Blink (U)
Directed by Daniel Roher and Edmund Stenson
★★★★ 

 
 
THIS beautiful yet heartbreaking film follows a Canadian couple who decide to take their four young children on a globe-trotting trip after they learn three of them are slowing going blind. 

This awe-inspiring documentary begins with Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier being told their daughter Mia (11) and their sons Colin (six) and Laurent (just four) have retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable and rare genetic disease. Their nine-year-old son Leo was spared. 

A specialist advises the couple all they can do is to fill their kids’ visual memory by showing them images from books. Instead Edith says: “Let’s go all in and fill their visual memory with as many beautiful things as we can.” 

So they agree to travel the world for a year working through a family bucket-list which includes drinking juice on a camel (Laurent) and horseback riding in Mongolia (Mia). 

Skilfully directed by Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Edmund Stenson, and shot from the youngsters’ point of view, this is a moving portrait of a family dealing with grief and loss in stunning and breathtaking places. It proves more than a travelogue as the kids’ joyous and childlike wonder — plus meltdowns — grounds the film.

The fact they can no longer see at night makes things difficult and being trapped in a cable car for hours in Ecuador proves frightening.

From Namibia to Nepal to the Amazon rainforest, this is the journey of a lifetime yet you cannot help but feel for these parents. It is also a reminder to grab life by the horns while you can. 

In cinemas November 22.

 
Joy (12A)
Directed by Ben Taylor
★★★ 

 
 
THIS recounts the remarkable true story behind the groundbreaking birth of the world’s first test tube baby, Louise Joy Brown, in 1978 and the three British pioneers who made it possible. 

This impressive directorial debut feature by Ben Taylor (Sex Education) is told through the eyes of Jean Purdy (Thomasin McKenzie), a young nurse and embryologist, in a bid to give her the credit that she deserves for her vital role in the creation of IVF.

She teamed up with scientist Robert Edwards (James Norton) and surgeon Patrick Steptoe (the wonderful Bill Nighy) and over a decade they worked relentlessly to make the fertilisation of an egg in vitro into a reality. They were labelled “Dr Frankenstein” as they faced the furore of the media, church and state. 

It is a gripping tale in which sexism prevailed as Purdy was written out of the history books. Edwards fought tirelessly to get her the recognition she deserved and her name beside theirs on a blue plaque outside their former Oldham lab. Following her death, it took 30 more years for that to happen in 2015. 

The end credits feature the real-life birth of Louise Brown and the three IVF pioneers. 

In cinemas now and on Netflix from November 22.

Layla (15)
Directed by Amrou al-Kadhi
★★★ 

 
 
HOW much would you alter yourself for love? That is the crux of this haunting queer love story between a struggling Palestinian British drag artist and a white straightlaced marketing executive. 

This sterling debut feature from writer-director Amrou al-Kadhi is elevated by a powerhouse performance by Bilal Hasna as Layla and a standout turn by Louis Greatorex as Max. 

Hasna (they/their) is totally mesmerising as Layla who feels like an outsider and hasn’t come out to their staunch Muslim parents. Layla attends a family gathering in full male Muslim attire as they battle with an identity crisis. They keep this from Max and tone down their character and appearance for to be more to his liking although Max isn’t truly being himself with Layla either. 

Their blossoming love is sweet and heartfelt but the film’s themes are very reminiscent of Unicorns which is also about a queer Muslim drag queen leading a double life. 

Nevertheless, worth seeing for Hasna alone. 

In cinemas November 22. 

 
Wicked (PG)
Directed by Jon M Chu
★★★★ 

 
FOR fans of the musical stage show the good news is that this is a stunning visual all-singing all-dancing epic extravaganza. The bad news is that this is the first of two parts — always annoying — and as this film is the same length as the whole West End musical, why double it?

I admit I am not a fan of the musical genre but I found myself being swept along by the whole spectacle and the tour de force performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the misunderstood Elphaba and the self-obsessed Glinda (pronounced Galinda) respectively. 

Erivo embraces the green, while Grande makes pink her own. Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), proving a triple threat, is wickedly charming as Fiyero alongside Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard.  

Set in Hogwarts lookalike Shizz University, the film explores racism and how one-time BFFs Elphaba and Glinda become sworn enemies; and how Elphaba embraced her wicked. 

Ending on “Defying Gravity” it will leave fans wanting more. To be continued next year. 

In cinemas November 22.