British films

Many of Charles Dickens' classic novels have become classic films over the years. To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dickens himself, Thomas Bentley’s 1934 film The Old Curiosity Shop and Alberto Cavalcanti’s 1947 film adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby have been re-mastered and re-released on...

Such strict rules govern the rom-com genre that it is hard to avoid repeating the same old thing. One way around this is to brazenly take an old idea and revamp it. All In Good Time has used this approach and made a film that may not be entirely original, but is still funny and moving in equal measure. The...

Two British comedy institutions collide in Twice Round the Daffodils: the Carry On films and the Doctor series. The result however is not quite as jolly as you might expect. The film is more of a drama with jokes, than a comedy. This is no bad thing, however. Not only does the film feature Carry Ons...

Jungle movies aren't that popular any more. Yes, Avatar is set on a heavily wooded, day-glo planet, but broadly the vast rainforests of the central equatorial belt have almost gone the way of Monument Valley as a movie location. It's a pity, because alongside the opportunities for adventure and discovery, the...

Topical and entertaining, Dexter Fletcher's directorial début, Wild Bill is an independent film that appears rough around the edges, but has a lot of heart. Fletcher's name holds a lot of respect in the British film industry. He is an actor with an immense amount of big and small screen experience,...

Trishna is Michael Winterbottom's modernisation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles moved to contemporary India - a transition which perhaps works better in theory than in practise. The film follows the story of Trishna, a peasant girl played by Freida Pinto, who meets British-Indian Jay Singh,...

India can be a pretty intense experience at the best of times, but it must be even more so if you're a pensioner. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel somewhat sanitises the full mind-bending experiences that are the Subcontinent and growing old to create a nonetheless charming film. Before anything else...

Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare's less-popular plays, making it a brave choice for Ralph Fiennes' directorial début. However, the risk certainly pays off, as Fiennes transforms the play by moving the action from Ancient Rome to a recognisably brutal present. As well as directing, Fiennes takes on the...

There are plenty of heroic feats of bravery and silly fights in The Brigand of Kandahar, a ludicrous romp from Hammer. There is also Oliver Reed. Oliver Reed pops up playing Ali Khan, the leader of a tribal rebellion against British Rule in the North West Frontier Province of the Raj. His character is...

Set during the English Civil War, The Scarlet Blade is a Cavaliers and Roundheads swashbuckler replete with flashing swords, secret passages, wicked villains, and a beautiful maiden to catch the hearts of the dashing heroes. Made by Hammer Film Productions in non-horror mode, you could call it a Hammer...