Bedlam (US, 1946)

It's included in Michael F. Keaney's Film Noir Guide. At a stretch, some shots carry a noir feel, but it's a period drama, not a noir. Noir was strictly there-and-then, and any attempt to portray the past or future just is not noir.

Stoker/Kochegar (RU, 2010) / Aleksey Balabanov RIP

There's a strong strand of historical recompense at play here, but it doesn't get in the way of some good, matter-of-fact and occasionally quite funny action. A link is made between modern-day gangsters and the latter-day soviet apparatchiks and their common exploitation of the Yakuts.

Byzantium (IE/UK, 2012)

Visually above average (there is Ms Arterton in black leather at a beheading) but it's not entirely convincing and there are better vampire yarns out there. An upper six-out-of-ten.

Scarecrow (US, 1973)

Gene Hackman and a young Al Pacino in an overrated buddy/road movie. Moderately interesting as "of its time".

Populaire (FR, 2012)

French rom-com, colourful and well produced. One for the girls.

The Great Gatsby (US/AU, 2013)

It's a watchable film, but not as good as everyone says it is. Much preferred the underrated 1974 version with Robert Redford.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

A rather exasperating but extremely good-looking and artistic film, featuring a lithe, well-dusted pre-Berlin Bowie.