American Hustle (out Dec 12) is a "who's playing who" caper film that doesn't gel. There are some great individual performances but the premise takes too long to set up and it's hard to believe that characters so dumb are able to pull this off. Grade: B.

The Spectacular Now (out now) tries to break away from the teen romance mold by providing something that is more realistic and less "sugar coated". Points for that. That said, I didn't find these characters particularly interesting and it was tough grappling the ever-changing mindset of the lead guy (Miles Teller). Grade: B.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 (out now) is a fun, non-preachy adventure that will put a smile on the face of both kids and adults. It makes great use of the "food as living creatures" concept and make sure you stay through the closing credits for more laughs. One of the year's best animated features. Grade: A-.

Ender's Game (out now) focuses on a young kid brought into a military program to help protect the earth from a pending alien invasion. This was a little better than I expected. Performances won't blow you away but the story taps into some interesting moral/ethical dilemmas that got me thinking. Grade: B.

Delivery Man (out Dec 3) is the story of a man (Vince Vaughn) who discovers that he's the father of 533 children after donating to a sperm bank two decades ago. It's trying to be a "warm & fuzzy" crowd pleaser but a few elements don't work (such as the girlfriend and the strange clingy kid). An interesting idea but just a so-so execution. Grade: B-.

Kill Your Darlings (out Dec 3) follows a group of young poets in the 1940s and their efforts to discover who they are - both on the page and off the page. The story is a little blurry in the later stages but the great cinematography and editing (coupled with the 40s music) gives the film a distinctive visual presence. Nice performances too. Grade: B+.

Night Train To Lisbon (out Dec 3) has an unconvincing current day storyline with Jeremy Irons... but when it delves into the past and explores Portugal's oppressive history (through the eyes of a doctor rebelling against authority), it's far more interesting. Grade: B-.

On My Way (out Nov 28) is a slow-paced French drama about a sixty-something year old woman (Catherine Deneuve) who goes on a road trip with her grandson. There's not a lot happening here and it's hard to work out what I should take away from it. Grade: C+.

One Chance (out Nov 28) is the tale of a mobile phone salesman from Wales won the 2007 series of Britain's Got Talent. It doesn’t work. I’m not dissing the achievements of Paul Potts but this is a formulaic exercise in “feel good” cinema that fails to recreate this inspirational tale. There are some strange production choices too (e.g. dubbing the real singing voice of Potts over the top of actor James Corden). Grade: C.

Filth (out now) is the tale of a manipulating, conniving, drug-taking police detective (James McAvoy) who is trying to solve a murder and earn a promotion. There's some fun to be had in the early scenes but as the film moves into its darker chapter, it becomes hard to take seriously. Grade: B-.