Modern medication has the ability to rectify chemical imbalances, or even create them, but at what cost? The unknown side-effects of such medication is a psychological thriller waiting to happen, one that Danish screenwriter Anders Jensen explores with chilling consequence in Fear Me Not. Yet the film falls victim to an imbalance of its own; director Kristian Levring can’t quite decide whether to settle for a drama or a thriller, leaving the film somewhere in the middle. The unfortunate side-effect of this is that anyone going in with an expectation belonging to either of the genres will probably have their opinions left somewhere in the middle too.

 In the eyes of industry renowned French cinephile Pierre Rissient, liking a movie is not enough if you don’t like it for the right reasons. If you so happen to disagree with Rissient’s opinions on a film he has championed, then he will be the first to tell you that your opinion is wrong. Simple as that.

Kicking off the BigPond Adelaide Film Festival for me this year was Home, a quirky, interesting and intense French feature film. Directed by Ursula Meier, Home tells the story of a family of five living a quaint and pleasant lifestyle in the French countryside next to an unused stretch of highway. This piece is road is central to the film and at first is another piece of the family’s yard and they use it as such, as though it belongs to them. The family are very happy and comfortable, to the point that it seems to have a calming effect on the mother, Marthe (Isabelle Huppert).

 The Australian release of My Bloody Valentine certainly has a lot going for it: the Valentine’s Day weekend, preceded by a spooky Friday the 13th – and Jensen Ackles. It’s also the first American R-rated film (in Aussie terms, like a MA17+) to be released with Real-D technology, part of the 3D revolution that will hopefully one day become common viewing. The film itself is all the richer for it, giving the audience thrills and spills (pardon the pun) as we view a horror film that doesn’t give too much away.

If The Sixth Sense were a comedy, where the long forgotten child star was replaced by British funny-man Ricky Gervais, it would then be Ghost Town. Dr. Bertram Pincus (Gervais), a miserable New York dentist with a grudge against humanity, suddenly starts to see dead people after a surgical mishap had him legally pronounced dead for several minutes. As he does with the living, Bertrum finds the departed needy and annoying, especially a dead Greg Kinnear who believes that he can finally move on if he can get Bertram to break up his wife Gwen (Téa Leoni) from her new boyfriend. Yet the Doc ultimately develops a sweet tooth for Gwen, the treatment of which is nothing short of a Hollywood cliché.

Lately Adam Sandler films have been hit and miss, and in between serious and crude offerings he often hasn’t delivered on expectation. Working with children or within a childish theme seems to be his strongest point (Billy Madison, Big Daddy) and he returns to this in Bedtime Stories. It works in his favour as we are given a feel-good fairytale that provides a different offering for the kids (to the animation onslaught) and a watchable story for adults.

 No-one need be reminded that a film with Meryl Streep released in the American winter is gunning for Oscar glory. The Academy also seems to have a knack for loving the drama, favouring grief-stricken characters over more comedic roles. It seems then, that Doubt fits the bill and as such has been rewarded for its superb casting. Now up to a record 15 nominations for Streep, she is joined by fellow winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, nominee Amy Adams and Viola Davis, all in supporting categories. While the acting prowess is deservedly recognised, the film itself has a bit to answer for.

 As much as director Sam Mendes seems to loathe suburbia, he is undeniably fascinated by it. Revolutionary Road sees the director re-explore the “hopeless emptiness” of suburban life, the monotony of being just like everyone else, and the childish desire to simply escape it all. He’s been here before; despite being an adaptation of Richard Yate’s novel, Revolutionary Road is essentially a 1950′s themed take on the same issues Mendes explored in 1998 with American Beauty. Arguably this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; Mendes’ directorial debut was a remarkable film and Road sees the director return to his obvious strengths. Yet despite an entire ensemble of superb performances, his latest film doesn’t feel as fresh as his earlier effort, nor does it have the lasting impact. Why? Simply because Mendes beat himself to it 10 years ago; he made his point so perfectly the first time around, it seems somewhat unnecessary to try and do it again.