Anna Smith

With good performances and characters, Beginners is an enjoyable, amusing and occasionally poignant watch. Indie film fans will want to catch it, but it falls short of being a must-see.

A flowerier adaptation of the Scott Spencer romance than Zeffirelli's '80s version, it's tailor-made for the Nicholas Sparks crowd.

The Kids Are All Right writer Stuart Blumberg's first directorial effort is a frothy affair with typically strong turns from Ruffalo and Paltrow.

The joke wears a bit thin and performances vary: this isn’t as slick as the teen movies it draws from, such as ‘Clueless’ and ‘Mean Girls’. But an original premise and earnest tone go a long way.

Tonally, it might feel a bit like a ’70s Disney movie, but visually, it’s absolutely up to the minute.

Overlong but slick, this still gets away with simplistic dialogue and characters, perhaps because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Don’t expect Austen-style humour, though: ultimately, you may be frustrated by a narrative that punishes its pleasant protagonist so thoroughly. But credit to Brizé and crew for an impressive piece of filmmaking with a refreshingly contemporary approach.

The characters could use more depth – Vincent’s backstory is told too swiftly, and his bonding with Ava is brief. But it’s still a smart, thought-provoking little thriller with strong central performances.

The by-the-numbers plotting is a little clunky but there's fun to be had in the cast's easy chemistry.

It may not be as daring as Young Adam, but this is a well-performed adaptation of an absorbing melodrama.

Giant expectations may lead to tiny disappointments in this two-hander that’s slow in parts. But it still offers magic and visual delights, and the final act is a treat.

A tender, sensitive French drama rich in hazy atmosphere.

Paltrow does an excellent job as the shy loner, affecting youthful, sulky mannerisms without resorting to stereotype. Anthony Hopkins, meanwhile, brings both gravitas and dark humour as Catherine's mentally ill father, while Jake Gyllenhaal makes for an effective, if buff, maths geek.

The Stolen doesn’t dig too deep into its characters, so it’s not the emotionally devastating watch it could have been. But it has something to say about a penniless woman’s plight in the era, and it’s engaging and refreshing on several counts.

The gags swing between mildly inventive and screamingly obvious, but even the latter are performed and timed well enough to draw a laugh.

While this has its pleasures, it feels more like a doc you’d watch on terrestrial TV rather than seek out in the cinema.

Instead of updating the genre, The Other Woman rehashes it, bringing little more than a few giggles and a dash of glamour to the table.

That innocuous title disguises a Mexican thriller with genuine bite, though the hokey ending doesn't quite live up to the edgy plotting and Sigman's classy turn as a tough heroine in an impossible situation.

Some developments seriously stretch credulity and the dialogue doesn’t always ring true. But the performances — including a sinister, matronly Kerry Fox — are as enjoyable as the tawdry film noir vibe.

A simplistic portrayal of historic race relations boosted by terrific performances from some of the best actresses working in Hollywood today. Sure, it's corny, but it mostly works.

More time could have been spent developing the bond between the men, but ultimately this is quite gripping: a weepie bromance. You don’t see one of those every day.

There’s little interest in probing characterisation, but the plot progress is steady and the performances likeable.

If this energetic, fitfully funny version introduces the story to a new generation, heck, bring on a new ‘Sense and Sensibility’ too.

A very superficial look at what it may be like trying to romance someone on the autistic scale.

Hard to root for but mesmerising to watch, Sloane is expertly portrayed by Chastain in this dialogue-heavy lobbyist thriller that should please fans of both actor and genre.

A fizzy, funny, period dramedy with top-notch performances, Florence Foster Jenkins doesn't take many risks but it's a very entertaining experience. And yes, she was that bad.

The song and dance scenes are hard to beat in terms of sheer energy and atmosphere, but the dramatic storylines leave several loose ends.

Vikander and Fassbender are riveting in a handsome period drama that begins beautifully, but becomes increasingly contrived as it tries to wring as much drama as possible from its set-up.