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2008 Programme |
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Friday 18th January 8pm: Starter for 10
In 1980s Bristol a working class student wins a place on a 'University Challenge' team and loses just about everything else in this bittersweet campus comedy
Brian Johnston (James McAvoy) may be naive, but what he lacks in street smarts he more than makes up for in enthusiasm and the retention of useless trivia. "Knowledge is power. Which is why I want to know everything," he explains. "Like, why people like jazz..."
This endearing brand of wry humour together with those impressive general knowledge skills earn him not only his lifetime ambition of a place on a team for the TV quiz 'University Challenge' when he starts at Bristol University in 1985, but also the attention of two attractive girls, Rebecca and Alice.
Sadly, Brian, with his virginal clumsiness, is unable to properly capitalise on his new found mojo. He spends the rest of the film haplessly chasing and alienating the poor ladies - and blowing his main chances by passing out and mentioning the wrong name at just the wrong time. Meanwhile, success on 'University Challenge' becomes an increasingly unlikely prospect as his quiz skills desert him and his relationship with the posh team captain Patrick (an impressively priggish Cumberpatch) goes from bad to extremely violent.
Year of release: 2006 Running Time: 96 mins Rating: 12A |
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Friday 15th February 8pm: Some Like it Hot
Because we've grown used to seeing almost every possible subversion and set-up on screen, it's almost impossible to think back to 1959 and realise that, in mixing an affectionate view of transvestism with a light-hearted look at the mob, Billy Wilder was being daring in the extreme. And it was because he laced his own script with continuous charm and big fun that he was able to express those ideas in the mainstream.
For those who haven't seen it, "Some Like It Hot" is one of the greatest comedies ever. In a story of increasingly wild absurdity, it follows the antics of two idiot musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) who, after witnessing the St Valentine's Day Massacre, struggle to escape the gangsters (including a severely unsmiling George Raft) by dressing up in drag and joining an all-girl band. Comic complications aplenty ensue when Tony Curtis - now a pouting girlie - strives to express his lust for Marilyn, while Jack Lemmon - equally high-voiced and simpering - is being pursued by an amorous Joe E Brown, who has one of the funniest - and most radical - final punch-lines in screen comedy.
"Some Like It Hot" is one of those rare movies where all the elements gel all the time. Both Curtis and Lemmon display a real feeling for sexual ambiguity and full-blown silliness, while Marilyn provides a suitably contrasting innocence to the antics of the two rogues. Wilder presents all three with great comic scenes which soar on the back of originality and great timing and embrace both slapstick and super-sharp wit. The desert-island comedy bar none.
Year of release: 1959 Running Time: 121 mins Rating: U |
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Friday 21st March 8pm: London to Brighton
(plus introduction and Q&A session with director Paul Andrew Williams
From the opening scene – 3.07am, hooker Kelly and 11-year-old Joanne cowering in a public toilet – the viewer is thrown into the film’s brutal universe. One of Kelly’s eyes is lividly swollen, the kid weeps hysterically. Yet needs must, and Kelly goes off to turn tricks in order to rustle up the cash needed to flee London. Williams then starts cutting between two timelines: the present, in which the two females are trailed to Brighton by Derek; and the recent past, with flashbacks showing how waif Joanne met working girl Kelly and got into this horribly sticky situation. The structure isn’t a gimmick – it heightens the suspense, working viewers’ imaginations as it slowly reveals the true horror of what has taken place.
Aided by Williams’ naturalistic dialogue, the unknown cast respond with nailed-on performances. Spruell is chilling in his controlled menace, Harris excellent as the desperate low-life scrabbling for his own survival, while Stanley and Groome tenderly convey a surrogate mother-and-daughter dynamic.
Assembled for loose change, London To Brighton is a film that nonetheless demands to be watched on the big screen; it's the best British film of the year.
Year of Release : 2007 Running Time: 86 mins Rating: 18 |
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Friday 18th April 8pm: Tony Takitani
Based on a Haruki Murakami short story, Tony Takitani is a dreamlike and evocative meditation on loneliness. Left to bring himself up by his touring musician father, Tony's solitude lasts well into middle age, when he suddenly falls for and marries the fashion-obsessed Eiko. When she dies in a car accident, however, her roomful of clothes become a mausoleum for his shortlived happiness. Muted and idiosyncratic, Jun Ichikawa's film is nonetheless an exquisite work.
It feels captivatingly like a short story, and very much a Murakami one. The camera flows relentlessly from left to right, changing scene and season, echoing turning pages as Tony's life story plays out. The stately photography in neutral colours, the plaintive piano theme; almost everything about this film is minimalist. Only two actors fill the four main roles; Issei Ogata shines as both Tony and his father, while Rie Miyazawa plays both Eiko and Hisako, the girl that Tony, in his grief, hires to impersonate his wife after her death. There is barely a word of dialogue - the carefully chosen details are delivered instead via a low-key narrator (Hidetoshi Nishijima) whose sentences are occasionally left to the characters to finish.
Tony Takitani's 75-minute running time is far from packed, and its revelations and satires are subtle sometimes to the point of invisibility. But allow yourself to be absorbed into its curious rhythms and it will move and reward you long after the lights come up.
Year of release: 2006 Running Time: 75 mins Rating: U With English subtitles |
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Friday 16th May 8pm: Atash (Thirst)
Written and directed by Arab-Israeli filmmaker Tawfik Abu Wael, this powerfully stark debut feature derives much of its strength from its elemental, no-man's land setting, in which a Palestinian family ekes out a precarious living by making charcoal at an abandoned army outpost. Sturdily acted by its mainly non-professional cast, the slow-burning Atash unfolds with a tragic inevitability, pitting an authoritarian father (Hussein Yassin Mahajne) against his defiant teenage son.
Enemy soldiers may be noticeably absent in Atash, yet the spectre of the on-going Arab-Israeli conflict hangs over the characters: there's a reference to land that was confiscated decades earlier, and the youngest daughter Halima makes a decoration out of discarded grenade pins. Wael never reveals the exact reason why the patriarch brought his wife and children to this arid wasteland, only referring to an incident from their past where the eldest female sibling Gamila (Roba Blal) brought "shame" on her relatives.
It's actually Abu Shukri's illegal installation of a pipe diverting fresh water to their land that precipitates the family's disintegration, triggering a desire for freedom amongst his offspring. Aided by some impressive Scope cinematography from Assaf Sudry, the director maintains a claustrophobic environment, favouring recurring motifs of entrapment, danger and surveillance. The head of the household is a compelling mass of contradictions, using his brutish physical force to coerce those he loves, and the uncompromising resolution illuminates the way fanaticism gets passed down between the male generations.
Year of release: 2005 Running Time: 110 mins Rating: 12A With English subtitles |
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Friday 20th June 8pm: Half Nelson
A teacher takes pride in moulding young minds while a serious crack habit turns his own to mush in Half Nelson. Ryan Gosling earned an Oscar nomination for the role, demonstrating a remarkable ability to flit between comedy and tragedy with just a lift (or a droop) of an eyebrow. Young newcomer Shareeka Epps is also striking as the pupil who opens her teacher's eyes to the hard facts. It's a simple story with few flourishes, but the memory lingers.
"Second chances are rare," Mr Dunne tells his class, even though he rules out rehabilitation for his drug dependency. For a while the decision seems justified as day after cocaine-fuelled night he turns up in class alert and ready to tackle anything the kids can throw at him. Then, one of his quieter pupils Drey finds him high in a toilet stall. His position becomes untenable and even more so when he tries to protect her from the influence of a local drug dealer (Anthony Mackie).
Writer/director Ryan Fleck shoots the action in a way that's raw and unsentimental yet brimming with humanity. He examines the everyday exploits of a functioning addict and an apprentice drug dealer with so much absorbing detail that contrived shoot-outs and OD panic scenes aren't necessary to create drama. Instead of preaching, Fleck uses humour to point out hypocrisy. Funny moments spring naturally, like a scene where Drey backchats Mr Dunne and, rather than take the high road, he responds in kind. It takes a while to settle into the rhythm (feeling episodic at first), but Half Nelson soon takes hold with a vice-like grip.
Year of release: 2007 Running Time: 107 mins Rating: 15 |
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Friday 18th July 8pm: Lost Embrace
Ariel Menaker (Daniel Hendler) lives in a small Jewish community in
Buenos Aires in Daniel Burman's film "The Lost Embrace." The film is Argenina's 2004 entry for the Best Foreign Language Film and won the Grand Jury Award at the Berlin Film Festival; Hendler also won the Best Actor Award in
Berlin for his winning performance, which enlivens a goodhearted, gentle film.
Handsome and intelligent, the 27-year-old college dropout is a compelling lost soul who observes the slow unfolding of his own life from a distance. Ariel works as a clerk in the family lingerie store with his mother (Adriana Aizemberg) in a mall in a Jewish enclave of
Buenos Aires -– though Americans will be surprised at the modesty of this shabby shopping emporium. The stores -- including an electronics emporium run by Italians, a declining stationary shop owned by old Osvaldo, and the Feng Shui retailer who couldn't get a place in the Asian mall -- are cramped, shoddily decorated and poorly lit. There is no air conditioning in this mall, no bustling food court or picturesque waterfalls. The lacy underwear Ariel's mother sells is kept in closed drawers rather than on the lifelike models at
Victoria's Secret.
This decrepit mall is Ariel's home; the motley crew of elderly shopkeepers and visiting rabbis has become his extended family. His unambitious older brother works upstairs, importing and exporting goods. His closest friend runs a travel agency. Ariel even conducts his sexual affairs in the dressing room of his mother's store -- with curvaceous Rita, manager of the Internet store across the hall, who mysteriously wears the same lime green sweater in every shot of the film. He avoids the infamous café where his father Elias, who never returned from the Yom Kippur War, once smashed a jar of mayonnaise.
Burman's creation of a Jewish community in "Lost Embrace" is rich and fascinating. The varied characters come off as eccentric without being cloying. Ariel's discontentment with the smallness of his world is almost tangible.
(about.com)
Year of release: 2004 Running Time: 100 mins Rating: 15 With English subtitles |
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Friday 15th August 8pm: This is England
This film is fizzing with energy and humour, powered by brilliantly engaging performances. Chief among these is newcomer Thomas Turgoose as Sean, a put-upon 12-year old who finds unexpected friendship with a group of local skinheads led by the sweet natured Woody (Joseph Gilgun, another stand-out performance). These skins are a far cry from the image of racist thuggery that the movement became known for in the 80s. It's all about the music, and of course the clothes - although Sean is too small for Doc Marten boots, he still gets the haircut, the plaid shirt and the braces. For a while, everything is sweet in Sean's world. He even shares his first kiss with a Boy George lookalike with the charming name of Smell.
But soon, conflict arrives in the form of Combo (Stephen Graham, also superb), an old mate of the gang whose time in prison has left him with a strong sympathy for the National Front. Combo's racist agenda splits the gang and Sean, tragically, finds himself turning to Combo as a substitute for the father he lost in the Falklands. Meadows is an exhilarating filmmaker and This Is England is his best film to date - an honest, emotional, funny and deeply moving portrait of growing up.
Year of release: 2007 Running Time: 102 mins Rating: 18 |
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Friday 19th September 8pm: The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
The title character in The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros turns out to be a lipstick-wearing, cross-dressing 12-year-old boy (Nathan Lopez), who lives in the Sampaloc slum district of Manila. Although his relatives are engaged in criminal activities, the youngster develops a serious crush on a rookie policeman Victor (JR Valentin), a devout Christian determined to enforce law and order in the neighbourhood. Despite working on an ultra low-budget, director Auraeus Solito orchestrates an engaging tale of an unconventional first love.
Since his mother's death, Maximo has taken on the maternal role in the Oliveros family, cooking, cleaning, washing and sewing for his father Paco (Soliman Cruz) and elder brothers Boy and Bogs. All these tough men seem very tolerant of the colourfully-attired Maximo's flamboyant effeminacy: the problem in their eyes isn't that the latter has fallen for a man, but that Victor can't be bribed to turn a blind eye to murder like the other local cops.
From the opening shots of our protagonist pulling out a flower from the muddied waters of a canal, this is an impressive and vivid portrait of everyday life in the teeming Philippino capital. Admittedly, Michiko Yamamoto's script is not without some contrivances, but it finds time for some playful cinematic references to both The Third Man and To Have and Have Not. Newcomer Lopez is wholly convincing in the lead role, and throughout the film is appealingly non-judgemental in how it treats the taboo issue of pre-teen sexuality.
Year of release: 2005 Running Time: 100 mins Rating: 15 With English subtitles |
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Friday 17th October 8pm:
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
After being sent away by Judge Turpin, Sweeney Todd a.k.a Benjamin Barker returns to London with the help of a sailor, Anthony Hope. He opens a barber shop above Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Shop, where she sells "the worst pies in London." With the help of Mrs. Lovett, Todd means to rid London of the corrupt aristocracy, and hopes to be reunited with his daughter, Johanna, who is now Judge Turpin's ward.
This adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical isn't for the faint of heart -or stomach. But thanks to the black humor, impeccable production design, and gorgeous music, Tim Burton fans will want to sing after seeing Sweeney Todd.
Year of release: 2007 Running Time: 116 mins Rating: 18 |
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Vincent by Tim Burton (short)
Vincent by Tim Burton - a wonderful six-minute short demonstrating
Burton's artistic style and the beginning of his career as a director. Young Vincent Malloy dreams of being just like Vincent Price and loses himself in macabre daydreams which annoys his mother.
Year of release: 1982 Running Time: 6 mins Rating: U |
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Friday 21st November 8pm: Jazz on a Summer's Day
This film honouring the Newport Jazz Festival combines footage from the musical event with highlights of the 1958 America's Cup Race. Acclaimed as one of the best jazz films ever made, it captures some legendary performances by jazz greats such as Thelonius Monk and Louis Armstrong in a whimsically beautiful manner, transporting the viewer back to that clear day in 1958. Director Bert Stern's camera not only captures the humanity and brilliance of these jazz legends, it also creates an aura of warm nostalgia for that very special era in American history. This documentary mixes images of water and the town with performers and audience. The film progresses from day to night and from improvisational music to Gospel. It's a concert film that suggests peace and leisure, jazz at a particular time and place.
The Newport Jazz Festival was a true musical watershed - an event poised on the cusp of a new era, as the cool jazz of Jimmy Guiffre and the effortless scat of Anita O'Day intermingle with the hard bop of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and the smouldering fusion overtones of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. There's a crisp contribution from Chuck Berry, a typically feel-good set from Louis Armstrong - including a hilarious duo with Jack Teagarden - and, as evening shades into night, a heartfelt performance from Mahalia Jackson, closing with a melting rendition of The Lord's Prayer.
Year of release: 1958 Running Time: 84 mins Rating: U |
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Friday 19st December 8pm: My Life as a Dog
This critically acclaimed film is sensitive, tragic, and funny. It's a unique, offbeat but realistic coming-of-age story with rich and engaging characters and some truly unforgettable scenes.
Set in the Sweden of the 1950s, it describes the 400 blows suffered by a resourceful, twitchy and energetic 12-year-old boy who is farmed out to country relatives when his antics and demands for attention prove too much for his ailing mother. Director Lasse Hallström nurtures from his young star (Glanzelius) a performance of remarkable range and maturity, presenting a poignant picture of youthful tenacity struggling to come to terms with disappointments and events that may be beyond his comprehension, but which he manages to negotiate with his quirky, open-eyed optimism intact.
"My Life as a Dog is frankly stunning, one of the best ever "coming-of-age" movies and amusing/sad entertainment. It almost makes you nostalgic for your own childhood. Almost."
Damian Cannon
Year of release: 1987 Running Time: 110mins Rating: 12A |
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