Hard Truths (out Mar 6) is more gold from director Mike Leigh. It's tale of a middle-aged woman who is one of the most miserable, negative people you could imagine. Star Marianne Jean-Baptiste is exceptional in creating an individual who is inherently unlikeable but also someone you want to know more about. Grade: A-.

In the Lost Lands (out Feb 27) is a CGI-heavy action film starring Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista. Set in a dystopian future, it's about a witch who goes in search of a werewolf. With average dialogue and a limited storyline, I struggled. Grade: C.

Inside (out Feb 27) is an Australian drama centred on an incarcerated 18-year-old boy, recently moved to an adult prison, who is struggling with his mental health. Good performances but not sure the script provides enough insight into these characters. Grade: B-.

The Last Journey (out Feb 27) feels like a movie which is impossible to dislike. It's a Swedish documentary about a middle-aged son who takes his 80-year-old father on a road trip to France to help reinvigorate his passion for life. Plenty to think about! Grade: A.

I'm Still Here (out Feb 27) is a Brazilian 1970s drama centred on the true story of Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres), a loving mother who must confront the absence of her husband who has been imprisoned by government authorities. Profiling a darker chapter in Brazil’s history, telling a beautiful family tale, and highlighting the power of photographs and memories, I’m Still Here is great cinema. Grade: A-.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (out Feb 27) is an Iranian film about a family who disintegrates when the father is appointed as a judge for the Revolutionary Court, and the two daughters rebel against Iranian authorities. It's a strong film, for the most part, but the weak, Hollywood-style ending undermines the good work. Grade: B.

The Monkey (out Feb 20) is based on a Stephen King short story and is the story of an old wind-up robotic toy with sinister powers. From the over-the-top deaths through to the “you can’t say that” dialogue, there’s a plethora of eyebrow raising moments for those with darker sense of humour. While it works as a comedy it misses the mark with its more dramatic themes about family and death. Clumsy ending too. Grade: B.

Bird (out Feb 20) is a British drama centred on an impoverished, free-spirited 12-year-old girl who befriends a young man looking for his birth parents. It's a curiously odd story from writer-director Andrea Arnold but, for the same reason, it holds your attention. Good performances all round. Grade: B+.

The Last Showgirl (out Feb 20) is the story of a 57-year-old cabaret dancer (Pamela Anderson) working in Las Vegas who finds her world upended when the show announces its closure. Several subplots aren't given enough depth but Anderson does a great job illustrating her character's emotions. When you devote your entire life to an artistic medium and it’s suddenly taken away from you… yeah, it’s heart breaking. Grade: B+.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (out Feb 13) is the 4^th instalment in the popular franchise and sees the widowed Bridget, egged on by her friends, go in search of a new man.  It’s juggling too many characters and storylines but it’s still an entertaining misadventure with a heart which becomes evidence in the film’s later stages. Grade: B.