Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022):

Although this movie once again features Benedict Cumberbatch as the title sorcerer, it could just as easily have been called “Wanda Vision in the Multiverse of Madness,” as Elizabeth Olson flew to the U.K. just two days after completing that series for streaming on Disney + when she assumed the role of Wanda Maximoff and The Scarlet Witch, easily the central character here. I saw this as more her movie than that of Cumberbatch. The story opens with a wedding in which Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) is about to be married, her hope for romance with Stephen Strange not working out. Suddenly there is chaos on the street, and a huge, one-eyed octopus-like creature begins wreaking havoc, forcing Strange and his special cape to jump in. Mayhem ensues, a new character, America, shows up in the heart of the action, and ultimately saves the day. We learn that she has been a part of Strange's recent dreams, and that she is from an adjacent multiverse - she has the power, albeit uncontrolled, to move from one plane of existence to another, many of which contain the same, or similar characters. America has met previous Dr. Stranges in different universes, she doesn't know how she moves from level to level, but she learns soon that they are all targets of The Scarlet Witch whose power is beyond that of Dr. Strange, of his close friend Wong (Benedict Wong) and that of all of Wong's countrymen. As she pursues and is pursued through the Multiverse, death and destruction are everywhere, while America learns more about her own power. A lot of stuff blows up, the action and the fighting are mind-numbing, and ultimately, things end on the basis that we must be prepared for the next in the series of Strange movies to see where it all goes. If you are not a significant MCU fan, you may enjoy the action here for a time, but many of the characters and situations may be lost on you. As always with Marvel films, there is a key scene about five minutes into the credits, and then another scene which is not key, right at the end, another seven minutes in. I found that final scene offensive to me as a moviegoer - it was like a poke in the eye and left me feeling disrespected as an audience member. That's just me - I would encourage you to find out for yourself. Rated PG.

The Lost City (2022):

I don't recall how long it has been since I saw a movie that made me laugh so hard that it hurt, that did not take itself so seriously that we could see how much fun the performers were having, and that was just a plain, all-round good time as this action-adventure comedy produced by and starring Sandra Bullock. Despite sagging a little in the third act, which really didn't matter, because by then, everything was funny, even when it wasn't, writer Oren Uziel ("22 Jump Street," "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions") has presented a master class in physical comedy that puts Bullock into the realm of such great comediennes as Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. Bullock is Loretta Sage, world famous author of romance-adventure novels who is coming to the end of her time as a writer, burned out and just a little disillusioned. The covers of her books always feature the rugged, shirtless hero of her stories whose name is Dash. The model used for the covers is Alan (Channing Tatum), and while on an international book tour promoting her latest work along with Alan-as-Dash, Loretta is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire played by Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliff. The billionaire believes that Loretta's new novel about an ancient lost city's hidden treasure is based on fact, and he wants her to lead him to the place where he can enhance his riches even more. When Alan realizes what has happened, he gives chase, wanting to be a real-life hero, not just one on the pages of a novel. He seeks help from an old mentor, Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt) whose turn as this man's man is hilarious. Great fun and one of those movies that I wanted to watch again immediately after. Rated 14A.

The Gilded Age (2022):

Although it’s a TV series and not a movie, the DVD release of this exceptional period piece that was carried on Crave, plays out like a movie, so excellent are the sets, the costumes, and the scripts. Created by Jonathan Fellowes who is the mastermind behind “Downton Abbey,” this is sort of like “Downtown” with American settings and characters, although a few very proper Brits are on the scene too. The story begins in 1877 in New York City, focusing on the rich and famous of the day – a time before income tax when the money that a family earned (or stole) was all theirs. We meet the Van Rijnes, a traditional old money family now headed up by the widowed Agnes (Christine Baranski) who lives with her spinster sister Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon) and plies the social circuit with great abandon. Introduced to her household is an African-American writer, Peggy Scott (Denee Benton), and a series of relatives and near relatives all of whom may be up to no good. Railway money is deemed to be part of the nouveax riche and is unacceptable in the structured society that the “old money” thrives upon, and everyone is trying to get what they want. An outstanding series, and a great binge-watch. Rated 14A.

Purple Hearts (2022):

This Netflix original is a romantic drama, or a dramatic romance, take your pick, about two young people from very different worlds, who come together with a common cause. He is Luke (Nicholas Galitzine who played Prince Charming in the recent Cinderella movie), a handsome young man from a troubled background, who has just enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. She is Cassie (Sofia Carson), a struggling singer/songwriter, and her past and present is very different from that of Luke. They agree to marry, but only so that she can have access to his military benefits such as healthcare, after a diagnosis that will change her life. As her illness becomes more pronounced, the couple must decide which part of their life was a marriage of convenience, and which part might be for much more than that. Rated 14A.

Operation Mincemeat (2021):

This film, based on actual events in WWII, was released by Warner Bros in the UK theatrically, and is being released by Netflix in North America. Colin Firth stars in this ingenious story of an espionage operation in 1943 that turned the tide of the war when a pair of British operatives used a combination of a corpse and false identity documents to deceive the Germans at a critical point when a huge build-up of troops was set to quash the allies. It tells the story of those who fight in the shadows, and whose true exploits are sometimes unknown and lost in the fog of war and the mirage of history. Rated 14A.