The Persian Version (15)
Directed by Maryam Keshavarz
★★★★

 
DESCRIBING itself as “a true story... sort of,” the film opens with its female protagonist proudly walking across New York dressed as Miss Burka Tini in a clash-of-cultures statement which is explored throughout this smart, funny and surprisingly soulful autobiographical comedy drama. 
 
Based on writer-director Maryam Keshavarz’s own life it follows Iranian-American Leila (a magnetic Layla Mohammadi) who has difficulties reconciling her opposing cultures. As she states: in America she is considered to be too Iranian while in Iran she is too American. 
 
Meanwhile she is the only girl (and a divorced lesbian) among eight brothers, a fact that her domineering mother Shireen (Niousha Noor), a self-made businesswoman, won’t forgive, resulting in their inevitable estrangement.
 
Centring on three generations of Iranian women, the film moves from the 1960s to the 1980s to the 2000s as it explores identity and home along with the prickly dynamic between mothers and daughters. What is revealed is that they have more in common than they realise.
 
At the start Leila breaks the fourth wall constantly, making biting asides to the audience, but this is dropped when the tone turns more serious as she learns the real reason her parents moved to the US. This makes her begin to appreciate her mum. 
 
With its vibrant colour palette, comic relief and fun dance numbers this is a joyful film about immigrant families, resilience and a woman who refuses to apologise for who she is. 

Out in cinemas on Friday
 

Robot Dreams (PG) 
Directed by Pablo Berger 
★★★★

 
SPANISH director Pablo Berger (Abracadabra and Blancanieves) returns after six years with a magical and emotionally captivating but bittersweet animation about friendship. 
 
Based on Sara Varon’s graphic novel it is set in a 1980s New York that is reminiscent of Zootopia: a world populated by animals whose actions speak louder than words. It follows Dog who, fed up with being alone, orders a Robot as a companion which he has to assemble himself. Slowly they become firm friends and their growing bromance proves adorable. However, following a day at the beach, Dog is forced to leave Robot behind. 
 
Devoid of dialogue and entirely reliant on atmosphere and the use of sound, you know exactly what these characters are feeling and thinking in Berger’s delightful, humorous and touching first ever animated feature, which pays homage to silent films.  
 
Will Dog and Robot ever meet again? As Robot dreams constantly of being reunited with his best friend it is hard to tell what is real as the line between the dream world and reality becomes blurred. 
 
Gorgeous and totally enchanting you cannot help but root for this odd couple. 

Out in cinemas on Friday
 

The Delinquents (12A)
Directed by Rodrigo Moreno
★★★

 
A BUENOS AIRES Aires bank clerk devises a cunning plan to rob his workplace in this bizarre heist film with a twist.  
 
Written and directed by Rodrigo Moreno, this whimsical crime caper follows Moran (Daniel Elias) who decides to steal enough money so he doesn’t have to work ever again. He ropes in his reluctant colleague Roman (Esteban Bigliardi) after the fact. He asks him to stash the stolen cash for the next three and a half years while he is in prison. 
 
This is a an extremely slow moving drama driven by Elias and Bigliardi’s phenomenal performances as two bank workers suffering an existential crisis. 
 
The scenes in the bank look deliberately drab and claustrophobic while those in the stunning countryside are lush, green and liberating.
 
While it is an intriguing drama which examines the nature of freedom it outstays its welcome at three hours long despite its surprising turns and colourful characters. 
 
Less would certainly have been more and the long-awaited finale does not justify the length and left me feeling cheated. 

Out in cinemas on Friday
 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (12A)
Directed by Gil Kenan
★★★

 
THE new ghostbusters (the Spengler family plus Paul Rudd) team up with the original old guard as they return to the iconic New York City firehouse where it all started to fight a new deadly threat in this nostalgia filled fun-loving ride. 
 
Picking up two years from where the last film left off the ghostbusters are faced with the most powerful killer demon, who looks like he has come straight from a Guillermo del Toro horror, and wants to freeze humanity into extinction. 
 
Mckenna Grace steals the film as the scientifically minded Phoebe, and it is full of nods and winks to the original films for the fans.

With the comic relief provided by Kumail Nanjiani and the original cast, this sequel needed more levity as it is way too serious. It certainly required more Bill Murray who is shamefully underused, and less of English comedian James Acaster who was grating. 
 
Nevertheless, enjoyable. 

Out in cinemas on Friday