A prequel to the original trilogy, X-Men: First Class delves deeper into the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr against a Cold War backdrop that results in the eventual formation of the X-Men and their chief adversaries, the Brotherhood of Mutants. Stylishly directed by Matthew Vaughn of Kick-Ass and Stardust fame, the film is a thoroughly enjoyable blockbuster with a perfect blend of action, story and just the right measure of light-heartedness thrown in (one moment set in a bar is a particularly memorable highlight).

McAvoy plays Xavier, the telepathic expert on genetic mutation and dapper ladies’ man, while Fassbender is the Machiavellian, morally ambiguous master of metal Lehnsherr, who will eventually become Magneto. The globe-spanning film begins with the CIA putting together their own covert mutant team after learning that the Russians are in league with a band of manipulative mutants, led by a man possessing a terrifying power (Kevin Bacon) – who happens to be the same man who tested and tortured Lehnsherr back when he was captive as a young boy in Auschwitz. Gradually coming to terms with, and harnessing the full might of, their powers, the newly-formed team led by Xavier and Lehnsherr must do all in their power to try and avert World War Three when the stakes are raised and true intentions revealed.

With an excellent supporting cast, great special effects and a story that manages to pack in quite a lot despite being ostensibly just a ‘superhero movie’, X-Men: First Class is a fun-filled two hours which makes for a great night out and an excellent addition to the canon established by Bryan Singer’s original films.

Based on the bestselling novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go tells the story of a love triangle that forms between two girls and a guy in the fictional Hailsham boarding school. The three are alpha-female Ruth (Knightley), shy beta-female Kathy (Mulligan) and shy-boy Tom (Garfield).

In the dystopian alternate timeline in which the film is set, a stark class divide has emerged; Hailsham is a school reserved for kids born into the lower class. The story follows the trio from their time in Hailsham as kids through to their young adult lives when the romantic tension between the three, along with their status as second-class citizens, begins to fracture their tight friendship.

Never Let Me Go is magnificently bleak, heart-warming and depressing all at once. Don't let the depressing thing put you off though, it's an engaging kind of depressing that makes for a wonderful film. This is the kind of thinking-person's genre drama that rarely emerges from the studio system these days. It is also the sort of film that you would do well to avoid knowing too much about before going into, as the experience is much more rewarding that way. This moving sci-fi tale is easily one of the year's best films and cannot be recommended more highly.