Film Reviews by Steve

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.

Dreamlike and surreal account of two boys whose lives are devastated, in different ways, by a forgotten episode from their schooldays. A charismatic star turn from Joseph Gordon Levitt powers this one. Sensitive, touching and imaginative handling by the director of an difficult subject.

Schematic but tense and quite sad story of alienation involving a cop who goes undercover in the mob and the gang mole who infiltrates the police. Strong performances by Tony Leung and Andy Lau as the two men living a decade out in the cold. One of the better gangster film of the century.

Owes a lot to Michael Moore's one man documentary machine, but arguably makes a stronger impression. Spurlock lives off MacDonalds and monitors his physical and emotional decline. One of a number of small scale documentaries to take on the corporations, to negligible effect it must be said. But a persuasive and absorbing argument.

Bowie looks fantastic as the alien corrupted by an invasive humanness. Though in acting terms he is outclassed by the supporting cast. Beautiful photography, and Bowie is brilliantly cast, his awkward, remote strangeness are huge positives. And Roeg was a great director in this decade. A little long, and most of the best scenes are in the first half.

The Edge of the World is about the evacuation of a Shetland Island, which has become too isolated to be inhabitable. The story was based on the evacuation of St Kilda, but Powell's film was made on Fouda.

The shoot for the film was arduous, being in such a remote place, and before air travel there was feasible. The cast and crew had to spend most of a year living on the island because it was so difficult to commute. This story is told in Powell's seventies documentary, Return to the Edge of the World.

It reminds me of the extremes Werner Herzog went to in his seventies and eighties films to capture something difficult and elusive. I wouldn't recommend it as the most entertaining of Powell's films. But it is very stark and beautiful, and probably unique. Certainly a must see for those interested in the brilliant Powell, and the history of the islands. Not so much for others

Lancaster, Ryan and Cobb says you gotta watch this one. Michael Winner suggests otherwise. Very dense with dialogue, though the dialogue is decent, but not a lot of action. Very fine period costumes and sets. Worth seeing for the stars and a good support cast.

Sophisticated Euro-caper in the Hitchcock style, of the sort that became popular post Topkapi. Great stars make this fun, if unexceptional.

Sort of a British response to The Blackboard Jungle, set in the high rise slums of fifties Liverpool. David McCallum is a juvenile delinquent, and his gang of psycho-toughs features Freddie Starr and Melvyn Hayes (Gloria from It Ain't Half Hot Mum!). I mainly watched it for Stanley Baker's cop in pursuit of an arsonist. It is a solid film until the last twenty minutes, a shoot out in a school, which is excruciating rather than prophetic.

A singer-songwriter's music career in America ends in failure and he goes on to live a humble, but still unusual life on the mean streets of Chicago... Half a world away in South Africa, his songs live a life of their own, touching many people, and become tangled up in the protest against apartheid.

That set up is pure Frank Capra! This is a wonderful, inspiring and moving documentary, which delivers a pay off of quite delicious sentimentality. A remarkable story.