Songbird

Cobie Smulders stars as a faded 1990s rocker who drunkenly enrols at university after breaking up with her band and boyfriend. The film is completely improvised by the actors, which should give it an unpredictable edge, but instead makes the story come across as half-baked. Though the cast reach out for something substantial, they end up stumbling through scenes that feel hackneyed and forgettable. Smulders, who seems slightly too young for the role of a worldly rock veteran, has her best moments with on-screen best friend Jessica Hynes. The pair have a very natural connection, and their moments of giddy anticipation at university are fun to witness. The same cannot be said for the star's romantic subplot with meek local Pete (Richard Elis), which relies on the cheesiest of comedy tropes. For something delivered off-the-cuff, Songbird feels very formulaic, wasting the efforts of a talented cast on a story that goes nowhere fast.