The Father (out Apr 1) has been nominated at the Oscars for best picture and it tackles the subject of dementia through the eyes of the sufferer. You're never quite sure what's real and what's not. Actors change. Storylines change. Small details within the apartment change. With the wrong actors, this could have come across as a gimmicky exercise but the two leads, Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, are extraordinary. Grade: A.

Nobody (out Apr 1) is an action-thriller about an "ordinary" father who, after his house is robbed, takes matters into his own hands and goes after the perpetrators. Written by Derek Kolstad (John Wick), this is an action flick with style. It succumbs to a few clichés (e.g. incompetent henchmen) but its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. Bob Odenkrik a fun choice for the lead role. Grade: B+.

Tom & Jerry (out Apr 1) is disappointing. It feels like the animation team ran out of money as both Tom and Jerry come across as supporting characters. Far too much time is spent on the human cast and their boring efforts to organise a wedding at a lavish Manhattan hotel. Grade: C.

The Courier (out Apr 1) rushes through certain details but it's still an intriguing true story about a British businessman who helped smuggle classified information out of Russia for both MI6 and the CIA in 1962. The performances are worthy and director Dominic Cooke does a great job building tension. Grade: B+.

Godzilla v Kong (out Mar 25) is weak. The CGI-heavy monster battles are fun but the stories involving humans are silly and clumsy. The film glosses over heavier elements (um, the death toll?) and ends up being an empty, non-emotive experience where you don't care about anyone. Such a strategy might have worked if the filmmakers went down the comedy path but the laughs are few and thin. Grade: C+.

Peter Rabbit 2 (out Mar 25) is a lesser effort to the 2018 original and it’s the script which is to blame.  The storylines involving the humans are dull/confusing and the film needed to spend more time with the talking animals.  Kids might enjoy it for the chaos and mayhem. Grade: C+.

The Painter and the Thief (out Mar 25) is an interesting Norwegian documentary about an artist who has two paintings stolen from her gallery. When the perpetrators are arrested, she befriends one of them and brings him into her life. There's much to reflect upon here. It has something to say about forgiveness, drug addictions, mental health and the power of art. Grade: B+.

Crisis (out Mat 18) is reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh's Traffic in the sense it's a bunch of connected stories about the war on drugs in the United States. The film is trying to make pertinent arguments (e.g. big pharma has a lot to answer for) but many scenes come across like an unrealistic soap opera. Grade: B-.

White Riot (out Mar 18) is a documentary about how the music industry came together to fight racism in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s. For fans of music and human rights. Grade: B.

French Exit (out Mar 18) is the story of an egotistical mother from New York City, born into wealth and privilege, who must sharply adjust her lifestyle after reaching the point of insolvency. I’m not fully convinced by what it all adds up to but the quirkiness of the film makes it worth the trip. Michelle Pfeiffer is terrific and I enjoyed the blend of comedy and drama. Grade: B.