The Secret Garden (2020), directed by Marc Munden

The end credits say ‘based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett’, but those familiar with the classic book will appreciate how loose this claim is. The main characters have the same names and the story follows the same trajectory, but there the similarities end. Updated to 1947 from the turn of the century for no discernible reason, there are further major departures from the original story that seem to have little point. The novel features nature as therapy, along with fresh air, healthy food and common sense. The film somehow turns this into magical realism, complete with dodgy CGI creatures. While love of the book may heighten criticism, the reality is it this just not a good film. The dialogue is often stilted and some of the acting is very ordinary. The talents of Julie Walters and Colin Firth are wasted. This is a classic case of an unnecessary remake. If you are going to change the original text so much, why bother? Just write your own story.

Native Spirits, 23rd St Distillery

You can really taste the finger lime and lemon myrtle in this unique gin. It has an almost spritzig, lemonady quality, which is saved from over-sweetness by its other botanicals – including wattle seed and pepperberry. It’s a very different taste from the company’s Signature Gin. Not a flavour for everyone, but it’s definitely worth a try.

The Girl with the Gold Bikini, by Lisa Walker

Instead of spending the summer backpacking with her mates, school leaver Olivia Grace has taken a job as a trainee private investigator with her childhood playmate Rosco. Splitting their time between the office on the Gold Coast and on a case in Byron Bay the pair find themselves embroiled with rival yoga studios and nefarious business people. Olivia has a talent for trouble; luckily she can rely on Rosco to help get her out of it. If you can get past the unlikelihood of teenaged private detectives this is a fun read. The tongue-in-cheek style suits the many plot absurdities, although the plethora of characters can get confusing. The underlying message of forging your own path adds a little depth and Olivia is ultimately an endearing character and a heroine for our times.

Royals, by Emma Forrest

Aspiring fashion designer Steven lives in London’s East End with his Jewish martyr mother, abusive alcoholic father and two brothers. He is the odd fish out, already marked as gay even though he ‘hasn’t decided yet’. In hospital he meets West End girl Jasmine, an ‘it’ girl with family problems of her own. She entrances Steven and inspires him to transcend Thatcher’s Britain and realise his dreams. Set in the summer of 1981, around the wedding of Charles and Diana, the music and fashion references are a lot of fun. The story has echoes of milliner Philip Treacy and his muse Isabella Blow, although the abrupt ending makes it more a tale of what could have been. Forrest evokes a time and culture that strongly resonates; Steven is sympathetic and believable, Jasmine a little less so. It’s an easy read, sad and funny with some insights into issues of wealth and class and the troubles of teens, regardless of where they come from.

Made in Italy (2020), directed by James D’Arcy

Imminent divorce will see Jack Foster lose the successful art gallery he manages unless he can raise the money to buy it from his wife’s family. To achieve this he persuades his estranged father to sell the neglected Tuscan villa they inherited from Jack’s late mother. They discover the villa needs a lot of work to be ready for sale. Can they repair their relationship along with the house and forge some new memories in Italy? This looks like something of a passion project for actor James D’Arcy, who wrote, produced and directed it. It would have benefited from some further input, as only the gorgeous scenery bolsters the slight and predictable story. Despite the wonderful location the film had to work with the cinematography is awful. There are lots of unnecessarily shaky, dizzying hand-held shots and weirdly angled close ups that are possibly intended to intensify emotion. Acting would have been better. It was a real coup to get Liam Neeson to take a break from his action flicks to take on this very small film. He kind of reprises his Love Actually role, but it’s fine. He gets solid support from Lindsay Duncan, playing to type as an acerbic estate agent, and Valeria Bilello, who is delightful as local chef Natalia. The weakest link is Micheal Richardson, who can’t quite carry off the grieving son, which is ironic given it’s a case of art imitating life.