Based on a novel of the same name by Sara Gruen, “Water for Elephants” is a majestically mounted period picture. Set in a superlatively depicted depression era Circus, the film aspires to operate as a swooning romance, but genuinely finds grander successes in other areas.

“TT3D: Closer to the Edge” is a surprisingly astute blend of sympathetic characters, fearless action and extreme bravery. At 104 minutes it’s perhaps too long, but on the whole I’d consider it a documentary worth seeing.

Who is the wolf? This mystery is easily solved early on, Hardwicke making it obvious through a selection of distressingly clumsy shots. “Red Riding Hood” attempts to use this central idea to incur a state of paranoia and suspense, but thanks to some unsubtle indicators and the film’s general refusal to unleash any genuine threat, the fear levels remain fairly low.

“The Adjustment Bureau” marks the directorial debut of George Nolfi, the screenwriter behind 2004’s excruciating “Ocean’s 12” and 2007’s impressive “The Bourne Ultimatum”. Nolfi proves terrifically adept from the vantage point of his director’s chair, combining a tremendously attractive visual aesthetic with a buoyant central storyline.

“The Fighter” is a case of an unremarkable screenplay being elevated by fantastic performances. Chronicling the early life of Massachusetts born boxing hero Micky Ward and that of his troubled older brother Dicky Eklund, “The Fighter” is truly an acting tour de force.

Following up his 2008 winner “The Wrestler” was never going to be easy, but with the formidable “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky may even have bettered it. A psychological thriller set against a production of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”, Aronofsky’s film is a compellingly tragic affair.

“The King’s Speech” is a startlingly effective crowd-pleaser, an uplifting production that soars on the back of strong direction and sensational performances.

Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Valhalla Rising” is a major league oddity, an abstract Viking epic with little dialogue and a ponderous pace.

“Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows : Part 1” is a tremendous opening half to the climactic stages of this mighty saga, offering a hugely satisfactory blockbusting watch. Following on from last year’s equally impressive “The Half Blood Prince”, “Deathly Hallows: Part 1” is a moody and eerily unsettling watch, wonderfully depicting the quiet before what is sure to be a frightening storm.

David Fincher’s “The Social Network” is an exquisite film, a terrifically engaging and articulate recount of the legal and personal woes that tormented the early days of the internet phenomenon known as Facebook.