‘John Day’ can’t be described as an admirable work. It is certainly not meant for the squeamish or the ‘Chennai Express’ constituency. Yet, neither is it dismissable as an average, formula thriller. It has it engaging moments. And of course, Mr Shah to remind you that acting can save the day, ‘John Day’.

Unsolicited suggestion: Don’t miss it for Ms Chopra and for the feisty first half. Post-break, you can catch 40, even 400 winks in your seat.

In sum, here’s a work which is permissive, graphic – even shocking (for the squeamish) – and rule-breaking. In fact, it recalls the manner is which B R Ishara had sniped away at hypocritical sexual mores back in the 1970s. This is adult cinema, neither cheap nor sniggering, but revelatory of reality behind closed doors. Try it.

Forget all the artsy-tartsy prejudices about Ship of Theseus. Here are three stories well told, signifying independent cinema’s coming of age.

Put on your patience caps for three hours, and try it. There’s enough bang for the bucks here.

‘Lootera’ looks splendid, and despite the languorous tempo, you’re steadily drawn into a world where it was still feasible to fall in love at first sight. All the pros and cons considered, here’s a commendable labour of love, enhanced by Amit Trivedi’s music score. And once again, the director extracts impressive performances. Barun Chanda as the zamindar is believable. Ranveer Singh, using a subdued manner of dialogue pitch, is kept on a tight leash, leading to a correctly restrained performance. Sonakshi Sinha exudes sincerity and is convincing, especially when she dispenses with make-up and any traces of glamour.

Dhanush, overeager and hyperactive, is appealing when called upon to do scenes of some seriousness and sobriety. But it’s Heer whom the film belongs to. Projecting vulnerability as well as steely resolve, Sonam Kapoor carries out her age graph sensitively and belts out her most mature performance yet. Just for her, go for it.

With all its pluses and minuses, ‘Man of Steel’, is a fairly satisfying entertainer, complete with 3-D gimmickry. And it has sufficient star clout: Russell Crowe as Papa Superman is reliably impressive, delivering the most mundane lines of dialogue with a Shakespearean flourish. Kevin Costner is excellent. Michael Shannon oozes menace as all impactful superfoes should. And the British actor, Henry Cavill, fits the bill with his body-beautiful screen presence.

The heroine of Ayan Mukerji’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, is in fact, two movies for the price of one. And just in case that isn’t sufficient, Ms Madhuri Dixit shows up to perform an item number

‘Bombay Talkies’ is made by four directors who don’t seem to be on speaking terms with each other. Their films don’t hand the baton to the next one. Each one dwells in its own universe, gyrating mostly on the director’s pet peeve.