Film Reviews by Alphaville

Grossly overrated Oscar winner that's something of a plodder unless you're in a forgiving mood. However, if you get tired of all the chat, fast-forward an hour in for a jaw-dropping shot that almost redeems the whole thing. Out of the blue comes a 5minute, gravity-defying masterpiece of camerawork that begins as an aerial shot and evolves into a hand-held chase through the back alleys of a football stadium. Pure, mind-boggling cinema, only replicated with cgi in the Hollywood remake, that unfortunately shows up the rest of the film for the slow-burning talkie it is.

Poorly acted, poorly directed, amateurish, shaky-cam nonsense. Waving the camera around silly fight scenes merely enhances their lack of believability (as Greengrass continues to prove). Those who rated this film 'dazzling' and 'amazing' must have owed the producer a favour.

An awful film about clichéd gung-ho GIs in the Middle East. You know the sort. They party with hookers, pour beer over their heads and shout Whoo Whoo when they kill someone. And these are our heroes we're supposed to care about? You'll soon be on fast forward. The whole film leaves a sour taste in the mouth. One star for an occasional passing CGI monster, but the only real monsters here are the protagonists.