I have liked Adam Sandler in various films, especially the serious roles, but his comedic turns often fall short and are repetitive. However, I was pleasantly surprised at his funny, somewhat subdued performance here as an NYC cop who finally takes his wife on a long promised European trip, where a chance meeting gets them invited to an intimate family gathering on the Super Yacht of elderly billionaire Malcolm Quince. When Quince is murdered, they become the prime suspects, and we follow the various scenarios they endure to prove their innocence. I loved Dany Boon as he channels Inspector Clouseau into his character, Inspector de la Croix. It’s all a bit of fun and did keep me interested, which doesn’t usually happen for me with Sandler movies.

In this tense thriller Sigourney Weaver stars as criminal psychologist Helen Hudson who specialised in serial-killers. During a trial, the accused Daryll Lee Cullum kills a police officer and tries to kill her, and she becomes agoraphobic. Now Helen lives a reclusive life. But when a copycat killer emerges, she reluctantly becomes involved when the detectives ask her to prepare a profile that will assist in their investigation. Weaver, and Holly Hunter’s MJ Monahan are superb. Harry Connick Jr. stars as the menacing Cullum, and he is good, but I keep expecting him to break out into a tune. Great retro viewing.

Be warned that this is an emotional, heartrending story, and tissues should be at hand. Taraji P. Henson is superb as single mother Janiyah, who is brought to breaking point by a series of events beyond her control. This results in leading her down an unforeseen path where she becomes embroiled in a situation she never envisioned, finding herself at the centre of suspicion in an indifferent world. Indifference… that is the key in this story. In the narcistic, selfish world that we live in, there is no room for empathy. An excellent film from Tyler Perry, that will resonate with those who have been brought to the brink by circumstances not of their choosing.

Money… it’s the root of all evil. An old saying, this is bearing fruit in our world today. It is amazing what some will go to, to obtain it and hang onto it. I went into this film not knowing what to expect, but it is one of those Indie films that delivers. The story follows a group of people who end up in a small store together not knowing they would be put in a situation they could never imagine. When a dispute over a winning lottery ticket turns into a deadly hostage situation, the witnesses must decide exactly how far they’re willing to go for a cut of $156 million.

Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman are superb in this drama from Todd Haynes. But I’m not sure if any conclusion was achieved. It is a difficult subject to address, but I feel it missed the mark. Moore is middle aged Gracie who lives a happy, well settled life with her husband. Some years previously she was involved in a distasteful scandal that shattered her community, but for her it is all in the past. Gracie agrees to meet movie actress Elizabeth who is in preparation to play the role of Gracie in a film being made. As she goes about talking to the family members Gracie wonders whether Elizabeth will uncover some secrets from her past that could reveal skeletons she would rather remain buried.

This is a revealing docudrama on Brazilian artist, Ney Matogrosso, who I was not familiar with, but I became enthralled by his transition from a repressed teen to a musical star, against all odds. Through setbacks that many face in their struggle to achieve their artistic dreams, Matogrosso transforms Brazil’s stages, and himself. through music, creativity and inner fire. Jesuita Barbosa stars as the man with the distinctive countertenor voice beloved by millions.

Sit back, relax and let the voice take you on a journey. Barbra Streisand’s film concert event finds the legend joined by a roster of special guests, as she takes audiences on a journey of her life’s work with glorious ballads, songs from Broadway and a look behind the scenes. What a voice!

It is truly puzzling how those in management get away with the most ludicrous behaviour, enabled by those around them, whether it be through fear, control or indifference. American Apparel rises as a major fashion brand in the 2000s, but its success under CEO Dov Charney masks workplace issues. As financial troubles grow and harassment claims emerge, employees face the reality of a toxic environment.

Continuing with the people in power who run off the rails and insist on not facing up to reality or responsibility… a trainwreck indeed. Rob Ford’s 2010 Toronto mayoral run shocked critics with an unexpected win. But his tenure spiralled into chaos amid mounting scandals and drug allegations, drawing global media attention. Allegations that were repeatedly denied by himself and those around him. The enablers… they are everywhere.

With such an excellent cast, this was essential viewing, and it did not disappoint. In the context of WW2 narratives, the true story of Operation Mincemeat is a unique, bizarre, and seductive cinematic blend of high-level espionage and ingenious fiction, where the stakes could hardly be higher. It tells a richly human story of the soldiers we seldom see, who fight a different kind of war in shadows and deception, haunted by the knowledge that certainty and guarantee of success are nowhere to be found. The story of Operation Mincemeat was previously told in the film The Man Who Never Was (1956).