Super/Man film review: This moving film shows how Reeve’s relentless fighting spirit truly made him a Man of Steel

SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY

(12A), 104mins

★★★★★

IF his neck injury had been one inch to the left, Christopher Reeve would have died instantly.

One inch to the right and he would have dusted himself down and got back on his horse.

But life is full of cruel ironies. And the actor who was once Superman to the entire world sustained a neck injury in a riding accident in May 1995 that left him paralysed and unable to breath unaided.

After his devoted wife, Dana, told him in his hospital bed “You are still you . . . and I love you,” Reeve decided not to let go of life.

Best of friends

He chose to fight with every ounce of mental and physical strength he had to see his three children grow, be with Dana and bring the world a different kind of Superman.

One who shone a light on disability and relentlessly fundraised for the cause until his death in 2004.

Reeve’s three adult children — Matt and Alexandra, with long-time partner Gae Exton, and youngest Will with Dana — provide an honest, insightful and often heart-breaking narration.

Other talking heads include Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg and Susan Sarandon, who are all able to provide more detail of Reeve as a talented actor and performer.

He was always keen to impress his strict and pushy father, who was unimpressed when his son chose acting as a career.

While Reeve was delighted to win the role as Clark Kent and Superman, it shows him go from pure dedication in films one and two, to exhausted and slightly ashamed in films three and four.

He wanted to be taken seriously as an actor and remained the best of friends with former college roommate Robin Williams.

There is a devastating clip of Williams talking at his funeral that would defy the driest eyes not to fill with tears.

Glenn Close believes if Reeve was still alive, Williams would be too.

But it is Reeve’s children and their mums who all come across as eloquent, empathetic and deeply loving, making you warm to the family even more.

Dana tragically died of lung cancer 17 months after the death of her husband.

Their love story is as beautiful as it is tragic.

This moving film shows how Reeve’s relentless fight and determination to carry on living truly made him a Man of Steel.

HERETIC

(15) 111mins

★★★★☆

ENJOY Hugh Grant relishing his turn as a terrifying toff, in this cerebral creep scare.

Grant is the seemingly harmless Mr Reed, who invites two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Paxton (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Barnes (Chloe East) into his remote house to tell him more about their faith as a snowstorm rages.

Naive Sister Barnes is in awe of her friend’s record of landing “eight or nine” new Mormons and keen to secure her first conversion, so, after checking as per church rules that his wife is in the house, the two enter.

Our young apostles quickly realise sociopathic Mr Reed has a very different transcendental experience in mind.

Things descend into cat and mouse fare with plenty of slasher and jump frights.

But the script is best as predator and prey ramp up the dread levels by holding religious dichotomies under the microscope.

Charming, chilling Mr Reed comparing different faith doctrines to board games and Radiohead albums, while our young preachers defend their theological beliefs by quoting TikTok back is sharp, smart, and superbly scary.

LAURA STOTT

BLITZ

(12A) 120mins   

DURING the eight-month Blitz in 1940 around 30,000 Londoners lost their lives.

Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen’s Second World War movie looks at some of the characters trapped in the capital.

His hero is George (Elliott Heffernan), a mixed-race boy who lives with his white mum, Rita, (Saoirse Ronan) and grandad (Paul Weller in his first acting role).

Rita makes the difficult decision to evacuate George, who is so furious his last words to her are “I hate you.”

Racked with guilt, he jumps from the moving train and makes his way back to London, meeting an eclectic mix of goodies and baddies on his long and dangerous journey home.

He faces racism throughout, with the message becoming pretty relentless.

After getting off to an explosive start, Blitz loses its way, weaving from shocking bomb scenes to sickly-sweet period drama with some toe curling clichés.

There’s some ropey characterisation, mostly the Dickensian thieves played by Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke.

Ronan as always is a scene stealer, but this war film doesn’t live up to its potential.