The logo for Gracie Films, the production company of James L. Brooks, is instantly recognisable. The animated figure “ssshhh”-ing a cinema audience has appeared at the end of every episode of The Simpsons (a show he co-developed), and at the beginning of nearly every one of his seven feature films, including outstanding efforts like Terms Of Endearment , Broadcast News and As Good As It Gets .

But is it the stamp of quality it once was? The Simpsons is a shadow of its former self. As a filmmaker, Brooks hasn’t made a movie in 15 years, and his work over the past three decades is generally considered below par. That logo is no longer a guarantee. Ella McCay , his seventh film, seems like it could almost be a swansong for the 85-year-old filmmaker, an opportunity to play the hit

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