This is a glorious rendition of J.M. Barrie’s classic. It’s a visual feast of colours and scenery, with character portrayals that are believable and engrossing. On the one hand, it plays out as a classic make-belief adventure story, and on the other hand it exploits every metaphorical subtext the Peter Pan story provides: the hardships of growing up, the struggle between age and innocence, the blossoming of first love, jealousy and friendship. The strongest theme, though, is that of the complex relationship between a teenage girl and her father. This is treated beautifully by letting Jason Isaacs play both the uptight, nervous Mr. Darling (Wendy’s father) and a splendidly debauched Captain Hook.

(If you’re into in-jokes, look out for the nod to Jurassic Park late on in the film, with the parrot taking the role of one of the raptors. Hilarious.)

Although this sets out to be a spoof of zombie films (especially the original Dawn Of The Dead), Shaun Of The Dead succeeds on many more levels than that. First of all, it completely nails the essence of the horror/zombie genre, with funny and accurate rip-offs of the stereotype characters and plot devices. Secondly, it genuinely is a “romantic comedy–with zombies.” The love story is honest and heartfelt, with even the peripheral characters being well-drawn and sympathetic. And as a horror film in its own right, the film works. In places it is genuinely scary and claustrophobic. The comedy is exquisitely timed to let you experience the thrill of a horror film before breaking the tension with a belly-shaking joke. It really is an extraordinarily well-constructed film.

Update: see also Tagline’s assessment of it.

Absolutely stunning film about the life of Chuck Barris. By day he was a successful TV producer, and by night he was a CIA assassin. Or was he? The film (which is based on his autobiography) plays along with the notion. It is a clever, gritty spy story, a sympathetic portrait of a deeply troubled man’s descent into paranoia and madness, and a very dry, back comedy all at the same time. Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore and George Clooney all give magnificent performances. Clooney’s direction is heavily influenced by Soderbergh, but he has an inventive touch all of his own. The film hasn’t been hyped much on TV or in the cinemas, but this is definitely a must-see.

Beautifully written and filmed period drama/black comedy/murder mystery set in a country house in 1930s England. It features an ensemble cast to die for, and every last bit part contains enough meat for a full-blown starring role. Even the props are impeccably placed, and work hard for their screen time. The pacing may be slower than your average blockbuster, but it’s never less than intriguing and entertaining. The emotional wallop at the end of the film carries all the more power for it. Absolutely spellbinding.

Chicago: sex, liquor and jazz. The characters are sleazy, selfish and morally bankrupt caricatures, but the cast tackle them with such relish and exaggerated glee that you love them anyway. The song and dance numbers–most of which actually play out in Roxie’s imagination–are flawlessly executed, and brilliantly interwoven with the main story. It’s a snide look at corruption, ambition, and the fleeting nature of fame. It’s also a cynical black comedy, and a masterpiece of good old-fashioned entertainment. On every level, it works, it snaps, and it sizzles. Go see it now.

A fabulous, sweet story of a dreamer who finds friendship and love when she decides to change the world around her for the better. Hilariously funny, gentle, and romantic, and all without crossing the line into sickly sentimentality. A truly beautiful film.