Bridget Jones – Mad About the Boy, directed by Michael Morris

Poor old Bridget only got a few years of her happy ever after with Mark Darcy before he was killed in Sudan. Four years on, widowed in her 40s and bringing up two children, she is back almost where she started – drinking wine alone and avoiding the smug marrieds. Returning to work helps to spark her up again and then two men come into her life, son Billy’s uptight science teacher and (very) young gun Rockster. Chaos naturally ensues. Deeper and sadder than the first three Bridget adventures, there is still plenty of silliness and laughter as she navigates dating and sex in the digital age. All the old faces are back, to great comic and dramatic effect, and the new faces – Leo Woodall and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the love interests – fit in perfectly. Renee Zellweger, as ever, embodies everywoman Bridget. The film gets a little shmaltzy towards the end, but nevertheless provides an enjoyable final outing with the Jones girl.

Juliet, Naked (2018), directed by Jesse Peretz

Promising musician Tucker Crow disappeared from the public eye after a devastating breakup, leaving his small cadre of dedicated fans desperate for more. Living in an unsatisfactory relationship with one of those superfans, Annie accidentally connects with Tucker online and sparks big changes in both their lives. This low key romcom, based on a Nick Hornby novel, is notable for its lead actors; Rose Byrne’s brand of competent appeal works well for Annie; Chris O’Dowd brings his usual daffiness as the fan; and Ethan Hawke hits the spot as the ageing never-was rock star.

My Old Ass (2024), directed by Megan Park

Elliott is 18 and about to leave the family cranberry farm for Uni in the big city of Toronto. While taking a mushroom trip with friends she encounters her 39-year-old self, who has words of wisdom that change the way Elliott looks life. It starts slowly but builds to a beautifully sad climax, where it turns out Elliot has things to teach her old ass too. Stunning cinematography is complemented by a lovely performance from newcomer Maisie Stella.

Asteroid City (2023), directed by Wes Craven

A movie within a play within a TV show, it tells the story of a playwright, his play and some of the players. A crater where an asteroid hit the earth millennia ago is a minor tourist attraction for a tiny desert town. In 1955 it is hosting a junior space camp for young science achievers, which is interrupted by a strange visitation that traps all visitors in a military quarantine. The story within a story contains teen romance, troubled parent-child relationships and alien visitation within its typically Anderson absurdism. Mildly amusing, dialogue-heavy, with rapid and sometimes clever wordplay, the film is completely bonkers but quite entertaining. Tom Hanks, Scarlet Johansen, Steve Carell, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton and Adrien Brody are just a few of the stellar ensemble cast, with Margot Robbie and Jeff Goldblum featuring in cameos. The film references both Roswell and Nevada nuclear testing in a manner that sends up the public – and Hollywood - obsession with them. Chuckleworthy rather than laugh out loud, the wordiness wears and the quirky is in overdrive in a movie that is visually sumptuous but pretty forgettable.

Good Luck to You Leo Grande (2022), directed by Sophie Hyde

Nancy Stokes is a 50-something widow who has only ever had sex with her husband and never enjoyed it. A former Religious Education teacher who has always lived within the rules, she takes a walk on the wild side by hiring sex worker Leo and a hotel room to try all the things she has never experienced. What follows is an education for all concerned in sex positivity, body positivity, consent and boundaries, letting go and owning desire. Emma Thompson literally embodies the role of Nancy, taking her from buttoned up to naked and fancy free. Along the way are revelations about marriage and motherhood, judgement and disappointment, acceptance and respect. Leo and Nancy learn from each other over the course of their short liaison, both leaving satisfied. Something about Daryl McCormack’s eyes and mouth is reminiscent of a young Jonathan Rhys Myers. He makes Leo a fully rounded character and is very nice to look at in what is essentially a two-hander, although Isabella Laughland provides a useful comic cameo towards the end. While the film leans a touch towards the didactic, it is all in a very good cause, with a funny and poignant take on a rarely touched topic.

Off the Rails (2022), directed by Jules Williamson

In the 1980s four University friends, Liz, Anna, Kate and Cassie, went Interrailing in southern Europe, aiming to catch the biannual light show at the cathedral in Palma. They never made it and over the years, through work and family obligations, they have drifted apart. When Anna dies of cancer she leaves a task for the remaining three women to take her 18 year-old daughter, Maddie, on a quest to complete the journey and see the light show. This very slight film gets very silly towards the end, but the journey is nevertheless enjoyable, with a nice underlying message about letting go of the past and making the most of what you have. Jenny Seagrove is particularly resonant as single, broke Kate. It was Kelly Preston’s last film before she died from breast cancer, making her performance more poignant.

Licorice Pizza (2021), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

The title probably says it all about this very strange film. Budding entrepreneur Gary Valentine is 15 and abounds with self-confidence. Alana Kane is 25-ish, directionless in a dead-end job. Their unlikely love story develops through a series of business opportunities and misadventures in early 1970s California. The film expounds some interesting themes along the lines of knowing yourself and discovering what you want – and don’t want, especially for Alana, but it really drags in places and there are many inexplicable shots of the leads running. Musician Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman are very good in debut performances. complemented by a fabulous soundtrack. But too much time is spent on the misadventures, which feature some truly bizarre cameos from the likes of Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits and Sean Penn in vignettes that smack of self-indulgent Hollywood in jokes. It is not surprising that the lead performances have been nominated in the upcoming awards season, but the film itself – really? A weird combination that sounds cool, but is actually just odd. It really is all in the name.

Ellie and Abbie - and Ellie’s Dead Aunt (2020), directed by Monica Zanetti

School Captain Ellie wants to ask Abbie to the formal, but it’s a big step when she’s not sure that Abbie likes her that way and she hasn’t even come out to her mum yet. It’s not necessarily helpful when the spirit of Ellie’s aunt Tara appears to offer advice. She was a leading gay rights activist who died before Ellie was born and times have changed since her day. This is an LGBTQI story that could be anyone’s story in its essentials. The simple coming of age/coming out tale gains depth from Tara’s historical perspective, without labouring the issues. The relationships all come across as authentic and it is refreshing that the lead characters in an Australian film are all women. Sophie Hawkshaw as Ellie is a young Virginia Gay; Marta Dusseldorp brings extra class as her mum; and Zoe Terakes as Abbie has a natural appeal. The film was crowdfunded and while it is a pity that was necessary the result vindicates the faith shown by the generous crowd.

Days of the Bagnold Summer (2019), directed by Simon Bird

Daniel is 15, a metalhead and off to Florida for the summer to stay with his dad and stepmother. When the trip is called off at the last minute Daniel sinks further into teenage angst at the prospect of six weeks at home with his mum. She is Sue, a self-deprecating librarian who was quite looking forward to the break herself. This small British film is warm and funny, with Monica Dolan and Earl Cave making a great mother-son duo. It cleverly sets up stereotypes and then undoes them by showing fully rounded characters with nuanced relationships. Rob Brydon and Tamsin Greig are notably amusing in supporting roles.

Shiva Baby (2020), directed by Emma Seligman

Shortly to graduate from college without a major because she has changed it so frequently, Danielle has few job prospects. Her parents pay her rent and bills and think she earns her pocket money from babysitting. After a problematic sexual encounter she attends a shiva, the wake following a funeral, at the behest of her parents. There she is shocked to find both her ex-girlfriend and her current sugar daddy, with his wife and baby. Negotiating the round of family, lovers and family friends becomes an exercise in claustrophobic panic, which triggers Danielle’s fraught relationship with food. A compact 90 minutes, the film somehow feels longer. It’s slow pace and repetitive action indicating the material is stretched to fill time. It has a few wryly funny moments, but not enough of them. Rachel Sennet is very good as Danielle, working hard to attract some sympathy for a character that represents the worst aspects of the millennial stereotype. The expectations of her and pressure on her are immense, but so is the financial and emotional support provided to her. This makes her actions and decisions beyond questionable, especially in contrast to her delightfully together ex.

Misbehaviour (2020), directed by Philippa Lowthorpe

In 1970 the women’s movement for equality was just getting rolling and the anachronistic Miss World beauty pageant became a target as a symbol of a patriarchal system that marginalises women. Misbehaviour spotlights ordinary women who got involved in the fight, including mature student and single mother Sally Alexander and activist Jo Robinson. Played by Keira Knightly and Jessie Buckley, these women form the warm heart of a disparate and diverse group. Although articulate on the campaign and its aim, the film is not just polemic. It skewers the shockingly sexist and misogynistic attitudes prevalent at the time, simply by presenting them, but it also shows the human face of all involved. This includes hopeful contestants, immensely popular dinosaur comedian Bob Hope and Sally’s mum. The film promotes the effectiveness of protest and activism, claiming apartheid protests helped force changes to Miss World and that the Women’s Liberation protest helped put the movement on the map. It underlines the power of intersectionality to create a sum greater than its parts. It's also funny. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is moving as eventual pageant winner Miss Guatemala, eloquently making the case for the limited opportunities afforded to black women in particular. Greg Kinnear looks good as Bob Hope, but his accent often slips; Lesley Manville is excellent as always in a cameo as Delores Hope. It’s a really nice touch at the end to see brief images and bios of several of the real people portrayed in the film – real women who achieved real goals.

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.

JoJo Rabbit (2019), directed by Taika Waititi

In Germany 1945, 10-year-old Johannes has been indoctrinated by Hitler Youth despite his moderate family. Adolf Hitler is his imaginary best friend and he strives to be what his friend expects. His obsession starts to unravel when he discovers his mother has been sheltering a Jewish girl and he has to decide what to do. The opening music is the Beatles singing in German over historical footage of crowds of Hitler fans demonstrating the mass hysteria of teenage girls. The tone is absurd rather than comic, eliciting the occasional smile, rather than laughs. And then every now and again Waititi smacks the audience in the face with a scene that shows the reality of Hitler’s Germany and the true horror of war. The accents are all over the place, which is a bit distracting in the early part of the film before the story really gets going. Roman Griffin Davis does well as JoJo and Scarlett Johansen is very good as JoJo’s loving mother. Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Rockwell and Alfie Allen provide good support. Casting comic actors Rebel Wilson and Steven Merchant as Nazi extremists was an interesting choice that adds to the sense of the absurd but little else. The closing music is David Bowie’s Heroes, which provides a nice counterpoint to the start.

Late Night (2019), directed by Nisha Ganatra

Written by Mindy Kaling for Emma Thompson, Late Night is smart, witty and on point, if perhaps a tad heavy handed. Katherine Newbery is an award-winning comedian and late night TV host who has been at the top of her game for almost 30 years. Her show has become stale and she is under threat of losing her gig to a crass, younger, male comedian. Her very white, male writing team all come from a similar background, which helps to keep her work stale and repetitive. Enter greenhorn Molly (Kaling), the ‘diversity hire’ who brings a fresh approach and some hope of Katherine retaining her position. There are some interestingly complex plot points, such as Katherine’s ailing husband and a different take on the sexual politics of television, but conflicts are resolved a little too quickly and easily for credibility. A solid supporting cast includes John Lithgow as Katherine’s supportive husband and Hugh Dancy as a playboy comedian. The script is based on Kaling’s lived experience; it rings true and provides a truly valid commentary on equality of opportunity and the need for allies to be able to see what you can be. Although for a movie featuring a comedy writing team it could have been funnier. Emma Thompson makes the most of her role – just imagine if a female comedian ever did get the chance to be a late night TV host.

Pride (2014), directed by Matthew Warchus

It’s 1984 in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain. Miners are on a long-term strike all over the country and the authorities are cracking down with brutality. While grateful that the attention has been turned away from their community, a group of gays and lesbians in London decides to help out by raising funds for striking miners and their families. What follows is a sad, funny and moving tale of solidarity, acceptance and love as Lesbians and Gays for the Miners forge a bond with a South Wales mining community. A really strong ensemble cast includes the star power of Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West in relatively minor roles. The likes of Faye Marsay, Paddy Considine, George MacKay and Andrew Scott, plus the shining talent of Ben Schnetzer as charismatic activist Mark Ashton add much value. The film is based on real people and a true story and has a killer 80s soundtrack. A second viewing does nothing to diminish the impact of a story that lingers.

That’s Not Me (2017), directed by Gregory Erdstein

Polly Cuthbert is an aspiring actor who is a little too selective in her choices. Considering herself too good for commercials and soap operas, she misses her chance, which is eagerly snatched up by her identical twin sister Amy. What follows is a difficult year where Polly finds herself in Amy’s shadow and completely loses her own identity. Co-written by the director and the lead actress Alice Foulcher, the film is smart and funny. It was made on an ultra low budget, but clever filming choices mean this doesn’t really show. Cameos from Isabel Lucas and Richard Davies lend a tiny touch of star power and an awesome original soundtrack adds joy. The film ends a little abruptly but leaves with a laugh created by a disclaimer that was probably included for legal reasons but is actually very funny. Aspiring filmmakers must despair when they see some of the crap that gets greenlit, especially through Hollywood. Films like this deserve an audience and it will be interesting to see what this talented couple do next.