Made in 1984 this terrifying indictment of post-war Britain was particularly poignant at the height of the Thatcher era without sidestepping any of the issues. John Hurt perfectly captures the mood of the book and Richard Burton puts in a swansong performance. A modern British classic. find out more...

find out more...

An intense observation of an idealistic man's descent into temptation and corruption adapted from Robert Penn Warren's 1946 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, loosely based round the career of populist Louisiana governor Huey Long, and with a selection of pretty much the best actors Hollywood has to offer. Perhaps on occasion just too worthy, All The Kings Men is a still a powerful dramatic tragedy. find out more...

Narrated via the memoirs of Captain Charles Ryder while stationed at the Brideshead Castle during WWII, we follow his increasingly intense, confused relationship with the aristocratic Flyte family and in particular brother and sister Sebastian and Julia. An impressive if slightly pointless cinematic adaptation of Waugh's classic much better done in the epic television drama. find out more...

The story takes place during the Italian occupation of Greece during WW2. At first Captain Corelli and his troops are treated with contempt by the islanders but it soon becomes obvious that the two nationalities have much in common and a friendship forms between occupiers and occupied. Into this unlikely scenario is added the love that has blossomed between the Captain and beautiful young islander, Pelagia, but the idyll is soon to be shattered by the harsher realities of war. Captain Corelli's find out more...

Adapted from the classic, absurdist, anti-war novel by Joseph Heller. "Catch-22" is the story of Yossarian, a pilot who trys to opt out of flying bombing missions by being declared insane, the catch being that anyone trying to avoid bombing missions by being insane must be sane. This dark classic catches much of the flavour of the book, the insanity, the corruption and the absurdity of war. Think MASH, but non-linear - flawed but awesome. find out more...

Philip Marlowe has two cases on his books and they may not be as unconnected as they seem. Giant-sized Moose Malloy is straight out of jail and looking for Velma, his chorus-line girlfriend. Marlowe takes sympathy on him and agrees to track her down but all he finds is a dead-end. Meanwhile, smooth gigolo Lindsay Marriott is eager to buy back a rare jade necklace from thieves and hires Marlowe as protection during the transaction. The neon-drenched, smoke-filled LA of 1941 forms the background f find out more...

Told partially in flashback we learn of a married Japanese man, Kengo, who is sent to manage forests in Indochina, during WW2. Here he meets a young typist, Yukiko, who falls hopelessly in love with him. Despite his promises when he returns to Tokyo it is to his wife that does so and he continues having heartless affairs, while Yukiko is forced to become the mistress of a GI and then a rich businessman, anything to survive. find out more...

An adaptation of the Arthur Millar novel, this drama about a mistaken identity begins well but is let down by poor direction. A man (William H Macy) becomes the victim of mistaken identity in an increasingly anti-semitic Brooklyn neighbourhood during the last days of WW2. The films loses its momentum when the love interest is introduced, unfortunately Laura Dern's performance is as implausible as her hairdo and the ensuing relationship thus cringe-worthy. Nevertheless, the subject matter is inte find out more...

When the Second World War is declared, Tom finds that his quiet life in the village of Little Weirwold is set to change. Nine-year-old Willie Beech is evacuated from London and billeted on him, Willie is a quiet sad child with a deprived and disturbing past but he slowly begins to flourish under the care of ‘Mister Tom' and enjoys an idyllic village life. John Thaw (Inspector Morse) stars as the widowed and cantankerous Tom Oakley in this charming film adaptation of the prize-winning children's find out more...