The problems are manageable and the characters generally sympathetic in the pleasantly enjoyable, though slightly bland, series Sweet Magnolias. Ten hour-long episodes of the drama, created by Sheryl J Anderson, are currently streaming on Netflix.

All films made prior to 1925 have fallen out of copyright due to the passage of time. Nevertheless, numerous more recent movies also have lost their protection for a variety of reasons.

The clash of civilisations precipitated by the European conquest of South America provides the background for the quirky but essentially humane historical romance The Queen and the Conqueror.

Glossy and generally upbeat, The High Note (Focus), is a blend of comedy and drama from director Nisha Ganatra, is a pleasant tune rather than an aria for the ages.

By John Mulderig

Scarface goes bugsy
in Capone (Vertical). This
biographical drama tracks the last year in the life of legendary Chicago
kingpin Al Capone (1899 to 1947) – played with intensity by Tom Hardy – as his
mind disintegrates from the effects of neurosyphilis. It makes for queasy
viewing.

All the Bright Places (Netflix) director Brett Haley is efficacious in highlighting some serious life issues that young people encounter in this day and age.

Catholics can experience the gentleness of God through learning more about Saint Faustina and the devotion to the Divine Mercy by watching the 2019 docudrama Love and Mercy: Faustina (Kondrat-Media), written and directed by award-winning Polish filmmaker Michal Kondrat.

While the real-life legacy of Australia’s famous 19th-century outlaw Ned Kelly may be disputed, the cinematic appeal of his career can hardly be doubted.

Rev Dr Richard Leonard SJ, film critic for the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has compiled a list suggesting some of the finest movies from the past four years to get sunk into.

The reasons the church continues to honour the Apostle of Ireland more than 1500 years after his death shine forth in the film “I Am Patrick” (CBN), a docudrama that will be screened in theatres on dates to be announced.