International Film Guide 2008: The Definitive Annual Review of World Cinema (44th edition)

The forty‐fourth edition of the International Film Guide is a welcome return to a well established reference book. The 2008 Guide arrives after a year's hiatus, and brings a new editor, Ian Haydn Smith. The edition also introduces new sponsors – Turner Classic Movies, who have taken over after spells from Variety and The Guardian.

The Guide, as in previous years, is split into very distinctive sections, beginning with various commentators presenting their Directors of the Year. This is a fascinating insight into five directors from across the globe, and demonstrates what the Guide achieves so neatly throughout...