ANIMATED films have become such hi-tech, cutting-edge extravaganzas that it is extremely refreshing to encounter something as hand-crafted and traditional as Fantastic Mr Fox.

TERRY GILLIAM has always seemed a magnet for calamity. The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen was crippled by a soaraway budget. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote was abandoned after floods destroyed the set and the leading man fell ill.

NOBODY can match Pixar when it comes to the creation of animated features. The studio has given up modern classics like The Incredibles, Monsters Inc and Ratatouille.

COUNTLESS British comedians have failed to make the leap from small screen success to big screen renown. Even the mighty Morecambe and Wise never made a really great film.

HAVING established his reputation with impeccable literary adaptations Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, British director Joe Wright tries his hand at something very different with The Soloist.

TOURISM chiefs are reporting an increase in visitors to the Highlands and Islands this Summer. It seems that everyone is looking for somewhere to escape the pressures and strains of big city living.

DIRECTOR Andrea Arnold is best known for her striking, Scottish-set debut feature Red Road. Her follow-up, Fish Tank, is an equally accomplished, heartfelt journey into blighted lives set on a housing estate on the fringes of London. There is a grim inevitability to a story that veers close to Greek tragedy at times but Arnold has a talent for finding the signs of hope and hints of poetry in even the bleakest of lives.

Various venues, Shetland, 28 August-6 September 2009

AMERICAN CINEMA has shortchanged lovers of romantic comedies this year. Films like The Ugly Truth and Bride Wars have shown none of the real charm or warmth you would want from the genre.

JIM McAUSLAN takes to the road to discover the mobile cinema for the Highlands and Islands.