Neither rarefied art film nor widely accessible inspirational drama, The Soloist falls between the cracks both creatively and commercially. Based on the real case of a newspaperman finding a former musical prodigy homeless on the streets of Los Angeles, Brit director Joe Wright's first American feature has moments of power and imagination, but the overworked style and heavy socially conscious bent exude an off-putting sense of self-importance, making for a picture that's more of a chore than a pleasure to sit through.

Lois Lane (played by Kate Bosworth) and her coworkers at the Daily Planet have been watching the skies hopefully for five years, waiting for Superman’s return. But that’s nothing: It’s been nearly 20 since we saw our hero in 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Like a nice long stroll in the country, Walk the Line is stimulating and appealing, although by the end you won’t be able to get that song “Ring of Fire” out of your head.
So Johnny Cash might feel like a bit of a dinosaur in a world dominated by Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, but nonetheless there is still an appeal in the life story of a man who beat the odds of a poverty-stricken childhood to perform with many of the greatest (Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison impressive enough for you?) and who penned some of the most memorable country tunes of all time.

After suspicions that his wife is having an affair, diplomat Justin Quayle’s (Ralph Fiennes) life is turned upside down when his exuberant wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), is killed in Kenya. At first, Justin is grief stricken and unsure what to believe about Tessa’s fidelity. But then he stumbles across the project Tessa was working on before she died that uncovers corporate conspiracy, government cover-ups, bribery and murder. Suddenly, Justin becomes embroiled in a scandal that goes to the very core of the British government and reveals just how much African life is worth to the west.

Simon West (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) obviously believes fear lies solely in the mind, which explains his latest horror flick, which is as scary as watching The Ring for the 100th time. His remake of the original 1979 classic by Fred Walton of the same name starts ambitiously enough, with confusing jump cuts and voices of distress, forewarning the wipe out of an entire innocent family by a brutal murderer.

Fans of producer Mel Brooks (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Spaceballs) should know what to expect from this lover of OTT comedy. The jokes are often in bad taste, the characters one-dimensional caricatures and the plot completely unrealistic; but most of his movies are absolutely hilarious.