Bobby - Dir: Emilio Estevez

Amazing really for coming from 80s heartthrob Emilio Estevez. Not only did he direct this great ensemble piece, he also wrote it. Not known for either, he really shows a great deal of class in both departments. The story revolves around a bunch of characters that flow in and around the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5th 1968, the date and location of the assassination of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Some great performances from Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, William H Macy, Laurence Fishburne, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone and even Lindsay Lohan make this strong in all departments. That we know how it all ends and still keeps the momentum is another not easy thing to pull off. This is a JM RECOMMENDS.

Proof - Dir: John Madden

What was good on paper turns in to watching paint dry on screen. The director John Madden has pedigree being nominated for an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love. The heavyweight cast of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anthony Hopkins should have oozed greatness, but none apart from Paltrow have the material to get their teeth in to. The story about a woman's relationship with her dead mathematical genius father is adapted from a successful stage show and you can tell here through the wooden feel of it all, which is a shame. This is a JM THUMBS DOWN.

All The King's Men - Dir: Steven Zaillian

This remake of a classic 1949 movie should be amazing. An accomplished writer and an amazing cast including Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins and James Gandolfini. Surprisingly it all ends up being blander than bland and leaves you with a vaguely pointless feeling. Sean Penn is always great to watch but there's a sense of not knowing really what he's trying to accomplish. It's hard to get away from seeing Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Hopkins as Lecter in moments of boredom. It looks beautiful and the direction is solid enough, but it all ultimately feels as if it leads to nowhere. This is a JM THUMBS DOWN.

Hannibal - Dir: Ridley Scott

After revisting Silence of the Lambs, I decided to revisit this sequel. On paper, it has everything going for it, including thr return of Anthony Hopkins, a script by David Mamet and the arrival of heavyweight director Ridley Scott. In the same way that Hopkins is irreplaceable, is soon transpires that Foster is too. In this movie, the role of Clarence Starling is played by Julianne Moore, and although a pedigree actress, she never really hits the mark that Foster did. The script changes the book plot for the worse, and never really captures the menace of the previous film. Disappointing but worth it just to see Hopkins reprising his role as Lecter. This is a JM SUCK IT AND SEE.