Archipelago (2010)

This strictly art-house film, the second from Joanna Hogg, lingers long after it's over. The title's metaphor loses its subtlety once you watch the trailer, but there is no denying the nuances and the little touches that make Archipelago my favourite film of the year so far.

First shown at last year's London Film Festival to rave reviews, it is the story of a family reunion. As expected, underneath the trivial, banal regularity of their lives lie tumultuous and strained relationships. Things remain unsaid, emotions remain trapped beneath a stiff veneer of an upper middle class existence. If you throw knives at these people, they will simply ricochet off them.