While not roll around on the floor hilarious, it was funny and I love Brendan Gleeson. He's a fine comedic actor as only the Irish can be with that quiet, underrated line flipped out casually leaving you in stitches when you realise what was said.

Taylor Kitsch is an American doctor whom the town try to seduce into staying so they can attract a large cannery operation promising jobs and prosperity to this town become a defunct haven for the unemployed and despairing. He does a plausible job of being a tad gullible as only the Americans can be at times and the attempts of the village to trick him are amusing and absurd.

Nice Sunday afternoon viewing with popcorn advised.

I don't know if there's such a genre but it was hard to place. While being funny, it wasn't exactly a non-stop comedy. I really liked it though and have a soft spot for John Favreau and John Leguizamo and of course Robert Downey Jnr.

It's a fun tale and enjoyably amusing.

The soundtrack was superb.

Starring the funny Seth McFarlane (not usually my cup of tea), the delectable Charlize Theron and the delicious Liam Neeson (finally tossing away his white hat for a black one) it was a surprisingly amusing movie.

I, as the mother of teenage sons must put up with horrific horror films or skanky, puerile offerings of boys losing their puberty so I approached this film with the same misgivings but was proved wrong. Thank goodness. 

It is an absurd look at just how dangerous living in the "old wild west' really was.

It's a brilliant adaptation of the great John Green's poignant novel. Shalene Woodley and Ansel Elgort again star (Divergent) together and the chemistry is popping. It is a teen flick, it is about cancer and death but it's also about love, laughter and connecting in that fundamental way that only suffering can bring about.

Yes you will cry and you will also laugh. I loved it and have watched it twice and will watch it again. Cast was superb, direction and editing faultless, unlike the meeting of the star crossed lovers. But life is not fair.

Augustus's wish to be remembered is what animates him for the first half of the movie and frankly that resonated strongly with me. I understood his doomed view of time pressing cruelly and his diminishing capacity to bring about some change in the world for which he would be remembered.

Hazel on the other hand is more pragmatic and while trying to avoid 'blowing up" everyone around her when she dies, she cuts herself off from connection. The charismatic Augustus doesn't allow that and by the film's close, they have both proved the other wrong.

Ok firstly I keep calling it Live, Die Repeat. Don't you put the heading or title at the top of the page? Anyway, I found Emily Blunt an interesting choice as the dour heroine; would not have been my first choice given her predisposition to comedy but she did a creditable job and I apologise to her for having difficulty believing she wasn't going to break out in a comic fall at points- kind of interfered with my viewing pleasure.

I still find Tom Cruise a pain and for someone I find annoying, I am left with the conundrum that I actually love (against my wishes you understand) many of his movies (Jack Reacher, Minority Report, Oblivion, Knight & Day, Collateral, Top Gun- I know; it's the whole uniform thing - hence my first marriage...)

I watched this movie again straight after the first viewing and not because the plot had left me in the Zone of Confusion and What the Helledness? (much like Memento). It was full of action and was enjoyable despite being a mix between Groundhog Day and Source Code. There was no sense of 'seen it!' accompanying a roll of the eyes.

It was really good even though it had absurdly ludicrous  aliens with soul destroying technology that was annihilating the human race time after time after time. Cage and Rita's valiant persistence and faith in themselves and then each other was Doug Liman's attempt to portray the tale of the indomitable spirit of the human race... blah, blah, blah... But it was really thoroughly enjoyable!

The effects were excellent. It was well casted although Elle Fanning was a touch annoying but Jolie does a creditable job of being mean. But I wasn't overly engrossed in the story and found it somewhat absurd and I have a pretty good ability to engage in suspensions of disbelief... but meh. I didn't believe much of it. Disappointed, but then that just might be me on the day.

Starring Ben Affleck and the delicious Rosamund Pike it was a riveting tale from start to finish. Many apparently didn't like it but I found it intriguing and enjoyed not being certain of what it was all about. That's what the old Hitchcock movies aimed to do; intrigue and keep the audience guessing. 

How well do you know your spouse?

Loved it. It's not everyone's cup of tea but the effects were outstanding and the cast led by Michael Fassbender and the indomitable Patrick Stewart did a great job. Interesting concept and you can't fault Hugh getting off his togs at nearing 50 with ne'er a groan from the audience in other than that of wanton lust.

i love Jake Gyllenhall so sat down with relish; it's creepier than Source Code but nothing, nothing happens... History professor sees his look alike in a movie. For inexplicable reasons he tracks him  down in great fear- my first thought would be "hey, I have a twin ma didn't mention..." Nope. Just terrified build up and then they both have same scar so you assume clone... and then nothing. Just gets really weird and then weirder and then JUST NO.

Starring Kellan Lutz sporting magnificent trapezoids and some spectacularly choreographed fight scenes... just no. Don't bother. The casting was lazy and misplaced- an Aussie girl in ancient Greece? The script was horrifically immature... boo hiss. He coulda been a contender... but just wasn't.

Starring the incomparable Ralph Fiennes and introducing the wonderful Tony Revolori (watch this space), it's a quirky film that won't appeal to everyone. Directed by Wes Anderson one deduces he was heavily influenced by Gore Verbinski and Ron Howard in their offbeat efforts with Mousehunt and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. There is an 'otherworldly' influence to the scenes, costumes and atmosphere, an almost cartoon quality that lends itself to the sometime slapstick that Anderson includes in some of the scenes. He also utilises intertextual references to the traditional hotel comedies of the fifties using bellhops as the straight man. Peter Sellers used this to great effect in the Pink Panther film where he as the useless Inspector Clouseau and the bellhop are trying to sneak around a hotel, traversing the slippery floor of the steam room.

There is a stellar cast and while the story appears somewhat ludicrous, by the end you are recalling all sorts of stories heard about strange happenings around the the turn of the century and you are compelled to believe in the life and times of M. Gustave.

While not nostalgic, the film does have you pining for the lost days of the grand hotels with grand dames and rich travelling authors who brought the world so many wonderful tales of the unexpected and bizarre.

The cover shot of the pink icinged hotel invites you into another world, almost like a child approaching a spectacular doll's house. You lean in with the excitement of what you may find and in the certain knowledge that the voyeuristic tendencies of your youth will be met with satisfaction as you view the characters and their lives played out within the abstract world of the Grand Budapest Hotel.

Starring the indomitable Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed by Steve McQueen, this is a magnificent movie. I enjoyed the Butler- another black rights movie, but I agree with the critics on that one- it fell short of what it could have achieved so please do not confuse the two.

12 Years a Slave is a wonderful and tragic story. How Chiwetel Ejiofor was not nominated for and did not win an Oscar is nothing less that a travesty of justice. He was sublime in this role.

The story opens with Solomon Northup, happily ensconced with his family in Washington, a noted musician and popular social equal. A job offer, too good to be believed comes his way and lures him to travel with a pair of men who generously wine and dine him.

When he awakens, he is chained to an iron rod in the middle of a basement floor. No amount of screaming or pleading with his heartless captors affects his release. And so the nightmare begins. Northup is soon joined by other kidnap victims (all coloured) who are beaten mercilessly and convinced to stay silent regarding their identity. They are then spirited away to Southern plantations where they are sold into slavery.

It is obvious to his first master that Northup (now known as Platt) is more than a 'dumb slave' when his engineering abilities and clever ideas show him up to be well educated, but Ford (Cumberbatch) ignores this and passes him on to the terrifying Epps (Fassbender) and the murderous overseer, (gosh he does creepy well) Paul Dano. 

The humiliations, the beatings and the indignities rendered on Northup are at times unspeakable. Ejiofor delivers the life of Northup with great emotion and love and honours the sacrifice of not only this one slave, but all African American slaves. It is a true story and so all the more unbearable.

At the end of the film, everyone in the theatre rushed out faster than streaming foxes after a rabbit. I alone sat and sobbed at the tragedy of this poor mans life and the travesty committed against his human person simply because of the colour of his skin. 

It is a must see and we should not turn our backs on this reality so it does not happen again. Just as the war veterans say, Lest We Forget.

Starring Matthew McConaughy (well you got me right there- I'm gonna watch it and you know you will too) as Mud, Tye Sheridan as Ellis and Jacob Lofland as Neckbone (don't you go asking my why), oh, and Reece Witherspoon, it's a story of 2 young boys growing up in Southern America in swampland somewhere making a living off the river. These two go exploring and come across a fugitive living in a boat stuck up a tree. Sound intriguing so far? Well it is, despite the absurdity of the tale so far. The boys find Mud intriguing and 14 year old Ellis is a sucker for love. Once the 'princess' ideal of Witherspoon is introduced, he's on board and willing to do just about anything to help the star crossed lovers be reunited. Neckbone is more cynical but comes round in the end with the charming machinations of the mysterious Mud.

The two young boys put in stellar performances- they really do. Watch this space.. . They were totally believable as young Southern boys living a wild existence on the river. Their courage and fortitude is touching and their friendship steadfast and wholly convincing. Unknowns, they held the movie together without the help of the star and that's saying something.

McConaughy as always is a strongly attractive character and much like his performances as the tricksy Mick Haller in Lincoln Lawyer or even Dallas in Magic Mike (nothing to do with his pecks- really and magnificent gyrations), he is the archetypal Southern gentleman that has the women all hot under the collar with just a flash of those pearly whites and hazel peepers. 

It's not an action movie and is slow. The cinematography is stunning and with the support of Sam Shepard, Ray McKinnon and the lovely Sarah Paulson the story unfolds beautifully and poignantly as the  unforgettable coming of age for a couple of boys one summer in the deep south. 

Directed by the great Gore Verbinski I think you'll either hate it or love it- critics bagged it saying that it was too like Verbinski's Pirates of the Carribean where he again worked with Johnny Depp but hell, I loved those movies too! If you want some fun and big screen action go no further.

It's not a serious film about the wild west, it's a Disney version of a famous fictional character that I can remember from my childhood Saturday afternoons. The Lone Ranger is action packed, slapstick funny like you haven't seen for a long time and if you're too dense to realise it- it's really quite an achievement to succeed with slapstick.  Verbinski has managed to get some of the usual suspects out of their comfort zones and successfully into the amusing world of Depp/Verbinski comedy.

I think it's a masterpiece and Bojan Bazelli does an absolutely fabulous job of creating a visualy stunning artwork. The cast is superbly lead by the eccentric and quirky Depp who I actually thought might bore me this time but as usual he pulled another one out of the hat and surprised me with his brilliant timing and subtle humour.

Armie Hammer is the perfect actor for the part and playing opposite Depp, made a fantastic comedy duo come to life. The supporting cast of Tom Wilkinson and William Fichtner as the archetypal baddy is genius.

The only annoying part for me was Ruth Wilson as the heroine; I find her a tad tedious (sorry). There is one actor to look out for and that's the boy Tonto - Joseph E. Foy, a frustratingly difficult boy to track down- I suspect the young Native American is being protected and quite rightly as he's no doubt already a heart throb among the teens (and elderly grandmotherly types). Also one of my favourite support cast, Saginaw Grant (World's Fastest Indian), makes a welcome appearance as the chief of the Comanche tribe. And Bonham-Carter makes an unusual appearance with a fine ivory leg that proves useful in a tight situation.

Starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg and directed by Baltazar (who cares what his surname is with a first name like that?- he directed Contraband with Wahlberg) Kormakur. It's slick, it's visually stunning and so fast you'll need a seatbelt to watch it.

I really shouldn't have to say more but I can... it's sizzling. The two mains are superb; acting like they've been best buds for years, the dialogue is fast and funny and they make it look real.  

There's action plus and twists and turns to keep the boring "it's gotta be believable critics" more than happy. From two opposing agencies the two undercovers suddenly find themselves hung out to dry and then the fun really begins. Dealing with decapitating cartel members and a completely psycho government agent the two are on the ride of their lives, not knowing if they'll be in one piece at the end of the trip. 

And failing any of that interesting you, they are both some mean eye candy. Just gotta love it. 

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock and a couple of space ships and not a lot else. If you can, go to the IMAX to see it- in 3D. It is an unbelievable experience and will put you off aspirations of ever growing up to become an astronaut. Incredibly exciting, this movie swept me along in the wake of its momentum. Bullock as always was superb as was Clooney in his usual casual approach to catastrophe. The effects were brilliant - i held my breath through the rain of debris and with a thumping heart felt just about everything the character experienced. It was a full on interactive movie that's probably pretty much spoiled me for any other action movie to come.

Halle Berry. Scared from the get go. Best thriller i've seen in ages. Absolutely thrilling.

Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds AND Mary Louise Parker who I just adore. Why isn't she on the cover too?

Ask no more. It's a bit cheesy and silly with animation of 'dead' people/monsters but really what did you expect from a movie called Rest In Peace Division? It's funny, even if I missed half the jokes because Jeff Bridges for some reason was talking more like he'd just had tongue surgery than usual or perhaps because he was bunging on a Texan accent to go with his 18th C cowboy persona- who knows with dead people?

But well worth a watch on a rainy afternoon to perk you up and keep you away from the pancakes AND nachos AND bag of Kettle chips (large) by settling for a bag of popcorn and the (what the heck?) incomparable Ryan and Parker...  Oh alright, and Bridges (he's adorable really- if only he could ENUNCIATE).

Come on. Hugh Jackman. Cut like a 10 caroter.  

Set in Japan- beautiful visually; hot chicks and cool dudes, black-clad NINJAs  for goodness sake and non-stop action, slashing swords, smashing feet, flying kicks... It's awesome. 

Go see it. All the ingredients for an X-Men super movie. 

Directed by James Mangold, starring Hugh, the delightful Tao Okamoto, the gorgeously adorable Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Hal Yamanouchi, Wil Yun Lee, Ken Yamamura, the lovely Famke Janssen and the deliciously naughty Svetlana Khodchenkova as the baddie.

Directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wchowski and starring a stellar studded cast of Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, James D'Arcy, Xun Zhou, David Gyasi and Susan Sarandon the film rocks.

I must say I saw it twice and the first time spent much of the time bemused yet intrigued. It is difficult to follow and breaks conventions at all junctures. It is a deeply philosophical tale of how we impact upon each other across time and space. Individuals can and do affect much more than just themselves. Following the reincarnation type of model, the writers suggest that we can be redeemed from the most heinous of beasts in one life to a hero in another.  A kind act spreads out across the centuries and inspires revolution several thousand years later...

While a fanciful tale at first, it was deeply profound and thought provoking. It was at time brutal and breathtakingly beautiful.  Much as life itself can be. I actually really loved it and will be happy to view it several times more.