A community project needs businesses to donate parking spaces its much-used minibuses.

Community Wheels, a part of Community Action Dacorum (CAD), based in High Street, Hemel Hempstead, has a fleet of 12 minibuses which are always on the road, used by elderly people, scout groups and other organisations.

“We need spaces for three minibuses to park up,” said Deborah Fogden, community transport researcher at CAD.

“It would also be nice to have other spaces so we could give other companies an occasional break from hosting.”

Donated parking spaces save Community Wheels money, which allows it to keep the costs of hiring as low as possible.

Businesses can also sponsor the minibuses and have their logos seen on them as they zip around the borough.

“The Box Moor Trust minibus that people see around town is one of ours. It’s a great advert to have roaming around,” said Deborah.

Anyone who wants to help or to get more information should call Deborah on 01442 253935.

A recently revived scout group can buy tables and benches for activities thanks to a cash grant.

Hert County Councillor Terry Douris has given 1st Gadebridge Scout Group £837.72 from his locality budget.

The scout group has just re-opened after being dormant for nearly two years.

Mr Douris said: “This scout group provides an important social activity for young people in the area and these tables and benches will be a real benefit to them in the many activities and events that they undertake.”

Under the locality budget scheme every county councillor is given £10,000 to spend on worthwhile community projects in their area. To find out more visit www.hertsdirect.org/localitybudgets

Firefighters came to the rescue of an elderly woman who was trapped in a broken down lift at her sheltered housing complex.

One Hemel Hempstead fire crew went to the Dacorum Borough Council-run Dudley House in Bovingdon just before 11am on Friday.

Firefighters gained access to the lift and helped the woman out. No one was injured.

Not one Dacorum baby came into the world at Watford General Hospital on Christmas Day.

The maternity ward, which is where most expectant mothers from Hemel Hempstead go to have their babies, saw the arrival of 12 newborns - eight boys and four girls - on the big day.

But these bundles of joy were all born to parents from the Watford and St Albans areas.

The first baby to be born at the hospital on Christmas Day was a boy, who came into the world at 2.55am.

Donations of gifts for youngsters helped 47 struggling families at Christmas.

The Salvation Army’s annual present appeal gives gifts to parents of children who are facing tough financial times.

Tim Johnson from the Hemel Hempstead-based charity said: “Once again thank you to the Hemel public who gave so generously of toys and gifts.”

In partnership with other organisations, the good cause provided 141 toy parcels - an increase on last year - so that children in need had something to look forward to on Christmas day.

On the big day the charity opened its Waterhouse Street base to serve up Christmas dinners to the cold, the old and the lonely and volunteers ran meals to the homes of those who could not get out.

Tim said: “Both meals on wheels and guests coming to The Salvation Army hall were both up in numbers - by almost 20 per cent.

“I want to express huge thanks to the volunteers who make and distribute the meals - especially Rod Cotterill who masterminds the kitchen.”

A man was left with serious head injuries after an early hours Christmas Day row is believed to have erupted into violence.

Police are appealing for the public’s help following the alleged serious assault in Berkhamsted,

It is believed that a row broke out between two men at around 2,40am in the stairwell of a block of flats in Hilltop Road.

One of the men - a 34-year-old from the town - suffered serious injuries.

As part of the investigation, police are now appealing for the public’s help to trace any items that may be connected to the incident.

Det Insp Justine Jenkins said: “We believe that there may be a number of things connected to this crime that are still outstanding and we are appealing for anyone that finds anything suspicious to contact the police immediately.

“We believe there may be clothing and implements used in the incident that still need to be traced.”

Anyone with information about the incident, or who finds any suspicious items in the area, should contact police on the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

>James Howes, 19, of Hilltop Road, Berkhamsted, has been charged with grievous bodily harm and remanded in custody.

The handover of a cheque for more than £7,000 has taken the fundraising total racked up by Markyate’s Beechwood Park school for Keech Hospice Care to nearly £160,000.

The school has been supporting the children’s hospice organisation since 1994, and pupils, staff, and the parents’ association all put their weight behind the fundraising effort which takes in activities like summer balls, fireworks nights and raffles.

Head teacher Patrick Atkinson said: “The entire school community is pleased to support this wonderful local charity.

“Numerous fundraising activities have taken place at school over the years, many at the suggestion of our pupils, some of whom have visited children at Keech Hospice.

“The varied support we have given is fully deserved and we appreciate that more is always required. It is marvellous to hear that Keech Hospice appreciates our support; I know this means a great deal to the boys and girls, parents and staff who have given their time and energy resulting in the substantial donations. I am sure it will encourage them to continue to do more.”

Alaine Sellers, the current chairman of the Beechwood Park School parents’ association, added: “Our relationship with Keech is very important to us and we will continue to work hard to help support them.”

Keech community fundraiser Claire Collings said: “Fundraising efforts like this make a huge difference to the hospice and help to brighten up lives of the children and their families.

“The children’s service provides specialist palliative care for children and young people up to the age of 18 years who have life-limiting conditions and who live within Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes.

“Staff at Keech may not be able to add days to the lives of these young people but they strive to add life to their days and this money will go towards continuing this care.”

Care at the hospice focuses on helping children to enjoy the highest quality of life – controlling their pain and other distressing symptoms, offering practical and emotional support and providing a range of treatments and therapies including complementary practices, music and hydrotherapy.

Street pastors hoping to make Hemel Hempstead a “safer, kinder community” have undergone their first day of training ready for the scheme’s launch.

A total of 27 prospective pastors were introduced to the roles and responsibilities of the position during their first training session at Haven House.

Graham Richardson, chair man of the management committee behind the scheme, said: “This is something that has been talked about from the pulpits of churches for about a year, and the training so far has gone really well.

“I would have been happy with 12 volunteers, to get more than double that is great.”

Mr Richardson is hoping to have the street pastors – who need to complete four days’ worth of training initially – out in Hemel Hempstead town centre by March 1. Before then, trainees will be taught about getting to know their community, as well as drug and alcohol abuse and first aid.

The team of street pastors will then be on hand on Friday and Saturday nights to give low-level assistance to vulnerable – and slightly tipsy – men and women.

This is intended to help free up valuable police time, as well as provide an approachable source of help late at night.

Mr Richardson said: “Just having them on the streets, especially as people get to know them and trust them, it will be a calming influence.”

Although it is too late to join the current batch of trainees, the organisers of the scheme hope to take on another round of volunteers after the first six months.

Mr Richardson said: “There is already a sense of camaraderie between all of the street pastors.”

To find out more about the street pastors scheme, visit www.hemelchurches.org.uk or www.streetpastors.co.uk.

Drinkers are being encouraged to swap alcoholic beverages for a cuppa during the month of January.

National charity Alcohol Concern is running Dry January to challenge people to stay off the booze for 31 days.

The campaign is being backed by pharmacists in Dacorum who have a wealth of advice and leaflets on offer to help people avoid temptation.

Drinkers are being urged to skip the alcohol aisle when shopping, take up a new hobby, and enjoy a cup of tea instead of a pint.

Herts community pharmacist and chairman of the Local Pharmaceutical Committee, Girish Mehta, said: “we are actively involved in supporting people to cut back on alcohol, give up smoking and helping your manage common illnesses and ailments.”

To find your nearest pharmacy email www.nhs.uk and for more on Dry January go to www.dryjanuary.org.uk

“There’s this guy. He’s a kind of cop, at least he used to be. He doesn’t care about proof, he doesn’t care about the law, he only cares about what’s right.” 

Tom Cruise hits good form as Jack Reacher, a superbly tough antihero who finds himself up to his neck in a nasty sniper killing mystery that might be more than it first seems.

This first big screen adaptation of Lee Child’s best selling and long running series of action thriller novels is a high quality production that delivers on all counts. 

Laura, who I work with, is a massive fan of the books and she expressed much derision at Cruise being cast – mostly because he’s older, shorter and not as blonde as the Jack Reacher of the books.

But as a newcomer to the joys of Reacher I found that Cruise fits the role really well – he certainly hasn’t been this convincingly mean and moody since 2004’s Collateral. 

The plot sees a renegade military sniper take out five innocent Americans, which feels very raw in the light of recent real life shootings and director Christopher ‘Way of the Gun’ McQuarrie certainly doesn’t let the 12a certificate get in the way of some disturbing scenes.

The adult tone of the film works well and the slick cinematography, genuinely gripping twisty plot and witty script combine to create the best action thriller of 2012. 

The main suspect James Barr (Joseph Sikora), a former military sniper is soon traced and arrested but instead of signing a confession he requests that Jack Reacher by contacted.

And before you can say ‘great mix of danger and sexual tension’ Cruise is on the case working with Barr’s lawyer Helen Rodin – the lovely Rosamund Pike. 

Could it be that Barr is being set up? And how is the evil master villain Zec (Werner ‘Bad Lieutenant’ Herzog) connected?

There is a nicely tangled web to be explored, punctuated throughout with tasty action scenes that include fights, car chases and shoot-outs that are exciting but not stupidly over the top. 

The climactic rain-drenched endgame will resonate with fans of the first Lethal Weapon and the gunplay is pure PS3 Black Ops death match come to life as Cruise runs and guns in style.

There is also a great cameo from Robert Duvall and decent support from the sexy Alexia Fast and menacing Jai ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ Courtney. 

Overall this Jack reaches the places that other action movies cannot – here’s to sequels soon, before Cruise gets too old! 

Hemel Hempstead and Watford hospitals are still dodging the dreaded winter vomiting virus despite cases soaring nationally.

West Herts NHS Trust, which runs both the Hemel Hempstead Urgent Care Centre and Watford General Hospital, has had just one case of the highly contagious norovirus since the summer.

It is in stark contrast to the latest national figures that reveal that more than one million people have been struck down and the toll is expected to rise in the new year. Some hospital wards have been forced to close to prevent any further spread of the infection.

The virus causes vomiting but is normally a short-lived infection from which people usually recover within 12 to 60 hours.

It can be transmitted from person to person, by consuming contaminated food or water or through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects.

For some people, the jury’s still out on Twitter. The social networking site which restricts individual posts to just 140 characters has been enthusiastically adopted by some and condemned by others.

More than 25 million people around the globe may have signed up to follow global celebrities like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, but the site has also been heavily criticised for the ease with which users can post vile abuse or damaging libels.

Some have had to face the consequences but others have escaped scot free, and the gates are still open for similar abuses.

But elsewhere in the twitterverse, there are countless other conversations going on – including some which are distinctly tongue in cheek.

Into that category comes Wiggington News – you can check it out @Wearewigginton if you are so inclined – which at first glance is a harmless community feed with a focus on one particular part of West Herts.

It bills itself as providing all the latest news and goings on from the beautiful village of Wigginton, and the feed is illustrated by a sober village welcome sign.

But once you start reading between the lines, the truth begins to dawn – it’s a gently subversive venture poking fun at the parochial nature of village life.

Oh, and the man behind it doesn’t even live in Wigginton.

He doesn’t live far away, to be fair, and he lives near enough to be cautious about revealing his identity in case any villagers who don’t get the joke think he is taking a liberty.

But how did it all come about? After establishing contact through Twitter – how else? – the author agreed to explain the birth of the feed, and what keeps him posting.

“It was originally set up as a bit of wind-up on a friend of mine who does live in the village,” he said.

“But it just went from there when others replied to say they liked my tweets.

“People where I live have always joked that Wigginton is a bit backward due to it being so rural, which is unfair.

“I just thought the idea of a small village like that having it’s own Twitter account was pretty amusing.

“I have always joked with friends in the village about things like Wigginton International airport, or Wigginton Casino , or plans for a new multi million pound shopping centre.

“Twitter is better than a blog, you can catch someone’s eye quickly with a tweet so it works well for Wigginton News. With a blog you have to rely on people reading the entire thing before they get the pay-off or laugh.

“The tweets I post are totally tongue in cheek, but obviously some people might take offence by them if they don’t have a sense of humour. A little bit of laughter goes a long way to helping people deal with their day-to-day problems, if someone reads my tweets and finds them funny then I do get a real buzz from it.”

And the mystery man is definitely in the converted camp when it comes to the benefits of the much-maligned site. He said: “I do use Twitter for business and personal use. It’s one of the best ways to keep up to date with the world.

“ You can find out what’s going in your area far quicker than the normal news channels.

“It also lets you interact with people you respect and look up to, or inspirational figures in your life, whether that be Cheryl Cole, Lord Sugar or Wayne Rooney.

“ It obviously can also be an unreliable or dangerous news source, as is being highlighted in the media at the moment, so I do think further controls or tighter laws will have to come in to place to prevent it being abused.

“ I hope this doesn’t ruin what is a great social media platform, though. As long as abusive idiots don’t ruin it for the other sensible Tweeters then I can definitely see it still being here for a long time to come. “

Other feeds which bring a touch of fantasy and humour to Dacorum life include Berkhamsted Facts (@berkofacts) and Hemel Hempstead Facts (@hemelfacts) where the comments tend to be more cutting than the Wigginton wit.

There’s also M L Empstead IQ (@hemelhaiku) which bills itself as a celebration of life in the town in the form of haiku poems. But if there are other comic communities that are gathering followers in West Herts but which haven’t yet been retweeted my direction, then please flag them up – you’ll find me on Twitter @edgazette, and I’m very happy to spread the word.

Sample Tweets from somewhere near Wigginton...

‘Clearly non locals in the pub again tonight, not only have they asked for forks to eat with but they were shocked the toilet was outside.’

‘The question on everyone’s lips in the village is who will be switching on Wigginton’s Christmas light this year.’

‘I have just called an urgent meeting as it would appear some villagers have been using Google to find out about life outside the village.’

‘A little known fact – some of the battle scenes in the movie Braveheart were actually archive footage from the 1987 Wigginton village fete.’

‘On this day in 1984 women were allowed to cry again in the village, rather than just put a brave face on and say “No, I’m fine”.

‘Absolutely exhausted after the village’s annual Tupperware audit. We are two large bowls down for the year, but up on rectangle containers.’

Next week’s showing of Deliverance should hopefully still be going ahead providing we can get a head cleaner tape for the Betamax player.’

‘We were alerted to an internet security breach last month when a Tesco Home Delivery van was seen in the village.’

A council will be opening ‘chip shops’ where people will be able to get their real Christmas trees battered into splinters.

Dacorum Borough Council’s is offering the service for one day only - Sunday, January 6.

Chippings can be taken home for use in the garden, while any leftover will be used in flower beds across the borough.

The chip shops will be at Water Lane Car Park in Berkhamstead and Cupid Green Depot in Hemel Hempstead, both from 9.30am to 4pm and Tring Garden Centre, in Bulbourne Road, Tring, from 10.30am to 4.30pm. At Tring, trees will be chipped to the following day.

Those living in Tring or Berkhamsted can pay £3 for scouts to take their trees away. Berkhamsted people should email 1stberkotrees@googlemail.com or call 01442 866369 to arrange collection, while Tring residents should contact tringscoutstreecollection@hotmail.co.uk.

Real Christmas trees can also be recycled at the household waste recycling centres in Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead or Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted.

I’ve been running as a hobby for almost two years, and you can track my progress through two Gaddesden Gallops.

The first time I joined the field, I crawled around the 10km circular course between Little Gaddesden and Nettleden in 66 minutes, trailing behind most of the field.

In the second, earlier this year, I sped round in 50mins 20secs, coming 20th out of 113 – it almost made the weeks I then spent recovering from a knee injury worthwhile.

But there’s a big difference between a friendly 10km event and a full marathon – believe me, I know.

If you’ve got a place in one of the big 2013 marathon events, well done – but if it’s your first time, what are you letting yourself in for?

My marathon debut came in the Amsterdam event, which is not one of the big ones. Without the TV cameras of the world trained on my progress, what was the draw?

Since I began long-distance running, it’s led to injuries in my right shin, the left side of my hip and in both knees.

I’ve had to fork out on physio and sports massage appointments to sort them out, and learned the names of many new conditions I never even knew existed.

They’re mostly caused by the repetitive pounding of the feet and legs on hard surfaces, and are a part of life for most long-distance runners.

Shin splints, runner’s knee, iliotibial band syndrome – I’ve had them all. My own personal favourite is one runners call black toenail – where you pummel your feet with so much punishment that your toenail goes black and then falls off. Nice.

It’s happened twice to the second-biggest toe on my left foot.

I was tempted to create a souvenir necklace while I was waiting for a new one to grow back, but decided against it on grounds of taste.

But let’s look at the positives. I can now run much further without stopping – and in a much faster time.

Each run pumps endorphins around the body – making you feel good for a long time afterwards.

It also helps keep you fit, of course, and if you sign up to your local running club, it’s a great way to socialise, too.

Friends prefer to spend their time locked into the TV and video games.

I’d much rather go for a long run, and see and hear the real world around me, undiluted by second-rate acting, unrealistic plots, or dizzying computer graphics.

It’s a great way to discover areas that you never even knew existed, either on rural footpaths or the alleys and back-roads of urban Hemel Hempstead.

And everyone loves a challenge, so when you’ve done that why not keep running until you reach the point where you feel like you’re about to pass out?

That’s just how I felt after completing the 17th mile of the Amsterdam Marathon back in October.

But that’s OK, because they had pit-stops where pieces of banana and cups of water and sports drink were handed out to those slogging around the course.

It’s amazing how much the human body works like a F1 car. After a few pit stop refreshments, I had the burst of energy and I felt as good as I had done at least five miles before I’d reached that point.

I wasn’t able to keep running at the consistent nine-minute-miles I had done up to then, but I was able to continue running.

A lot more people were overtaking me, but it still felt great.

I had a brief walk after 20 miles – but it felt awful as masses of people rushed ahead of me, so I barely stopped from then on, despite the fatigue and pain.

Things got worse after I reached 20 miles, the distance notoriously known as ‘the wall’.

I was tackling the event in memory of the Gazette’s former Tring reporter Jonathan Saunders, who died from bone cancer in September at just 24.

I got really choked up, and felt my throat well up as I tried to stop myself from crying.

It felt like my usual emotional defence system was breaking down as the weight of all the hardship of what I was doing – and of the world – took its toll.

It became more of a mental than a physical challenge as my body fought against every natural, and quite sensible, instinct telling me to stop.

But the beauty of the Amstel River, the brass band, the calypso drummers, DJs and supportive crowds high-fiving runners as they passed kept me going to the finish line.

I’d raised £826.25 for The Willow Foundation, which funds special days out for seriously ill young adults by the end of it.

The charity had paid for Jonny and his wife Adella to have a weekend trip to Edinburgh in his final days.

It feels worthwhile looking back, after all the money has been collected and donated, but crossing the finish line in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium was at the time a bit of an anti-climax.

I’d gotten around the course in 4hrs 15mins – a handsome quarter of an hour within the target I’d set myself.

But I didn’t feel as triumphant as I’d expected to feel. In fact, I felt like asking: “Is this it?”

I wondered what all those months of training had been for.

For months, I had been running until I was panting, pale in the face, sweat-drenched and just about ready to pass out, as normal people walked passed me with their bags of shopping from Tesco – or walking the dog.

The challenge was over – but without anything else to work towards, I felt strangely empty.

At that point, I just wanted a curry and some beer, after touching neither for far too long.

I headed for the nearest pub and, over a glass of Amstel, started thinking...about which marathon I would do next.

Four Dacorum charities have benefited from cash grants as a big thank you from a group of refugees who were given help to set up home in Hemel Hempstead 40 years ago.

The Dacorum Indian Society celebrated its anniversary of coming to the town by donating more than £2,000 to good causes.

They wanted to once again show their gratitude for the support given to the 30 families who sought refuge in Hemel Hempstead when Ugandan President Idi Amin expelled all the Ugandan Asians from the country in 1972.

The Salvation Army, Churches Together, Dacorum Borough Council, Hemel Hempstead Lions Club, Community Action Dacorum and resident Asians all played their part in helping the refugees settle.

The society has given The Salvation Army and Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care £250 and has donated £200 each to DENS and Shopmobility.

It also gave £200 each to the Hertfordshire Deaf Children Society, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK and Vision Aid. A total of £250 went to the Children’s Society and £500 was given to Ugandan Children through UNICEF.

Since moving to the town the Grovehill-based group has supported many causes, both locally and abroad. It has held educational classes and helped with many community events. The group’s aim is to preserve and promote Indian culture while integrating with the wider community.

Chairman Chiman Sheth said: “Over the years Uganda Asians have made a remarkable contribution to our economy.

“They have worked hard and settled well in Britain. On behalf of the Dacorum Indian Society we would like to thank all those who helped to raise these funds for the good cause.”

A garage has teamed up with police in a bid to protect motorists from crooks who snatch catalytic converters from vehicles.

This type of theft continues to be on the increase due to the rising price of metal.

The Old Dairy Garage in Ickneild Way, Tring, is offering a free catalytic converter marking service on Monday, January 7.

Herts Constabulary strategic crime reduction officer Ian Dowse said: “There’s been a rise in the theft of catalytic converters in recent weeks, particularly from diesel vans, because of the precious metals in the unit and they are relatively easy to remove.

“Marking the converters makes them much less appealing to thieves, as they can easily be traced back to where they were stolen from. We are now working with reputable scrap metal dealers across the county who routinely record who they buy metal from, so we have a good chance of catching the person that stole the unit.”

The marking service is on offer to owners of diesel light commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle mass of up to 7.5 tonnes. The fitting takes around 10 minutes. To book an appointment call 01442 824433.

A charity that creates rural work experience opportunities for adults with learning disabilities has been given a cash boost to help improve its facilities.

The Sunnyside Rural Trust, which has sites in Ivy House Lane, Berkhamsted and New Road, Northchurch, was given £474 from Herts County Councillor Ian Reay’s locality budget.

Councillor Reay said: “Sunnyside Rural Trust does an excellent job in contributing to local food production and providing work experience for vulnerable youngsters.”

The trust will use the money to install wooden fencing around its activity centre to help safeguard the trainees and service users.

Under locality budgets, each county councillor is given £10,000 to spend on community projects.

Motorists hoping for an early start to New Year’s Eve celebrations found themselves gridlocked on the M1 at Hemel Hempstead this afternoon.

Reports of severe congestion south of the town between Junctions 6 and & 7 were expected to cause delays of around 15 minutes while emergency services sorted out the aftermatch of a collision involving a number of vehicles which closed three lanes of the motorway at Junction 8.

But with lower than average traffic levels caused by the holiday period, it was expected that normal traffic flow would be resumed by 3.45pm

The Impossible

Is it too soon for films about the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami?

In my opinion it’s never too soon to make a film that tries to make sense and come to terms with true-life disasters of any magnitude, providing there’s no sense of arrogance regarding the ‘truth’ or ‘completeness’ of representation.

This film is mostly sensitive and searching and offers a good human drama based on a real life tragedy. It serves as a tale of family caught up in a situation and culture that is challengingly unfamiliar.

Naomi Watts and Ewan MacGregor are the parents trying to keep their family safe.

There is always trouble when an event is westernised, but there is also the argument that sometimes the best way to reach the widest audience is to ensure as much empathy as possible through representation and this drama is mostly sensitive to the culture of those whose home lives were affected even if it tells the story through Western eyes.

The main problem as a result is too little edge and drama within the relationship, seemingly out of respect. It’s a thin, complicated line to tread.

Quartet

This nice film about the annual Verdi concert at a home for retired opera singers would probably have gone straight to DVD were it not legendary actor Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut.

He’s waited long enough to move behind the camera and it’s as easy going and edge-less as his recent dramatic offerings – certainly a long way from the likes of Midnight Cowboy and Papillon.

The cast is superb and illustrious and it’s an entertaining enough tale of long held rivalry and a refusal to let go of the past and talent.

Billy Connolly, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Pauline Collins are all involved, and it’s not surprising really. No one is going to say no to Dustin, regardless of how maudlin and saccharine the script.

Every year reviewer Neil Fox picks his top films of the past 12 months. How many did you see, and how many did you rate so highly?

The Master

Inevitably, predictably it’s Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest at the top. It has haunted me since seeing it. Unnervingly meaningful and exquisitely beautiful it features an incredible central performance from Joaquin Phoenix. There really is nothing like it.

Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

This devastating meditation on time, crime and community is sparse, visually stunning and utterly engrossing. A close contender for the best of the year and another destined for long-term greatness.

Berberian Sound Studio

Peter Strickland follows up the brilliant Katalin Varga with this strange and ambitious horror drama and it’s even better. Toby Jones is an odd sound recordist holed up in an Italian film studio making schlock, and losing his mind. The most impressive and unique British film of the year.

Shut Up And Play The Hits

Fanboy alert. I adore LCD Soundsystem and this document of their final days is a superb dissection of the creative impulse, and a moving and stunning concert film that manages to capture the energy and wonder of the band’s impact on fans and incendiary live show. I smiled, I cried, I got goosebumps. They will be missed.

Killing Them Softly

Powerful, caustic, stylish and blackly funny, Andrew Dominik’s political pulp is angry and dark and amazing. Slick and containing amazing performances it’s one of the best genre movies of recent years.

Margaret

Finally it arrived, Kenneth Lonergan’s follow up to the wonderful You Can Count On Me hit screens after a long battle and it didn’t disappoint. A layered, operatic and melodramatic human drama, criminally withheld from our view for too long.

Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson again marries idea and delivery into a moving and perfectly unique piece of whimsy that appeals to fans and non-fans. Too Wes Anderson-y? No such thing.

Holy Motors

Bizarre, searching, cinematic, idiosyncratic and off the wall crazy. Leos Carax’ deconstruction of mortality, technology and cinema is that all too rare experience, a unique film.

The Muppets

The feelgood movie of the year. No film made me smile more. Funny, good hearted and wonderfully crafted. All hail the Henson heroes.

Shame

It came out early on in 2012, but stayed with me. Steve McQueen confirms the promise of Hunger with a scathing portrait of modern masculinity and post-millennial disconnection.

Carancho

Argentinian pulp crime of the highest order. The film features one of the great modern actors Ricardo Darin and is a brilliant melding of crime narrative and social conscience.

Cosmopolis

Cronenberg adds to a great year of films that question modern technological reliance and the distance it creates with this stylish, darkly funny fable featuring Robert Pattinson as the ultimate corporate shell.