1. Tulpan: Remarkable romantic comedy set among a nomadic tribe in Kazakhstan.
2. An Education: Nick Hornby's sensitive adaptation of journlaist Lynn Barber's excellent memoir of her first boyfriend.
3. The White Ribbon: Michael Hameke's Palme d'Or winner at Cannes is set in a German village just before the start of the First World War.
4. 2012: Roland Emmerich's thrilling apocalypse movie with John Cusack as the hero.
5. Fantastic Mr Fox: Wes Anderson’s take on Roald Dahl is full of quirky magic — with a sly George Clooney voicing Mr Fox.

Critics' Choice

Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quote New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it quote

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Theatre

Henry Hitchings

quote A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion quote

Cock Restaurants

David Sexton

quote Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave quote

Kitchen W8

Reader reviews

Film

Adam, Harrow

quote Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects quote

2012 Theatre

Rob, London

quote This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws quote

The Habit Of Art Music

Bernard, London

quote Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor quote

Alexandra Burke

Jude is back on form

By Nick Roddick, Evening Standard 11.09.06

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Peak performers: Jude Law greets co-star Kate Winslet at the Toronto Film Festival

Look here too

All The King's Men showed up for this year's Toronto Film Festival.

As well as the movie of that name - a powerhouse remake of an Oscar-winning tale of political intrigue - the festival's guest list outgunned Cannes and Venice.

Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Dustin Hoffman, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Jude Law and Matt Damon were among those who appeared on the red carpet this weekend.

There was also a trio of world premieres of major movies which will soon reach British screens. Topping the list was All The King's Men based on the life of Louisiana governor Huey P Long.

First filmed in 1949, it is a tale about power grippingly told by writer/director Steve Zaillian, starring Sean Penn as Willie Stark, a politician who throws away the script. It is a mesmerising performance, reminiscent of Brando at his peak: maybe they should just give Penn the Oscar now and be done with it.

Jude Law is the best he's been in years as Jack Burden, the governor's fixer; and James Gandolfini and Anthony Hopkins give great supporting performances alongside Kate Winslet.

Actor/director Christopher Guest, of Spinal Tap fame, tackles the movie business in his latest, For Your Consideration.

It has more laugh-out-loud moments than any recent Hollywood comedies, but is more a series of funny scenes than a fully developed film.

Charting the progress of an indie drama called Home For Purim (which becomes Home For Thanksgiving once it picks up Oscar buzz), Guest's film features a largely botched cameo from Ricky Gervais.

The only real dud, though, was Ridley Scott's A Good Year, adapted from Peter Mayle's A Year In Provence, in which City whizkid Max inherits a crumbling French chateau.

The first 20 minutes are wonderful, thanks to a flashback to Albert Finney as Max's uncle, former owner of the chateau.

Equally good are early London scenes with Russell Crowe as the obnoxious Max.

Once the film hits France, the rot sets in faster than it attacks the chateau's vines.

A miscast Crowe shows little knack for comedy, smirking his way through scene after scene filled with clichés about France. Sadly, a Good Year barely qualifies as plonk.