HERE are some of the latest releases out in the cinema this week:

l The Sense Of An Ending (15)

Anthony Webster (Jim Broadbent) spends lazy days behind the counter of his vintage camera shop and long lunch breaks with ex-wife Margaret (Harriet Walter), with whom he is on amicable terms. Their daughter Susie (Michelle Dockery) is heavily pregnant and Anthony attends antenatal classes in place of her partner. Out of the blue, he receives a letter from a solicitor to inform him that Sarah Ford (Emily Mortimer), mother of his one-time girlfriend Veronica (Charlotte Rampling), has left him a treasure in her will. The bequest turns out to be the diary of his school chum Adrian Finn (Joe Alwyn), who committed suicide at university after he became one point of a messy love triangle with Anthony and Veronica. Reluctantly, Anthony harks back to his adolescence when he fell head over heels for the young Veronica (Freya Mavor) and holidayed with her family. "You can pee into the basin at night if you wish," jokes Veronica's father David (James Wilby), showing young Anthony (Billy Howle) around his room. Frustrated by Veronica's cool detachment and her reluctance to commit, Anthony yearns for reassurance. "Does it have to head somewhere, our relationship?" responds Veronica, sowing the seeds of jealousy and rejection that will sprout bitter, poisonous fruit. The Sense Of An Ending is constructed on the solid foundation of Barnes' novel. The impetuosity of hormone-addled youth in flashbacks contrasts with the weary resignation of retirement, laced with gentle humour.

Rating: Four stars

Fast & Furious 8 (12A)

Fast & Furious 8 opens in sun-baked Havana where professional street racer Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has settled down with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). Unfortunately, diabolical mastermind Cipher (Charlize Theron) - who proudly describes herself as "the crocodile at the watering hole" - has other plans. She blackmails Dom into betraying his band of brothers. "Your team's about to go up against the only thing they can't handle... you," smirks Cipher. On cue, Dom double-crosses Letty, Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Tej Parker (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges) and hacker Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). Covert operative Mr Nobody (Kurt Russell) and his inexperienced deputy (Scott Eastwood) assemble a crack team to take down Cipher and Dom led by DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and "tea and crumpet-eating criminal" Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). Fast & Furious 8 screeches around Cuba, Germany, America and Russia to deliver jaw-dropping set pieces on land and splintering ice. Diesel, Johnson and Statham out-growl each other, while Oscar winner Helen Mirren chews scenery as Deckard's cor-blimey-guvnor muvva. As a spectacle, Gray's film passes its MOT with flying colours. However, as a coherent narrative full of believable characters and sinewy subplots, the eighth film is a clapped-out banger.

Rating: Three stars

A Quiet Passion (12A)

The film follows young Emily Dickinson (Emma Bell) from her time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary to her later years (now played by Cynthia Nixon), when she writes her poetry late at night with the blessing of her pious father, Edward (Keith Carradine). In early scenes, Emily's reluctance to slavishly follow teachings - her soul is her own, not God's - prickle her educators. "You are alone in your rebellion," warns a teacher. She returns home less than a year into her studies and repeatedly clashes with her father, a prominent politician, who stridently imposes his will on his children. He does agree, however, that Emily can write verse behind closed doors in the dead of night and she is published anonymously in the Springfield Republican. Supported by her doting sister Vinnie (Jennifer Ehle) and frequently visited by their friend Vryling Buffam (Catherine Bailey), Emily settles into an almost hermetic existence at the family home, where she observes the minutiae of society life and passes judgement on the work of the Brontes. "If they wanted to be wholesome, I imagine they would crochet," quips Emily. While her brother Austin (Duncan Duff) embarks on an adulterous affair with Mabel Todd (Noemie Schellens), Emily remains alone and aloof, untouched by Cupid's arrow. A Quiet Passion is a dense and exceedingly wordy tribute to a trailblazer at odds with the prevailing moods of the era.

Rating: Four stars

Going In Style (12A)

Joe (Michael Caine), Willie (Morgan Freeman) and Albert (Alan Arkin) are lifelong friends, who all worked for the same steel company and are now mellowing in retirement. Willie and Albert are housemates and live across the street from Joe, his daughter Rachel (Maria Dizzia) and spunky granddaughter Brooklyn (Joey King). During a meeting between Joe and his unsympathetic bank manager (Josh Pais), three masked men with guns walk into the branch and confidently steal 1.6 million US dollars. Soon after, their old employer announces it is freezing company pensions. Joe is apoplectic - without the money, he will lose his home - and decides to rob the Williamsburg Savings Bank, which is managing the liquidation of the pension fund. "We got experience, smarts," grins Joe. "Arthritis, gout, shingles..." adds Willie. The friends eventually agree to steal the money they are owed and donate additional funds from the heist to charity. A dry run at a local supermarket ends in humiliation and Joe realises they will need help from a criminal lowlife (John Ortiz) to pull off their ludicrous scheme. Going In Style is a resolutely old-fashioned yet charming comedy of men behaving badly in direct response to corporate greed.

Rating: Three stars