Blancanieves

"Taking its cue from the Grimm brothers’ fairytales – but not, bizarrely, The Artist which was made at the same time – Spanish writer/director Pablo Berger’s Oscar-nominated Snow White adaptation announces its self-importance from the off. It’s silent, shot in black-and-white and extraordinarily expensive-looking, with the edges of the frame mimicking the boxy aspect ratio of the 1920s era."

"A crowded field of Snow White movies has a winner, at least in terms of quality."

"It’s a sumptuously told tale, shot with painterly visuals and edited with a cool, melodic rhythm."

"The running time is a bit indulgent, but the journey is delightful."

"Deftly blends cinematic antiquarianism, period atmosphere and primal emotions."

"It feels saturated with pleasure: it is extremely pleasurable to watch, and shows every sign of having been extremely pleasurable to make."

"It is a full-bodied silent film of the sort that might have been made by the greatest directors of the 1920s, if such details as the kinky sadomasochism of this film's evil stepmother could have been slipped past the censors."

"A love letter to 1920s European silent film, liberally mixing humor and melodrama."

"Shows the full elegance of silent filmmaking."