Reviews by Amber Wilkinson

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Copa 71 (2023)

  Review preview for Copa 71

  As Copa 71 goes on to show, it’s not the players that are the problem but the lack of a level playing field.

  Told by the pioneering women who participated, this is the extraordinary story of the 1971 Women's Soccer World Cup, a tournament witnessed by record crowds that has been written out of sporting history - until now.
• 
  A Cop Movie (2021)

  Review preview for A Cop Movie

  For all its intricacy and cleverness, this is a film that never loses its central focus.

  A docufiction dive into the Mexican police force.
• 
  Cop Secret (2021)

  Review preview for Cop Secret

  There's a, largely, well aimed silliness to this action cop spoof from Hannes Thor Halldorsson - better known as the goalkeeper for Iceland's national football squad and who proves here he's also good at getting his satirical shots about gender on target

  Mismatched buddy cop spoof.
• 
  Cork (2022)

  Review preview for Cork

  Although Gurrea’s film is booby trapped for explosions, he repeatedly chooses the more interesting slow-burn path.

  Helena and Ivan decide to make a new life for themselves among cork trees, but their different points of view on how to live on the land surface, challenging their future as a couple.
• 
  Cotton Queen (2025)

  Review preview for Cotton Queen

  A beguiling mix of magic-realist fable, coming-of-age drama & post-colonial critique.

  In Sudan, Nafisa picks cotton and learns from her grandmother. The arrival of a young businessman, threatens to change their way of life.
• 
  Countdown To Zero (2010)

  Review preview for Countdown To Zero

  Lucy Walker's chilling documentary serves as a reminder that the threat of a nuclear bomb going off somewhere in the world to devastating effect has not diminished just because it has slipped from the public consciousness.

  A history of the atomic bomb and the current nuclear arms race.
• 
  The County (2019)

  Review preview for The County

  Hákonarson's woman against corporate Mafia premise is solid enough but The County never manages to generate the emotional intensity that the feuding brothers brought to his previous film.

  A middle-aged dairy farmer rebels against the all powerful local co-operative.
• 
  Courage (2021)

  Review preview for Courage

  There is something optimistic about joining this wave of humanity, from all walks of life, as they brandish flowers in the air and peacefully demonstrate against the regime.

  Documentary about the protests in Belarus.
• 
  Courtroom 3H (2020)

  Review preview for Courtroom 3H

  This is emotion in the raw, not just from those faced with the possibility of seeing someone else take on responsibility for their kids, but also from the advocates representing them who are being put through the emotional wringer as well.

  Documentary about the Tallahassee Unified Family Court in Florida, which specialises in judicial cases involving children.
• 
  The Cove (2009)

  Review preview for The Cove

  Scratch the good-looking surface and The Cove's contentions start to look very wobbly.

  Documentary exploring dolphin killing in Japan.
• 
  The Cowgirl, The Showgirl And The Pig (2025)

  Review preview for The Cowgirl, The Showgirl And The Pig

  The sound design.. is the stand-out element.

  A surreal western showdown in a bar.
• 
  Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

  Review preview for Crazy, Stupid, Love

  The 'love' on offer in this romcom that marks yet another notch of disappointment on Steve Carrell's career is neither crazy nor stupid, just cynical and schmaltzy by turns.

  A man whose wife wants a divorce finds himself taken under the wing of a love 'em and leave 'em lothario.
• 
  Cries From Syria (2017)

  Review preview for Cries From Syria

  Afineevsky doesn't pull his punches.

  Overview of the conflict in Syria.
• 
  The Criminal (1960)

  Review preview for The Criminal

  Even though the physical violence is kept to a minimum, Losey uses the sound of a riot to help feed the mounting oppression, mirroring the psychological turmoil within Bannion himself.

  A freshly released convict aims for a fresh heist.
• 
  Crip Camp (2020)

  Review preview for Crip Camp

  Strikes a good balance between informing, educating and entertaining.

  Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.
• 
  Crisis (2021)

  Review preview for Crisis

  There's the sort of amount of material here that used to form the basis for an entire series of The Shield, so even with a running time of two hours, it's difficult for anything to be dwelt on in detail.

  Interlocking stories shine a spotlight on America's opioid crisis.
• 
  Critical Zone (2023)

  Review preview for Critical Zone

  There's a deep irony in Amir being constantly told what to do by the quasi-authority figure of the sat nav while offering up a means of escape to the city's youth that doesn't rely on roads to take them there.

  Guided by the voice of his GPS, Amir navigates the underworld districts of Tehran to comfort the troubled souls of the night.
• 
  Cru (2019)

  Review preview for Cru

  Oesch wastes no time in trapping us between the twin tensions of the kitchen - the need for almost surgeon-like skill when it comes to plating each dish and the flurry of energy required to get the food to that point.

  A young chef enters into a kitchen battle of wills.
• 
  Crypsis (2019)

  Review preview for Crypsis

  Club scenes can often feel forced and inauthentic but additional atmospheric sound design, strong production design and kinetic camerawork from cinematographer Gordon Campbell generate a believable ambience as Ayo's experience slides from exploration into

  A gay asylum seeker finds his past trauma triggered as he tries to provide evidence of his sexuality to the home office.
• 
  Cryptozoo (2021)

  Review preview for Cryptozoo

  Its Jurassic Park style themes concerning failed Utopias passed through the prism of Sixties politics and activism have a certain childlike simplicity to them and, as such, are likely to prove more endearing to some audiences than others.

  As cryptozookeepers struggle to capture a Baku (a legendary dream-eating hybrid creature) they begin to wonder if they should display these rare beasts in the confines of a cryptozoo, or if these mythical creatures should remain hidden and unknown.
• 
  Cry Macho (2021)

  Review preview for Cry Macho

  Eastwood is looking good for a nonagenarian, no doubt, but the idea that not one, but two women four decades his junior would see him as a potential mate through the course of this film, is definitely pushing it.

  A former rodeo rider agrees to try to bring his former employer's teenage son north over the Mexican border.
• 
  César And Rosalie (1972)

  Review preview for César And Rosalie

  Sautet's film offers an interesting snapshot of shifting sands in the Seventies sexual revolution.

  A love triangle between a woman and two very different men is explored in typically French fashion.
• 
  CSI: Complete Season 9 (2009)

  Review preview for CSI: Complete Season 9

  The anatomy of CSI remains hale and healthy and is, in the ninth season of the show, arguably strengthened by the loss of old characters and the introduction of new ones.

  It's all-change in Vegas as Gil moves on.
• 
  Cuba & Alaska (2025)

  Review preview for Cuba & Alaska

  Troyanovsky also communicates the mental toll that comes with being away from the frontline, not just for those who have been in active service, like Alaska, but also parents and family.

  Documentary following the friendship of two paramedics on the frontline in Ukraine.
• 
  Cubs (2006)

  Teenagers take up a sinister urban sport.
• 
  Culloden (1964)

  Review preview for Culloden

  It is accurate to say that Watkins's Culloden is truly a seminal work, which, in many ways, changed forever the way in which documentary and historical programmes were shot.

  Tale of the historic battle - emphasising the plight of the Highlanders.
• 
  A Cup Of Coffee And New Shoes On (2022)

  Review preview for A Cup Of Coffee And New Shoes On

  Additional plot developments reveal a complex web of psychology between the two men.

  Deaf twin brothers find their world closing in after a devastating diagnosis.
• 
  Custody (2017)

  Review preview for Custody

  Though a short film, even one of half-an-hour as Legrand’s was, can be carried almost solely on this sort of tension, a feature needs something more.

  A couple embark on a bitter custody battle for their son.
• 
  Cutting Through Rocks (2025)

  Review preview for Cutting Through Rocks

  The idea of her as a lone voice is emphasised by striking cinematography, often of her riding her bike across the landscape, which has the wide-open quality of a western.

  As the first elected councilwoman of her Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi aims to break long-held patriarchal traditions by training teenage girls to ride motorcycles and stopping child marriages. When accusations arise questioning Sara’s intentions to empower the girls, her identity is put in turmoil.
• 
  Celluloid Man (2012)

  Review preview for Celluloid Man

  A film about film history may sound dry, but the stories captured here crackle with life and enthusiasm.

  The story of extraordinary cinema archivist PK Nair.
• 
  Chance In A Million: Series One (1984)

  Review preview for Chance In A Million: Series One

  Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen give their characters a real sense of warmth.

  Sitcom centring on a man who is dogged by coincidence.
• 
  Changing Times (2004)

  Review preview for Changing Times

  Here, the times are changing and so is the plot. In fact, you can expect a mood swing every five minutes, in a story so muddled even the strong cast, including Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve, can't save it.

  After 30 years, an engineer comes to Tangiers to find his lost love
• 
  Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)

  Review preview for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

  The Nut Room scene, complete with squirrels, is unreservedly brilliant, a tour de force of electronic wizardry.

  Extravagant remake of the Roald Dahl story about a boy who wins a Golden Ticket visit to an eccentric millionaire's sweet factory.
• 
  The Chef's Letter (2007)

  Review preview for The Chef's Letter

  Despite some lovely, moody camerawork and nice acting, it is simply hard for the audience to care.

  Tensions simmer in the kitchen.
• 
  Chemsex (2015)

  Review preview for Chemsex

  Fairman and Gogarty try to give a sense of the appeal of this hedonistic abandonment, while simultaneously showing how deeply saddening and traumatic much of the activity is.

  Documentary about the chemsex sub-scene in London’s gay community.
• 
  Cherchez la Femme (2004)

  Review preview for Cherchez la Femme

  Pleasant, if slight

  The nature of being a Parisienne lady.
• 
  Chhaya (2015)

  Review preview for Chhaya

  Nandy lets drama unfold but it is emotion that drives this story, which achieves more resonance than you expect a 10-minute runtime to allow.

  An old man seeks refuge in the shadows of the past.
• 
  #chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes on a Dictator (2013)

  Review preview for #chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes on a Dictator

  Basatneh is a compelling presence in the film and a strong reminder that youth activism is alive and well.

  Documentary about one youngster's social activism as she leads Syrian protests from her US suburban bedroom.
• 
  Chicken (2014)

  Review preview for Chicken

  Joe Stephenson's directorial debut is a slightly uneven but ultimately moving drama that announces both himself and young actor Scott Chambers as up-and-coming talents to look out for.

  Drama about a teenager with learning difficulties and his abusive older brother.
• 
  The Childhood Of A Leader (2015)

  Review preview for The Childhood Of A Leader

  After all, what’s so sinister about reading Aesop’s Fables? Everything and nothing, Corbet suggests.

  Fable about the rise of fascism set in post-First World War Europe.
• 
  Child's Pose (2013)

  Review preview for Child's Pose

  In some ways she may be a monster, but Netzer and co-writer Radulescu find a path for Cornelia that steers clear of outright condemnation. Her tragic devotion to her son is so absolute that she retains our pity.

  An upper class woman loses all sight of morality as she strives to save her son from a prison sentence for knocking down an killing a child.
• 
  Christine (2016)

  Review preview for Christine

  Craig Shilowich's careful scripting avoids all the usual mental illness cliches and hystrionics to help us sympathise with her even in her most unpleasant moments.

  True story of a driven but troubled TV news reporter.
• 
  A Christmas Carol (2009)

  Review preview for A Christmas Carol

  The enhancements here come, not to the source material but to the look of the film, which is beautifully rendered in immersive 3D.

  Charles Dickens tale of Christmas spirits gets a 3D makeover.
• 
  Christmas With Dad (2008)

  Review preview for Christmas With Dad

  This could have been a hatchet job... but McCormack’s film digs a lot deeper than that.

  A family prepare for Christmas.
• 
  Ciclope (2016)

  Review preview for Ciclope

  There is both strong control of craft and a simple but effective idea at work.

  A drone is on a delivery mission.
• 
  Cinderella (1950)

  Review preview for Cinderella

  It's not all action, and while there's plenty to keep the kids entertained, there are also nice poetic touches of animated artistry that will appeal more to adults.

  Animated version of Charles Perrault's rags to riches story.
• 
  Cinderella (2015)

  Review preview for Cinderella

  The reason Branagh's adaptation of the Charles Perrault tale is a success, is that it sticks fully to the formula of the story and doesn't try to do anything irritatingly postmodern with it.

  Live-action retelling of the classic fairy tale.
• 
  A Cinderella Story (2004)

  Review preview for A Cinderella Story

  Charles Perrault must be spinning in his grave.

  Updated high school makeover of the classic fairytale.
• 
  The Cinema Hold Up (2011)

  Review preview for The Cinema Hold Up

  Concheiro's pacing - although perhaps a little too slow in places - allows us to become steeped in the teens' disenfranchisement to the point where we can understand how they come to view a robbery as a good idea.

  Four childhood pals decide to rob a cinema.
• 
  City Of Ghosts (2017)

  Review preview for City Of Ghosts

  Heineman's film inevitably includes some tough-to-watch footage but he recognises the power in not always showing death.

  The citizen journalists risking their lives to report on atrocities within in Syria.