stunning performance.

This Is Martin Bonner is undoubtedly a small film but it is finely crafted and has a big heart.

The subject of understanding and mystery prove a sticking point, with the film remaining so wilfully opaque that it is more frustrating than rewarding by the end credits.

This is a showcase for ideas about new ways to approach the genre. In that regard, it is both entertaining and inventive.

Ambyr Childers conveys the pressure the world-weary Iris is under brilliantly, while Julia Garner shines as the otherworldly Rose.

Manning's real life sacrifices and internal torment are the beating heart of the film.

The picture painted is one of a man who was dedicated to not just to capturing people's images on camera but to talking to them and finding out what made them tick.

Silver may succeed in pushing emotional buttons but its people's heads that need to be engaged in tackling this complex issue, not just their hearts.

Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's directorial debut may not be breaking any new ground but this is a warm and funny tale, helped enormously by good performances and a snappy script.