http://youtu.be/nRsMLuCP8a0
The Guard (15)
Dir John Michael McDonagh/IE 2011/96 mins
Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham
A culture clash police comedy set in Galway on Ireland’s west coast. In a standout pivotal performance, Brendan Gleeson stars as Sergeant Gerry Boyle – an anarchic, small-town policeman with a confrontational personality and subversive sense of humour. An exceptional directorial debut from John Michael McDonagh with comedy touches reminiscent of the Coen brothers and 2008 hit In Bruges.
The Skin I Live In (15) (La piel que habito)
Dir Pedro Almodóvar/ES 2011/Running time TBA/Spanish wEng ST
Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Blanca Suarez
Superstar Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar embraces horror and thriller conventions in his macabre melodrama The Skin I Lived In. Almodóvar re-unites with Antonio Banderas (Law of Desire) who excels in his role as an eminent plastic surgeon dedicated to creating flawless artificial skin. Haunted by his past and driven by revenge, the doctor’s obsession leads him to carry out increasingly sinister tests to perfect his invention.
New Print/ Days of Heaven (PG)
From Fri 2 Sep
Dir Terence Malick/US 1978/89 mins/
Richard Gere, Linda Manz, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepherd
Widely recognised as a pinnacle of 1970s Hollywood filmmaking, Terrence Malick’s foray into American pastoral has now been digitally restored, the subtle pictorial alterations supervised by the writer-director himself. In 1916, after trouble at work, young lovers Bill and Abby want to escape the poverty and hard labour of Chicago and decide to travel south. Together, with Bill’s sister Linda, they pass themselves off as siblings in order to find work in Texas. The couple keep up the pretence until it becomes clear that the shy farmer they work for – rumoured to be dying and with no family to inherit his fortune – has fallen for Abby…
Malick creates a rapturous, visually sublime meditation on American history and myth that is at once lyrical, epic and resonant in its tantalising echoes of the Bible. A profound cinema classic and expressive masterpiece.
http://youtu.be/1F52cpQEGvs
Attenberg (18)
From Fri 2 Sep
Dir Athina Rachel Tsangari/GR 2010/97 mins/Greek wEng ST
Ariane Labed, Vangelis Mourikis, Evangelia Randou, Yorgos Lanthimos
The second film from Athina Rachel Tsangari is a stylish, offbeat coming-of-age tale that follows 23 year old Marina as she comes to terms with her father’s illness and her need to break out of her sheltered, closed off world. Marina’s life revolves around her intensely close relationship with her father; her one friend Bella; and her love for Sir David Attenborough wildlife documentaries. When Marina decides she’s ready for sexual experimentation, she calls upon Bella’s experiences and starts an awkward relationship with a local labourer.
Attenberg shares much of the quirky humour and aesthetic of Dogtooth (Tsangari was an associate producer) and signals a revival in Greek independent cinema.
Self Made (15)
From Fri 2 Sep
Dir Gillian Wearing/GB 2010/88 mins
The debut documentary feature from Turner Prize winning artist Gillian Wearing. Filmed on location in Newcastle it follows adverts that ask the public: “If you were to play a part in a film, would you be yourself or a fictional character?” Successful applicants were cast, undertaking a method workshop and subsequently feature in the final film. Wearing makes the provocation that in a world where CCTV, reality television and “fictionalised” documentary make us all into performers, reality and fiction are interchangeable commodities. Are we all playing a role, consciously or unconsciously?
http://youtu.be/C8J6Cjn06kA
Jane Eyre (PG)
From Fri 9 Sep
Dir Cary Joji Fukunaga/GB 2011 /120mins/
Craig Roberts, Jamie Bell, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender
One of the classic literary love affairs returns to the big screen in a new adaptation from Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre). Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right) and Michael Fassbender (Hunge) display palpable on-screen chemistry as mousy nanny Jane Eyre and her imposing, secretive employer Mr Rochester. An authentic presentation of Charlotte Brontë’s passionate characters.
http://youtu.be/ewvWwhL1UQU
Troll Hunter (15) (Trolljegeren)
From Fri 9 Sep
Dir André Øvredal/NO 2010/103 mins/Norwegian wEng ST
Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Tomas Alf Larsen
Following recent popular Nordic movies Let The Right One In and Dead Snow, André Øvredal’s Troll Hunter is an epic monster chiller with a fresh and darkly funny take on Norwegian mythology and folklore.
Using The Blair Witch Project mockumentary style, this thrilling tale follows a group of students on their way into the wild, as they film their investigation into a series of mysterious bear attacks. They soon come across Hans, an unlikely hero and seasoned troll hunter who shows them an unseen world of nefarious troll activity. The haunting beauty of the Norwegian countryside alongside impressive character design, reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are, makes Troll Hunter a genuinely uncanny experience which will make you question your grip on reality.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (15)
From Fri 16 Sep
Dir Tomas Alfredson/GB FR 2011/128 mins
Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds
Veteran agent Smiley is asked to return from retirement to investigate the possibility of there being a Soviet mole within ‘the circus’, the highest echelon of the British secret service. Expect plenty of subterfuge and double-dealing as Gary Oldman takes on the overcoat and spectacles of John le Carré’s legendary character George Smiley, in Let the Right One In director Tomas Alfredson’s new take on this classic cold war thriller.
Drive (18)
From Fri 23 Sep
Dir Nicolas Winding Refn/US 2011/100 mins
Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
An enthralling crime film from Nicolas Winding Refn, acclaimed director of 2008’s Bronson. Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine) gives a memorable performance as Driver, a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for the criminal underworld. Drive is a smart and occasionally violent film that plays stylistic homage to the US crime films of the 1970s and early 80s reminiscent of Tarantino’s movie junkie style.
Tomboy (U)
From Fri 23 Sep
Dir Céline Sciamma/FR 2011/82 mins/French wEng ST
Zoe Heran, Malonn Levana, Jeanne Disson, Sophie Cattani
When ten-year-old tomboy Laure and family move to a new town she quickly makes friends with the local kids, joining in with their rough and tumble games and introducing herself as Michael when a local girl mistakes Laure for a boy. Laure’s spends an idyllic few weeks of summer with her happy and supportive family, living out the illusion of male identity out on the estate. Yet with the school term fast approaching, and with suspicions arising amongst friends and family, Laure must face up to an uncertain future.
Melancholia (15)
Preview Wed 28 Sep; general release from Fri 30 Sep
Dir Lars von Trier/DK SE FR DE 2011/135 mins
Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland
Lars von Trier, the enfant terrible of European cinema follows his 2009 shocker Antichrist with a beautifully shot apocalyptic film. With a stand-out performance from Kirsten Dunst as a manic depressive bride and an equally impressive performance from Charlotte Gainsbourg as her sister, the film presents a disastrous family gathering threatened by the fast-approaching planet Melancholia.
http://vimeo.com/14680650
Post Mortem (15)
From Fri 30 Sep
Dir Pablo Larraín/CL MX DE 201/98 mins/Spanish wEng ST
Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Jaime Vadell, Amparo Noguera,
Following his 2009 release Tony Manero, Chilean director Pablo Larrain again turns his attention to Chile’s recent political past in this stylish film peppered with dark humour. Set in Santiago in 1973, Post Mortem uses one of the darkest periods in Chile’s history as a backdrop to its love story. Mario is a hospital clerk tasked with typing up post mortem reports and his love affair with a troubled cabaret dancer brings the dangers of the increasingly bloody political coup close to Home.
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