China in the turmoil of Japanese occupation is the evocative setting for this unusual and visually stunning tale. Recruited before she is truly aware of her purpose, a young woman is groomed to become an irresistible siren, an icon of contemporary eroticism to ensnare a collaborator who has wreaked havoc amongst her people. Ang Lee's stunning follow up to "Broke Back Mountain" is in essence a thriller but as with all his films it is the richness and depth of the characters that really drive the find out more...

Liam Neeson surpasses himself with his portrayal of the legendary Irish folk hero in this stirring historical drama. The controversial patriot's life, from his advent after the Easter Rising to his untimely death, is vividly depicted by a sterling cast in this passion-packed biopic. Excellent. find out more...

Set in medieval Kyoto, this is an engrossing tale of rape and murder in which contradictory accounts of events are later related from the perspectives of four of those involved. A film which awakened the West to the richness of Japanese cinema. find out more...

find out more...

A highly acclaimed and influential account of Algeria's turbulent past made in psuedo-documentary style. The tense plot surrounds the rise of nationalist organisations in '54 and the French government's attempts to quell them. This film was the prototype for most political thrillers of the 1970s. find out more...

US Army Sergeant Will James, Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge comprise the Bravo Company's bomb disposal unit and it is their 38 days together in the chaotic and bloody period following the US/UK led occupation of Iraq that we closely follow. Sanborn plays it by the rules, Eldridge is insecure about his soldiering role and James is seen by his colleagues as a dangerously committed loose cannon and a threat to their survival chances. Hurt Locker is a slick, well directed, performe find out more...

find out more...

Andrey and Vanya are two young boys growing up alone with their mother. There is a solidarity to the family, a closeness born out of hardship and emotional dependence, but it is the re-appearance of their father after over a decade's absence that will prove the lads greatest test of brotherhood. Reluctantly allowed on a fishing trip with their new found father, what should have been an exercise in family bonding becomes a tortuous and punishing journey of discovery. "The Return" is a thriller th find out more...