That was an excellent one.

People are voting emotionally.

Just perfect...

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The tribulations of an uptight academic as he chaperons a wild artist on a poetry tour of stuffy American universities.This is beautifully made, especially the rhythm of the scenes in the first half. And it looks good, although there was something off about the Connecticut countryside - thought it might be Canada, never guessed it was Wales.The leads play well together, but the humour didn't hit the mark for me. I liked the actress who told the ghost story. What elevated this was when Caitlin came stalking through the woods like a witch and wrapped herself around Dylan - powerful performance. It came possibly too late, but it did spark the magic. Pity they didn't fit in another couple of scenes with that character, instead of waving the letter around like a threat. And I suppose they could have given a visual on Dylan's lyrics - although that might have turned out too wacky. The relay recitation of the poem was great.Music perfect.

If, like me, before watching Set Fire to the Stars, your knowledge of Dylan Thomas was at best passing, don't worry. As an introduction to, or companion piece to, the great man's poetry, it's beautifully made, with sensitive performances from Elijah Wood and Celyn Jones and amazing photography from Chris Seagers.Set in 1950s America (although shot entirely in an unrecognisable Swansea), academic John Brinnin (Wood) ferries Thomas (Jones) from party to public engagement, hoping to learn from him. As the film progresses we see his puppyish adoration fade into an almost parental love and disappointed frustration, as the mercurial Thomas delights and annoys in equal measure. It's a testament to both actors that at no point does the film tip into Odd Couple/Withnail and I territory, despite the game of emotional see-saw that Wood and Jones have to play. Supporting roles from Shirley Henderson, Steven Mackintosh and Kevin Eldon underpin the main performances nicely and is a solid nod to the acting talent available yet so often overlooked in the UK.The technical aspects also hit all the marks. Whilst black and white can sometimes used to give a film more weight than it actually possesses, here it works. During a second-act storytelling scene with Henderson and Eldon, there's an Expressionist feel adding to the atmosphere. Gruff Rhys' soundtrack takes you back to the 50s without resorting to Beat Generation cliché, and the title track will stay with you for days.Set Fire to the Stars is a clear demonstration of what the UK Film industry can achieve when it's not churning out identikit gangster films or saccharine Richard Curtis romcoms - measured, intelligent and with a clear love for its subject matter. Well worth a watch.

Having now watched this film twice I have to say that to me Set Fire To The Stars is a master class in classic film making, Hitchcock often referred to 'pure cinema' the art of story telling via the art of the composition of shots and the smooth editing used to translate the written word into a visual experience and this film truly achieves what Hitchcock discussed. It takes me back to the classics of film, the films that originally drew my attention and focus into the importance of film as an art form and lead to my career aspirations of sharing the joy and experience I had felt into the minds of the young and impressionable generations of the future. I have been a lecturer in Film Studies for 15 years.The relationship between Thomas and Brinnin is just so beautifully created it almost feels as though one is part of this close and personal journey they shared. The relationship that develops through the film almost brought me to tears on more than one occasion while watching the film (if not for being a true 'Yorkshire man' then I think I could have shed a tear or two) The pain and frustration that Brinnin feels towards Thomas can be truly felt by the viewer, in one moment their relationship is so perfectly created only for the next scene to totally destroy Brinnin's 'love' for Thomas – pride that almost immediately becomes embarrassment, joy that turns swiftly to sadness – can only be said to be breath taking. The performances of both Celyn and Elijah are at the height of what one would expect from the classics of Hollywood in its Golden Age, I do have to say that Celyn outshines on more than one occasion - which are the moments that made me feel extremely emotional, a man on the edge who was so lost in excess that I felt extreme sorrow for the character and those around him. The composition of the shots is without doubt awe inspiring; I did not find one shot that jolted me from this visual feast. I get great delight from films that are obviously so cinematic, sadly something that is missing from so many contemporary films and what distinguishes a film from a movie. The scenes that stood out the most to me are the lake scene, the café scene (which was perfectly composed), the chess game and the woodland – just perfect.

Everyone in the cinema was quite struck by the profound and beautiful movie that is "Set Fire To The Stars". You could see it in the faces of the audience, as each person figured out which message had the most resonance.This movie is much more than another biopic of an artist on the fringe of society. And for most audiences, it will be much more meaningful than Dylan Thomas's poetry. It took me a while to process the resonance for me in this movie. I had to filter the welcome enormity of Elijah Wood's screen presence and Celyn Jones' powerful persona. But they gave me enough gentle nudges and artistic clues under Andy Goddard's direction to lead me to the following conclusion: the purpose of this film is to unravel some of the mysteries of male friendship, and to lift the veil on hero worship (which Elijah must experience on the other side, in his real life) and, of course, where Dylan helped, it was on the transformative power of words. With all this colour going on, the superb aesthetic of the black and white film compliments the mood nicely. Tantalisingly the film gives no pithy answers, or sound-bitten sentimentalism. Instead I need to look inside myself, and perhaps within the poetry of Dylan Thomas, to find some of those answers. Or maybe I just need to watch it again.This review also needs to pay justice to the sheer entertainment value that is throughout the movie. I loved it - from start to finish. Elijah's performance is incredible. Celyn's character is jaw- droppingly intriguing (and believable), and the music from Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals fame) is beautiful at all times and crosses a range of genres and styles. Everything is in balance, except Dylan's psyche - and that's what makes it fun! This is a monumental achievement, where intellectualism and pure fun entertainment ride side by side. Perhaps it is the start of a new genre - where intellectual movies have taken their heads out of the clouds and are doing it with a smile. I'm sure that's how Dylan would have wanted it to be.