Anchored by a warm and engaging lead performance from Robert De Niro as a lonely widower who hopes to reconnect his fractured family, Everybody’s Fine hits every emotional note we expect as it proves that the people we hold most dear are often the ones we lie to the most.

It’s always a bit of a struggle to have an unbiased opinion of a film based on a heartbreaking true story. We wanted to feel inspired by Extrordinary Measures, but try as we might, there’s just no getting around the fact that this is schmaltzy, made-for-tv rubbish, with two pretty dull performances from leads Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. Sorry. Now down to hell we go.

There are several reasons why helping to produce a movie you’re also starring in is a pretty sweet deal. Jeff Bridges shows this off to perfection in Crazy Heart, as he manages to swing a bed-time scene with Maggie Gyllenhaal, despite the fact he’s about twelvety times as old as her. The magic of cinema, eh? To be fair, Jeff’s great performance means he can get away with just about anything, in a film that is just about saved from by schmaltzy.

Colin Firth’s performance – though well deserving of the hype – is just one of the many pleasures of fashion doyen Tom Ford’s directorial debut, based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood. Adapted for the screen by Ford and David Scearce, A Single Man is a haunting drama about a fifty-something scholar, who secretly says farewell to the people he loves as he contemplates suicide.

Fox paid a lot to secure the international rights to My Name Is Khan and while its message of understanding and tolerance is one that deserves to be heard, it seems unlikely that it will have a lot of crossover appeal- particularly with the storm of controversy surrounding its reception in Mumba

It’s easy to appreciate creative genius, but it must be hell to live with it. Based on the novel by Jan Parini, The Last Station is a love story set during the final year of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy’s life, focusing on the terrible strain borne by his wife, the Countess. Unable to live together under the same roof without descending into spiteful bickering, yet unwilling to live apart because of their deep love, the elderly couple plays out these final months against a backdrop of political intrigue.

When published in 2002 The Lovely Bones was an instant success, climbing to top of the UK as well as US book charts. So how do you tell a tale about the grizzly rape and murder of a 14 year-old girl onscreen, whilst making sure it can be released a PG? By getting rid of that pesky rape and muder part, of course! Peter Jackson’s take on Alice Sebold’s novel is certainly beautiful to look at, but it has to be asked, is that really the point?

Surrogates shows us a bleak vision of the future (seriously, is there any other type of future according to films?) in which people have the power to create flawless robot versions of themselves. Why, you may ask? Well that’s not really the point, is it? Cos it’s cool. This film explores – with predictable pessimism – a future in which our lives are controlled by machines. And though it’s a little dull in terms of overall message, this is still good, Bruce-Willis-based fun, ensuring you 88 minutes of non-stop action.

The Firm is a re-make of a classic TV film of the same name, originally directed by Alan Clarke for the BBC. Not only was it critically acclaimed, but it also Gary Oldman his springboard into stardom. Well done all round, we’re sure you’d agree. So could this re-make push the accolade of the original? Considering the director is Nick Love, a man well versed in football hooliganism having directed both The Football Factory and The Business, we went into this rather optimistically. The result? A well paced, humourous and action-filled hooligan romp which is well worth a watch, without really adding anything new to the original

Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett star in the tale of a man who grows younger. Based on a 1922 short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case Of Benjamin..