My only grouse with the film is that it is such an obvious Oscar bait. With 12 nominations, it seems to have checked all the right boxes. It will hopefully make one man and his legion of fans very happy. For the commitment DiCaprio brings to the film, it wil be well deserved.

Inarguably one of the finest films on investigative journalism, Spotlight is an excellent critique of what blind deference to authority or faith can do to you. The problem affects India and America equally.

Smartly paced and full of wit characteristic of the series, this film is a copybook exercise in storytelling. There are holes in the script and obvious McGuffins but while the film lasts, you are prepared to ignore them. As it ends, you are already waiting for its sequel and some answers. You want to see the character arc of people both old and new because Abrams has etched them in your memory. He has created a whole new world which may be derivative but hey, we will be more than happy to live in it.

The Peanuts Movie is like an old fuzzy blanket which you can wrap around yourself on a cold winter morning. It is the film equivalent of comfort food, the feeling of meeting old friends on the first day of a new school session – it is nostalgia and we all know how sweet that can be.

What keeps the film together is its caustic take on global issues such as hunger for power, media manipulation and power vacuum. It teaches Katniss and its key audience a very important lesson – victory brings its own horrors.
One only wishes, its entertainment value was on that level too.

For those who are going to compare it to Skyfall, this simply isn’t as good. There is neither the emotional connect nor the sweet melancholy that inhabited the last film, but it is a joyous ride nonetheless. And for what he made out of Bond, we owe this to Daniel Craig as he dons the tux for the very last time. You also owe it to the teenager inside you who loves the whirl of excitement the way only Bond can give – shaken not stirred.

It is apparent that Caine and Wood are just cashing their pay cheque. Even though Vin Diesel is earnest and trying hard, he cannot help this B-grade adventure/fantasy which also works like a whodunit without thrills. If you are not creeped out by its misogyny, you are bored beyond endurance by its predictability.

Based on a true story, the film brings together director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks together for the fourth time. Add the Coen Brothers who spit-and-polished the script by Matt Charman and you have a dream team. It is ingredients like these which make for Oscar baits, and, make no mistake, Bridge of Spies is likely to be mentioned in the noms soon.

The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott — in rare form, is a throwback to those brave days of space exploration, peppered with enough wry wit and thrills to keep you entertained. But essentially, it is a nod to indomitable human will, initiative and the thirst to go where no man has gone before.

Split screens, crazy camera angles and shots which are obsessive in terms of their details, he gives you all. But with no charm, an oft-repeated plot and leads that fail to enchant, this is not a film for the ages or even something you will be referencing next year.