I WAS hampered by “man flu” last week so took some time off to recover – what a luxury.

Fast and Furious 7 (12A) is the last film which will feature Paul Walker. The film is aimed at a younger market than possibly Caroline and I fall into.

Over the series, the films have migrated into something of a Scooby Doo meets James Bond – I don’t mean that to put the film down surprisingly.

The plot was contrived and lots of posturing from the machismo of the lead protagonists. The whole film is based on loyalties to families and friends, though on occasions, as shown, it is obvious that loyalty to family can be the bad guys as well as the good.

Jason Statham is really credible as the bad guy and the “gang has to reform and do impossible things with cars and vans”.

The film ends nicely with a respectful tribute to Paul Walker, though not over the top.

Fast and Furious 7 is good fun, impossible in the way it operates and totally contrived with some good interplay between the individual characters. Well worth watching.

Cinderella (U) – this is a girl’s film, isn’t it? Well it could have been, but I have to say it is superb – I loved it, true Disney. The look of the film is just as it should be, not corny in any way.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the cast is so well chosen with Lily James as Cinderella, Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother, who skilfully works to reduce Cinderella to a maid to her and daughters, played by Sophie McShera (Downton Abbey in the kitchen) as Drisella and Holliday Grainger as Anastasia. Helena Bonham Carter is Ella’s Fairy Godmother and is superb.

The characterisations of the animals are lovely and the way they become Cinderella’s footman and carriage driver are almost believable. This is an all-round lovely film for all the family done brilliantly and quite moving.

The Milton Rooms hosts Bernard Wrigley: Songs, Stories and Silliness with The Bolton Bullfrog! on Friday, April 24. He performs his unique blend of songs, monologues, instrumentals and silliness.

Films from Friday

Cinderella (U) is with us for three shows a day.

Fast and Furious 7 (12A) stays for another week.

Home (U) stays for Friday to Monday only.

Suite Française (15) stays with us for another week with hard of hearing (subtitled) shows on Tuesday only.

Still Alice (12A) has been brought back for another week for one show a day due to public demand.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (12A) has been brought back for another week for one show a day due to public demand. This is in screen three only, so booking advised.

Coming soon: Woman in Gold (12A) joins our schedule on Friday, April 17 and is the story of Maria Altmann, who is an octogenarian Jewish refugee whose aunt was painted by Klimpt and takes on the government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family. Helen Mirren stars in the leading role.

A Little Chaos (12A) also joins us on the same day, starring Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Jennifer Ehle and Helen McCrory.

Live stage productions NT Live: The Hard Problem (12A) is on Thursday, April 16. Hilary is a psychology researcher at a brain-science institute, who is nursing a private sorrow and a troubling question at work, where psychology and biology meet. If there is nothing but matter, what is consciousness? This is “the hard problem” putting Hilary at odds with her colleagues.