Well, we always look for something new in cinemas. 90 per cent of all films are based on the same old contents. This was a little different, yet I won't say it was pure new. I enjoyed it, thought better than hundreds of boring films I've seen in the last few months. Surely it does not make sense in the real world. From the entertainment perspective, it delivered, but in the British style.

It had wonderful characters and cast. That little girl from 'Golden Compass' all grown up. This is an adult comedy, but nothing was obscene. Quite nicely written story. Four friends who everyday meet in the pub is now trying to save it from closing down. So they have to raise money and they come up with an idea of writing a novel, but want to stay anonymous. That's where a young woman enters that changes the fate of the book, the pub and theirs.

Not probably, but surely an under-rated film of the year. As well as under-noticed. If you can watch mindless Hollywood comedies, then it is much better than them in many ways. All you have to do is give it a try. Only disappointment was the end. I did not expect it to end just like that. I anticipated emotional conclusion. That would have changed the overall aspect of the film. Still very much a watchable film, so go for it.

8/10

Four guys who play dominoes in a pub have a disdain for popular "chick-lit" or "mummy porn" as they call it, like that "50 Shades of what's it called." The syntax is poor, but it is popular. They discover they need 300,000 pounds to keep the pub open for the sake of the community of Holt, Norfolk. Our four critics opt to write their own novel, with each writing a section and then connecting them. The disjointed novel has an appeal and they get a contract with the catch being the author must make public appearances. They hire Zoe (Dakota Blue Richards), the sister-in-law of one of the authors and a love interest of another. She is an out of work actress.

While the topic was humorous, the execution was not. The film was more of a light drama, than the comedy it should have been. It fell short of being a chick-flick even though there was a love interest. The characters were not fully developed. You can not say "Amazon" in an independent book store. Should have been funnier with that cast. A missed opportunity.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Oh dear. Another writer/director movie (okay, they're not all bad, just most of them.) It's a strange little film with a great idea and some class actors - including John Hurt, bless! Love him but he must have done it for the money - but in dire need of some editing, rewriting, tightening, reworking and all the other stuff you do to make a so-so movie better.

Read the blurb and within a couple of minutes of the movie you know what's going to happen. But the actors are good - hooray! - and it's probably that that made me watch to the end.

There are some nice bits of dialogue but much does not further the plot or develop character and you feel - like the characters - that you're sitting in a pub waiting for last orders to be called.

There are also some unbelievable character motivations and the writer has absolutely no knowledge of how the publishing industry works - particularly the timescale! It might have a message. I've no idea what it is but it is definitely last century! Notting Hill it's not.