K-Pax

"Who is it this time? Jesus Christ or Joan Of Arc?" moans Manhattan psychiatrist Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges), as his secretary announces the arrival of yet another wacko who needs his attention. Actually, it's an alien, or someone who thinks he is anyway - prot (rhymes with 'goat'), a shades-sporting docile fortysomething vagrant played by Kevin SPacey, who claims to be from the planet K-PAX. He can't be, can he?

Powell begins to wonder at the truth, as medication and therapy appear to have no effect on prot (he doesn't capitalise names), who claims he can travel on a beam of light and has come to compile a report on Earth - a BA-3 Planet, still in the early stages of its evolution. When not scribbling his notes in what may, or may not, be an extraterrestrial language, the alien-cum-nutjob spends his time curing the loonies about him.

Recalling both Awakenings and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and even Bridges' earlier film Starman, K-PAX feels familiar, despite its sci-fi trappings, particularly in the opening half-hour. But there's also a real pathos here, a thoughtful examination of friendship and loss, stitched together slickly by Iain Softley (The Wings Of The Dove, Hackers) and held up by impressive performances across the board.