THE DINNER (15)
(Edward Norton) and Duke (Jeff Goldblum).
They embark on a daredevil mission to overturn the Mayor’s edict.
“That kid is going to get us all put to sleep,” forlornly growls one dog.
Thankfully, Atari has allies in a visiting American girl (Greta Gerwig) and a seductive show dog named Nutmeg (Scarlett Johansson).
Isle Of Dogs lollops along at a brisk pace, laced with flashes of Anderson’s droll humour.
The vocal cast chews on these verbal bones with relish, particularly Goldblum as a dog with a penchant for listening to wicked whispers.
Visually, this is leaps and bounds ahead of Fantastic Mr Fox but retains the same roughly hewn charm, albeit with a distinctive eastern aesthetic.
East meets west and we get the best of both madcap worlds. ★★★★★
US SENATOR Stan Lohman (Richard Gere) arrives at a restaurant with his wife Katelyn (Rebecca Hall) for a summit with his brother Paul (Steve Coogan) and sister-in-law Claire (Laura Linney). It transpires that Stan’s adopted son and Paul’s son have committed a horrific and violent act,which has been captured on CCTV. It is only a matter of time before the teenagers are exposed and Stan will have to weather a political storm. The parents debate the best course of action over a five-course meal. The Dinner is a half-baked starter rather than a meaty main course.
■ Available to download, stream and on DVD from April 2.