Hockney (2014)
★★★★★
Unseen footage from David Hockney’s personal video library and revealing interviews make this the definitive biography of Britain’s most influential living artist.
Genre
Concerning Violence (2014)
★★★★☆
A visual poem on the sinister violence of colonisation, Göran Olsson’s Concerning Violence appeals for a new kind of future for Africa.
The Imitation Game (2014)
★★★★☆
Galvanising intense performances from a stellar cast, Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game is a war movie to stir the blood, but trips up over its queer hero.
The Drop (2014)
★★★☆☆
A superb performance from Tom Hardy and a cast of intriguing supporting characters saves this often rudderless New York based crime drama from the drop.
The Possibilities Are Endless (2014)
★★★★★
Life-affirming, powerful and utterly moving, this account of Scottish music icon Edwyn Collins is a truly remarkable achievement in filmmaking.
The Skeleton Twins (2014)
★★★☆☆
After a decade of not talking to each other, traumatic events bring estranged twins Milo and Maggie together again – a relationship in which drama and comedy are never far apart.
One Rogue Reporter (2014)
★★★☆☆
One ex-tabloid reporter’s entertaining and insightful satire of tabloid journalism’s ethics – or lack of them – through provocative Michael Moore-style stunts and set-ups, with clever use of archive footage.
Mr Turner (2014)
★★★★★
Mike Leigh’s dazzling biopic of one of Britain’s most celebrated and controversial artists is a masterpiece which earned Timothy Spall the Best Actor award at Cannes.
Citizenfour (2014)
★★★★☆
Insightful and provocative, Laura Poitras’ firsthand account of the days preceding Edward Snowden’s explosive revelations is quietly momentous and powerful.
Serena (2014)
★★★☆☆
Caught between whip-cracking lioness and jealous femme fatale, Susanne Bier’s Serena offers a muddled portrait of the fairer sex.
Fury (2014)
★★★☆☆
Brad Pitt stars as a war-weary tank commander in a gruesome Second World War movie that is unflinching in its visceral battle scenes.
The Way He Looks / Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (2014)
★★★☆☆
A Brazilian tale of blind love, Daniel Ribeiro’s The Way He Looks is a lyrical mood piece of adolescent self-discovery but short on feeling.
London Film Festival 2014: Song Of The Sea
★★★★☆
Elegant, beautiful, magical and affecting, Tomm Moore’s Song Of The Sea is a touchstone for the continued importance of hand-drawn animation.
Cathedrals of Culture (2014)
★★★★☆
Based on an original idea by Wim Wenders, Cathedrals Of Culture is a portmanteau of six directors finding their own genius in architectural space.