This train wreck has a limited time before it will explode and consume them all. As each member of the family is eventually forced to face the brutal honesty of the situation they must choose between healthy acceptance and recovery or sustained suffering and abandonment.

Heavy stuff, but so enlightening to watch. It’s beautifully structured and acted with such grace and determination that it raises the quality to a level of true craftsmanship.

8. Agora. This movie almost passed me by. It didn’t get much of a fanfare upon it’s release in 2009 and as far as I could tell seemed to be playing mostly in independent cinemas (remember those?). Written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar, this epic account of a time that would determine the destiny of the future of civilisation is treated with the clarity and impartial attention it deserves. The story centres around the philosopher and teacher Hypatia brilliantly played by Rachel Weisz. It focuses in on a period in antiquity when traditional paganism was about to be usurped by the nascent christian religion and Judaism. Hypatia represents the fragile bridge between theological faith and scientific reason and her roll illustrates the limitations and consequences of choice in a time of patriarchal turmoil and zealot avarice.

Great production with superb acting throughout, this film provides a compelling and authentic insight into the world of ancient greek-roman civilisation whilst imparting pearls of wisdom with a rigorous framework of storytelling. Well paced with superb sets and great cinematography. The content is handled with a real sense of diplomacy without being bogged down with present day politics of diversity. Each religion is given a fair hearing and share in equal measure the blame for their hostile intransigent views of each other.