It's that time of year again so here are my favourite films seen in the cinema this calendar year: Julieta : the latest Almodovar is stunning and intensely moving. If this tale of a lost daughter is inspired by the myth of Demeter and Persephone, you can see the pomegranate seeds of guilt and loss in each generation. Embrace of the Serpent : I can report that my serpent was, so to speak, fully embraced. Bracing, evocative, heart rending, psychedelic and beautifully photographed and directed. Arrival : It was remarkably emotional watching a film about the empathy of the alien in a dark and depressing week in which a narcissistic sociopath was elected to be the next President of the US. Forget the plot holes, this is a tour de force; Amy Adams is stupendous and the film gives us a faint glimmer of hope for humanity. Manchester By The Sea (which hasn't opened in the UK yet) : the third great film by Kenneth Lonergan (after You Can Count On Me and M
Occasional musings about time spent in museums, galleries, theatres, cinemas and other dark settings ..