Michael Mann's new film Ali, almost joining the ranks of epic as it too goes over the 150-minute mark. But unlike the other summer blockbusters Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, Mann sets out to tell the whole story in one hit. And it's not just any story - it's the life story of possibly the biggest name in the world today, Muhammad Ali.

It's a common preoccupation of science fiction films to explore what it means to be human. When there's a situation where robots are virtually identical to people, how can they be differentiated? What is it that sets people apart? The question of what distinguishes humanoids from humans has been asked before – notably in Blade Runner and Bicentennial Man. It is posed once again in the Spielberg/Kubrick collaboration, A.I.

Pearl Kantrowitz (Diane Lane) married young and now in her mid thirties has two children. Every year she and husband Marty (Liev Schrieber), mother-in-law (Tovah Feldshuh) and children Alison (Anna Paquin) and Danny (Bobby Boriello) head off to the Catskills for the summer with a dozen other Jewish families.

Cinema does faith badly. Faith is one of those things that are all but impossible to depict accurately and sympathetically. It's hard to show something so interior to a person's heart and soul. When movies feature Christians they’re usually members of the clergy not ordinary people. The Roman Catholic Church is popular in film because there’s great cinematic appeal in the confessional and the whole celibacy issue adds another dimension of interest.

Childhood friendships can be fragile and curious things. The latest film from independent English director, Shane Meadows, takes a funny but also chilling look at boyhood relationships. Based on his own childhood friendship with fellow screenwriter Paul Fraser, A Room for Romeo Brass is a funny and frightening film about the importance of friendship and family and the vulnerability of relationships.

The translating of Shakespeare’s dramas to another era has proved a successful way of popularising his plays. Baz Luhrmann’s high energy production of Romeo and Juliet, the delightful Kenneth Brannagh version of Much Ado About Nothing and the brilliant Fascist retelling of Richard III proved there were good reasons to fiddle with the Elizabethan originals. Thus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream finds itself in good company. But while the intention is good and the movie is mostly enjoyable, director Michael Hoffman’s production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (that’s really the title) fails to make the conversion.

Audiences love a good courtroom drama, and with films of the calibre of A Civil Action it's no surprise. Based on a true story, this legal drama traces not only the trial in question but also the effects it has on those involved.

Films about mathematicians promise little in the way of action and adventure. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s screenplay (Good Will Hunting), about a maths genius from the wrong side of the tracks was both a popular and critical success, but the nature of Will’s intelligence was secondary. It was essentially a movie about relationships.

In 1964 a group of seven year olds were placed in front of a movie camera. Ever since, neither our lives nor theirs have been the same.

The connection between Hollywood and rehabilitation is nothing new. Numerous actors - it seems - are in and out of treatment in between films, fights and car crashes. In 28 Days, starring Sandra Bullock, Hollywood does rehab.

Years ago, Andy Warhol guaranteed himself a lifetime of fame by predicting that "in the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes." Now, Warhol and his words have been further immortalised in the title of the new thriller 15 Minutes, from writer/director John Herzfeld.

It would be relatively easy to slate Thirteen Days based on the filmmakers’ pedigree alone. From the director who brought you Dante’s Peak... From the writer of The Haunting... From the actor who created Waterworld… You get the idea.

If you're going to rip off another piece of work, it may as well be the Bard's. 10 Things I Hate About You is a 1990's rendition of the politically incorrect The Taming of The Shrew. Unfortunately for this film, it rips off a few too many other (less successful) scripts as well. Overall, you have an odd mix of romance, teen drama and surreal comedy. But all things considered it comes across not too badly.