Danny Collins

Al Pacino does his best work in years playing the fading rock star of the title, who takes a sentimental journey after receiving a letter from John Lennon - four decades after it was sent. Perhaps it's because Pacino, like his character, is an icon of the 1970s and knows what it means to live with a public persona. Collins has lost himself in his later years - led astray by drink, drugs and fan expectations - but writer/director Dan Fogelman (who scripted Crazy, Stupid, Love.) leavens his crisis with wry humour. Collins's laughter in the face of misfortune prompts concern from his manager (a cheekily dour Christopher Plummer) and from buttoned-up hotelier Annette Bening, who provides a room and piano to facilitate his creative rebirth. It's a joy to watch the mischievous banter between them, and their gradually developing bond. But that relationship is overtaken by Collins's efforts to get to know his son (Bobby Cannavale, with Jennifer Garner as his dewy-eyed wife), prompting predictable outbursts and emotional outpourings. Thankfully, Collins keeps his sense of humour, and Pacino even outshines his razzle-dazzle zoot suits.