Our film guru has been to see The Enforcer and A Man Called Otto this week - but what does he make of them?
At Ashton Cineworld, the banners outside currently advertise the forthcoming Puss in Boots film, which has already taken American cinemas by storm, but has been delayed in the UK until February. It even contains a tease for Shrek 5, apparently.
I was longing for Antonio Banderas to break out his feline voice and purr 'I am Puss in Boots' as he dispatched yet another hapless baddie in The Enforcer, but sadly it didn't happen.
I'll start with the good bits...it didn't outstay its welcome at 83 minutes, and the camera work was as nifty as veteran Banderas' fancy footwork. To be honest, he was the highlight of an otherwise half-baked affair.
The script had some interesting things to say about technology and exploitation in the digital age, but sadly this would have probably gone straight to VHS on the shelf of your local Blockbuster Video store back in the day.
The bad guys were more one-dimensional than end of level baddies in video games, and you won't remember much about The Enforcer after the final scene, which in itself holds no surprises thanks to the spoiler-laden opening sequence.
Much like an average takeaway burger, it's nice enough whilst you're consuming it. Certainly not unpalatable. But ultimately, it's bereft of nutrition, and nothing you haven't seen before.
A better bet is A Man Called Otto, a remake of a hugely successful Scandinavian film in 2015 (A Man Named Ove). Tom Hanks brings the full range of emotions to a film that's been dubbed "Forrest Grump" by some critics.
A man who has lost his wife sees little point in living, and it's only when a new family moves into his street that his icy exterior begins to slowly melt away.
From buying a length of rope and being overcharged to getting cross with couriers ignoring parking rules on his street, Otto is the grumpiest guy since Basil Fawlty and Ronnie Pickering. We start to see why he feels so bereft of hope as flashback scenes are intertwined with the present.
If you've seen the original, as I have, this is still worth watching, and is a rare example of a successful Hollywood remake of a subtitled film. I thought Hanks was superb in every scene, and the street cat reluctantly adopted by Otto was definitely a highlight too! By the end scene, there was definitely some dust in the cinema, so keep a tissue handy.
Much like the Whitney film, audiences seem to be rating this one more highly than the critics, and the Guardian labelled it "formulaic". I disagree. I thought it was wonderful, and I can't imagine I'll see a better film this month. It also reinforces the power of small acts of kindness. Ace stuff.
You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on the 'Super Scoreboard' show on Saturdays from 3pm to 7pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM.
Alex also has a regular newspaper column where he gives his unique take on life. You can read his latest one here.
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