Film Reviews by Steve

Heartbreaking expose of the abuse suffered by Irish girls at the hands of the Catholic church, deemed to have transgressed often in vague, uncertain ways. Geraldine McEwan is horrifying as the head of a convent run workhouse. An angry reminder of the exploitation often visited on the poor and the powerless.

About as mainstream as the great Hungarian director ever got. Tarr's characteristic slow moving camera, the repetitive industrial rattle and clang and absurd characterisations are all intact. But this is a thriller from a Simenon story. Like all Tarr's work, unique, beautiful, and utterly strange.

Moving character piece follows a teenage girl through foster care, and her efforts to understand and escape from her relationship with her imprisoned mother. Initial disquiet at the girl's brattish personality soon falls away under the sincerity and depth of Alison Lohman's wonderful central performance.

Polanski was a survivor of the Polish ghetto so brings personal experience to this true story about a Polish musician's degrading and desperate attempt to survive occupation; a story about how war diminishes the humanity of all. A little polished, but a powerful anti war message.

Explosive, angry expose about very young children taken from care homes in the UK and sent to families or religious orders in Australia. Loach's moral indignation is incredibly powerful and the horror of the cases pretty hard to bear. Emily Watson is extraordinary as the social worker trying to bring peace to the damaged children.

Intense drama of a marriage already falling apart, not coping with the stress of a parent's alzheimers, which is then devastated by the repercussions of an accusation of assault. A fascinating insight into another (Iranian) way of life, and of its women in particular. A film that manages to be sensitive and detailed, but eventually, explosive.

Slow and dreamlike reverie of an emotionally unstable girl (Elizabeth Olsen excels) and her struggle to escape the control of a religious cult. The film cuts between the commune and her troubled recovery with her family. A beautiful looking, thematically unresolved, troubling film

Bier's films typically have highly designed plots tracing a link between the personal and the political. Rooted in the warzones of both the family and global conflict, they dig deep into people and their relationships. This one starts at the wedding, but takes place in the interface between business, war and aid. One of the better current film directors.

Very long, detailed film tells the story of an ordinary family and how they react to their daily trials. A domestic drama, with a non professional cast in which the director's disinterested camera slowly reveals a rare insight and profundity; and arouses our deep empathy for the fears and hopes of all of the family.

Successful middle class, middle aged man loses his stability and certainty as he begins to receive videotapes of himself and his family. Fascinating story about class, surveillance and the guilty legacy of French imperialism plays out like a many layered, very violent thriller.

Realistic and extremely gripping thriller (from a Simenon story) about an unravelling alcoholic, who is losing his professional, unhappy wife. The film follows their tortuous weekend car journey. And her sudden, mysterious disappearance. Packed with subtle, unexpected twists and a killer payoff.

Broomfield's second (and better) documentary on Aileen Wuornos, killer of seven, and her last days before execution in Florida. A bit prurient... but the relationship between the English director and the unstable, damaged Wuornos is fascinating, and Broomfield quietly sketches in a case against capital punishment.

This low key and finely acted story of a Russian immigrant (Dina Korzun) and her son claiming asylum, their life in detention, and their relationship with a English arcade owner (Paddy Considine) was a sympathetic early reading of an ongoing controversy. Social realism in British cinema has clung on against the odds, and this is one of the better examples.

Anti consumerism parable that wonders what happened to the idealism of the German post war generation while aiming for the hearts of the noughties diy anti capitalist movements. OK, it looks like the revolution will be sponsored by GAP, but at least it doesn't compromise on its recycled message: don't trust anyone over thirty.

Dour, very black comedy about a directionless thirtysomething slacker who can't engage with life on any level, who is unwilling to grow up, and the dreadful northern winter that seems to freeze his soul. Well chosen and unusual soundtrack.