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The Boondock Saints traffics in cliches, smoothly and high mindedly at first, then over-the-top, ultimately jumping the shark entirely. Fortunately it’s a hell of a lot of fun the whole way down.

It tells the tall tale of twin brothers who rise from the Irish precincts of South Boston to kn…

Dennis Lehane took a short-story set in his characteristic Boston and expanded it into a screenplay set in Brooklyn. This works, great writer that he is, even if the story’s legs don’t so much cohere as cohabitate.

The Drop won’t cohabitate as among his best with Mystic River…

Less an LOL comedy than one that keeps you in a semi-sustained semi-grin, The Family has lots to like if not enough to love. Luc Besson’s Mafia satire does score easily and often, with major stars delivering most of its best lines. They each shine brightly, though not in the order you might e…

This or the original is my favourite of all time. I cried at the end.

The Guard touches perfection here and there, is otherwise mostly great, but gets held back by a merely OK screenplay. Fortunately a crafty Brendan Gleeson drives plenty of deadpan comedy for a very good movie.

So what if it’s not a classic. It’s got brilliant visuals, a handful of LOLs and…