Malcolm & Marie kind of works due entirely to the passion brought to it via the strong performances by John David Waahington and Zendaya.

Good acting and intriguing themes are done in by weak plotting and the screenplay’s inability to get its points across effectively.

The most effective scenes are strong enough that Penguin Bloom might be worth a view regardless of its overall quality.

It is a good movie, with stretches of greatness.

There is truth in what they have to say, though don’t let that scare you; it is fun to watch these personalities bounce off each other.

Though most of what is going on outside of her central story is only okay, when it concentrates on Sandra it is really good.

The result is depressingly short on Wonder; it is just a Woman in 1984.

Soul uses some of the themes Pixar has dealt with before, but plays them using different notes; creating something that feels new.

There is so much life and emotion, in both the words and the acting, that the staging seldom feels limited.

This isn’t merely a spin on a genre; it is a thoughtful character study that subtly tackles womanhood, motherhood and race.