Culture

Gary Day is fascinated by explanations of the Earth's path through the heavens and the Sun's hold over us

Had it really looked east and dared to dance, this film could have offered so much more, says Philip Dodd

A film about Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky is surprising in its frankness, says Philip Dodd

Matt Hills enjoys spotting the overlap as the Danish crime genre continues to bring home the bacon

Michael Frayn’s plays are as relevant now as they were when they were first written, says John Bull

The spray-tanned, dyed cliches of Essex fascinate and appal. In his latest play, David Eldridge reminds us of another side of the county, writes Mark O'Thomas

Will Brooker is seduced by a romcom with a starry cast of actors of a certain age who give powerful, sexy performances

Adela Bradley, a glamorous, more saucy version of Miss Marple, is brought vividly to life, says Gary Day

Mondrian's and Nicholson's lives intertwined, but links between the artists should not be conflated with parallels in their art, says Alexander Massouras

Does the award-winning Homeland break new ground, asks Matt Hills, or is it full of familiar themes?

A son’s quest for his late father’s secrets does not bring us closer to the trauma of 9/11, says Will Brooker

Will Brooker is disappointed by an old-fashioned ghost tale that lacks the spirit of its superior source

Social workers are much maligned, says Gary Day, but all they do is try to help those who need it most

The unflinching, fleshy landscapes of Lucian Freud's intensely powerful works are a feast for the senses, argues Alex Danchev

Subtle evil lurks in a believable portrayal of a traumatised, fractured personality, says Duncan Wu

The master of 'body horror' turns to the monsters of the mind in an exploration of psychoanalysis. Davina Quinlivan investigates

New dramas from the BBC tell compelling tales of offenders and their motivations, says Matt Hills

Fist-fighting is a way of life for Gypsy communities. It may seem brutal, says Gary Day, but it is at least fair

British art since 1500 would be a thin offering without the work of immigrant artists. It has made us what we are, says Harry Mount

The idyllic island backdrop may pall but the chemistry between George Clooney and his clan ignites the film, says Will Brooker

As a new exhibition illuminates the creative expressions of a Muslim ritual, James Piscatori explores its spiritual dimension

Clint Eastwood's biopic of the first head of the FBI belongs to its leading man, argues Will Brooker

Incomplete works hold eternal appeal, from Dickens' Edwin Drood to Austen's Sanditon, says Gary Day

Davina Quinlivan is drawn into a film that celebrates one of Japan's most gifted manga artists and the anime genre

The wonder of a heroic wartime tale is lost in Steven Spielberg's cinematic landscape, says Will Brooker

The step from chemistry to biology is so ordinary that life must exist elsewhere, says Gary Day

A film about Margaret Thatcher is unrealistic about her and events in her premiership, says Duncan Wu

The BBC's new Sherlock Holmes is great fun, says Gary Day, but the man himself remains an enigma

Peter Hill admires a Japanese artist whose obsessive nature has led to the production of works at an incomparable rate

Still looking for Christmas gifts? You might be inspired by a book on Renaissance accessories. Matthew Reisz writes

A Hollywood remake glosses over its source's message about misogyny in society, argues Will Brooker

From the spotlight to the gutter is a hard road, says Gary Day, reminding us that losers have lives, too

The gigantic, apocalyptic glittering ball of The X Factor reflects back only what we give it, argues Will Brooker

Guy Ritchie's new film is a visceral, action-packed extravaganza. Davina Quinlivan enjoys the ride

Sarah Lund is in danger of being upstaged by her sweaters in the hit series The Killing, says Gary Day