Film Reviews by Schrödinger's Cake

Contrary to the prior reviews of this film, my daughter and I sat through the entirety, and as a rule we're not faint hearted when it comes to bailing out on a film midway through. In that regard, I would say that it is a long way from the worst film I have seen this year, and if it holds this acclaimed position for someone, then I suspect that they really could be trying harder: there is after all a lot of insipid tosh in the running for that prize.

As to the work itself: if you took an episode of Dr Who and glued it to Alfred Hitchcock, it would feel a lot like this film does. A bit weird and awkward, but reasonably entertaining none-the-less.

The gem is of course Jesse Eisenberg, but you knew that already.

This is an eclectic mix of arthouse B movies, ranging from the unwachable to the unmissable. If you expect to be rivetted through both DVDs then you'll likely be disapointed. However if you are happy to dip into the 16 films, skipping those that do not grab you, and settling on those that do, then you're in for a treat.

I won't give away too much about which ones I though were the pick of the crop, other than to say that the stop-motion on Madame Tutli – Putli is like nothing else you will ever see. It is stunning!

Let me start by saying that this isn't the best film in the universe. It tries to be insightful and cool, but comes out feeling more like Twilight meets the Karate Kid.

Djimon Hounsou puts in a fair performance, but not more than fair. Everyone else just falls lazily into a screen stereotype and then coasts their way through the film.

That all said, it isn't an utterly awful and unwatchable film. But it is close.

This is an ambitious film that attempts to pull together a collection of interwoven sub-stories, into a single, cohesive film.

On so many levels, this is not an easy film to watch. The characters, whilst rich and wonderfully acted, are almost universally challenging and unlikeable. The story is intricate. Multi-layered, subtle and fragmented. It requires attention and care to watch and comprehend. The plot is not handed to you on a platter or spelt out. Here, you must work for it.

If you are looking for a throw-away film to fall asleep to, then this isn't the one. However, if you want something a bit more taxing, then you've come to the right place.

Tying to cram a complex story into the feature-film format will always mean compromises. Thankfully Looper makes a good attempt at striking a reasonable balance, in this regard. There are a few underdeveloped parts of the backstory, but in the round, this is an enjoyable addition to the time-paradox genre...

For me the measure of a truly great film is whether I can watch it repeatedly and still get something from it. Over the years there have only been a handful like this, and this is the most recent...

It succeeds in welding together a novel storyline, some deeper ethical considerations, plus relentless action and absorbing CGI.

I can't think of anything that would stop me recommending this film...

Skin walkers is shot almost entirely on handheld cameras, and so has a touch of the Blair Witch to it. The structure of the film is pretty good in general, but as with many low-budget films, also tends to feel a bit like they didn't develop the story line well before they started, and so made it up as they went a bit along the way. Flawed by enjoyable none-the-less...

If you didn't know it already, the Golden Compass is the first instalment of a trilogy that seems destined not to be completed. It is also based on a series of much-loved books, which means that no matter how good it was, there would always be a tsunami of critics to hate it.

So, with that all said, I think that it's actually a very likeable film, with a strong cast playing some enjoyable characters. In particular, Dakota Blue Richards and Sam Elliott are a lot of fun to watch.

In fact, this is one of my favourite children's fantasy films of recent years. Yes, they are right; it's not Harry Potter. But that's actually a good thing, not bad...

As you can quickly tell from reading the other reviews, Anchorman is a Marmite film; you either love it or hate it.

My two children and I laughed our way through 90 minutes of childish jokes, sexism, misogyny and poor taste. And frankly loved it.

Whether you love this film or not, pretty much comes down to how you feel about comic book adaptations.

For some, this is only ever going to be a slow, tedious film. For others, there awaits a faithful portrayal of the rich depths that can be found in the original graphic novel. Beautifully-flawed characters, struggling with the same daily life we all do, whilst harbouring secret identities and almost limitless super-powers. It's not a film for everyone. But that frankly isn't a bad thing...

A wonderful anime romp, that had my two teenagers and I laughing out-loud at times. The pace is pretty fast in general, and there are a few oddball twists that keep it interesting. Fun!

When Tangled first came out in the cinema, my daughter dragged me (almost screaming and kicking) to watch it with her. But as is often the way, it turned out to be so much better than expected.

It's a wonderfully silly adventure, laced with songs, humour and engaging characters. Your children will love it. And begrudgingly, so may you.

Set in the Tasmanian wilderness, the scenery that provides the backdrop to this film is stunning. It's straight out of Lord of the Rings, but with notably less hairy-feet.

The story itself though drifts along at a leisurely pace. Mostly consisting of some slower tranches of character acting, punctuated by the occasional intense sequence. Of the cast, Willem Dafoe and Morgana Davies deliver some memorable acting, but the other characters ended up being less engaging and more two-dimensional.

In all, I enjoyed it. Although I probably wouldn't rush to watch it again.

From the outset the animation is beautifully drawn and choreographed, and all the time accompanied by an emotive sound-track.

From a story perspective it is simply another rendition of the classic ronin tale, but none-the-less it's an enjoyable film to watch.