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There are some movies that work best at Christmas and this is one of them

Intelligent and sophisticated.

While it might be a bit too heavy handed in terms of symbolism and part of a very crowded genre, Lymelife isn't guilty of any major sins either.

The film is soft to the core, deeply sentimental and too politically correct for its own good.

Divorced by many years from the context of its original conception, the film might easily be viewed as just another rites-of-passage indie – albeit an unusually multi-faceted one.

What starts as an almost domestic story involving a couple of low-rent hoods will gradually morph into a game of high stakes with unlikely players and a plotline that takes its cue from events in the real world full of corporate rather than card sharks.

Despite offering a handful of touching moments, this quirky indie effort feels a bit messy and never properly finds it's rhythm.

Eisenberg takes us through the entire journey in a brisk 90 minutes, but the film never feels rushed.

For all the postmodern presentation, every emotion here ultimately rings true, and there are enough great ideas, oddball characters, amiable performances and big laughs to ensure that this remains a cult favourite.

Mindless and superficial and snobbish and slight.

Wiener-Dog is a Solondz film through and through – there's still no-one daring to be quite so acerbic and inhumane towards his characters while keeping them grounded in a sense of relatable experience.