THE RAILWAY CHILDREN RETURN (PG)

Writer-director Lionel Jeffries' cherished film adaptation of The Railway Children, based on the novel by E Nesbit, has been chugging into the affections of British families for more than 50 years.

Shot in West Yorkshire, the wholesome and heart-warming adventure transplanted three siblings (Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett, Gary Warren) at the turn of the 20th century from London to modest lodgings in the country after their father is arrested on suspicion of being a spy.

The Waterbury tykes memorably wave down an oncoming train to warn the driver about an obstruction on the tracks and Jeffries orchestrates one of cinema's great tear-filled reunions as a train pulls out of Oakworth station and a voluminous cloud of steam evaporates to tinkles on the soundtrack from composer Johnny Douglas.

An aptly titled sequel, The Railway Children Return, written by Danny Brocklehurst and directed by Morgan Matthews, strives to recapture the wistful nostalgia and sentimentality of the original against the backdrop of the Second World War, including scenes shot on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and the return of Agutter as Bobbie Waterbury (now a headstrong grandmother who has answered the suffragette cause.)

It's a charming confection anchored by strong performances from the young cast led by Beau Gadsdon.

The year is 1944 and parents across Britain tearfully prepare to send their children into the countryside to escape the devastation wrought by German bombs.

Plucky siblings Lily (Gadsdon), Pattie (Eden Hamilton) and Ted Watts (Zac Cudby) are evacuated from Salford to the picturesque Yorkshire village of Oakworth.

The tired children are eventually placed with headmistress Annie Waterbury (Sheridan Smith), whose husband is away at war in the Royal Air Force, and her son Thomas (Austin Haynes).

Four tykes under one roof is a squeeze but Annie makes ends meet with the unwavering support of her mother Bobbie (Agutter) and the local community.

The displaced children encounter an injured American soldier called Abe (Kenneth Aikens) in the local railyard who claims to be a secret agent.

In reality, he is hiding from bigoted military police, who have been raising batons at black recruits stationed on British soil.

As Lily, Pattie and Ted become firmly embedded in village life and interact with stationmaster Richard (John Bradley), the youngsters defiantly stand up against injustice close to home.

The Railway Children Return sweetly harks back to a bygone era.

Brocklehurst's script lacks dramatic tension, restricting the spectre of conflict to one enemy munition dropped close to the village churchyard ("Wretched war, even the dead aren't safe!")

Sadly, Bernard Cribbins' beloved station porter Albert Perks doesn't return to tug heartstrings and a climax on the railway tracks (where else) uncouples credibility in the sidings.

5.5/10

 

THE GRAY MAN (15)

Adapted from Mark Greaney's novel, The Gray Man kickstarts a potential new blockbuster franchise for Netflix under the direction of Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), aka CIA operative Sierra Six, uncovers dark secrets within the upper echelons of the agency he has sworn to protect and serve.

Disobeying orders from his superiors, Six becomes a target for one-time allies including former colleague Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans).

The two men go toe to toe in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, which piques the attention of the world's most brilliant assassins.

7/10

 

THE GOOD BOSS (15)

Spanish writer-director Fernando Leon de Aranoa previously worked with Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem on Loving Pablo and Mondays In The Sun.

They reunite for the award-winning corporate satire The Good Boss, which mines biting humour from a man in power abusing his position for personal gain.

Julio Blanco (Bardem) proudly runs his family business and implores loyal employees at his factory: "Don't treat me like a boss."

He projects the image of a laidback and genial businessman, who always has the best interests of staff at heart.

However, Blanco is a ruthless profiteer and he will stop at nothing to win a coveted government award and impress a visiting journalist.

When he decides to make a beloved, long-serving employee redundant, Blanco badly misjudges the situation and fissures appear in his carefully ordered world.

7/10

 

McENROE (15)

Born in West Germany and raised in New York City, John McEnroe served his way to sporting glory in the late 1970s, sparking a fierce rivalry with Bjorn Borg during one of the golden eras of men's tennis.

He famously disputed a line call at the 1981 Wimbledon Championships by loudly telling the umpire, "You cannot be serious".

Despite these blow-ups, McEnroe triumphed on the courts of SW19 a record eight times in singles and doubles, won the US Open four times and was ranked number one in the world for four consecutive years from 1981 to 1984.

Set over the course of one night in New York, director Barney Douglas's documentary invites McEnroe to reflect on his life and career.

McEnroe's children and wife Patty Smyth offer their personal insights, enriched with intimate home video footage and previously unseen archive material from some of his biggest matches.

Other contributors include Borg, Billie Jean King and Keith Richards.

7/10