16 Mar 11 Director: Bong Joon-Ho South Korea 2009 129 min When an ageing herbalist (and back-street acupuncturist) discovers her mentally challenged son is to be tried for the murder of a young girl after a drunken night out, she embarks on a relentless quest for justice, no matter the emotional cost. Gorgeously photographed, flawlessly… Continue reading Madeo – Mother
Category: Film season 2010-2011
A Boy Called Dad
30 Mar 11 Director: Brian Percival UK 2009 79 min This contemporary British piece veers from ‘kitchen sink’ to chase movie featuring some powerful acting turns. Ian Hart is superb as feckless Liverpool painter and decorator Joe, who ran out on his young family years earlier. Newcomer Kyle Ward plays his son Robbie, now 14… Continue reading A Boy Called Dad
Samson And Delilah
22 Sept 10 Director: Warwick Thornton Australia 2009 101 min This near-silent, sun-bleached love story focuses on a rundown community in the Australian desert. Barely a word is spoken between disaffected, petrol-sniffing Samson and wary, sensible Delilah from start to finish; they communicate primarily in looks and gestures. This Oscar-winning exposé of the shocking methods… Continue reading Samson And Delilah
The Cove
20 Oct 10 Director: Louie Psihoyos USA 2009 91 min This Oscar-winning exposé of the shocking methods behind a highly lucrative dolphin entertainment industry plays out more like a thriller than a documentary. Now an activist working tirelessly for his cause, Richard O’Barry, formerly trainer of TV icon Flipper, leads the filmmakers as they plan… Continue reading The Cove
Son Of Rambow
17 Nov 10 Director: Garth Jennings UK 2007 96 min Will is the sheltered son of a strict religious family who has never watched TV; Lee is the school terror who convinces Will to help create their own VHS opus after seeing a pirate copy of Rambo: First Blood. Add the coolest French exchange student… Continue reading Son Of Rambow
Welcome
6 Oct 10 Director: Philippe Lioret France 2009 110 min Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish boy, has travelled through the Middle East and Europe to join his girlfriend who has settled in London with her family. When his journey comes to an abrupt end in France, he decides to swim across the Channel and goes to… Continue reading Welcome
Los Abrazos Rotos – Broken Embraces
3 Nov 10 Director: Pedro Almodóvar Spain 2009 128 min Renowned for his elegant, stylish films, Almodóvar’s love of cinema is condensed into the story of Harry Caine, a filmmaker whose personal life is as dramatic as his screen creations. Blinded in a car accident that also claimed the life of his lover, Lena, played… Continue reading Los Abrazos Rotos – Broken Embraces
Rashomon
01 Dec 10 Director: Akira Kurosawa Japan 1950 88 min Kurosawa’s epic samurai movies inspired such films as The Magnificent Seven, Star Wars and A Fistful of Dollars with their meticulously planned shots and expansive cinematography. This brilliantly executed early masterpiece is based on the challenging premise that truth can be subjective. The viewer witnesses… Continue reading Rashomon
A Prairie Home Companion
15 Dec 10 Director: Robert Altman USA 2006 105 min The final film by the great Robert Altman, A Prairie Home Companion is the big screen adaption of Garison Keillor’s radio show. The film showcases plenty of the director’s strengths: it’s got a gigantic cast and plenty of quirky acting and dialogue. Much like the… Continue reading A Prairie Home Companion
Frozen River
19 Jan 11 Director: Courtney Hunt USA 2008 97 min Ray (Melissa Leo) will do anything for her children – even bending the law. Underfed, underpaid and virtually unemployed, we join her as her no-good husband disappears to Atlantic City with the final payment for her dream mobile home. Teetering on a financial precipice, Ray,… Continue reading Frozen River