Silva intends to keep us guessing, and it's fair to say he takes us in unexpected directions. But don't expect any flashy Hollywood twists. The surprises come from Catalina Saavedra's intense lead performance.

The striking directorial debut from fashion designer Tom Ford -- is so unusually beautiful it would be easy to dismiss it as superficial.

This little gem is best saved for those -- both young and old -- who prefer to find surprises under the tree.

But don't worry if you miss some details; this is the kind of movie that rewards a second viewing.

Rahim and Arestrup are both so outstanding that if this were an English-language film, they'd probably be nominated for Oscars, too.

Along the way, the movie documents a movement while deftly skewering a cynical media and ever-gullible public. So whether we're being had or just enlightened, Banksy's definitely found a new medium in which to create his own works of art.

It's guilt that gives life, shape and depth to this uncommonly perceptive film.

This is - allegedly - the final chapter in the series, and everyone involved appears invigorated.

Musical biopics usually replicate a star's rise and fall in depressingly predictable fashion. Hurray, then, for Mat Whitecross and his vibrantly eclectic take on what should feel like the same old story.

This is very much Brand's movie, with Hill playing a surprisingly subdued straight man. Still, the strong supporting cast - including Rose Byrne and Elisabeth Moss as the guys' girlfriends - easily holds its own.

Cowan, a gay Mormon himself, deftly melds facts with emotions, alternating between a history of the church's anti-gay drive and interviews with those directly affected by it.

Though it's Swinton who grounds the film, Guadagnino is really telling the story of an entire family and their unquestioned way of life.

The perfect answer to cries of "I'm bored," Marshall Curry's outstanding documentary won't just entertain your family for a little while. It'll also inspire everyone to get back outside, and find a new passion.

Most crime stories are content to simply exist, wallowing in their own base violence. But David Michôd's fierce debut takes the genre apart, finding a reason for the madness that propels it.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a misfit loner as confident as Olive, who bears her considerable tortures with remarkable grace. But Stone is so funny, smart and sweet that we relate to her anyway.

Just when it seems he's left himself with no way out, he comes up with a finish guaranteed to leave you breathless.

Why are innovative educators met with so much resistance? And why is our system falling so painfully short? Perhaps ­because so many of us don't realize just how dire things ­really are.

Assayas - whose previous work, though noteworthy, never hinted at this kind of ambition - gives the film a journalistic quality, while admitting that only a recombination of facts and fiction could do the story justice. It certainly results in explosive viewing.

The Zimbalists have unearthed a trove of footage, which they effectively blend with a full range of surprisingly honest interviews. As a result, the story of two individuals expands into a portrait of an entire country, in almost unthinkable distress.

A psychosexual thriller that lures its viewers into a woozy nightmare.

Don't you expect any hand-holding, either. Director David Yates throws us straight into Harry's waking nightmare, as he searches for a way to defeat Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) while keeping himself and his friends alive.

The small moments loom large in this moving, bittersweet and often funny documentary.

Though based on a true story with a well-known outcome, Doug Liman's Fair Game is as suspenseful as any fictional thriller -- and considerably more tragic.

As Claire Denis' stunning new movie reminds us, she expects a lot of her audience but gives considerably more in return.

If this lovely tribute sends viewers in search of the real thing, that would be a neat trick indeed.

The perfect haven from the cheap ironies and cruel indifference we all have to field both in life and, far too often, at the movies.

The latest collaboration between Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean") and Johnny Depp is sharp-edged, surreal, and often astonishing in its giddy creativity. What it is not, however, is a family film.

Neither Francophiles nor film fans could ask for anything more than François Ozon's latest, a charming comedy.