Australian film fans, cover your eyes! Yes, the whole three of you out there are in for a bit of a shock. Sick and tired of our own flailing industry and determined to kick the yankees out of our state of the art facilities at Fox Studios in Sydney, Aussie short filmmaker Andrew Lancaster has directed his feature film debut in Accidents Happen, although unfortunately proves that yes, sometimes they really do.

I have to say, I wasn’t expecting a great deal from When in Rome, a romantic comedy featuring Kristen Bell, who I found to be rather uninteresting in the more adult comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Despite my reservations, When in Rome does have its merits – although it doesn’t re-invent the wheel by any stretch of the imagination.

Marriage for many is a test that often ends up a bumpy ride. Rekindling the weakening spark usually requires significant effort, and many are lazy in their attempt; for fear of change – to routine, or as people. In Date Night it seems two of Hollywood’s funniest people aren’t exempt. If Steve Carell and Tina Fey are reliant on the titular concept to keep the sunshine and lollipops in their (fictional) relationship, then what hope have the rest of us got? The film suggests not much – their bumpy ride is extreme and brings only the slightest source of comfort.

It seems that ‘cougars’ are now the hottest fashion – if you’re an older single woman, flaunt what you’ve got and the young boys will come running. While for the majority it’s a ‘score’ of sorts (women landing the younger man and the man landing a woman who’s, shall we say, experienced), when family gets involved drama ensues. And that’s the premise of The Rebound, where age difference may not be the overriding focus but the most underlying one.

You would be forgiven for expecting a lot of sharp comedy from Grant Heslov’s The Men Who Stare at Goats. The plot contains an interesting mix of elements that should act as seeds for engaging, thematic humour. Unfortunately, the film restricts itself to a few moments of hilarity, leaving the rest of the story to become ‘quirky’ and rather average. It is by no means bad, of course, but rather a case of what ‘could have been’ that becomes the disappointment in the end.

Magic is a fascinating art form because it plays with our need to discover the illusion, whilst feeding our desire for it to be real supernatural power. Neil Burger’s The Illusionist takes this desire and runs with it, constructing a world where the audience is asked to question whether events in the film are mystical or trickery. The same technique was used in Christopher Nolan’s thriller The Prestige with great success. Unfortunately, The Illusionist provides a less stimulating experience, falling short of the rewarding turn of events in Nolan’s film. However, Burger’s movie still executes an intriguing plot with a decent cast and a strong visual and aural atmosphere.