Scorsese directing Daniel Day-Lewis and Benicio Del Toro in Jesuit preist drama.

BFF: defenders of the weak, trumpeters of the down-trodden, makers of wild, unsubstantiated claims and lovers of Ben Affleck. That’s right. It’s a heady mix.

Dream Team back together for crime thriller The Irishman

The world of film is awash with Marmite topics – actors, genres or even cinematic styles which make some movie-goers dampen their plush seats and others tear the stuffing from the punter in front. In our J’accuse series, two of Best For Film’s writers go head-to-head and debate a controversial aspect of cinema. This time round it’s the worst nightmare of every indie Japanese director – the Hollywood remake.

Director Arthur Penn, the man behind Bonnie and Clyde, has died in New York, hours after reaching his 88th birthday. It is the latest news in what has already been a sad week for film, which has also seen the death of Quentin Tarantino’s long-time editor, Sally Menke.

Keanu Reeves has dropped hints about the possibility of a second sequel to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. This would be most triumphant.

The lunatics are taking over the asylum, or that’s what Martin Scorsese’s impeccably crafted Shutter Island would have us believe. But then perception and reality are completely blurred in this 1950s-set mystery, adapted by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis from the best-seller by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone).

It’s always nice to stay ahead of the curve, if only so you can feel unnecessarily smug in front of friends and loved ones. With this in mind Best For Film brings you what you need to know about next week’s film releases. Have a read, plan your week accordingly, and practice that lovely self-satisfied smile we all love you for…

The lunatics are taking over the asylum, or that’s what Martin Scorsese’s impeccably crafted psychological thriller would have us believe. But then perception and reality are completely blurred in this 1950s-set mystery, adapted by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis from the best-seller by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone). But sadly, for all its style, Shutter Island is a largely predictable and pedestrian yarn, elevated by a superior cast.

The winners of the 2010 Golden Globes are in! There’s some die-hard predictability but also a couple of surprises here. We won’t tell you what got what, but there’s mentions here for Avatar, Precious, Inglourious Basterds and Up, with Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock and Robert Downey Jr all walking away with a brand new bit of tinsel for their mantelpieces.