Sept 19^th.  In the Loop.  UK 2009.                                       

Armando Ianucci. 106 mins. Cert 15.

The timing of this wickedly funny film is impeccable. Any similarity to TV’s In the Thick of It – strictly intentional.  Characters – wholly obnoxious and recognisable.  Language – filthy swearing.Entertainment rating – judge for yourself! 

Oct 10^th.  Cherry Blossoms. 

Germany 2008.Doris Dorrie.  127 mins.  No Cert.

Those who recall The Visit will appreciate this film’s meeting of Japanese and German cultures.  A tender, if sometimes tearful tale, very well acted, bringing out the duality  of love and death and a sense that, like blossoms, every moment is worth grabbing. 

Oct 31^st.  Fugitive Pieces.

Canada 2009.Jeremy Podeswa. 108 mins. Cert 12A.

Anne Michael’s complex, poetic novel is here adapted into a somewhat stolid but warm-hearted film.  An adaptation that still manages to tease an affecting drama out of its thoughtful and intimate portrait of a man slowly warming to the beauty of life as he shakes off the ghosts of a family lost in the Holocaust.  

Nov 21^st.  The Italian. 

Russia 2005.Andrei Kravchuk.  99mins. Cert 12A.

A charming performance by young Kolya Spiridonov, who plays an orphan in provincial Russia, about to be adopted by an Italian couple (hence his nickname).  Running away to seek his blood mother before the transfer can be made, he faces life in provincial Russia with true resourcefulness. An engrossing drama unsentimentally told. 

Dec 12^th.  The Man in the White Suit. 

UK 1951. Alexander Mackendrick.  85 mins.  Cert U.

Those who enjoyed The Ladykillers will no doubt enjoy another of the director’s earlier edgy Ealing comedies.  Starring Alec Guinness, this film wittily portrays the inbuilt conservatism of British post-war industry and, by extension, Britain. Charity Night, members pay. 

Jan 9^th.  Emma’s Bliss. 

Germany 2006.Sven Taddicken.  99mins. Cert 15.

Love blossoms along with the weeds on Emma’s unconventional pig farm when a stolen car, filled with dosh, crashes into her yard.  Wry humour and a quirky sub-plot make rising young director Taddicken’s first feature-length film a thoughtful pleasure.   

Jan 23^rd.  PM/EVENING SESSION.  Three Colours Trilogy: Blue/White/Red. 

Krzysztof Kieslowski.  France/Poland 1993/94. 98, 92 & 99 mins*. Cert R.

Liberty, Equality & Fraternity are each explored in separate stories: beautiful, sombre, sexy and humorous.  Starring in the first Juliette Binoche; in the second Zbigniew Zamachouski and Julie Delpy; and Irene Jacob and Jean-Louis Trintignant in the third, the trilogy has gathered a clutch of Oscars, Golden Globes and other awards. Can be viewed individually or as a trilogy for the full experience as Kieslowski intended.  (*Blue will be shown at 3pm, White at 5.15pm and Red at 8pm.)  Pot Luck Supper.  All members bring food to share.  

Feb 6^th.  Caramel. 

Lebanon 2008.  Nadine Labaki.  96 mins.

A hair salon in Beirut provides the lively background for a group of women to reclaim the human side of their city, better known in the media for its long-running civil war.  It gives a realistic picture of the pressures faced by Moslem women but without pandering to Western misconceptions. 

Feb 27^th.  Silent Movie.  The Man with the Movie Camera. 

Russia 1929. Dziga Vertov. 65 mins.

Enhanced by his own specially composed music, Paul Shallcross brings us “an experiment in the cinematic communication of visible events. A feature film without intertitles, a scenario and without the aid of ‘theatre’ such as sets, actors and the rest”. He will also bring a classic comedy short.  

March 13^th. The Story of the Weeping Camel.

Germany/Mongolia 2004.Byambasuren Davas. 91mins. Cert U.

A cinematic oasis, combining both drama and documentary of life in the Gobi desert.  Life-affirming and refreshing, though occasionally sentimental: that’s cute newborn baby animals for you. 

March 27^th. Bicycle Thieves. 

Italy 1948.Vittoria de Sica.  94 mins.  Cert PG.

After the false rhetoric of Fascism had been exposed, Italian film-makers went in search of the truth and found it in everyday life. Taken from a fact-based novel and using non-professional actors, De Sica lets the bare facts of the film dictate its style.  Avoiding the cry of propaganda or despair, this is clearly the work of an artist. 

April 17^th. Of Time and the City.

UK 2008.Terence Davies.  74 mins.  Cert 12A.

Terence Davies returns to his native Liverpool to explore how a city can change both itself and the people growing up under its influence.  A love song and a eulogy to the city, the film reflects on the experience of losing a sense of place as the skyline changes and time takes its toll.   

May 8^th. Honeydripper.

USA 2008.  125 mins.John Sayles.  Cert PG.

In the Deep South in 1950 in the town of Harmony, things are far from harmonious and the Honeydripper Lounge is in danger of bankruptcy.  Proprietor Tyrone Purvis is forced to take stern measures.  He hires a wandering minstrel who turns out to be the harbinger of a change in popular music, anticipating the Civil Rights Movement.