I'll readily admit that I left The Brutalist less exhilarated than bemused. Yet this flawed work of near-greatness absolutely deserves an audience, and more than a few awards.

This ticking-clock slapstick is an inarguably slight, inconsequential thing. But it routinely delivers enormous pleasure, as well as continued evidence that Keke Palmer would be a massive big-screen star if Hollywood was still in the business of making funny, fast-paced, inherently meaningless comedies that left you feeling great. Whatever happened to those? Weren't they, like, the only movies we all collectively agreed were awesome?

A largely pro forma musical bio-pic on the British pop sensation Robbie Williams, Better Man is only director Michael Gracey's second non-documentary feature, the first being 2017's word-of-mouth hit The Greatest Showman. And about 40 minutes into his new film, you're finally treated to evidence of what a powerfully great showman Gracey can be.

Whatever you think of director James Mangold's new musical bio-pic, you can't accuse it of false advertising.