And there’s more: Frankie Boy. Swoonatra (that’s not so good that one). The Bony Baritone. The Innkeeper. The Swing-Shift Caruso. The Lean Lark (ermm...). The Groovy Galahad... How many nicknames did one man need? I only ever had one and it doesn’t bear repeating on these pages. Let’s just say I’ve changed since then... I guess it’s an indication of just how big a star he (Frank Sinatra that is, for those of you who haven’t got there yet) was back in his prime. It was as the fella (Dean Martin) said: “It’s Frank’s world, and we just live in it.” A re-release of one of his finest films, Vincente Minnelli’s Some Came Running, gave us just the excuse we needed to put on what I reckon is probably the finest nine films the man made. Well did you evah...?

Also in our cinemas in May, Mike Leigh’s wonderful Happy-Go-Lucky continues; proving a good deal of comedy does travel, French box office smash hit Welcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis), a sort of gallic ‘Local Hero meets Doc Hollywood’ (don’t quote me on that!) gets its first screenings in Scotland. Indeed, French cinema is extremely well represented this month with Isabelle Huppert in the excellent family drama, Private Property; Catherine Breillat takes on the period drama as only she can in the bodice-ripper-with-a-difference, The Last Mistress; and Emmanuel Mouret’s oh-so-Parisian, Woody Allen-ish comedy Change of Address is a delightful way to spend 90 minutes. Very much in the Juno/Little Miss Sunshine mould, Smart People is a welcome addition to that American genre du jour, the family satire; the Romanian New Wave gathers pace with the dark comedy California Dreamin’; fans of the blues will adore John Sayles’ welcome return to the nation’s screens, Honeydripper; from Argentina, XXY is a beautifully assured coming-of-age tale with a huge twist; and from Lebanon, Caramel is a light-hearted yet razor-smart, bittersweet comedy, centred on the women of a Beirut beauty parlour, also screening as part of a season, New Cinemas of the Arab World.

Forty years on, there’s a short season of films to mark the political turmoil of May 1968 in France and Germany, and Diversions takes a look at the world of experimental film and video. And to mention just one of the (sadly) many films in our Gone But Not Forgotten section, a special 70mm presentation of 2001: A Space Odyssey to mark the passing of the great Arthur C Clarke.

Open the pod bay doors, HAL...