Trailer trash

City of God director Fernando Meirelles talks about his dream picture, and Brenda Blethyn explains why she's learning Arabic. By Jason Solomons

Le grand jeu

This classic French battle between love, fate and bewitching passion set a pattern for later hits such as Casablanca, writes Philip French

The Concert

There's nothing but lame stereotypes to be found in this duff but well-meaning comedy about a one-time conductor hoping to relive past glories, says Peter Bradshaw

Bluebeard

Catherine Breillat's meditation on the Perrault folk-tale is elegant and erotic, but not especially resonant, writes Peter Bradshaw

First sight: Jacob Auzanneau

A French teenager who trained as an acrobat at circus school, whose feet don't touch the ground in his first acting role, almost literally

Leaving

Another superb performance from Kristin Scott Thomas powers this intense, emotional French marital drama, writes Peter Bradshaw

Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema

This gangster thriller set in modern-day Johannesburg looks initially promising, but loses its way when tries to tackle complex moral issues, says Peter Bradshaw

Will Let Me In have the right stuff?

Ben Child: The US version of the startling Swedish horror film Let the Right One In looks like it may be another unnecessary English language remake

The Ballroom

A drama set in a Brazilian dancehall over the course of a single night is a delight, says Jason Solomons

White Material

Isabelle Huppert is superb as a a tough colonial famer in Claire Denis's fine return to Africa, writes Jason Solomons

Tetro

Francis Ford Coppola has made yet another film about father-son tensions – but this one is a self-indulgent mess, writes Peter Bradshaw