ALSO SHOWING
X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX (12A) ★★ ★★★ NINE years have passed since the events of X-Men: Apocalypse when Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) unlocked the telekinetic powers of Jean Grey (Sophie Turner).
The X-Men are now on speed-dial to the White House, and are called on to rescue the stricken crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is spinning violently out of control after a close encounter with a solar flare.
During the rescue mission, Jean absorbs dangerous levels of energy and the near-death experience unleashes years of pent-up rage and frustration.
A shape-shifting alien (two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain) exploits Jean’s inner turmoil to rebuild her species’ fallen empire.
“It’s your destiny to evolve into the greatest force on the galaxy,” the scheming extra-terrestrial informs Jean.
The 12th film in the sprawling X-Men series is a disjointed gallop through genre tropes and predictable narrative twists.
Turner works hard to channel her beleaguered heroine’s confusion and despair. She may rise like a flaming phoenix but Kinberg’s film never takes off and certainly doesn’t catch fire.
LATE NIGHT (15) ★★★ ★★ FOR almost 30 years, Katherine Newbury (Dame Emma Thompson) has presided over an award-winning talk show that has tried to take the higher cultural ground.
Unfortunately, ratings have plummeted and network president Caroline Morton (Amy Ryan) decides to replace Katherine with edgy stand-up comedian Daniel Tennant (Ike Barinholtz).
Faced with the reality of relinquishing her crown at the end of the current season, Katherine vows to reverse the show’s fortunes.
“There aren’t any women on the staff because you hate women,” observes long-suffering producer Brad (Denis O’Hare), so Katherine orders him to address the imbalance.
Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling), an efficiency expert at a chemical plant in Pennsylvania with no writing experience beyond her own stand-up material, is in the right place at the right time. She joins an all-white male writers’ room led by Tom Campbell (Reid Scott). Fellow writers dismiss Molly as a token hire but colleague Charlie Fain (Hugh Dancy) is more open-minded.
Molly encourages Katherine to mine personal experience to reconfigure the public’s perception.
Late Night is a sparkling showcase for an ensemble cast led by the luminous Thompson and Kaling.