Projects
Here's a list of films that are screening with Flicks in the Sticks.
Well-known actress Behnaz Jafari is left distraught when she comes across a provincial girl's video plea for help, after her family prevents her from taking up her studies at the Tehran drama conservatory. Behnaz abandons her shoot and turns to filmmaker Jafar Panahi to help with the young girl's troubles. They travel by car to the rural northwest, where they have amusing encounters with the charming and generous folk of the girl's mountain village. But Behnaz and Jafar also discover that old traditions die hard.
In a world where journalism is under attack, Marie Colvin is one of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time. Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontlines of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless, while constantly testing the limits between bravery and bravado. After being hit by a grenade in Sri Lanka, she wears a distinctive eye patch and is still as comfortable sipping martinis with London's elite as she is confronting dictators. Colvin sacrifices loving relationships, and over time, her personal life starts to unravel as the trauma she's witnessed takes its toll. Yet, her mission to show the true cost of war leads her - along with renowned war photographer Paul Conroy - to embark on the most dangerous assignment of their lives in the besieged Syrian city of Homs.
Julian Jarrold directs this British comedy drama following the future Queen of England and her sister as they go out on the town to celebrate the end of the Second World War. On VE Day, 8th May 1945, Princess Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and her younger sister Princess Margaret (Bel Powley) beg their parents King George VI (Rupert Everett) and Queen Elizabeth (Emily Watson) to let them leave Buckingham Palace for the night so they can join in the celebrations. The King and Queen give their consent and Elizabeth and Margaret head out incognito but their night takes some unexpected turns…
With its high chuckle quotient and warm-hearted feel-good factor this is another dottily daft big-screen Aardman adventure that’s right on the money. When a friendly alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her. Their usual mix of irresistible jolliness, English eccentricity and largely wordless slapstick with echoes of Keaton and Chaplin is a feast for the eyes. With many a nod to your favourite sci-fi movie this is expertly crafted in true, Aardman style to cater for anyone who wants a good laugh whether young or old. “an utter delight -- proof that good storytelling and strong craft are what matters, however familiar the packaging.” Independent
Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers-and falls in love with-struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer, until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
Based on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.
After discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, teenage Yi and her two friends embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family. But to do so, they must stay one step ahead of a wealthy financier and a determined zoologist who want to capture the beast for their own gain.
Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of the planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and their place in the cosmos.
Seeking funds for her orphanage in India, Isabelle travels to New York to meet Theresa, a wealthy benefactor. An invitation to attend a wedding ignites a series of events in which the past collides with the present as mysteries unravel.
In a yurt on the snow-covered fields of the North, Nanook and Sedna live following the traditions of their ancestors. Alone in the wilderness, they look like the last people on Earth. Nanook and Sedna's traditional way of life starts changing - slowly, but inevitably. Hunting becomes more and more difficult, the animals around them die from inexplicable deaths and the ice has been melting earlier every year. Chena, who visits them regularly, is their only connection to the outside world - and to their daughter Ága, who has left the icy tundra a long time ago due to family feud. When Sedna's health deteriorates, Nanook decides to fulfill her wish. He embarks on a long journey in order to find Ága.
A kind-hearted street urchin Aladdin vies for the love of the beautiful princess Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah. When he finds a magic lamp, he uses a genie's magic power to make himself a prince in order to marry her. He is also on a mission to stop the powerful Jafar who plots to steal the magic lamp that could make his deepest wishes come true.
ALL IS TRUE explores the human story behind a dark and little known period in the life of William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh). The year is 1613, Shakespeare is the greatest writer of the age. When his beloved Globe Theatre is burned to the ground, he decides to return to his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon. There he faces his neglected family. Still haunted by the death of his only son, Hamnet, he struggles to mend broken relationships with his wife, Anne (Judi Dench) and daughters. In so doing, he is ruthlessly forced to examine his own failings as an absent husband and father. In the search for peace, he must also finally confront the dark heart of his family's secrets and lies.
Shot in 1972, but not finished until 2018 because of a major technical problem, this documents the making of the best-selling Gospel album of all time that Aretha Franklin recorded live at the New Bethel Baptist Church in L.A. There’s an absolutely electrifying sense of witnessing music being created with the rapport between the Gospel choir, Aretha and all the musicians that makes you want to applaud like you are in the back of the church. With Aretha in her prime this is quite simply one of the finest music documentaries ever made. Guaranteed to send you home with a smile on your face.
In a small, blue-collar town in Pennsylvania, a 32-year-old woman's teen daughter goes missing and she is left to raise her infant grandson alone. The story is told over the course of 11 years, from the time her daughter vanishes, through the the trials-and-tribulations of subsequent years looking for closure, leading up the long-awaited discovery of the truth.
From director Todd Douglas Miller comes a cinematic event 50 years in the making. Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, APOLLO 11 takes us straight to the heart of NASA's most celebrated mission-the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names. Immersed in the perspectives of the astronauts, the team in Mission Control, and the millions of spectators on the ground, we vividly experience those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future.
During a self-imposed exile in Arles and Auvers-Sur-Oise, France, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh develops his unique, colorful style of painting. While grappling with religion, mental illness and a tumultuous friendship with French artist Paul Gauguin, van Gogh begins to focus on his relationship with eternity rather than the pain his art causes him in the present
Three siblings reunite at their home in picturesque Burgundy to save the family vineyard in this tender tale of a new generation finding its own unique blend from acclaimed director Cédric Klapisch (L'Auberge Espagnole). Jean (Pio Marmai), the black sheep of the family, unexpectedly returns home from a decade abroad to reconnect with his hospitalized father. He's welcomed by his strong-willed sister, Juliette (Ana Girardot), who took over the reins of the vineyard after their father fell ill, and Jeremie (Francois Civil), the youngest of the three who has recently married into one of the region's more prestigious wine families. Their father passes shortly after Jean's return, leaving them with the estate and a looming inheritance tax of half a million dollars. As four seasons and two harvests go by, Jean, Juliette, and Jeremie have to learn to reinvent their relationship and trust in each other as they work to preserve the land that ties them together.
British filmmaker Mark Jenkin’s first full-length feature Bait has been critically lauded since its Berlinale premiere. Continuing his focus on handmade filmmaking from his shorts work and shot in grainy 16mm black and white, it chronicles a Cornish coastal town under threat from modernity. Fisherman Martin (Edward Rowe) is struggling to buy a boat while coping with a family rivalry and the influx of London money, Airbnb and stag parties to his harbour village. The summer brings simmering tensions between the locals and newcomers to boiling point, with tragic consequences. Around this drama, Jenkin has fashioned a film that feels original, experimental and often mythic in its observations of the timeless natural world alongside the everyday human one. Strikingly atmospheric and stylistically bold, rooted in local culture and community, Bait is both nostalgic and angrily contemporary and positions Jenkin as an exciting new voice in British cinema.
1979, East Germany at the height of the Cold War. Günter Wetzel (David Kross, The Reader), a bricklayer, and his friend Peter Strelzyk (Friedrich Mücke), an electrician, can no longer bear the oppressive regime. The two men and their wives resolve to undertake a mission to secretly build a hot air balloon from scratch that will carry them and their families over the border fence to freedom. Over the course of the next 18 months they sew 1,000 square metres of cloth and gather countless weather reports from West German radio with the Stasi (State Police) hot on their heels. A nerve-racking battle against the clock begins…
Battle Of Britain is a spectacular retelling of a true story that shows courage at its inspiring best. Few defining moments can change the outcome of war. But when the outnumbered Royal Air Force defied insurmountable odds in engaging the German Luftwaffe, they may well have altered the course of history!
Primo and Secondo are two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. Primo is the irascible and gifted chef, brilliant in his culinary genius, but determined not to squander his talent on making the routine dishes that customers expect. Secondo is the smooth front-man, trying to keep the restaurant financially afloat, despite few patrons other than a poor artist who pays with his paintings. The owner of the nearby Pascal's restaurant, enormously successful (despite its mediocre fare), offers a solution, he will call his friend, a big-time jazz musician, to play a special benefit at their restaurant. Primo begins to prepare his masterpiece, a feast of a lifetime, for the brothers' big night.
1987. When music fanatic Javed discovers the illustrious back catalogue of The Boss his world is turned upside down; already a creative soul his passion for music and writing is set alight by the songs of the working-class poet Bruce Springsteen, whose lyrics feel all too familiar to the aspirational teenager. Yearning to escape his rundown hometown and the rules of his traditional Pakistani household, Javed finds himself caught in between two worlds and must discover if he too is Born to Run...
This is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, tracing the band’s meteoric rise. They reach unparalleled success but Freddie shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career, only to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. Facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music
When Mandras (Christian Bale) leaves to fight with the Greek army during WWII, his fiancee (Penelope Cruz) falls in love with the local Italian commander Corelli (Nicholas Cage). This is a sensitive, visually rich, adaptation of the popular book.
World War II, Morocco – a viper's nest of corrupt French police, spies, fleeing emigres, gamblers and drinkers. It's the perfect place for weary American expatriate nightclub owner Rick Blaine to hide out. Rick's Cafe is the gathering place for the good, the bad and the ugly, but he doesn't care, as long as they spend their money. One day, of all the bars in all the world, Rick's long-lost love, Ilsa walks in with her resistance leader husband, Victor, and Rick is pulled into both a love triangle and a web of political intrigue. Ilsa and Victor need to escape from Casablanca, and Rick may be the only one who can help them. Casablanca is the greatest love story ever told and time may have gone by but it has not diminished it.
This rousing, energetic adaptation of the Broadway musical had the critics in raptures. Roxie and Velma, both facing murder charges, stop at nothing to outdo each other in their obsessive pursuit of fame and celebrity. Chicago shifts adroitly from the reality of intrigue, rivalry and betrayal to spectacular fantasies of music and dance, offering tongue-in-cheek commentary on the cult of celebrity and the scandalous lengths to which people will go to attain it.
After marrying successful Parisian writer Henry Gauthier-Villars, known commonly as "Willy", Gabrielle Colette is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. Colette, in turn, pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After it's success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels. Colette's fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion and sexual expression.
DIEGO MARADONA is constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage from Maradona’s personal archive with the full support of the man himself. On the pitch, Diego Maradona was a genius. Off the pitch, he was treated like a God. The charismatic Argentine loved a fight against the odds and led Napoli to their first-ever title. It was the stuff of dreams. But there was a price… Diego could do as he pleased while performing miracles on the pitch but, as time passed, darker days closed in.
DOWNTON ABBEY, becomes a grand motion picture event, as the beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance.
After five years in prison, Tony le Stéphanois meets his dearest friends Jo and the Italian Mario Ferrati and they invite Tony to steal a couple of jewels from the show-window of the famous jewelry Mappin & Webb Ltd, but he declines. Tony finds his former girlfriend Mado, who became the lover of the gangster owner of the night-club L' Âge d' Or Louis Grutter, and he humiliates her, beating on her back for being unfaithful. Then he calls Jo and Mario and proposes a burglary of the safe of the jewelry. They invite the Italian specialist in safes and elegant wolf Cesar to join their team and they plot a perfect heist. They are successful in their plan, but the Don Juan Cesar makes things go wrong when he gives a valuable ring to his mistress.
Omar and Pete are half brothers. When their parents are eaten by lions they embark on a journey to find Omar's real father. What follows is a funny, heart-warming journey of self-discovery for both boys...in Blackpool. The Choudray family represents a truly contemporary example of modern multicultural Britain - but what will the brothers make of their eccentric newfound family? Will they be going to Mecca or Mecca bingo?
When ‘Lady’ Sandra Abbott discovers that her husband of forty years is having an affair with her best friend, she seeks refuge with her estranged, older sister Bif. Sandra is a fish out of water next to her outspoken, serial dating, free-spirited sibling. Sandra reluctantly lets Bif drag her along to her community dance class, where gradually she starts finding her feet... and romance.
The riveting story of the 1969 moon landing. Much more focused on the "small step for man" and less on the "giant leap for mankind", this follows Neil Armstrong on his journey to becoming the first man to walk on the moon. The perils and exhilarations of spaceflight are brilliantly conveyed to give you the hair-raising feeling of what it was really like inside Apollo 11.
A fast-living, cynical London music executive heads to a remote Cornish village on a stag weekend where he’s pranked by his boss into trying to sign a group of shanty singing fishermen. He becomes the ultimate ‘fish out of water’ as he struggles to gain the respect or enthusiasm of the unlikely boy band and their families who value friendship and community over fame and fortune. As he’s drawn deeper into the traditional way of life he’s forced to re-evaluate his own integrity and ultimately question what success really means.
Director Thomas Piper filmed the garden designer Piet Oudolf over five seasons as he designed gardens from New York's High Line and Hauser and Wirth's prairie garden in Somerset, England to his own private garden at Hummelo in Holland.
A haunting ghost story spanning two world, two centuries apart. With World War II finally coming to an end and his Father still missing in action, Tolly (Alex Etel) is sent to stay with his estranged Grandmother (Maggie Smith) in their ancestral home. There he discovers he can mysteriously travel between the two worlds and begins an adventure that unlocks family secrets laid buried for generations. He must solve these mysteries to safeguard their future and reunite the family once again. Starring Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Pauline Collins and Hugh Bonneville.
Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom.
In 1962, "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, a tough bouncer, looking for work becomes the driver for African-American classical pianist Don Shirley on his concert tour into the Deep South states. They begin their trek armed with The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for safe travel through America's racial segregation. Together, the snobbishly erudite pianist and the crudely practical bouncer barely get along. The disparate pair witness and endure appalling injustices on the road and nurture a friendship and understanding that changes both their lives.
Grow Your Own is a gentle sweet-smelling comedy that is blessed with plenty of British charm. Set in the North of England, a bunch of grumpy old men spend their days nurturing their beloved allotments, while passing comment on their neighbours' vegetables. They're less than happy when a family of asylum seekers move in on their precious patch.
Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
Micky O’Neill is desperate to save both his ailing Liverpool nightclub ‘Heartly’s’ and his failing relationship with the beautiful Nancy, Cathleen’s daughter. The solution? Book the infamous Josef Locke. Mr. X. (is he or isn’t he the real Josef Locke?), is booked to play the club. Disaster strikes when he is revealed as an imposter, Micky loses the club and his girlfriend in one night. Next solution? This time book the real Josef Locke! What follows can only be described as magical mayhem as Micky travels to Ireland in search of the elusive man.
This fascinating documentary explores the birth of iconic record label Motown Records, which led an explosion of black music into the mainstream cultural sphere. Young, gifted and black, Motown’s extraordinary flowering of musical talent included Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, the Temptations and the Jackson 5 – all gathered in an unlikely studio in the Detroit suburbs: ‘Hitsville, USA’. Led by reminiscences from label boss Berry Gordy and featuring rare archive footage and interviews with hitmakers past and present (including John Legend, Dr Dre and Jamie Foxx), Hitsville documents an extraordinary cultural force.
In a deserted Macedonian village, Hatidze, a 50-something woman, trudges up a hillside to check her bee colonies nestled in the rocks. Serenading them with a secret chant, she gently maneuvers the honeycomb without netting or gloves. Back at her homestead, Hatidze tends to her handmade hives and her bedridden mother, occasionally heading to the capital to market her wares. One day, an itinerant family installs itself next door, and Hatidze’s peaceful kingdom gives way to roaring engines, seven shrieking children, and 150 cows. Yet Hatidze welcomes the camaraderie, and she holds nothing back—not her tried-and-true beekeeping advice, not her affection, not her special brandy. But soon Hussein, the itinerant family’s patriarch, makes a series of decisions that could destroy Hatidze’s way of life forever.
At 43, Luis is a confirmed bachelor, happy with one night stands, a success as a creator of perfumes. He has one problem: his mother and five sisters, who form an intimidating family council, want him married. Luis contrives to hire a woman to pose as a fiancée who will jilt him at the altar, leaving him disconsolate, with an excuse not to marry. He hires Emma, the sister of a colleague. She restores antique furniture and wants to adopt a child from Brazil. Things go too well: when Emma doesn't show up at the wedding, Luis's mother requires hospitalization; only Emma can bring her out of her swoon. It's time for a new plan that involves more tangled webs. And the child?
Set in Hong Kong, 1962, Chow Mo-Wan is a newspaper editor who moves into a new building with his wife. At the same time, Su Li-zhen, a beautiful secretary and her executive husband also move in to the crowded building. With their spouses often away, Chow and Li-zhen spend most of their time together as friends. They have everything in common from noodle shops to martial arts. Soon, they are shocked to discover that their spouses are having an affair. Hurt and angry, they find comfort in their growing friendship even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates.
JOKER centers around an origin of the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Todd Phillips' exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.
A glittering showcase for Renée Zellweger's incredible performance as the legendary Judy Garland who arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sell-out shows. Her wit and warmth shine through as she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians and reminisces with friends and adoring fans. Even her dreams of love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans, her future fifth husband. Featuring some of Judy’s best-known songs, the film celebrates the voice, the capacity for love, and the sheer pizzazz of "the world's greatest entertainer". “the performance of a lifetime.” Independe
Based on infamous true events, a famous thief, Brian Reader (Sir Michael Caine), pulls together a band of misfit criminals to plot the biggest bank heist in British history. The thieves manage to escape with allegedly over two hundred million British pounds worth of stolen jewels and money. When Police are called to the scene and the investigation starts, the cracks between the eccentric gang members begin to show as they row over how to share the goods and become increasingly distrustful of each other.
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.
A sweet, inventive Richard Curtis-style romantic-comedy crowd-pleaser this deftly balances hearty laughs and heart-warming emotion. Disillusioned, elderly Victor (Auteuil) is given a chance to dive back into the era of his choice. He seeks to recreate the events of the most memorable week of his life, 40 years earlier when he met the great love of his life. A hilarious film that like all of us slows down and turns a little sentimental as it goes on, but there’s no better actor than Daniel Auteuil to make you believe that sentiment is real. Where so many high-concept romantic comedies squander their one big idea, this makes the most of its own to remind us how and why we fall in love in the first place. “Everything clicks here, all the time.” Hollywood Reporter
In a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before.
No matter if you're not into fast cars this is old-school Hollywood filmmaking at its best. Delivering plentiful thrills, laughs and the star power of Damon and Bale in their most enjoyable movie for years. The corporate battle between Ford’s revolutionary car design and Ferrari as the old masters of the track is sketched with such élan - all high-gloss surfaces, scotch-swilling intrigue and rat-a-tat dialogue - that it's impossible not to be drawn in. While Mangold's talent for action comes alive during the thrilling racing sequences.
Guy Foucher, a 20-year-old French auto mechanic, has fallen in love with 17-year-old Geneviève Emery, an employee in her widowed mother's chic but financially embattled umbrella shop. On the evening before Guy is to leave for a two-year tour of combat in Algeria, the pair share a passionate night. Geneviève becomes pregnant and then must choose between waiting for Guy's return or accepting an attractive offer of marriage from a wealthy diamond merchant.
In a sleepy French backwater, a train pulls into a deserted station depositing a lone passenger - an ageing criminal looking for a showdown. Within minutes he bumps into a retired poetry teacher, who's waiting for something exciting to happen in his life... and finally it does.
Filled with unforgettable archive materials, Werner Herzog’s latest is a riveting documentary celebrating Gorbachev's many remarkable achievements. In his usual deadpan way Herzog makes a fine interviewer who does not disguise his affection for arguably, the world's most influential living politician. Gorbachev not only negotiated successfully with the U.S. to reduce nuclear weapons, but also gave up Soviet control of Eastern Europe allowing for the reunification of Germany and paving the way for the complete dissolution of the Soviet Union. All in six years! Thirty years on from the fall of the Berlin Wall this is a dramatic reminder of the drastic and unforeseeable ways the world can change for the better. “a riveting and moving portrait” Epire Winner Audience Award Biografilm Festival 2019
1644, Paris, and 22-year-old Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known as Molière, is not yet the writer that history recognizes as the father and true master of comic satire, author of The Misanthrope and Tartuffe, and a dramatist to rank alongside Shakespeare and Sophocles. Far from it. He is, in fact, a failed actor.
Beloved British artist L.S. Lowry (Timothy Spall) lived all his life with his over-bearing mother Elizabeth (Vanessa Redgrave). Bed-ridden and bitter, Elizabeth actively tried to dissuade her bachelor son from pursuing his artistic ambitions, whilst never failing to voice her opinion at what a disappointment he was to her. By turns hilarious, brutal and tender, and featuring yet another tremendous performance from Timothy Spall, this has an appealing old-school charm. Often sad and unsettling, this is also livelier and less oppressive than it may sound thanks to the fine writing, deft direction, and the superb, if painful interplay between Redgrave and Spall. “An entertaining showcase for two first-class performers.” Guardia
The Coen brothers comic romp about three stumblebum convicts (including George Clooney) who escape to go on a quest for treasure and meet various characters while learning where their real fortune lies.
The gripping true story of Katharine Gun, whose job at GCHQ involves routine handling of classified information. Until one day on the eve of the Iraq war she receives a memo that reveals a dubious intelligence operation. A woman of principles she feels she can’t stand by and watch the world be rushed into an illegal war. She leaks the memo to the press, exposing a vast political conspiracy, and putting herself and her family directly in harm's way. Anchored by a fiery central performance from Kiera Knightley, this pacy, powerful, engaging thriller is a pertinent reminder that our world needs everyone to act according to their principles. “gripping, articulate and hugely relevant” Daily Mirr
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt pair up in Quentin Tarantino’s terrific new black comedy. In 1969 Los Angeles, everything is changing; as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his long time stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognise anymore. Pulpy and nostalgic, outrageous and engrossing, Tarantino’s bravura tribute to the final moments of Hollywood's golden age features a superlative wider cast including Margot Robbie (as ill-fated actress Sharon Tate) Bruce Dern, Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Luke Perry and Timothy Olyphant. “Tarantino’s dazzling LA redemption song […] entirely outrageous, disorientating, irresponsible, and also brilliant” The Guardian
Academy-Award® winning director Kevin Costner helms this traditional Western tale of a way of life that is quickly disappearing. Boss Spearman, Charley Waite, Mose Harrison and "Button" freegraze their cattle across the vast prairies of the West, sharing a friendship forged by a steadfast code of honor and living a life unencumbered by civilization. When their wayward herd forces them near the small town of Harmonville, the cowboys encounter a corrupt Sheriff and kingpin rancher who govern the territory through fear, tyranny and violence. Boss and Charley find themselves inextricably drawn towards an inevitable showdown, as they are forced to defend the freedom and values of a lifestyle that is all too quickly vanishing. Amidst the turmoil, life suddenly takes an unexpected turn for the loner Charley when he meets the beautiful and warm spirited Sue Barlow, a woman who embraces both his heart and his soul.
Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar’s (All About My Mother, Talk to Her, Volver, Julieta) 21st feature film Pain and Glory stars Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz. A nostalgic, semi-autobiographical tale, it follows Salvador Mallo (Banderas), a film director in decline as he explores a series of experiences and encounters from his past. Facing his mortality, he recalls his childhood in ‘60s Valencia, his first love affair in ‘80s Madrid, the pain of heartbreak and his fateful early discovery of cinema. A typically witty, sensuous, evocative and intelligent film, it is intensely personal and seems to show its writer-director coming to terms with the scale and depth of his body of work. Beautifully produced, it is rich with subtle pleasures, not least its stellar wider cast including Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas and Julieta Serrano alongside Banderas and Cruz.
Featuring never-before-seen footage, concert performances and intimate interviews, filmmaker Ron Howard examines the life and career of the most successful opera singer of all-time, Luciano Pavarotti. This reveals how an elementary school teacher created thunder loud enough to make the world take notice and bringing Opera widespread popular appeal. Pavarotti’s optimism is contagious, and his schoolboy-like wonder means there’s a lot to smile at here.
Based on a sensational true story, Joan Stanley is a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when, she’s arrested. The charge: providing classified scientific information about the building of the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. As she is interrogated, Joan relives the dramatic events that shaped her life and beliefs: her student days at Cambridge, her tumultuous love affair with a dashing political radical, and the devastation of World War II, which inspired her to risk everything in pursuit of peace.
Based on a true fantasy, this follows the spectacular journey of transformation of Reginald Dwight from shy piano prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music, through his influential, enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin, into becoming flamboyant international superstar Elton John.
A visionary sheik believes his passion for the peaceful pastime of salmon fishing can enrich the lives of his people, and he dreams of bringing the sport to the not so fish-friendly desert. Willing to spare no expense, he instructs his representative to turn the dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britain's leading fisheries expert who happens to think the project both absurd and unachievable.
A likable drama centred on the development of the 1964 Walt Disney Studios film Mary Poppins, starring Emma Thompson as author P. L. Travers and Tom Hanks as filmmaker Walt Disney. Named after the father in Travers' story, the film depicts the author's fortnight-long visit to 1961 Los Angeles as she is pursued by Disney, in his attempts to obtain the screen rights to her novels. Together they set Mary Poppins free to make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.
This is a complex, moving drama about the forces holding a struggling family together. In Tokyo, poverty-stricken family the Shibatas routinely turn to petty thieving to make ends meet. A rare depiction of Japanese society’s urban underclass, exquisitely drawn and full of Kore-eda’s trademark subtlety and nuanced moral inquiry. Winner Palme D’Or Cannes Film Festival 2018
SING STREET takes us back to 1980s Dublin seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy named Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who is looking for a break from a home while trying to adjust to his new inner-city school. He finds a glimmer of hope in the beautiful Raphina (Lucy Boynton), and with the aim of winning her heart he invites her to star in his band's music videos. There's only one problem: he's not part of a band...yet. Inspired by writer/director John Carney's (ONCE, BEGIN AGAIN) life and love for music, SING STREET shows us a world where music has the power to take us away from everyday life and transform us.
Ken Loach returns to the milieu of 2016’s I, Daniel Blake with the fierce, vital Sorry We Missed You, supported by his longtime collaborators, screenwriter Paul Laverty and producer Rebecca O’Brien. Following its premiere at Cannes (where it received rave reviews), it’s a passionate indictment of Tory austerity and the absurdities and cruelties of the gig economy. Ricky (Kris Hitchen) lost his building work and mortgage after the 2008 financial crash. Now renting with his wife Abbie (Debbie Honeywood), a contract nurse and carer and their kids, he is unable to pass up a job driving for a delivery company. But it turns out the role is horribly exploitative, and with his wife facing similar pressures in her own job, their family life becomes more and more toxic. Rigorously researched via off-the-record interviews, Sorry We Missed You depicts the ruinous human cost of zerohours contracts with gut-wrenching honesty and integrity. A heartbreaking and incendiary film, it’s a searing critique of zero hours Britain.
Steve Coogan and John C Reilly, two brilliant physical comedians, give delightful performances nailing the duo’s body language, mannerisms and routines. 1953 with their immense fame on the wane, Stan ‘Laurel’ and Ollie ‘Hardy’ embark on a gruelling farewell tour of British seaside towns. The tour starts badly; modest music halls, cramped little guesthouses, they struggle for audiences. But a series of TV guest spots rekindle the country’s interest and the buzz grows as they head towards a big London finale. But old resentments surface, particularly once ‘the wives’, Lucille and Ida, (a hilarious double act in their own right) join them. A charming, poignant, insightful study of lifelong male friendship this is a fitting tribute to the greatest pair of comedians of all time.
Beautifully crafted and exquisitely observed with an outstanding performance from Eddie Marsan as John, the lonely council worker who tracks down the family of those who have died alone. When John is made redundant he focuses all his efforts on his last case of his elderly neighbour, Billy, uncovering a life of mischief, misadventure, love and regret. Laced with humour and pathos, this is a potent, poignant exploration of love and death, solitude and the breakdown of community. This provides much bittersweet comfort and joy as it reaches a most unexpected close that will tug at your heartstrings.
A drama that tracks the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. These women were not primarily from the genteel educated classes, they were working women who had seen peaceful protest achieve nothing. Radicalized and turning to violence as the only route to change, they were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality - their jobs, their homes, their children and their lives. Maud was one such foot soldier. The story of her fight for dignity is as gripping and visceral as any thriller, it is also heart-breaking and inspirational.
Feel-good larkiness in jaunty but formulaic style. Accountant Eric is simply treading water when he discovers a newfound sense of purpose thanks to an unexpected source: a group of similarly stuck-in-a-rut guys who have found camaraderie through synchronized swimming. Sure, they may be a bit paunchy, but they're determined to prove they have what it takes to be a whirling, twirling, scissor-kicking aquatic dream team
Seemingly in constant trouble at school, 14-year-old Antoine Doinel returns at the end of every day to a drab, unhappy home life. His parents have little money and he sleeps on a couch that's been pushed into the kitchen. His parents bicker constantly and he knows his mother is having an affair. He decides to skip school and begins a downward spiral of lies and theft. His parents are at their wits' end, and after he's stopped by the police, they decide the best thing would be to let Antoine face the consequences
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM chronicles the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester as they trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature. Through dogged perseverance and embracing the opportunity provided by nature's conflicts, the Chester’s unlock and uncover a biodiverse design for living that exists far beyond their farm, its seasons, and our wildest imagination.
When Steve Bannon left his position as White House chief strategist less than a week after the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally in August 2017, he was already a notorious figure in Trump's inner circle, and for bringing a far-right ideology into the highest echelons of American politics. Unconstrained by an official post - though some say he still has a direct line to the White House - he became free to peddle influence as a perceived kingmaker, turning his controversial brand of nationalism into a global movement. THE BRINK follows Bannon through the 2018 mid-term elections in the United States, shedding light on his efforts to mobilize and unify far-right parties in order to win seats in the May 2019 European Parliamentary elections. To maintain his power and influence, the former Goldman Sachs banker and media investor reinvents himself - as he has many times before.
Former actor Lila Avilés’s striking debut feature is a nuanced observational drama following Eve (Gabriela Cartol), a maid at a luxury hotel in Mexico City. A young single mother, she aspires to better things and hopes her diligence at the hotel will be rewarded. But, enrolling in its education programme, she finds it’s not necessarily the most hard-working who are targeted for advancement. Employing a quasi-documentary approach, Avilés’s camera accompanies Eve as she enters each indistinguishable hotel room, cleaning up another stranger’s anonymous yet intimate messes. As she makes friends, engages in a flirtation and works towards promotion, we become privy to her journey of self-discovery, her desires, doubts and dreams. Alongside dry humour and thoughtful insights into matters of class, privilege and exploitation in the hotel, a microcosm of Mexican society, The Chambermaid offers moments of beauty and tenderness that feel like glimmers of humanity.
Comic dynamo Awkafina gives a fantastic dramatic performance in Lulu Wang’s award-winning new film, rapturously received by critics. Both funny and melancholy, graceful, sophisticated and extraordinarily moving, The Farewell is based on a true story and sees Awkafina play New Yorker Billi, who returns to China when she’s told her beloved grandmother Nai Nai has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But their farewell is complicated by the fact that her family aren’t planning to tell Nai Nai she is dying – and Billi is asked to take part in the ruse.
Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. Queen Anne occupies the throne but is frail, so Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. New servant Abigail arrives and while Sarah is caught up in the politics of war, she fills in as the Queen's companion. Their friendship gives Abigail a chance to fulfill her ambition of returning to her aristocratic roots and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.
Set over one summer, the film follows precocious 6-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World.
The protagonist, 13-year-old Theodore Decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum where his mother dies. While staggering through the debris, he takes with him a small Dutch Golden Age painting called The Goldfinch. It becomes a singular source of hope for him as he descends into a world of crime.
Con artist Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life. Mirren and McKellen star together on screen for the first time in this suspenseful drama about the secrets people keep and the lies they live. “It's Mirren and McKellen who make it sing. When the focus is on them as a couple, they're a joy. They are the new Hepburn and Tracy.’ Times
THE HAPPY PRINCE is a biographical drama in which an ailing Oscar Wilde tries to make ends meet while exiled in France. Directed by and starring Everett, this poignant dramatisation of Wilde’s final years in exile is a powerful parable of passion and redemption' PB The Guardian Rupert Everett finally brings his Wilde to the big screen in this self-directed feature that focuses chiefly on Oscar Wilde’s ‘exile’ years after he was released from prison. A clear passion project that reminds you just how good Everett can be, BBFC Insight -very strong language, strong nudity, drug misuse.
THE KEEPER tells the extraordinary love story between a young English woman and a German Prisoner of War, who together overcome prejudice, public hostility, and personal tragedy.
Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother -- and former heir to the throne -- has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.
A young boy with Down syndrome runs away to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional wrestler in this goodnatured, heartfelt adventure comedy-drama, a modern-day spin on Mark Twain’s 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' backed by the producers of Little Miss Sunshine. Zak (performer, teacher and disability advocate Zack Gottsagen, around whom the film was crafted) lives in a nursing home but dreams of becoming a wrestler. Running away to try and find the wrestling school of his idol, the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church), he meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a small time outlaw, on the road – and together they team up, winding through deltas, eluding capture and convincing Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a nursing home employee charged with Zak’s return, to join them.
THE POST is a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post's Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper and editor Ben Bradlee, as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers - and their very freedom - to help bring long-buried truths to light.
A criminologist narrates the tale of the newly engaged couple Brad Majors and Janet Weiss who find themselves lost and with a flat tyre on a cold and rainy late November evening. Seeking a telephone, the couple walk to a nearby castle where they discover a group of strange and outlandish people who are holding an Annual Transylvanian Convention. They are soon swept into the world of Dr. Frank N. Furter, a self-proclaimed "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania".
A young man of just 22, dressed in a black beret and a dark narrow suit, is on an aeroplane flying from St Petersburg to Paris. It is 1961 and Rudolf Nureyev, not yet the imperious figure of legend, is a member of the world-renowned Kirov Ballet Company, travelling for the first time outside the Soviet Union. Parisian life delights Nureyev and the young dancer is eager to consume all the culture, art and music the dazzling city has to offer. But the KGB officers who watch his every move become increasingly suspicious of his behavior and his friendship with the young Parisienne Clara Saint. When they finally confront Nureyev with a shocking demand, he is forced to make a heart-breaking decision, one that may change the course of his life forever and put his family and friends in terrible danger.
After nearly forty years of marriage, Joan and Joe are complements. Joe enjoys his very public role as a Great American Novelist, the devoted Joan pours her considerable intellect, charm, and diplomacy into the private role of Great Man's Wife. Joe is about to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Joan is about to drop a bombshell. It’s a pleasure simply to watch Close and Pryce at their considerable best. Poignant and powerful.
The Zookeeper's Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the German invasion.
TOLKIEN explores the formative years of the renowned author’s life as he finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists at school. Their brotherhood strengthens as they grow up and weather love and loss together, including Tolkien’s tumultuous courtship of his beloved Edith Bratt, until the outbreak of the First World War which threatens to tear their fellowship apart. All of these experiences would later inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.
Top Hat is perhaps the archetypal Fred n' Ginger movie, with a fantastic Irving Berlin score ("Cheek to Cheek", " 'Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails"), faultless Hermes Pan dance routines which show exactly why they were such a celebrated pair of toe-tappers, and a typically romantic plot. Recently married Horace Hardwick persuades his friend Jerry Travers (Astaire) to follow his lead and find himself a wife. Dale Tremont (Rogers) lives in the room below Travers and is disturbed by his spontaneous song and dance routines. She goes to his room to complain: they meet; he gets up to all sorts of amusing tricks to be with her; numerous romantic duets ensue.
The middle age bon-vivant Max is a former gangster and close friend of his partner Riton. They have stolen eight gold bars of 12 kg each that worth 50-million francs and Max has kept them hidden for their retirement. Riton's mistress Josy is tired of him and has found a new lover to support her, Angelo, who is a dangerous gangster. Riton has made a comment to Josy about the gold and soon Angelo discovers that Max and Riton have the stolen gold. He abducts Riton to force Max to give the gold to him. Will Max exchange his gold for Riton?
Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy named Forky. The adventurous journey turns into an unexpected reunion as Woody's slight detour leads him to his long-lost friend Bo Peep. As Woody and Bo discuss the old days, they soon start to realise that they're two worlds apart when it comes to what they want from life as a toy.
Nineteen year-old Franco-Arab Malik El Djebena is just starting his six year prison sentence in Brécourt. Although he has spent the better part of his life in juvenile detention, this stint is his first in an adult prison. Beyond the division of Corsicans and Muslims in the prison (the Corsicans who with their guard connections rule what happens in the prison), he has no known friends or enemies inside. He is just hoping to serve his time in peace and without incident, despite having no prospects once he's out of jail since he's illiterate and has no support outside of the prison. Due to logistics, the head of Corsican inmates, a sadistic mafioso named César Luciani, co-opts Malik as part of the Corsicans' activities, not only regarding what happens inside the prison, but also continued criminal activities outside. The innocent Malik has no idea what to do but cooperate.
Everything changes for Eva when she receives a life insurance cheque accidentally made out for $5,000,000 instead of the expected $50 thousand. She and her best friend take the money and head out for the adventure of a lifetime.
Delightful and infectiously joyous, star Jessie Buckley radiates charisma as a young woman balancing her dreams of musical stardom with the responsibilities of motherhood. Fresh out of jail and with two young kids, Rose- Lynn Harlan is bursting with raw talent, cheek and a dream of getting out of Glasgow to make it as a country singer in Nashville. But her mum Marion has had a bellyful. Forced to take responsibility, Rose-Lynn gets a cleaning job, only to find an unlikely champion.
This intelligent feel-good film tackles urgent global issues with wry humour and a playful, genre-bending wit. Independent, feisty 40-something Halla is not just the life and soul of the local choir but also leads a double life as an undercover environmental activist. As "The Woman of the Mountain," Halla secretly wages a one-woman-war of industrial sabotage to protect the pristine beauty of Iceland’s highlands. Erlingsson’s follow-up to the eccentric comedy Of Horses and Men is a hugely enjoyable call to arms that delivers laughs hand-in-hand with an urgent environmental and human message.
Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to discover their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.
Yesterday, everyone knew The Beatles. Today, only Jack remembers their songs. He’s about to become a very big deal. From Academy Award®-winning director Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter , comes a rock-n-roll comedy about music, dreams, friendship, and the long and winding road that leads to the love of your life.
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