Projects
Here's a list of films that are screening with Flicks in the Sticks.
In this atmospheric adaptation (filmed in Shrewsbury in 1984) of Charles Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol," Ebenezer Scrooge (George C Scott) learns the true meaning of Christmas when the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future visit him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem Cabaret brings 1931 Berlin to life. Outside on the street, the Nazi party is beginning to grow into a brutal political force, whilst inside at the Kit Kat Klub starry-eyed American, Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) and an impish Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey) sound the call for decadent fun. Into this heady world arrives British language teacher Brian Roberts (Michael York), who falls for Sally's charm, and soon the two of them find themselves embroiled in the turmoil and decadence of the era.
Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is largley the abode of men, where Indian scout Calamity Jane is as hard-riding, boastful, and handy with a gun as any; quite an overpowering personality. But the army lieutenant she favours doesn't really appreciate her finer qualities. One of Jane's boasts brings her to Chicago to recruit an actress for the Golden Garter stage. Arrived, the lady in question appears (at first) to be a more feminine rival for the favours of Jane's male friends… including her friendly enemy Wild Bill Hickock.
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.
Following audience favourites ‘Stories from the Hop Yards’ and ‘Chewing the Cud’, this new Catcher Media film delves deep into the Derek Evans photographic archive from the 1950s-1970s to explore the county’s enduring memories of the May Fair, Hereford United FC, Derek’s Studio, music, rural life, childhood, Fownhope Heart of Oak Walk, and much, much more. “Spellbinding from start to finish” “The people telling their stories were utterly engaging and charming” “Funny, moving and enlightening and the photography is fantastic. What a brilliant resource, linking us to the past of Herefordshire
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.
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.
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.
May 1940. Four hundred thousand British and French soldiers are hole up in the French port town of Dunkirk. The only way out is via sea, and the Germans have air superiority, bombing the British soldiers and ships without much opposition. In desperation, Britain sends civilian boats in addition to its hard-pressed Navy to try to evacuate the beleaguered forces. This 2017 film is that story, seen through the eyes of a soldier, two Royal Air Force fighter pilots, and a group of civilians on their boat who are part of the evacuation fleet.
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.
Anna is a bereft young German woman whose fiance, Frantz, was killed in the trenches of World War I. Adrien, a French veteran of the war, makes a mysterious appearance in her town, placing flowers on Frantz's grave. Adrien's presence is met with resistance by the small community still reeling from Germany's defeat, yet Anna gradually becomes closer to the handsome and melancholy young man, as she learns of his deep friendship with Frantz.
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.
When nine-year-old Tom discovers that Santa Claus has crashed his sleigh into his parent's garden shed he tries to get his dad Steve to help him get Santa home to Lapland in time for Christmas. There is just one problem: Santa's reindeer have escaped and are running wild through the streets of London.
A musical about teens in love in the 50's! It's California 1959 and Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson are enjoying a summer romance. When the holidays end and they go back to school, what neither of them knows is that they both now attend Rydell High. Danny's the leader of the T-Birds, a group of black leather jacket-wearing greasers while good-girl Sandy falls in with the Pink Ladies. When they clash at Rydell's first pep rally, Danny isn't the same Danny from the beach. But, hopelessly devoted, they both try to be like each other so they can be together!
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.
All the hot gamblers are in town, and they're all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up this week's incarnation of "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York"; the only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who's short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan's $1000 bet that he can't get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time; and the music/lyrics of Frank Loesser, and you've got quite a musical.
Forever exploited by everyone in the village the sweet natured Lazzaro’s dreamy innocence throws a harsh light on the ways of the world. His unlikely friendship with the Marchesa’s petulant son Tancredi sets in motion a series of events that will change their ‘frozen in time’ world forever. This film mixes images of Italian class struggle, folk tales, biblical allegory, and pop culture with a genuine vision of a different way to live that gives you a lot to think about.
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.
In 1892, after nearly two decades of fighting the Cheyenne, the Apache, and the Comanche natives, the United States Cavalry Captain and war hero, Joseph Blocker, is ordered to escort the ailing Cheyenne chief, Yellow Hawk--his most despised enemy--to his ancestral home in Montana's Valley of the Bears. Nauseated with a baleful anger, Joseph's unwelcome final assignment in the feral American landscape is further complicated, when the widowed settler, Rosalie Quaid, is taken in by the band of soldiers, as aggressive packs of marauding Comanches who are still on the warpath, are thirsty for blood. In a territory crawling with hostiles, can the seasoned Captain do his duty one last time?
Kristin Scott Thomas provides a towering performance as a woman released from prison after fifteen years, and taken in by her sister and her family, but remains haunted by her past. Prize-winning novelist and sometime screenwriter Philippe Claudel makes a polished, poignant debut with this gripping drama.
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.
In a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before.
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.
When Jimmy Logan gets fired, he convinces his brother Clyde and sister Mellie to help him rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the annual Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Race. But they will need the help of Joe Bang, a convicted safe-cracker who is currently doing time. All they have to do is break Joe out, blow the racetrack vault, get away with the cash, return Joe to prison, and get Jimmy to his daughter's beauty pageant on time. What could possibly go wrong? Well, there is the Logan family curse …
Set in contemporary London in the two months before Christmas, it weaves together a series of touching and hilarious stories, which end in not one, but lots and lots of romantic climaxes on Christmas Eve.
Decades after her original visit, the magical nanny returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives.
A little girl discovers dreams do come true if you really believe. Six-year-old Susan has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle - Santa Claus. Her mother told her the "secret" about Santa a long time ago, so Susan doesn't expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa who's convinced he's the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all - something to believe in.
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 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
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.
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.
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.
SKIN is one of the most extraordinary stories to emerge from apartheid South Africa: Sandra Laing is a black child born in the 1950s to white Afrikaners (Sam Neill), unaware of their black ancestry, who raise their child as a "white girl". But from the age of ten Sandra is shunned by white society, thus begins Sandra's thirty-year struggle to reconcile her heritage and find acceptance in a society torn by race and politics.
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.
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
In 1862, pioneering meteorologist James Glaisher (Redmayne) teams up with daredevil balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Jones) to fly higher than anyone in history. While their voyage to the very edge of existence helps the unlikely pair find their place in the world, they face physical and emotional challenges in the thin air, as the ascent becomes a fight for survival. There's something amiably Quixotic about this recklessly dangerous flight to advance human knowledge of the weather, something innocent. So hold tight to the wicker basket and go along for a ride that is beautifully rendered, thrilling and engaging. “It's beautifully shot, oddly gripping, and as they've proved before, Jones and Redmayne make a compelling double act.” Irish Independent
After the release of Jake Blues from prison, he and brother Elwood go to visit "The Penguin", the last of the nuns who raised them in a boarding school. They learn the Archdiocese will stop supporting the school and will sell the place to the Education Authority. The only way to keep the place open is if the $5000 tax on the property is paid within 11 days. The Blues Brothers want to help, and decide to put their blues band back together and raise the money by staging a big gig. As they set off on their "mission from God" they seem to make more enemies along the way. Will they manage to come up with the money in time?
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 (originally highlighted by popular podcast ‘This American Life’), and sees Awkafina play New Yorker Billi, who returns to China when she’s told her beloved grandmother Nai Nai (Shuzhen Zhou) 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.
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
Orphaned, penniless but ambitious and with a mind crammed with imagination and fresh ideas, the American Phineas Taylor Barnum will always be remembered as the man with the gift to effortlessly blur the line between reality and fiction. Thirsty for innovation and hungry for success, the son of a tailor will manage to open a wax museum but will soon shift focus to the unique and peculiar, introducing extraordinary, never-seen-before live acts on the circus stage. Some will call Barnum's wide collection of oddities, a freak show; however, when the obsessed for cheers and respectability showman gambles everything on the opera singer Jenny Lind to appeal to a high-brow audience, he will somehow lose sight of the most important aspect of his life: his family. Will Barnum risk it all to be accepted?
A new, smart version of Dr Seuss’s classic children’s tale about the infamous Grinch, a grumpy creature who plots to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl's generous holiday spirit. With only his loyal dog for company, the Grinch lives a solitary life inside a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs. His neighbours are nothing but a pain who disrupt his tranquil solitude each year with their increasingly bigger, brighter and louder celebrations. Funny, heart-warming, and visually stunning, this is an ever-popular story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.
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.
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.
This is about the adventure of Rex, the British monarch's most beloved dog, who loses track of his mistress and stumbles across a clan with dogs of all kinds confronting and fighting each other. During his epic journey to return to the Queen, Rex falls in love and discovers his true self.
In 1930's Austria, a young woman named Maria is failing miserably in her attempts to become a nun. When the Navy captain Georg Von Trapp writes to the convent asking for a governess that can handle his seven mischievous children, Maria is given the job. The Captain's wife is dead, and he is often away, and runs the household as strictly as he does the ships he sails on. The children are unhappy and resentful of the governesses that their father keeps hiring, and have managed to run each of them off one by one. When Maria arrives, she is initially met with the same hostility, but her kindness, understanding, and sense of fun soon draws them to her and brings some much-needed joy into all their lives -- including the Captain's. Eventually he and Maria find themselves falling in love, even though Georg is already engaged to a Baroness and Maria is still a postulant. The romance makes them both start questioning the decisions they have made. Their personal conflicts soon become overshadowed, however, by world events. Austria is about to come under the control of Germany, and the Captain may soon find himself drafted into the German navy and forced to fight against his own country.
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.
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.
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.
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.