The Rebound in 100 words ...

Catherine Zeta Jones force-feeds some much-needed warmth into her CV with this
older-meets-younger romcom. The object of her divorcee character’s affection is
aimless 20-something Aram Finkelstein (Justin Bartha), the boy barista next door.
After babysitting, and growing to love, Zeta’s brats (clearly showing he’s a guy with,you know, feelings), the two start ‘dating’ like nobody’s business. Some cute hijinx ensue but any – limited – success forged by the rather likeable leads is bludgeoned into mediocrity with a patchy script. By the final globe-trotting, half-decade-spanning montage sequence, it becomes clear what this rebound really needed. And it was just a rewrite.
2/5

This slow train threatens to run out steam before it gets to The Last Station

A lot of us have had a relationship with an ego on legs. Some of us may have been unlucky enough to live with this suffocating presence. Of course, these things are largely unfounded. But imagine living with someone who deserves the hype, whose egocentricity is, to some extent, very well-founded indeed.

The Last Station presents exhibit A: Leo Tolstoy. Exhibit B is his long-suffering wife (played with a graceful but deadly fire and ice by Helen Mirren). The two are deeply in love and have been for years. But it doesn't mean that Leo's wife always enjoys living with genius. This is especially the case when a young interloper enters their midst; Bulgakov (James McAvoy) represents the state. They are keen to follow up on one of Tolstoy's more outlandish statements, in which he promised his wealth and land to the Russian people.

Although Tolstoy is spending his old age living in a large house surrounded by people who are - to all intents and purposes - serving him, he's doesn't believe in private property or wealth. His aims are pure - celibacy, vegentarianism, and the people surrounding him will continue to live on the land after he dies. If that didn't put a strain on the relationship with his wife, then Bulgakov certainly would.

When the film sticks to this plot, it's moving and intelligent. Unfortunately, it often indulges a parallel contrasting narrative involving McAvoy's sexual awakening. It does mean we get to see his bum, but otherwise the scenes are largely unnecessary and schmaltzy. Fleshed (ahem) out they could have been a nice commentary on the main plot. But this dishy side dish is simply too sweet.

If you can get past this, then it's easy to be taken in by The Last Station's gentle bubbling. Although the movie is a less inspiring affair when Mirren isn't on screen and the film's scales tip over to cloying sentimentality, it'll inspire a good discussion. It reminds us that behind most great men, there's a partner running around and picking up the pieces. And, without them, how great would these men actually be?

Life During Wartime

In the late 90s Todd Solondz's films were the last word in misanthropic chic. Forget the early stuff by Neil LaBute or any of Woody Allen's sour movies of the time (Deconstructing Harry through to Celebrity). Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse were blasts of ice cold, cruel air. They rallied against the increasing influence of romantic comedy and self-conscious, post-Pulp Fiction American indie. In his movies, Solondz delivered a very middle class psychological horror; educated, affluent people who offended ethically, morally and legally. This was real life in an accentuated scabrous ugliness.

In Life During Wartime, Solondz revisits the characters from Happiness, and asks whether we can forgive them. It's a tricky task as these people included narcissists, perverts and a paedophile. So, after a couple of recent misfires (the underwhelming Storytelling and the confused Palindromes), it's good to see Solondz returning to safer ground. Or is it?

Initially signs are mixed. The movie has been completely recast, which seems to serve no real purpose aside from to obfuscate and disorientate. Yet, in itself, the casting is consistently successful and distinct. Dylan Baker's paedophile dad is now played with a dour detachment by Ciarin Hinds. He is having problems clearing his subconscious of his victim, as he returns home from jail. Ally Sheedy's Helen is still a self-centred and thoroughly unlikable character, but now she is married to a celebrity. And her Plain Jane sister Joy is played with breathy earnestness by Shirley Henderson, and is now involved in charity work. Paul Reubens also turns up as the ghost of suicides past, in the role previously inhabited by Jon Lovitz.

They all do a lot of hand-wringing and moralizing , and it's all incredibly frustrating. There are moments in the script which are powerful; the film's last shot and a speech delivered by the film-stealing presence of Alison Janney. But none of it feels believable or real. Issues aren't fleshed out, and Solondz appears to be going through the motions. Depending on your view he either wastes a great cast, or uses them to shroud the movie's rather bare bones.

It is becoming increasingly clear that Solondz has seriously lost his way as a filmmaker. There are rumours that Life During Wartime may be his last film. Considering his success to failure ratio is now 2:3, it's probably for the best.