Director: Bradley Cooper

Inspired by the real life experience of Liverpool stand up comedian, John Bishop, Is This Thing On? Explores the life and relationship of Alex (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern) Novak. We meet them with a marriage that has slowly died. They choose to “call it” which leaves Alex alone wandering the street of New York. Where he comes across a comedy club and finds himself on stage and the first steps into a new life. Tess also starts to rebuild and rediscover her own passions. But when Tess discovers Alex’s new life it reawakens old feelings between the two and gives them a chance to revisit their marriage and see if their new perspectives can help rekindle it.

This is an enjoyable warm and touching film, that while built around Alex’s move into comedy, isn’t really what it’s about.

It’s about life and how relationships can be hard as people can get lost in the day to day and lose sight of who they and their partners are. There is little in the way of melodrama, or histrionics, with the marriage breakdown shown as a sad inevitably rather than a fiery fall out. And as they reignite the relationship, it moves slowly and naturally and encounters problems on the way.

The film works, in no small part, because of the natural and believable performances from Arnett and Laura Dern. Believable as a couple and as lost individuals. There’s great support from Blake Kane and Calvin Knegten as the couple’s two sons, as well Christine Ebersole and Ciaran Hinds as Alex’s parents.

The film is shot hidden camera style, following the characters through their trials and tribulations, leaving you as an intrigued observer. It has you on stage with Arnett as you see him at close quarters as he fumbles his way into a standup career.

The script moves along well and as you’d expect, and is thoughtful, sad, funny and hopeful.

And it is the film’s heart that makes it work. A film about losing yourself and your love, but showing how, for those who love each other, there is a way back.

Director: Oliver Hermanus

After meeting at a Boston college in the early 1900’s, musical scholars Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O’Connor) set off on a journey across the United States, recording voices and songs from small communities to catalogue musical moments in history. During the journey the men’s relationship develops as they become closer emotionally and sexually. Once the journey is over, the men drift apart; But even after Lionel moves to Europe, their feelings and memories don’t fade.When he returns to the US, to see his sick mother, he yearns to see David again and begins to understand how, failing to act on your passions and avoiding commitment, maybe something you can never change.

The History of Sound is an exploration of love, longing and regret and the strong part music plays in many lives, whether that is in its ability to tell stories, bring communities together or the way it takes you back to a place, a time and memories. But, while it has two warm and thoughtful central performances, for a film that is built around emotion, it felt strangely cold and distant, never fully engaging me.

It is a very well-made film. Mescal and O’Connor are two convincing leads as friends and lovers. They capture the feeling of longing and distance as the two, Mescals Lionel particularly, run from their feelings and commitments. The collection of the music in the first half of the film, is beautifully done, with each vignette capturing the meaning of the music and the community it represents, as they commit their songs to wax disks.

Which is why, its lack of emotional engagement is a bit of a surprise. For all of its heart, I did find it difficult to fully commit to. It feels like it never more than scratches the surface of the story, never fully exploring the why, the changing lives of its musical contributors, or why they make the choices they do.

In the end, for its promise and solid performances the film is one that washes over you, rather than fully pulling you in.

Director: Nia DaCosta

Picking up from the previous film, Spike (Alfie Williams) finds himself in the lair of the Jimmy’s, a rag tag group, in velour tracksuits and taking on the infected lands without fear, under the cult like leadership of Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). While the Jimmy’s give Spike safety from the infected, it comes at a price, as the Jimmy’s follow the vicious and vile instructions of their leader. Elsewhere Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) continues his work giving remembrance to victims of the contagion. He also finds a new friend in infected Alpha “Samson” (Chi Lewis-Parry), which gives him hope for the future. But when these two worlds collide, it changes everything.

Following on from 28 Years later was always going to be tough,especially in the hands of a new director and without the certainty of a third film. But Nia DaCosta absolutely nails it in this second part of the now confirmed trilogy.

Without the certainty of a third part, the story is self contained. It focuses on the Jimmy’s fantastically led by O’Connell’s satanic Crystal. Alongside the story of Fiennes’s Dr Kelson and his attempts to find humanity behind the infection in his relationship with Samson.

It takes inspiration from films such as A Clockwork Orange and Frankenstein, using them well, with DaCosta giving a master class in hint rather than show horror gore and gives an engrossing and tense addition to the series.

Performances are great. Fiennes’s Kelson is the heart of the film, believing there is hope for humanity and for the infected. O’Connell’s Crystal is the polar opposite, personifying evil as he acolytes deliver their charity. But it is delivered with subtlety as we see how is twisted belief system has dictated who he is. Alfie Williams while less prominent supports well, as does Erin Kellyman as a Jimmy who Spike sees as a way out from the horrors of Crystals twisted view.

The script balances the darkness with a light touch of humour. Balancing hope with desperation as it leads to its wild ride finale.

Bone Temple is an outstanding addition to the “28” world.

Director: Hikari

Phillip (Brendan Fraser) is an American actor living in Tokyo. Struggling for work he is hired by Rental Family, a company which provides actors to play stand-in family members and friends for strangers. While reluctant he takes the job and is soon put to work as a pretend Groom. He then moves on to longer term projects, including acting as an father to a young girl and as a journalist profiling a retired actor worried that he his work is been forgotten. As Philip becomes emotionally attached to his clients the line between acting and reality blurs. And when lines are crossed, there are real life consequences that puts the business and Philip’s life in Japan at risk

Rental Family, is a gentle and warm look at life. The premise is based on real Japanese Rental Family companies. It explores loneliness and the idea of what is and isn’t true about any relationships. It does all this as it meanders through its 110 minutes.

It’s a film that doesn’t ask too many hard questions, but it does poke at some interesting ones. Hikari looks at a culture where people would rather hire an actor than tackle a problem. But it also looks sympathetically at those who are alone, or need help and how a stranger, even one getting paid, can make a huge difference to someone’s life.

That’s where the film works for me, it is those little explorations of life and the memories we build. Shown beautifully In the relationship between Philip and the actor Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), who is not only worried about being forgotten but worries he will forget those whose memory he keeps alive.

Brendan Fraser, is perfect in the central role. A tall ungainly American who never quite fits in, but wants to. He’s well supported, Shannon Mahina Gorman as the young girl Mia is convincing, as is Emoto, who is the film’s emotional heart.

Providing a thoughtful look at the pain of loneliness and the  difference a friendship can make.

Director: Chloé Zhao

Hamnet introduces us to the early lives of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley). They are drawn together immediately, and their marriage and the birth of their first child. There is love and happiness, twins follow. Agnes encourages Will to go to London to build his future. As his success grows, their lives are ripped apart by the tragic loss of their son. The impact is profound, and the film explores the loss’s effects on Agnes and William and how it leads to the creation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hamnet is not really a film about the creation of Hamlet. It’s not really even a film about William and Agnes, it is a touching study about grief, its impact and how people process it very differently.

For the first 30 minutes or so, I wasn’t sure this was working for me. People looking into the distance, along with the language and tempo. But by the end, I was totally won over by this incredible film.

It is a stunning portrait of life, grief and raw emotion. From the thrill of a new relationship, the growth of a family and the desire to see those you love succeed. But over time, it becomes hard, separated by work and distance. And when the most horrific tragedy strikes, the contrast in how William and Agnes respond exacerbates the pain they both feel.

The final act is a flawless piece of cinema, as Agnes heads to The Globe to see her husbands tragedy, “Hamlet”. And there she sees it, her husband’s hurt and grief on show for all the world to see. All done without a word between the main characters, with only the dialogue from those on stage, it’s all said through the facial expressions and eyes of Buckley’s Agnes.

Hamnet is Buckley’s film. Mescal is a perfect foil as the thoughtful and seemingly distant Shakespeare and Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet, gives a powerful performance, especially as the film takes its darkest turn. But it is all about Jessie Buckley, every moment of love, sadness and grief writ large across her face. 

A stunning portrait of life, love, and grief.

Director: Craig Brewer

Based on the true story of Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), a Milwaukee mechanic and recovering alcoholic whose true passion is performing. And Claire (Kate Hudson), a hairdresser, who shares the same love, performing as a Patsy Cline tribute act. When they meet, quickly they hit it off and when Claire encourages Mike to become a Neil Diamond interpreter, not impersonator, they create Lightning and Thunder: A Neil Diamond Experience. They quickly become a hit, drawing bigger crowds and turning their dreams to reality. But a devastating accident shatters everything they’ve built. With their future uncertain, Mike and Claire must find a way to rebuild their lives, rediscover their purpose, and whether their dream is strong enough to survive what life has thrown at them.

Song Sung Blue, is a charming warm hearted film. It’s about love, chasing a dream and doing the things you love with the people you love. It’s feel good and heart wrenching in equal measure, as you are swept along in the lives of its two main characters who you are desperate to see succeed.

The film is helped by excellent central performances from Jackman and Kate Hudson, both utterly believable and hugely engaging in their roles. They are also very well supported, especially from Ella Anderson and King Princess who play Claire and Mike’s daughters.

If there is a criticism, the film feels a little slow and cumbersome as it deals with the initial impact of a life changing event. But that is a minor gripe as it gets back on track as it moves into its final act.

The film is certainly at its best as it works its way through Neil Diamond classics, yes more than Sweet Caroline, but that’s mainly as Jackman and Hudson make such a compelling on screen act.

It’s a feel good story, full of charm, with fine performances and characters you are desperate to see succeed, even if it seems fate has other plans.

Director: Paul Feig

After the success of the “A Simple Favor” films, Paul Feig returns to the world of psychological thriller with, The Housemaid. Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is looking for a new chance and it comes when she gets the opportunity to become the live-in housemaid for Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) and her family, daughter CeCe (Indiana Elle) and her loving husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar). What, at first, seems the perfect job, soon starts to unravel, as the perfect veneer is peeled away to reveal a dark underbelly, where peoples pasts collide to become present day threats.

I do enjoy a Paul Feig thriller, and The Housemaid is no exception. The film revisits much of what worked in Feig’s A Simple Favor films. Two women, a doting husband caught in the middle, an undercurrent of something very wrong and hidden pasts, that are anything but in the past. All delivering and entertaining and smart thriller.

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney are both in fine form. Seyfried, in particular, as she flicks effortlessly from perfect wife to the seemingly unhinged and dangerous. Both are well supported by Sklenar’s perfect husband and Elizabeth Perkins, who shows up with a brief cameo as Andrew’s dominating mother.

The plot suitably twists and turns and keeps you guessing as it peels back the layers to reveal the dark secrets underneath. All leading to a wild final act where the reality of everyone’s past collides to deliver a tense and satisfying finale and a clever ending that sets up a sequel if anyone wants it.

It’s not perfect and probably runs a little long, spending perhaps too much time re-telling some of the story through a new lens. But overall, it is a smart and enjoyable thriller.

The Housemaid, while not perfect, is a smart and enjoyable thriller. If you enjoyed Feig’s A Simple Favor, you’ll find plenty here to enjoy. Sydney Sweeney and Seyfried are in fine form, delivering compelling performances and the story twists, turns, keeping you guessing until it reaches its wild and satisfying climax.

Director: Josh Safdie

Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) is a talented New York based table tennis player, his dream, to head to Japan to play in the world championship. But to get there is going to mean finding funding, luckily, Marty is not only a great player, he’s a hustler, ambitious and driven by a singular goal, to which he is prepared to use anything and anyone to achieve it. Can he get to Japan and what damage will he do on the way?

Marty Supreme is a story about pursuing a dream and the price you have to pay to get there. But it turns this premise on its head by making Marty an unlikeable character. While his drive and determination are to be admired, his willingness to take risks with anyone around him regardless of the consequences makes him impossible to pull for.

This twist on the underdog tale, is where some may struggle with the film. Whether the film is about someone who learns what’s truly important, or about how unscrupulous and unpleasant people can achieve what they want, is left for you to decide.

That said, it is credit to the film that it still works. Much of this is on Chalamet who puts in a fantastic performance full of energy and charisma, that makes Marty, for all of his flaws, very watchable. Performances across the board are strong, Odessa A’zion as Marty’s friend Rachel and Gwyneth Paltrow, as a fading movie star, are foils for Marty, both used by and using him for their own ends.

The story is a wild ride, as much a heist film as underdog tale. And for a film not really about table tennis, it does deliver an incredibly tense final match!

Marty Supreme, takes the underdog story and turns it on its head with a protagonist that’s hard to cheer for and how you feel about that may determine how much you enjoy the film. But what you certainly get is a wild ride, more heist film than underdog tale, and lit up by Timothée Chalamet’s central performance, full of energy and charisma. But he is hard to like and that may leave some feeling cold. But it’s original, a little crazy, with strong performances. It’s full of ping and pong!

Director: Tom Gormican

When a jobbing actor, Griff (Paul Rudd) meets up with a group of old friends to celebrate Doug’s (Jack Black) birthday, they realise that their dreams of making it big in the movies are dying. Griff spends more time working part time jobs than acting, Doug is a frustrated director stuck making wedding videos, Kenny is unemployed (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) abandoned acting to become a lawyer. But, when Griff announces he has the rights to remake 90’s classic Anaconda, the friends have an opportunity to fulfil their dreams. They head off to the Amazon, but they get more than they bargained for, when trying to remake Anaconda turns into a battle for survival as the Anaconda movie comes very much to life!

How much of a “classic” Anaconda is, is very much up for debate, but what this well intentioned, good hearted, comedy does is pack plenty of gags, fun and action into this 99 minute homage to Ice Cube, J-Lo and the rest!

It’s certainly not a classic and isn’t going to be troubling the comedy greats, but with a likeable cast, tight script and no attempt to take itself seriously, Anaconda provides an amusing holiday distraction, that plays well to a broad audience.

The main cast give you everything you’d expect, all doing their thing, a vehicle that fits all four of them well, particularly Black, who specialises in silly comedy with a sentimental core. There is also good support from Selton Mello’s snake handler and  Daniela Melchior’s, Ana.

The action is well paced, as is the script that delivers plenty of regular gags and a fine set piece involving Doug, a boar and a squirrel!

Anaconda is never going to be a classic, but it is an amusing holiday diversion. With a likeable cast, that is at home with what is being asked of them, a 99 minute run time, humourous script and entertaining action, it will appeal to a pretty broad audience. While it never rises above relatively amusing, sometimes that’s enough and it is here, delivering some Christmas cinema fun.

Director: David Michôd

Christy tells the story of Christy Salters, a woman who, while not creating female boxing, went a long way to having the sport been taken seriously. Played by Sydney Sweeney, it follows Christy’s discovery of the sport in 1989 to becoming a high paid star on the front cover of Sports Illustrated. But, it is not just her career that Salters had to fight. She has to hide her sexuality, and fight with an abusive relationship with Husband, James Martin (Ben Foster). A relationship that would almost cost her her life.

Christy has had mixed reviews, but it’s a film that worked well for me. 

It provides a good view of why she is important to her sport and the work she did to be taken seriously as an athlete.

But her story is more complex. Christy as a gay woman in the late 80’s, prejudice abounds, not only in the sport, but also in her private life, with a homophobic mother full of contempt for her daughter’s sexuality. But it is the abusive relationship with her husband James, where the film is at its darkest, building from subtle undertones, to a situation which almost costs her her life.

Sweeney puts in a strong performance, believable as both boxer and abused woman. She’s is well supported by Foster, Wever and Katy O’Brian.

If there is a criticism, it is the story that focuses more on its Rocky rise to the top than on the darkness of a relationship and its descent into violence. This is best summed up in a scene where Christy talks about the prolonged abusive relationship which jars when so late on it feels like it’s the first time hearing about it.

Christy, is a fascinating look at a woman who would define her sport. And while not perfect, it provides a compelling watch, led by Sydney Sweeney’s strong performance. It tells a Rocky-like story of a rise in a brutal sport, for a woman also fighting battles with her sexuality and an abusive relationship that almost costs her her life. And while it perhaps doesn’t get enough under the skin of that part of the story, it is still a compelling biopic of a strong woman, who deserves her story told.