Catherine Called Birdy: The secret diary of a medieval teen
Lena Dunham’s new feature is a coming-of-age romp set in 1290. But it’s less of a departure from Girls than you’d think.
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David Sexton
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Good Luck to You, Leo Grande: the joy of paid sex
Emma Thompson stars in a touching celebration of an older woman’s erotic discovery.
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Bergman Island seems intolerably meta – but it’s not just for cinephiles
Mia Hansen-Løve’s latest work is delightful and persuasive, and leaves you feeling better for having seen it.
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Terence Davies’s Benediction is a perfect portrait of an outsider
In this new biopic of the wartime poet Siegfried Sassoon, Davies beautifully renders, in quasi-autobiography, a life unredeemed.
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The new Downton Abbey film has luxurious sets, costumes and meals – but the real draw is Maggie Smith
Smith’s disdain for her own role only enhances the impact of her character’s appalling snubs and casual put-downs.
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How Nicolas Cage embraced self-parody
In The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a satirical take on action films, the Hollywood legend plays himself –…
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Harry Wootliff’s True Things is a lacklustre tale of erotic obsession
The film is visually compelling but its protagonists, played by Ruth Wilson and Tom Burke, lack depth and credibility.
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How Will Smith sabotaged his moment of glory
All was going so well. Then came that slap: an act of violence that seems especially disruptive since Smith…
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The Phantom of the Open is a very British tribute to failure
Mark Rylance is charming as the golf hoaxer Maurice Flitcroft, but there's not quite enough here to sustain a…
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