Paul Byrnes on Transcendence (M, ★★★☆) Read the full review

Transcendence is evidence that there is intelligent life on the planet. It just doesn't know how to do a perfect third act yet. The film is great fun at the level of ideas, which is not something I often write. It's less successful as narrative, but the faults are human: it tries to deal with complex subjects in an entertaining way, and that leads to the usual overstatement. Director Wally Pfister concentrates on keeping it real. That's impossible, given the story, but the sober performances and slow-building narrative are an effective barrier against the silliness just over the horizon.

Jake Wilson on Canopy (M, ★★) Read the full review

In the middle of World War II, an Australian pilot (played by Khan Chittenden) is shot down over the Singapore rainforest. He parachutes into a tree, then scrambles to the ground to find himself in a tranquil yet menacing landscape. With minimal dialogue and virtually no ''back story'', this first feature from the Australian filmmaker Aaron Wilson is designed as an immersive experience: the intricate soundtrack mingles bird calls and insect noises with distant explosions, the roar of passing planes and occasional gunfire. Wilson sustains an uneasy mood quite well; the problem is that he does little else.

Philippa Hawker on The Crossing (M, ★★★) Read the full review

Young Australian adventurers Clark Carter and Chris Bray teamed up for a gruelling challenge several years ago - walking across remote Victoria Island in the Arctic. They knew when it was time to call it a day, yet weren't prepared to abandon the idea entirely. So three years later, with a new design and more preparation and training, they started over. Director Julian Harvey has constructed The Crossing from footage shot on both journeys, and some individual reflections in hindsight from the pair. It is a dogged, likeable account of endeavours and malfunctions, of setbacks faced with stubborn stoicism and wry, matter-of-fact troubleshooting, plus a little bit of wild-eyed, sleep-deprived mania.

Philippa Hawker on 3D Naked Ambition (MA, ★★☆) Read the full review

Also known as Naked Ambition 2, this is a vigorous Hong Kong comedy about adult movies and juvenile behaviour, with a cheery bawdiness that Benny Hill could only dream of. 3D Naked Ambition is a tale of reluctant celebrity and unwitting notoriety. There's only so far you can go with the notion of reversed gender stereotyping in the adult movie industry, but director Lee Kung-lok pushes the idea as hard as he can. He also has plenty of fun constructing increasingly absurd and parodic AV (adult video) scenarios that generally involve his hapless central character.

Philippa Hawker on 2 Autumns, 3 Winters (M, ★★★☆) Read the full review

In his second feature, French writer-director Sebastien Betbeder inventively depicts the inner world of his characters – above all, that of Arman (Vincent Macaigne), a 33-year-old former art student who comes to realise that he's searching for more meaning and direction in his life. The film opens with his failed attempt to make further contact with a young woman he met in a park: their paths cross later, under somewhat dramatic circumstances, and a relationship begins. There's a lightness of touch to this visually playful film, as well as an acknowledgement of darkness.