What’s it about?
Con-man Irving Rosenfeld (a portly Christian Bale) and his lover (a sexy Amy Adams) are forced to work with unpredictable FBI agent Richie DiMaso (a poodle-permed Bradley Cooper). Things get dangerous as DiMaso pushes them to bring down mafia bosses and beloved senators, and Rosenfeld’s unhinged wife (Jennifer Lawrence) might just blow the whole thing.

What did we think?
Elizabeth says: The 1970s are recreated to dazzling effect with David O. Russell getting the most out of his actors. Every performance is rich and layered, and the rumours are true – Jennifer Lawrence steals every single damn scene she’s in. But – and here’s where I get controversial considering the praise that’s been heaped on the film – I feel like American Hustle was less than the sum of its parts. What film was everyone else watching? I mean it’s pretty good but it’s no masterpiece. It’s like Scorsese’s biggest fan tried to emulate the master and came up short. It’s entertaining, it looks great, but it won’t knock your paisley 1970s socks off.

Sidebar: best supported actress goes to Amy Adams, whose every stunning costume seemed designed to give her a healthy helping of sideboob.

What’s it about?
Set in 1944 and chronicling the origins of the Beat Generation, the film follows fresh-faced New Jersey poet’s son Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) to New York’s Columbia University, where he befriends the luminous, restless fellow student Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan). Joined by William S. Burroughs and writer Jack Kerouac, the pair grapples with convention, burgeoning talent, literary ambition and the consequences of obsession.

What did we think?
Marnie says: From pretentious, stock-standard coming-of-age film beginnings Kill Your Darlings hits its stride when it takes a dark turn to become a gripping, nicely paced tale of infatuation and its aftermath. Behind another pair of distinctive glasses a committed Radcliffe acquits himself well but the true star is DeHaan, whose character’s pain and desperation is palpable. Whether or not you’re familiar with the Beat movement, the intriguing story and psychological drama will hold your attention until the end.

What did we think?
Dan says: The first Cloudy film was an exceptional piece of cinema. This film takes the characters you loved from the last film and shoe horns them into a second, more whimsical endeavour. Lovers of awful puns will delight in this eye-popping extravaganza but if you want some heart in your story you’re looking at the wrong reanimated corpse.

It’s not unpalatable and there are plenty of laughs but ultimately it feels like someone took some old brioche, truss tomatoes and wagyu beef and turned them into a McDonald’s burger.