Search: Starring Roger Allam

One of The Angels' Share's strongest points is the way the script and the actors capture natural language.

An improved second series that has more recurring plotlines and less irrelevant crimes of the week.

The children, including Nico Liersch as Leisel's friend Rudy, are genuinely good, but they are strong performances in service of a film that doesn't quite work.

The power of The Choral is that it evokes smiles and laughter in opposition to the oppressive reality of these war years.

Not so much leftovers reheated as new twists on old classics.

Allam makes no secret of the fact that, as Ted, he's essentially playing Fry himself, capturing every little vocal tick and expressive nuance.

By locating its own dedicated critic within the action of the film, it is possible to point out the triteness and question whether life can be so simply encapsulated within the tidy confines of literature.

The trouble is that the film takes great effort to counter everything that makes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation stimulating.

A few contrived moments, such as the metaphorical stag the Queen spots on her estate, only marginally detract from what is otherwise a fascinating drama on previously uncharted cinematic territory.

Lacks a sense of danger

As the shiny roadsters perform death defying stunts to get to the chequered flag, I defy the greenest carphobe not to feel their pulse racing.

With a pitch-perfect main cast, snappy dialogue, and a swift pace, it may not be Frears' best but it makes few false moves either.

Biting satire, a sharp script and wonderful performances make it a must-see.

You could talk your way round the houses and still come up with very good reasons for believing that when Loach goes political, he makes Karl Marx look benign.

The slow-building tension of the stage play is still there, but the added narrative space sees room for for Grand Guignol shocks aplenty.