The 50 Word Review

God forbid you were stuck on a desert island and Wolfsbergen was the only thing on telly. What seemed like a typical existential drama about a dysfunctional Dutch family is completely charmless and 1,000,000 % depressing. I lost the will to live watching this. So did Cristina. I wouldn’t even subject French people to it. JJ

Tuya’s got it tough; a crippled husband, two kids, three hundred sheep and a bleak future on the merciless plains of Inner Mongolia. What she needs is a man; cue a series of suitors. She should have stuck with her woolly dromedarian. Intractable drama; suitable for ethnographers and social anthropologists.  JJ

An above average slice of Victorian pie. Rival magicians vie to create the ultimate magic trick, no holds barred. A lack of cohesiveness, with all involved appearing to aim for a different kind of movie, lets this otherwise good bit of fun down.
Sam Potts

It’s the civil rights era in the US and African-American Petey Green (Don Cheadle), an ex-con with the gift of the gab, lands his dream job as a radio DJ. This true story of his eventual rise to fame as inspirational civil rights figure was done with just the right amount of humour, sensitivity and style.

Cristina Pittelli 

My film-watching partner and I were in danger of hating Juno because of the unrealistic teenagers and their uber-trendy/intelligent/sarcastic vocab, as well as the super-cute folksy guitar soundtrack. But in the end, I fell head over heals for this quirky story about a pregnant teen and her oddball family and friends. Sweet, and hilarious, even if JJ isn’t convinced!
Cristina Pittelli

Brainless ‘thriller’ starring Micheal Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria as secret service personnel. Douglas is accused of treason in a plot to assassinate the President, when his only crime is his secret affair with the first lady (Kim Bassinger). Sutherland proves he can’t act outside 24. Longoria, however, could bodyguard me anytime - wah, wah, wah!
JJ

Akin, one of Europe’s best directors, sticks with familiar themes and territory, moving back and forth between Germany and Turkey with this ambitious ‘Traffic/Babel’ like movie. A series of tragic coincidences results in parallel narratives, which intertwine but never fully connect. It’s one of those movies that keeps playing even after you’ve left the theatre.
JJ

Most men like their money; the odd one prefers wild berries. Sean Penn brings to the silver screen the beguiling true story of ‘Alexander Supertramp’ who turned his back on civilisation, for a peripatetic and often penniless existence. Drawn out but beautifully shot with a soulful soundtrack. Therapy in celluloid.
JJ

When ‘Withnail and I’ was released in 1988 it was a commercial flop (stupid markets) but became a cult classic. No fear of the latter happening with ‘Always’. This short film reunites the famous screen double from Withnail as power hungry politicians. Something terrible happens and the film is over in 12 minutes. Big production, little value. Download it via TimesOnline for free.
JJ

I watched ‘Things’ with critics at the London Film Festival – beforehand they were talking about sandals in cinema and in California. ‘Things’ is an unravelling tale of bereavement – intimate (heart-warming), sentimental and exceptional. Confirms Benicio Del Toro as the foremost actor in Hollywoodland - Oscar contender for his drug addict character.