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BLUE MOON I I There's something intriguing about a one-setting feature and Blue Moon gives it a whirl with this dialogue heavy biopic. Richard Linklater effortlessly helms with a feeling of a Broadway play and its simplicity is refreshing yet at times a tad annoying. What brings it to life is yet another captivating performance from Ethan Hawke one of the best actors working today. Bobby Cannavalle too deserves mention for an engaging supporting stint.

AFTER THE HUNT I I There is so much wrong with After the Hunt - an overcooked #metoo accusation drama riddled with a lack of focus, dosed in pretentiousness and artistic self-indulgence and desperate to stir a conversation but falling flat. Luca Guadagnino reaffirms his over-ratedness as a director. The worst crime though - wasting a stellar performance from Julia Roberts who doesn't make that many films and is stuck doing so much with so little. Andrew Garfield too is terribly wasted.

I truly feel too this film would have been fairer in its narrative if they didn't need to make the Maggie character black. It changes the whole dynamic. The reality is - the film makes it clear that because of her skin color - that's it she's innocent so why put us through 2 1/2 hours of this. You can't win against a black female in the US today, so what's the point?

THE ROSES I I Even though it fails to come anywhere near the sharpness of the 1989 classic, The Roses does a modest shot at a stand-alone black comedy. Jay Roach knows this terrain well and gets good use from its leads - Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch. The pacing and tone though wobbles a bit and despite a large ensemble cast fails to use any of them to reasonable benefit. Can Adam Samberg find better work please?