Dark River (2017 Clio Barnard & scr)

Partly based on a novel ('Trespass') by Rose Tremain, this is indeed a dark tale told through scalpel-sharp little edits, though ends on an incredible act of redemption and a beautiful scene in which the leads, sister Ruth Wilson and brother Mark Stanley (Love, Lies and Records), barely say a word to each other, but we can see what's going on. Closely observed and elemental, it's photographed in deep focus by Adriano Goldman (The Crown, Burnt, August: Osage County) and edited by Nick Fenton (The Selfish Giant, The Double, Submarine, On Chesil Beach) and Luke Dunkley.

With Sean Bean, Esme Creed-Miles (daughter of Charlie and Samantha Morton) and Aiden McCullogh in the flashbacks. And, somewhere in there, Southcliffe's Joe Dempsie.

It's good, but I can't imagine myself watching it that often, though Wilson is bloody marvellous.

Passport to Pimlico (1949 Henry Cornelius)

It was hot enough to watch the 'bloodless battle of the underground', as written by Tibby Clarke (earning him an Oscar nomination - Battleground won). We always watch it in July.

It has a cheeky undercurrent, for example in the scene where the public are throwing food and gifts over the wire, a guy nicks some cigarettes from his neighbour's pocket and throws them over.

'I hope so. Haven't had a decent feed since that last deadlock in Moscow'.

By 1949 bread, petrol and clothing were no longer rationed, but the rest continued until 1954. 'Much of the film was shot on an outdoor set built on a cleared bomb-site off the Lambeth Road.' George Perry's unenlightening Ealing book fails to mention how the film was received by critics or the public.

Heaven Can Wait (1943 Ernst Lubitsch)

Charles Coburn to drunk maid Signe Hasso, something like "You'd better pack your bags. And if you don't I'll come down and help you.." The scene in which Don Ameche and Gene Tierney are reunited just wouldn't work the same without Coburn.

Info here.

Special mention to Clarence Muse who plays the butler in long, hilarious scene between Eugene Pallette and Marjorie Main. And of course to Laird Cregar, who was great in everything. And to Coburn's butler Leonard Carey.

Great joke planted at outset about Mrs Cooper-Cooper. And customary jokes around doorways.

The African Queen (1951 John Huston & co-scr)

C.S. Forester novel adapted by Huston and well known film critic James Agee. It's a marvellous script, from the opening. British white missionaries struggling to make native Africans sing a hymn, then a whistle blows and Bogie and the African Queen turn up - a battered, ugly looking boat that has a character of its own. And Bogart - winning Oscar - whose stomach grumbles awkwardly through tea, but who's quite at home battling rapids and kicking his engine. Huston showed him how he wanted him to play it, and there's moments where you can see Bogie is Huston...

Q made me laugh in the gruelling reeds scene as Bogie drags the boat through the water - "I thought there'd be a tow path!" Then as the two lie exhausted and the camera moves up to show just how near the open lake they are. And Kate's face of delight when she learns his name is Charlie (she's great as well, of course). And "May the heavens open for Charlie and me..."

Music by Allan Gray, photography by Jack Cardiff, edited by Ralph Kemplen.

I wondered whether it had been popular and turned to Huston's 'An Open Book'. "The African Queen was one of the most successful pictures I ever made - and Sam [Spiegel] got all the money.. I got out of my contract with Horizon..."

Dodginess of our print evidenced by this screen shot. Fortunately it's been restored and out on Blu-Ray

I know it was harder to do back projection well in early colour days, but I've got to say the rapids scenes are nowhere near as exciting and well done as P&P's IKWIG Corryvrecken scene...

Ma Part du Gateau (2011 Cédric Klapisch & scr)

In something of a departure from his other films, Klapisch constructs a situation designed for a Hollywood ending of love and understanding - he even quotes the 'Pretty Woman' music as a signpost to how we think it's going. Then, he goes somewhere else entirely, giving a less crowd-pleasing but more realistic and thoughtful ending - the bad guys get away with it.

Karin Viard and Gilles Lellouche are the might have been couple (love it when she starts telling him to look after his son better). With Raphaële Godin as the ex-lover, Audrey Lamy (sister), Kevin Bishop.

Music as usual by Dury and Minck, Francine Sandberg editing (Paris, L'Auberge Espanol, Poupées Russes), Christophe Beaucarne (camera).

Sing Street (2016 John Carney & scr)

I'm not sure I would have chosen a widescreen format - 1.85:1 is much more 1985, and you don't really get the benefit of the wider ratio. Quite difficult to understand what some of the band are saying, especially little Ben Carolan. The priest in this picture is a bastard - so ending revenge welcome. Some of band stuff funny (keyboard player). Rather less credible than Begin Again, but fun.

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor (brother), Mark McKenna (co-writer), Aiden Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy (parents), Ian Kenny (skinhead), Don Wycherley (priest).

Cosmo: Need a light?
Raphina: No. I'm trying to give up.
Cosmo: I didn't have any matches anyway.

I like dialogue like that. And later "No I'm Raphina's younger sister. Sorry."

Lady Bird (2017 Greta Gerwig & scr)

Not quite Greta's debut as director (co-directed Nights and Weekends 2008), and several credits as writer, notably Frances Ha, which has a not dissimilar central character who lies, goofs around instead of studying, alienates her friends and chooses the wrong boyfriends. Bring into the mix an outwardly pleasant mother who clashes with the girl at every turn, and some actually quite pleasant and helpful Catholics, and it's a pleasing pudding.

Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalfe, Beanie Feldstein, Tracy Letts (dad), Lucas Hedges (BF #1), Timothée Chalamet (BF #2), Odeya Rush (rich girl), Stephen Henderson (acting coach), Lois Smith (nice nun).

Oscar nominated for Best Film, Actor, Actress, Writer and Director, though not exactly something that we haven't seen before.

Greta has co-written and will direct a new version of 'Little Women', with Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, Saiorse Ronan. Timothée Chalamet and Florence Pugh!

Notorious (1946 Alfred Hitchcock)

Written by Ben Hecht, this is one of those Hitchcocks that at first sight doesn't seem quite as amazing as some of the more obvious masterpieces like Rear Window or North by Northwest, but it's more subtle and definitely wonderfully cinematic, as studied in a little more detail here.  So much of it is in extreme close up - apartment / love scene and climactic end bedroom scene - it's just so intimate. And the long takes also allow two incredible performances from Grant and Bergman.

Some great acting further down the list too - Louis Calhern as the smooth boss, Reinhold Schünzel as the doctor, Ivan Triesault as the killer, Eberhard Krumschmidt the victim, Leopoldine Konstantin (mother) and Claude Rains.

I love 'She must go slowly' followed by big close up of coffee cup.

Shot by Ted Tezlaff, music Roy Webb. There is a region A Blu-Ray and the NTSC Criterion edition is also reportedly good, though out of print and expensive.

Bewitched (2005 Nora Ephron)

In Nora and Delia's story, 'Bewitched' is remade with a real witch (Nicole Kidman) opposite Will Farrell, whose performance is way too much. And that's it. There's a bit of fluff between Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine, and a funny cameo from Steve Carrell. Most of the characters are totally underwritten (like Jason Schwartzman's) - this TV show seems entirely run by its star. With Kristin Chenoweth, Heather Burns, Michael Badalucco and Carole Shelley as the aunt.

Don Hemingway (2013 Richard Shephard & scr)

We're getting tougher  - only made about 20 minutes. For one thing, it's a pretty risky thing to start a film with a man talking about how great his cock is as he's sucked off by a fellow inmate. Then to follow that with a disturbingly brutal assault. But we're fans of The Matador, we like Jude Law and Richard E Grant, there are one or two welcome flashes of humour, plus we know the story's all going to be about him reuniting with his daughter... But. It was just foul, unattractive, weird, rebarbative... And life's too short.

So we read Black Cab Episode 5 instead - a much more rewarding use of time.

Roadies: 10. The Load Out (2016 Cameron Crowe)

"People don't even clap any more - they have a phone in one hand." Written by Cameron and Winnie.

I don't know how anyone can have watched all of this and not be totally in love with all the characters - it had mixed reviews by the look of it. How you can not love that Milo has started smelling better, and has picked up a girlfriend (let's say these two things may be connected). Or that Bill and Shelli are a natural couple.  How can you not just love West Coast, and everything about him, and how we know he will stay in touch with the Devil Child, because we believe him. We have grown to rely on the reliable Gooch, and we want Donna to be happy with her baby and girl. And above all, we want Double D and Pistachio (ah - that great moment!) to get together and for Double D to save the tour - we think he will, he's working on something - and to get us into Season 2 (sadly never happened). And don't you love that after seeing Kelly Ann's new film - which is also the season highlights, of course - that there is that dramatic end of film running scene which is supposedly crap but which we and Cameron and Wilder all know isn't true. (And that ramp and stage door look suspiciously like the one in Almost Famous.)

This is the episode for which you could criticise Cameron for being indulgent, like the end of Elizabethtown, with its score of guest artists and their performances - Eddie Vedder, Robyn Hitchcock, Jim James, Gary Clark Jr., Jackson Browne and Lucius and Greg Leisz. But you can't. Because it's ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC, you see?

Colson Baker steals the series

Goodbye again, old friend.

Roadies: 9. The Corporate Gig (2016 Jonathan Kasdan)

Written by Cameron and Winnie. I think the pencil's as important as the eraser, myself, but who am I to argue? Episode is a lot of fun, manages to get Wilder references in. Phil in the pool even made me wonder if it was a Sunset Boulevard reference? Having spoken to Bill, the 'Dead Sex' guy feels obliged to change the ending.

Rafe makes an engaging drunk.

Roadies: 8. The All Night Bus Ride (2016 Sam Jones)

Written by Cameron. Phil flashes back to his days with Lynyrd Skynyd where he's played by Connor Weil. A sad story.

The Shape of Water (2017 Guillermo del Torro & co-scr)

A well made and acted film, with Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones (as the Creature From the Black Lagoon), Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer. The whole thing reminded me of Amelie, with its 50s look and colours, shot by Dan Lausten on Paul Austerberry's sets. It's stunning to look at, that's for sure. But so was Blade Runner 2049... The music's by Alexandre Desplat.

But what was it about? Why did it win the Oscar for Best Film? I've no idea.

As to the film in the cinema, The Story of Ruth is a reasonably little known 1960 film with Elana Eden in the title role.

It was only later that I realised it was a remake of Splash! (And that the title is nicked from Andrea Camilleri's first Montalbano novel.)

Roadies: 7. Carpet Season (2016 Julie Ann Robinson)

She looks like a sort of director-for-hire of successful TV shows. Written by Cameron and David Rosen. Title comes from Bill attending an AA session undercover as a carpet salesman, leading to great line 'I'll never look at a carpet in the same way again" - or something.

Phil returns, much to Reg's consternation, Rosanna Arquette is a bitch of a photographer and Kelly Ann pips the great photo of the band.

Roadies: 6. Longest Days (2016 Jonathan Kasdan)

Jon is the son of Lawrence Kasdan, has also acted in several things. Episode written by Cameron and Tom Kapinos (creator and writer of Californication).

We are still in Denver. Lots of double meaning conversations between Bill and Shelli ('That's weird - it's like your parents having sex, only one's married to someone else'.. something like that, anyway.)

Meanwhile everyone thinks Kelly Ann and Reg are having a relationship...

Roadies: 5. Friends and Family (2016 Allison Liddi-Brown)

Written by Cameron and David Rosen. The one where they return to Denver on the eve of the Super-Moon, which happens once every 37 years. And the infamous Janine (Joy Williams) shows up. And Reg thinks she's fallen for him. Love the way they pronounce Reg with a hard g. Plus Mike Finger (Ely Henry) .

Funny digs emerging on crap TV shows and commercial music with Dead Sex and Taylor Swift in space.

Roadies: 4. The City Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken (2016 Jeffrey Reiner)

Written by Cameron and Hannah Friedman, or 'The Day Off That Went Wrong'. It's all in the title. Song of the Day - 'They Are All in Love' by The Who, in the rain. Leading to:

Roadies: 3. The Bryce Newman Letter (2016 Cameron Crowe & scr)

The one in which Rainn Wilson writes an unfavourable review so Wes spikes his coffee with Purple Vagina... Starting to love the mischievous sprite that is Natalie - Jacqueline Byers.

Some wonderful writing about music and the bands and the industry and the people.

"He weasel speaks between the lines."

Being in Atlanta, Donald Glover gets a name check, as his own series came out that year too.

Roadies: 2. What Would Phil Do? (2016)

Written by Winnie Holzman, directed by Cameron. The crew are having difficulty accepting Imogen back. And missing Phil.

'Why are you here?' is one of those classic Cameron 'I have a thing for you' lines, as is ensuing scene about raisins.

Edited by Jon Dudkowski and photographed by Thomas Yatsko.