Our weekly roundup of film reviews returns, courtesy of James Bryan… This week, royal bodice-ripper The Other Boleyn Girl, zombies ahoy in Diary of the Dead, multiple viewpoint assassination thriller Vantage Point and The Rock doing one for the kids in The Game Plan. Don’t expect to learn much history in The Other Boleyn Girl, a film James Christopher in the Times describes as a “ravishing piece of trash” in his 2-star review. The......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews returns, courtesy of James Bryan… Ladies and Gentleman, this is a once in a lifetime event, a week of movies the like of which we may never see again with hardened critics graciously bestowing stars upon worthy films. Let’s not even introduce them; let’s go straight to the reviews. Feel the critical love wash over you. We have to start with There Will Be Blood, a new film......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews returns, courtesy of James Bryan… After its Statue of Liberty beheading sensation of a trailer, the internet-hyped Cloverfield finally arrives. For the uninitiated, the film follows a group of young hip New Yorkers whose loft party is rudely interrupted when a big scary monster decides to munch his (her?) way through Manhattan. The big idea is that it’s all shot as if captured on one of the characters......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews returns, courtesy of James Bryan… As we wallow in the truly miserable news that Aliens Vs Predator made more money at the box office last week than No Country for Old Men, we sigh and turn our attentions to this week’s offerings. The three biggest releases this week are all stamped with Oscar. We’ve got Johnny Depp singing in Cockney and slicing throats in Sweeney Todd, Tommy Lee......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews returns, courtesy of James Bryan… This week, the Coens’ masterful noir No Country For Old Men, the dire AVPR (don’t ask), a spoof musical biopic Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Gwyneth Paltrow in The Good Night. No Country for Old Men arrives in the UK soaked in rapturous Stateside reviews. It’s the latest from critical darlings the Coen Brothers (The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, Fargo etc.)......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews returns, courtesy of James Bryan… No box-office devouring monsters this week but some quality produce that’s worth seeking out – mainly Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and the Romanian film, 4 months, 3 weeks & 2 days. We’ve also got Hanks and Roberts in Charlie Wilson’s War and Steve Carell in Dan in Real Life. Let’s start with Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, a small-scale movie......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews continues, courtesy of James Bryan… This week, the girls of St Trinian’s, a schizoid version of Bob Dylan’s life in I’m Not There and the vile evil Alvin and the Chipmunks. The posters of vamped up schoolgirls that have sprung up across town mark the return of the anarchic St Trinian’s girls, a bold effort to launch a new generation of Brit comedies, taking the 1950s Ealing comedies......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews continues, courtesy of James Bryan… This week, Bee Movie, Enchanted, We Own The Night, Youth Without Youth, Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and It’s A Wonderful Life. And if you’re too busy to even read a review of reviews then just go and see the masterpiece that is It’s A Wonderful Life. Simple as that. Since the last episode of the Greatest Sitcom Ever™ nine years ago, Jerry Seinfeld......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews continues, courtesy of James Bryan… This week Kidman plays with her monkey in The Golden Compass, The Rock gets confused in Southland Tales, a famous person gets shot in The Killing of John Lennon and Donal MacIntyre cuddles up to some naughty people in A Very British Gangster. Ever since The Golden Compass was announced, devotees of Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy have been nervously waiting to......

Our weekly roundup of film reviews continues, courtesy of James Bryan… This week Brad Pitt’s latest (with a title so long it shouldn’t be allowed) The Assassination of Jesse James etc, the alternate realities of The Nines, Vince Vaughn slumming it in Fred Claus, the video game adaptation Hitman, Kenneth Branagh directs The Magic Flute and a re-release for the classic All About Eve. If you get annoyed with trailers that give the plot......

After an extended holiday, Saturday Cinema Summary is back, courtesy of James Bryan... This week Ridley Scott makes a bid to join the hallowed greats of gangster films with American Gangster, the naked pixelated form of Angelina Jolie drips in gold in Beowulf and Brick Lane gets the film treatment. American Gangster seems to have all the ingredients of an instant classic, even the title smacks of definitive greatness. Throw in the setting of......

This week – rage causes a lot of trouble in 28 Weeks Later and the memoirs of Nelson Mandela’s prison guard are opened in Goodbye Bafana. In 28 Days Later the Rage virus spread throughout Britain leaving it full of dead people and those that had killed them. Now, in 28 Weeks Later, the US Army has come to restore order, repopulate the city of London and, during the same process, also reunite families. Among......

This week - Spiderman gets into more bother (Spiderman 3) and a film that features Avril Lavigne (Fast Food Nation). Peter Bradshaw begins his review of Spiderman 3 thus, Global warming continues. The magnolias are blooming obscenely early. The sky is an unseasonable blue. The burning sunshine seeds tiny flowers of skin cancer on our puckered flesh. And the long, hot summer of pointless film sequels is underway. In the coming months, it seems......

This week - Adam Sandler's family were killed in 9/11 (Reign Over Me) and Ryan Gosling is a crack addict high school teacher (Half Nelson). Before we push on, it is only right that we warn you that Peter Bradshaw hasn't written any reviews for the films that we feature today. Even geniuses like him need a week off, even if he can watch a 2 hour film in 3 minutes superman stylee then......

This week - The Spartans resist Persian domination (300) and Carmen Electra shoots a British porno (I Want Candy). First up, a film that went straight to the top of the box office chart in the USA, made a hatload and has angered some Iranians, 300. First of all, you'll want to read our own review. What do you mean that wasn't enough for you? What do you mean you want to hear from......

We do enjoy a good debate here at Londonist HQ so were pleased to be asked along to last night's Guardian/BAFTA Film Forum entitled The Role of the Film Critic in the Digital Age: It is easy and inexpensive for anyone to set themselves up as an internet authority on film - and online film reviews, blogs and podcasts are widely available at the click of a button. Does the internet threaten the role......

This week - The accompanying film to Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, the 1945 invasion of Iwo Jima as experienced by the Japanese Imperial Army. (Letters From Iwo Jima) and Jim Carrey gets obsessed with the number 23 (The Number 23). Today had the potential to be a very sad day at Saturday Cinema Summary. As we sat down to write, the Guardian website would not load, it was thought that here could......

This week: a treat for Christmas as Tim Burton's animated masterpiece goes 3D (Nightmare Before Christmas 3D), a Soviet agent starts questioning his life in London's Swinging Sixties (Joy Division) and a philosophising serial killer paints canvases with his victims' blood (Antibodies). As that big tinselly jelly-bellied day creeps slyly upon us a special treat is in store for fans of 1993's excellent Nightmare Before Christmas. Wendy Ide hails it as "a terrific Christmas movie......

This week - Borat visits the USA (Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan) and British rom-com set on Hampstead Heath, (Scenes of a Sexual Nature). When we saw the posters for this on the tube, with five star reviews from the News of the World and the Mirror, we were ready for this to be shit. Turns out it's ok though, who'd have thought? All of the reviewers......

This week - Scorsese remakes Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (The Departed) and conjoined twins become a punk band, (Brothers of the Head) First up, The Departed by director Martin Scorsese. If you're the kind of person who believes the proclaimations of a certain man salaried by the Guardian, Mr. Peter Bradshaw (and we are), it looks as if this might be the film to see this week. He has not a bad word......

This week - Filth and disgustingness (Dirty Sanchez: The Movie), a dystopian look at London 2027, (Children of Men) and the sequel to Clerks, (Clerks 2). Today's Friday Film News is going to be a little different in terms of order. Usually the first spot is given to the most hyped film of the week, or the most worthy film. However, as the focus of this post is supposed to be the reviews and......

This week - Michael Douglas proves he can still run unassisted (The Sentinel), a "comedy" about a midget who masquerades as a baby (Little Man) and a Speed-like film in which a man will die unless he keeps his adreniline level above a certain, very high, level (Crank). First up, The Sentinel featuring OAP Michael Douglas, trying to prove that he can still be an action hero, Kiefer Sutherland, playing Jack Bauer, and Eva......

Last week an unfortunate combination of holidays and illness thwarted our well-laid plans to bring you the Friday Film News come rain or shine. Sorry about that. But fear not, the FFN is back to something approaching normality this week as we check out Owen Wilson’s latest lightweight comedy (You Me and Dupree), an Australian drama (Look Both Ways) and a hard-to-categorise-but-ultimately-heart-warming ghost-story (Volver). First up, You Me and Dupree – a trademark Owen......

New to our screens this week: Gilliam goes gothic (Tideland), Jack Black is back yet again (Nacho Libre) and Halloween animation for the whole family (Monster House). Starring Jodelle Ferland, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Tilly, new Terry Gilliam film, Tideland, has the critics in disagreement. "A shapeless, overbearing muddle of Gothic stylings and wigged-out performances" proclaims Anthony Quinn in The Independent. The film follows a small child as she is orphaned by the death of......

This week – fantasy pinup finds happiness in soft porn (The Notorious Bettie Page), a small screen classic gets a Hollywood makeover (Miami Vice) and the American oil industry crushes its rivals (Who Killed The Electric Car? ). Brought to us by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho), first up is The Notorious Bettie Page. As Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian sets out, “50s nude pin-up queen Bettie Page is the subject of......

This week - A 14 year old James Bond, (Stormbreaker), Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn break up, (The Break-Up) and Garfield comes to the UK and finds himself in charge of a castle, (Garfield 2 ) First up, Stormbreaker. Peter Bradshaw gives it 3/5, dubbing it an "entertaining teen Bond fantasy" and writing "what's not to enjoy?" This is the sort of summer film that doesn't go for subtleties. According to James Christopher in......

This week - A chap flying here and there with his pants on the outside of his trousers (Superman Returns), a drama/black comedy about death in Bucharest (The Death of Mr Lazarescu ) and a German film adaption of a Michel Houellebecq novel (Atomized) First up, is it a bird? No, it's far too big. Is it a plane? (Are there snakes on the plane?) No he's too small and brightly coloured to be......

This week - A documentary about Mongolian nomads (The Cave of the Yellow Dog), a music documentary about a hip hop concert in Brooklyn (Dave Chapelle's Block Party) and a teeny flick with Lyndsey Lohan and McFly (Just My Luck) You know that it is a week to go to the ice rink when the first film reviewed on Friday Film News is about the zen-like simplicity of the lives of Mongolian nomads. It......

This week, we have a film about Irish Republicanism (The Wind That Shakes The Barley), a nonsensical thriller with Demi Moore (Half Light) and a movie about true-life legend of patriot fighter-hero, Huo Yuanjia (Fearless). First up, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, a film that won director Ken Loach the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes film festival. As discussed at the end of last week's Friday Film News, there has been a......

This week's films share the common theme of having pissed off the leaders of the countries in which they were made. Offside has been banned in Iran (well, what hasn't been?) and Secuestro Express has but a bee in the bonnet of everyone's favourite smiling authoritarian leader, Hugo Chavez. We can't confirm whether RV has annoyed GW but judging by the reviews, it's not very good. Mind you, we don't suppose GW's favourite films......