After the comparative whimsy of Looking for Eric, Ken Loach is back in competition in Cannes with a very dark and muscular revenge thriller. Route Irish is an intricately plotted, fast-moving film with a strong political undertow. Loach and his regular screenwriter, Paul Laverty, are railing against the abuses perpetrated by Western private security contractors in Iraq. They are laying bare the obscenity of waterboarding and torture. In the final reel, though, the film lurches into vigilante territory – a Death Wish for the anti-war movement.

This is one of the most depressing books I have read in the past 12 months and, yes, that is a recommendation. Originally titled Imperial Life in the Emerald City and re-christened for the recent Paul Greengrass film adaptation, it describes the breathtaking, heartbreaking scale of the ineptitude of the Americans placed in charge and housed in the fortified "Green Zone" in Baghdad just after Saddam had been toppled.

Twelve years ago Lord Saville began his inquiry into one of the darkest chapters in the history of Northern Ireland. Now, £200m later, he will finally deliver his report

Weapons of mass distortion bludgeon any subtlety in Damon's Iraq yarn

'Green Zone' Q&A: Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon

Miller's determination to establish the truth takes him on a perilous go-round of Baghdad, beyond the US military's cordoned fiefdom – the Green Zone – and into territory where "the enemy" is as likely to be from his own side as from Saddam loyalists.

Schlock and little awe from Marty

Anne-Marie Duff gave a loving "thank you" to her husband James McAvoy as she scooped the best actress gong at the London Evening Standard British Film Awards.

News, now, to brighten any film buff's day: from the sound of things, the famous Bourne franchise may actually be back on track.

Cinema-goers who catch a glimpse of Youth In Revolt this week could be forgiven for thinking that its star, Michael Cera, looks distinctly more youthful than the man now promoting the film. They would be right. Youth In Revolt is one of many of 2010's "new" releases that is not quite as new as it sounds. When filming started on the quirky romantic comedy, Cera could still claim the title of teenager, but now he is approaching his 22nd birthday.

Director may have quit fourth instalment of film franchise after dispute over script

The Bourne films represent one the most valuable franchises in Hollywood, with the last in the series making back $440m (four times its budget), at the box office alone.

David Lean's Nostromo? Michael Powell's The Tempest? As Brighton's Cine City film festival celebrates the best movies that never made it to the screen, Emma Love explores why some projects just don't get finished

Matt Damon has either the best taste in Hollywood, or the best agent.