Ida (2013)
★★★★☆
Beautifully shot in black and white, Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida leads us on a meaningful road trip into a dark night of the Holocaust, Catholicism, and jazz.
UK
Pride (2014)
★★★★☆
Two very disparate communities forge an unexpected bond when a London gay and lesbian group supports a village of Welsh miners during the 1984/5 Miners’ Strike.
Lilting (2014)
★★★★☆
Giving Chinese whispers and cultural difference a voice, Hong Khaou’s Lilting is an intimate and moving study of translation, reconciliation and grief.
Pantani – The Accidental Death of A Cyclist (2013)
★★★☆☆
Gearing up with the loneliness of the long-distance cyclist, James Erskine’s Pantani: The Accidental Death Of A Cyclist uncovers both the agony and the ecstasy.
Next Goal Wins (2013)
★★★★☆
An utterly charming, funny and exhilarating film about football, community and tolerance, Next Goal Wins is the perfect World Cup warm up.
Exhibition (2013)
★★☆☆☆
Centred around a modernist house in West London, Joanna Hogg’s Exhibition exposes art, womanhood, relationships and architectural space.
Locke (2013)
★★★★☆
With Tom Hardy single-handedly driving the film and Steven Knight’s dirty, pretty script at the wheel, Locke is an elegant one-hander of life in the fast lane.
The Fold (2014)
★★★☆☆
A meditation on maternity and mourning, John Jenck’s The Fold finds a strange kind of love in this muddled would-be thriller.
Starred Up (2013)
★★★★★
A powerful, emotional and violent look at prison and reform, David Mackenzie’s Starred Up offers a glimpse of a life beyond bars.
The Invisible Woman (2013)
★★★☆☆
Unpicking Dickens’ illicit affair with a girl half his age, Ralph Fiennes’ The Invisible Woman brings a strong woman out from behind the novelist’s shadow
The Patrol (2013)
★★☆☆☆
Focusing on the minutiae of military life in conflict, The Patrol eschews the crash, bang and wallop of the genre, but in doing so lacks any impact at all.
Review Of The Year: 2013
In black and white or riotous colour, here’s a quick look back over the best and worst films of 2013 and a sneak preview of the movies to watch out for in 2014.
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Mandela – Long Walk To Freedom (2013)
★★★★☆
From boyhood to presidency, Justin Chadwick offers a solid biopic of Nelson Mandela, the iconic world statesman who achieved a political and moral miracle in South Africa.
NFA (No Fixed Abode) (2012)
★★★☆☆
Adam has it all – a beautiful wife and daughter and home, but one day he wakes up in a hostel for the homeless. How did he there and how can he get his life back?