Reviews

Devastating teenage-abuse-hell drama from director of Together

A massive worldwide hit, Nia Vardalos' no-budget romp must be something special, right? Well, nope. Inoffensive as it undoubtedly is, it appears to the un-Greek eye to latch 99 per cent of its gags onto national stereotypes. The better scenes, lampooning office hierarchies, are like a good episode of Friends. The rest is Victoria Wood at her most tired. Granny'll love it on telly at Christmas.

Tragi-comic genius' big-screen outings are period treats

Bryan Singer's faithful take on Marvel's merry mutants is probably the best superhero movie to date, due primarily to Hugh Jackman's grumpy Wolverine, Anna Paquin's fragile Rogue, a couple of class-act Shakespearean luvvies (Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen), some great SFX and David Hayter's fine script. Roll on the sequel!

Miss Kittin collaborator plots future of electro on his first commercially available mix disc

Her first major album in a decade, featuring Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow and father Johnny

Hazy 12th album from perennial indie favourites

The proggy tendencies of current underground hip hop have not gone unnoticed. As if to prove the point, here we have four long tracks in true Yes fashion featuring tempo changes extended instrumental sections and bucolic acoustic guitar loops. But in the place of Jon Anderson's shrill squeak, we have Paris-based Canadian MC, DJ and producer Buck 65's soothing, friendly voice in your ear.

Also released this month...

'70s/'80s best-of from Canadian progressive rockers