A Farewell to Arms (1932 Frank Borzage)

Eighteen times Oscar nominee Charles Lang's only win is moodily lit and boasts some good tracking shots, and an interesting subjective camera when Gary Cooper is in hospital being visited by Helen Hayes. Has some of that great montage work of war scenes, possibly Vorkapich? (though not credited as such).

Adolphe Menjou and especially Mary Philips are the meddling 'friends'. Still effective story, briskly told (especially compared to the two and a half hour 1957 remake).

Life of Pi (2012 Ang Lee)

Last seen two years ago.

Some of it has such a visceral power I found it hard to watch without clasping myself like a little girl.

At other times it's particularly dreamlike.

You can't help feeling sorry for Richard Parker.

The 'real' story is devastating.

Black Narcissus (1947 Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell)

For a long time one of my least favourite P&Ps, but its beauty, atmosphere, mood of hysteria and otherliness and customary wit get you in the end.

I love Alfred Junge's Blue Room and the whole castle; the paintings are stunning (both of the scenery and in the castle); Cardiff's photography gets better and better as the film progresses, becoming quite sensational as the mood darkens. Deborah Kerr and Kathleen Byron are quite magnificent, ably supported by Sabu, David Farrar, Flora Robson, Esmond Knight, Nancy Roberts, Judith Furse and Jean Simmons; with special mention to May Hallatt as the 'dirty old bird' and Eddie Whaley Jr, as the boy, who both bring humour.

In an interview before her death, Kathleen says of the above sequence "I didn't need to do anything - it was all in Jack's photography".

Editor Reginald Mills is the guy who never gets any credit - it's not so much rapid cutting as cutting on sudden movements or gestures of the actors. The suitably evocative score is Brian Easdale's.

In Which We Serve (1942 Noel Coward, David Lean)

As it was VE Day (weekend).

Enormously impressive collaboration, with very familiar dialogue and stiff upper lippery, at times resembles Russian-made propaganda documentary. Coward is in fact like the best headmaster ever.

Uncle Jeff once told me this film was used in officer training in the Royal Navy. And when I was talking about the despicable Nazis machine-gunning a defenceless lifeboat he said "Well we did it too" - a sobering comment indeed.

I love the moment when they've rescued the Army and everyone below deck flinches at the bomb but Johnny Mills. Also the scene where he has to break bad news to Bernard Miles (it's one of Johnny's best films). And the dinner where Celia Johnson talks about her implacable enemy and there's no cut away from her.

Kay Walsh is also in the huge cast and Kathleen Harrison as Johnny's mum is familiar. Plus Joyce Carey and a load of unknowns playing 'Flags', 'Guns', 'Torps' etc (in this respect it's a bit like Gosford Park.)

The structure is also very modern, jumping around in time like it does, and His Cowardship also wrote the (good) music, the big show-off.

Thelma Myers (later Connell) debuts as editor (she was David's assistant on One of Our Aircraft...) and has a notable list.

Shot by Ronnie Neame. The joke about the Daily Express was Anthony Havelock-Allen's.

Birdman (2014 Alejandro González Iñárritu)

This film, on the other hand, seems to have been showered with awards - namely best film, director, camera and script at the Oscars. OK, Emmanuel Lubezki is deserving for his invisible lighting and continuous (looking) takes, but we weren't sure about it. For one thing - like its antecedent Rope - it has the effect of leaving the audience a little cold - the technique is actually distracting. I'm not sure Howard Hawks would have liked it!

Still, well played by Michael Keaton. Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, Merrit Wever and Lindsay Duncan. It's good to see actors who have the balls to appear in something like this.

Has a feeling of Soy Cuba and an echo of Stalker.

I think also that it's further evidence that Iñárritu's best films were with Arriaga, but let's say no more until Viewing #2.

Mr Turner (2014 Mike Leigh & scr)

Well Cannes got it right by awarding Timothy Spall best actor - the film was severely overlooked by the usual Academies. His grunts are tremendously expressive.

Dick Pope's cinematography is tremendous - and not just in the vistas (though in my mind John Alcott in Barry Lyndon has yet to be bettered for his candlelit scenes).

And of course it's marvellously written and acted. Lesley Manville has a terrific Scottish accent, Paul Jesson is his beloved dad, Dorothy Atkinson is the sore-ridden maid; with Ruth Sheen, Martin Savage, Peter Wight and Karl Johnson - and Marion Bailey (Mike Leigh's other half) pretty much steals the film as Turner's landlady / lover.

Pitch Perfect (2012 Jason Moore)

As a film it's quite, quite terrible, with a totally predictable set of characters and story, though somehow it manages to rise above this and be pretty entertaining. No doubt Anna Kendrick has something to do with it.

We're No Angels (1989 Neil Jordan)

Robert de Niro and Sean Penn are both terrific fun as a pair of hapless, gormless criminals mistaken for priests; indeed they seem to be riffing off each other. That's pretty much the whole show, though the 'miracles' (or Miracles, if you want it that way) are entertaining.

Shot by Philippe Rousselot. With Demi Moore, Wallace Shawn, Bruno Kirby.

Good Morning Vietnam (1987 Barry Levinson)

"This is the perfect role for Robin," says producer Mark Johnson, who also takes to the boards in "Good Morning, Vietnam" as Adrian Cronauer's compatriot Sloan. "Nobody else works with the inventiveness, the quickness and the zaniness of Robin Williams. When he sat down in the control booth to do the scenes involving Cronauer's broadcasts, we just let the cameras roll. He managed to create something new for every single take."

http://www.levinson.com/bl/gmvietnam/prod.htm

I particularly liked his news flash - "Ethel Merman being used to block Russian radar".

As a film it's not overall a success, though the character's absorption into Thai, sorry I mean Vietnamese, culture, and the way Forest Whitaker gets him to act for the troops who are stuck with them in traffic, work.

With Bruno Kirby, Robert Wuhl, Tung Thanh Tran, J.T. Walsh, Nobel Willingham.

Five Miles to Midnight (1962 Anatole Litvak)

'That's a good title' I thought initially. But on reflection, it isn't.

Film is not without its moments, such as Anthony Perkins being visited first by a cat (which amusingly then follows him onto a window ledge), the next day by a boy. You think of Maurice Sendak and wonder what bizarre thing will come in the window next.

Also, the overly dramatic music, especially in places where there isn't any drama (like Sophia Loren ascending in a lift) is funny.

Q thinks Perkins shouldn't have taken the part: certainly you think he's a nutter from the word go, and that hangover from Psycho isn't helping any.

It's a bit dull, I'm afraid, right up to the finale where it looks like Sophia's gone nuts and Gig Young's calling the docs on her.

The fact that it's actually filmed in Paris, by Henri Alékan, doesn't save it.

It did, though, make me wonder that if a legally dead man opens a letter addressed to himself, is he breaking the law?

Casablanca (1942 Michael Curtiz)

Ingrid Bergman is sensational, Bogart perhaps doesn't quite deliver in the emotional scenes (though as the urbane café owner he's perfect), and it's maybe Claude Rains' best performance.

Elizabethtown (2005 Cameron Crowe & scr)

Here you go.

"It's not goodbye, it's just goodbye."

The C Word (2015 Tim Kirkby)

Story of Lisa Lynch's bestselling blog and book, acted by Sheridan Smith and Paul Nicholls, adapted by Nicole Taylor.

My favourite moment comes at a wedding, when you expect some approaching guests to come up to Sheridan and say something inappropriate...

The Mind of Mr Soames (1969 Alan Cooke)

Interesting and engaging film, based on a novel by Charles Eric Maine, screenwritten by John Hale and Edward Simpson, about the attempts to educate a 30 year old who's been in a coma his whole life, touches on questions of freedom and choice. Terence Stamp is wonderful as the man-child, Robert Vaughn a sympathetic surgeon, Nigel Davenport a less so one. Donal Donnelly is indeed from The Knack, and despite my allegations that the TV producer's assistant was Judy Parfitt she wasn't: when the real Judy turns up (giving Terence the only kiss he's ever had), she's unmistakable. Christian Roberts, from To Sir With Love, is one of the irresponsible journalists, as is Christopher Timothy.

Shot by Billy Williams.

It's Frankenstein, I realised halfway through, right up to the point where he (almost) hears a violin playing (only in this version the girl screams and pulls the emergency cord).

Primary Colors (1998 Mike Nichols & prod)

Wittily written by Elaine May with a young Adrian Lester winningly holding the film together as principled assistant to presidential candidate John Travolta and wife Emma Thompson. I particularly liked the elliptical way in which the 'family' of staff - also comprising Billy Bob Thornton, Maura Tierney (from ER) and Kathy Bates - grow together. With: Larry Hagman, Rob Reiner and Allison Janney.

Shot by Michael Ballhaus in Panavision.

Political films can be a drag: this one isn't.

Rich and Strange (1931 Alfred Hitchcock)

It's a shame that only one in every two sentences in Canal Plus's release are audible, as the film is lively, enjoyable and extremely well put together, as evidenced in fast - almost Russian - montages, such as Paris scenes. Henry Kendall is the dope of a husband who goes travelling with his wife, the gorgeous Joan Barry, who is possibly the prototype for all of Hitch's blondes. Kendall falls for the far less lovely 'Princess' Betty Amman, she - rather reluctantly - with the much too old Percy Marmont, though the situation improves when the ship sinks and they are picked up by a sinister load of Chinese pirates.

Lots of very interesting visual stuff with leftover title cards (quite amusing) from the silent days.

Joan, the voice of Anny Ondra in Blackmail and also in Rome Express, retired in 1934.

John Cox and Charles Martin shot it, with both Hitch and Alma working on the story.

Crazy Stupid Love (2011 Glen Ficarra and John Requa)

Perfectly well described here.

Not a great title.

Jolene (2008 Dan Ireland)

We got onto this because Ireland made Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont  in which Rupert Friend also appeared, though here Jessica Chastain is the whole show giving a great performance as the Candide-like innocent who has trouble learning life's lessons, always ending up with the wrong man (or woman): namely first husband, damaged Zeb Newman and his randy dad Dermot Mulroney (Theresa Russell is tremendous as usual as the bitchy mother-in-law), prison guard Frances Farmer, mobster Chazz Palminteri and religious nutter Michael Vartan.

Another film which needed a Kenneth More, the story doesn't really include any happy episodes (for balance) and so ultimately is a bit of a downer, though succeeds in showing how a fucked up start in life will hold you back plenty.

I'm pretty sure it's the only time I've seen a couple have sex in a truckful of carrots.

Tomorrow Is Forever (1945, rel. 1946 Irving Pichel)

Orson Welles is fabulous as war damaged imposter sheltering Viennese refugee Natalie Wood, and becoming re-involved with wife Claudette Colbert, her new husband George Brent, and sons.

Good screen play by Lenore Coffee, from Gwen Bristow story, marvellously effective Max Steiner score, Joe Valentine on camera.

An International Picture picture, whoever they are.

The Riot Club (2014 Lone Scherfig)

Well, we weren't expecting how nasty this would turn out to be, though by the first half hour I was already wishing untimely ends on these twats, unfit for the term 'gentlemen'. And that I think was the point of Laura Wade's play (which she adapted), to demonstrate that the elite get away with stuff and the rest of us have to put up with it, but it's a rebarbative work, with the only humanity coming from girlfriend Holliday Grainger and publican Gordon Brown and his daughter Jessica Brown Findlay. The variously indistinguishable oiks include Freddie Fox, Sam Claflin, Max Irons, Sam Reid and Douglas Booth, with Samuel West and Tom Hollander.

There was no one to like, you see, and not much fun. Accordingly it is not a film I will be watching again often.