Cinderella (out Mar 26) is colourfully shot, has some great dialogue, and its themes come through loud and clear. Above all else, the best reason I can give to see this film is Cate Blanchett. She’s incredibly good as the evil stepmother. It's just a shame the premise is somewhat “out dated”. I'd have preferred the title character to have a little more spark. Grade: B+.

Get Hard (out Mar 26) is being deliberately controversial by making jokes about race, sexuality, domestic violence, and rape (there's plenty of those). I'm fully supportive of provocative comedy but it needs to be funny and it needs to have a point. Both of those qualities are missing here. Grade: C.

Leviathan (out Mar 26) is a Russian drama that earned a foreign language Oscar nomination. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev challenges the audience by not showing several key events. As a result, you need to focus not on what happens... but rather how characters react. The plot is forever shifting and this is a riveting, unsettling piece of cinema. Grade: A-.

Love Is Strange (out Mar 19) is a sweet, simple drama that revolves around two guys who have been in a relationship for 39 years. When the main breadwinner loses his job, their lives suddenly become problematic. This is a character-driven film and while feels drawn out through the middle stages, it finishes on a heartfelt note. Grade: B.

Insurgent (out Mar 19) comes with a moderately intriguing storyline but the character development is a few notches below what has been achieved by the similar Hunger Games franchise. It'll be interesting to see if this film can finish on a high with the last two films. Grade: B-.

Big Eyes (out Mar 19) chronicles the true story of a American woman who made beautiful paintings... only for her husband to take all the credit. Amy Adams is the standout with her shy, reserved performance. Christoph Waltz is too over the top. An interesting story but not quite enough material to last 100 minutes. Grade: B.

Home (out Mar 19) is a Dreamworks Animation feature about a "friendly" alien race who take over Earth, and a young human girl in search of her lost mother. The introduction is rushed, the premise is thin, and the message is convoluted. Surprisingly disappointing. Grade: C+.

The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them (out Mar 12) is the story of a married couple who have grown distant after a tragic event. It deftly illustrates the mindset of someone battling depression (where thoughts don't always make sense). Grade: A-.

Run All Night (out Mar 12) follows in the same vein as other Liam Neeson action flicks and features gun fights, punch-ups, car chases, explosions, and burning buildings. Nothing subtle or ground breaking about the premise and I don't know why they give away the ending at the start. As for positives, there are a few great chase sequences. Neeson not bad either. Grade: B-.

Manny Lewis (out Mar 12) wants to be a darker comedy but it's very light in terms of character development. It stars Carl Barron as a depressed comedian who, unable to commit to a relationship, turns to a phone sex operator for companionship. The film's gimmick is dumb (you'll know what I mean if you see it) and the stuff involving the father needed more work. Grade: C.