Next month will see the 23rd outing for James Bond on the big screen, with Daniel Craig taking up the role of 007 once more in Skyfall. If that wasn't reason enough for celebration, it just happens to be 50 years since the first Bond movie, Dr No, was released. In that time, James Bond has become a global cultural icon; a character dripping with style and charm. As the saying goes, "men want to be him and women want to be with him".

The Designing 007 exhibition at the Barbican celebrates "fifty years of Bond style". It shows visitors the vast amount of work that goes into producing one of these iconic movies, looking at everything from set design to fashion. Here you will learn the intricacies of your favourite props, get to see the detailed sketches that became villain's lairs, and get to inspect the outfits of your favourite Bond girls. Those hoping to see all the cars are better off heading to the Bond in Motion exhibition at Beaulieu but there is plenty of action here to satisfy.

It is a very well thought out and dynamic exhibition which blends props and outfit displays with photos and videos of the films in which they appeared. The sheer number of props is impressive and the detailed descriptions that go along with many of them help you to understand the challenges that were faced by the teams that made the films.

From Oddjob's steel-brimmed hat to Scaramanga's golden gun, it is all here. There is even a nice section that explores the life of Bond creator Ian Fleming, including a reproduction of the gold-plated typewriter he used. The exhibition is spread over two floors and a total of three rooms and it is worth giving yourself time to explore fully, particularly if you want to enjoy some of the many video clips that are being played, bringing to life the props and costumes around you.

For many fans of the films much of the material on display will be greeted with a nod of familiarity rather than being viewed in awe. It is fun, interesting and impressive. Perhaps most tellingly, you will leave the Barbican with an urge to watch all the Bond films again, so effective is this exhibition at reminding you just how enjoyable and detailed a world the film-makers and designers have created. It is unlikely that such a collection will be amassed again any time soon and, for that reason alone, it is definitely worth a visit if you are a Bond fan.

I have been a fan of Bob Dylan for almost as long as I can remember. My Dad has always loved his music and I guess it is something that rubbed off on me. All those car journeys listening to "Blood on the Tracks", picturing what I presumed was a melancholy cowboy from the Wild West, obviously had a lasting effect on me. Since then I have seen Dylan in concert twice (two very different performances incidentally), read his autobiography, and listened to a lot of his music. I have read a number of interviews he gave in the 60s and 70s in a book a friend lent me and very much enjoyed watching "No Direction Home" when it was aired on the BBC. As this would imply, I was very much looking forward to seeing "I'm Not There", which is currently showing at my local art house cinema.

I'm by no means a Dylan expert or fanatic. I think, like a lot of fans of his music, I enjoy the imagery he uses and the almost artistic obscurity of some of these images. There is also a sense of change, maybe dynamism, in both his music and his conveyed persona. It is this change that "I'm Not There" attempts to address, looking at the concepts of identity, change, and the search for personal freedom.

I had read only one article about this film prior to watching it and was particularly interested in the idea of a number of different representations of Dylan being presented through the movie, especially the idea of Cate Blanchett playing Dylan at around the time when he went electric. Blanchett, in my opinion, is an excellent actress and didn't disappoint. She/he was the closest the film has to a main character and the closest to a historical representation of Dylan, although also using this character to point most obviously to the death of one of Dylan's personas. At times however, the power and pseudo-realism of Blanchett's Dylan made one or two of the scenes focused on more conceptual Dylans seem a step too far, although I am sure they are intended to provide a specific contrast.

I think the thing that I enjoyed most about the film was perhaps the same thing that made me enjoy Jack Kerouac's "On The Road", but it is something I struggle to put my finger on. I think it is the depiction of trying to live out a kind of freedom that exists at the meeting point between geographical and personal movement and self-expression. There is some lovely imagery and intriguing dialogue, and I am always happy to be shown a side of America that exists outside of the more cosmopolitan cities.

To non-Dylan fans this will just be another example of the many forms of media that seem to contain his name. To others, it will be seen as an interesting take on the life of an exceptional writer and musician.

For me, it is a thought-provoking film that seems to encourage you to embrace your creative side. It is also a refreshing change from a lot of the films that are released, either filled with negativity, gratuitous violence or regurgitated story-lines. Films like this can be a little more challenging yet not necessarily a great effort to watch, and thus more rewarding. I think it is fair to say that some interest in Dylan is a prerequisite in watching this film but, on the other hand, the predominantly fictional take on his life might irritate die-hard fans. Having said that, the music that accompanies the film will always appeal.