MAMA:

Experience has taught me to avoid watching anything ‘Presented By’ certain individuals. I’m thinking Jeremy Kyle. Piers Morgan... and, most unfortunately, Guillermo Del Toro. Under his tutelage, a wave of protégées have unsuccessfully attempted to bottle his essence via emotionally empty but pretty horror flicks. A case in point is Andres Muschietti’s Mama, a beautifully-shot, painfully conventional horror that features cheaply-rendered CGI ghosts. When two feral girls are found, they are foisted upon pseudo-stepmom and sarcastic rocker Annabelle (Jessica Chastain). As Annabelle begins to forge a relationship with the children, their ghostly guardian known as ‘Mama’ reappears in a fit of smoky jealousy. There’s a wintery beauty to the visuals. But the early atmosphere is sadly sacrificed for ineffective jump scares. Extras include deleted scenes.

DOLLHOUSE:

Kirsten Sheridan’s experimental, free-form drama captures the hedonistic, rebelliousness youth in more ways than one. When a group of unruly inner-city teens break into a luxurious Dublin home, all hell predictably breaks loose. Amidst the drugs, drinks, kisses and fights, a mysterious force is at work. When it’s revealed that the quiet and enigmatic Jeannie (Seana Kerslake) once lived in the mansion, the group dynamic changes into something sinister. Claustrophobic settings, jagged cuts, improvised performances and a blaring soundtrack infuse this low-budget film with a kinetic, adolescent energy. The young cast are impressive though the film is ultimately too ambiguous for its own good.

THE SESSIONS:

The Sessions explores two topics Hollywood is notoriously terrified of: the day-to-day existence of the disabled, and real, honest-to-’oh god!’ sex. Ben Lewin tackles both subjects with warmth, intelligence and humour. John Hawkes contorts his spine to play Mark O’Brien, a polio survivor paralysed from the neck down, dependent on an iron lung to keep him alive. He hires sex surrogate Cheryl (Helen Hunt) to teach him physical intimacy. There is a refreshing boldness to both Hunt’s complex performance and The Sessions itself. It is completely comfortable with nudity and sex, never aiming for mere titillation. The Sessions’ greatest asset is its light, wry tone. The result is a uniquely funny tale that’s sweet and circumspect. Good extras include character featurettes with cast.

THIS IS 40:

Judd Apatow casts his wife and daughters in this sort-of sequel to Knocked Up, focusing on marrieds Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann). This Is 40 feels like a far more personal and acutely observed comedy than earlier, largely slapstick ventures. It is also less structured, examining Pete and Debbie’s somewhat crumbling relationship through a series of vaguely-joined vignettes which show their financial worries, fading sex life, struggles with parenthood and insecurities. The recession is realistically addressed, leaving the characters in a constant state of stress, while Apatow’s love of music is shown through Pete’s struggling record label, where his passion for indie rock allows him to revisit his youth, Peter Pan-style. Though Rudd and Mann are brilliant throughout, the tone is curiously shrill, the humour uneven.