Critical Week: On the road

I'm still in California this week, hanging out with family and friends and trying to avoid work for the most part, and yet I still managed to see two more movies that were out here before opening in the UK ... so that was work for me (reviews are already on the site). First was Ethan Coen's road-trip action comedy Drive-Away Dolls, a pastiche exploitation romp that's smart and funny but also rather thin and corny. But the chemistry between central duo Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan is terrific.

Second was the inspirational true-life drama Ordinary Angels, starring an up-for-it Hilary Swank as a blowsy hairdresser who decides to help a beefy widower (Alan Ritchson) whose young daughter needs a liver transplant. The film thankfully remains grounded in realistic characters and earthy humour, so it's genuinely moving.

As I head back to London, I have no movies in the diary, although I'm hoping to catch up with something on the flight if possible. Finding something I haven't seen on the airline's entertainment system - and that I actually want to see as well - isn't always easy. It'll be Wednesday next week before I begin to get back into normal gear, just as Oscar night arrives.