Viva — A–Z of films

Sometimes cinema tickles the senses, sometimes it tugs at the heartstrings, sometimes it exercises the intellect – but La Antena transmits to all three at once.

Feels like one long trawl through the photo album of somebody else's holiday.

The will they/won't they nature of the romance - as different in essence to your average Hollywood hug-in as chalk from chihuahuas - is beguiling for those who can cope without the usual romcom signposts.

Buenos Aires, 1977 is harrowing at times, terrifying at others.

Always a cat’s whisker away from cliché.

Lucrecia Martel's debut as writer/director captures the many layered character of the Argentinian upper-class so perfectly that explanatory scenes would appear bourgeois in their desire to tidy the place up a bit.

A glossy, superficial affair, leading up to a climactic sequence too laughable to impress in any way.

The plotline’s complexity is matched by the depth of the issues explored, with the cast uniformly coming up trumps.

Bernal proves to be a vibrant director, his swooping steadicam and queasy close-ups placing the viewer right in the middle of the party.

Although the tone is a little uneven and the narratorial voice more of an affectation than any real use to the plot, there is a charm and verve to Amadeo’s film.

There is an energy to this low-budget film

While there is nothing wrong with a fly-on-the-wall attitude to documentary making, more facts and a little number-crunching would go a long way to bolstering Gaja’s argument.

Sanchez and Bayona never lose sight of the requirements of the genre, providing plenty in the way of seat-gripping tension and finding suitable shocks in the everyday.

An interesting genre hybrid that hits more than it misses.

An engrossing and very terrifying experience.

The impressive framing and gorgeous washed-out look does not extend to the script of what is, ultimately, a rather pedestrian film noir.

Silent Light is a powerful, technically excellent piece of cinema.

La Soledad hinges on a central conceit that weighs heavily, but if it can be accepted it is the key to a work of staggering power.

Thieves suffers from a story which is really too slight for its length, but explores its metaphorical aspects in some depth.

It may not be flashy but there are flashes of cleverness sparkling throughout.

Bittersweet has rarely felt so life-affirming.

Darin... again proves that he can break your heart with a look, conveying unspoken emotion with a glance that taps you into his pain.

At once a noirish thriller, a social drama, a morality tale, a coming-of-age story and a compelling allegory of 'fortress' USA.