• Friday 29 September for 1 week

CHILDREN OF MEN (15)

(UK/US 2006) dir. Alfonso Cuarón 109m
Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, Claire-Hope Ashitey.

Alfonso Cuarón is certainly one of the most versatile and prolific directors of his generation. After his latest commercial and critical success with HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, Cuarón is back with an imaginative sci-fi thriller about civilisation on the verge of extinction.

London 2027. The world’s youngest citizen has just died at 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. While science is at loss to explain why man can no longer procreate, the world is being ravaged by violence and nationalistic factions at war. However, hope comes in the shape of unlikely hero Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a disillusioned ex-peace-activist-turned-civil-servant. Theo agrees to help his revolutionary ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore) protect and transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of mankind. Carried by beautiful lead performances from Owen and Moore, this dark, gripping dystopian tale echoes contemporary fears about the future of humankind.

• Friday 6 October for 1 week

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (U)

(US 2006) dir.Davis Guggenheim 97m. Documentary. With All Gore.

“Or what Al Gore did next. Whatever the ex-US vice-president’s broader motives for making this film now, you can’t fault his sincerity, rigour and energy as he pleads, with recourse to blinding graphs and damning photo evidence, that we all need to sit up and realise that global warming is neither a wacky theory nor a political manifesto, but stone-cold reality. This unashamed campaigning documentary succeeds on three main counts: it is utterly convincing, it’s emotionally powerful and it makes Gore look more charming than he ever did as a presidential candidate. Footage of him at the lectern, palatable science and mild gags at the ready, runs alongside a brief history of his awakening to the cause, from his student days in the 1970s to his time in the Senate in the 1980s. References to the current US administration are short but sharp: ‘Is it possible we should prepare for other threats besides terrorists?’ he asks. Good question – and one which would still cut short the ambition of any mainstream American politician.”
(Dave Calhoun, Time Out)

• Friday 6 October for 1 week

BROTHERS OF THE HEAD (18)

(UK 2006) dirs.Keith Fulton & Louis Pepe 93m.
Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway, Bryan Dick, Sean Harris, Tania Emery, Elizabeth Rider.

“THIS IS A SPINAL TAP meets STUCK ON YOU with a heavy dose of '70s Brit-rock grunge, in this loopy mockumentary. This feature debut by Yank duo Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe isn't so far from their engrossing docus on Terry Gilliam's filmic adventures, THE HAMSTER FACTOR and LOST IN LA MANCHA, except here the madness and exploitation is part of the music scene. The screenplay by occasional Gilliam collaborator Tony Grisoni, based on the 1977 illustrated novel by Brian Aldiss, plunges straight into its invented world. A lawyer (Jonathan Pryce) treks across a desolate patch of the eastern England coastline to the home of conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe (Harry & Luke Treadaway), where father Albert (Roger Watkins) signs a contract. The film backgrounds the quieter Tom and more manic Barry. Fulton and Pepe move freely between interviews in the present and docu footage from the past. The dialogue is so right-on for its era and period detail so real that the mockumentary sucks the viewer into its created world. The performances by the largely no-name cast are spot-on.”
(Derek Elley, Variety)

There will be a Q&A with Tony Grisoni after the 8.50 screening on Sat 7 Oct.

• Friday 13 October for 2 weeks

THE HISTORY BOYS (15)

(UK 2006) dir.Nicholas Hytner 109m.
Richard Griffiths, Stephen Campbell Moore, Frances de la Tour, Samuel Barnett, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Jamie Parker, Russell Tovey.

Why try to improve upon perfection? Thankfully and wisely, this film version of Alan Bennett's modern classic has reunited the original cast and director of the National Theatre's international multi-award winning production.
Sheffield 1982, and a group of 18 year old grammar school boys are trying to cope with adolescence, A-Levels, sex and their headmaster's ambition to join the hallowed ranks of those schools whose pupils regularly win places at Oxford or Cambridge. Even more uncertainties are caused by the arrival of new teacher Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore) which creates divisions amongst the group already loyal to the hugely eccentric, poetry-spouting English master Hector. He's a teacher whose methods are questionable but whose commitment certainly isn't. As portrayed by the wonderful Richard Griffith, Hector is irresistible, and the performances by the boys, particularly the double act of Dominic Cooper and James Corden, are spot on. Bennett's writing is as witty, articulate and wry as ever. There are some great one-liners and a definition of History which, like the film itself, just cannot be bettered.

• Friday 27 October for 1 week

HOKKABAZ (The Magician) (*)

(Turkey 2006) dirs.Cem Yilmaz & Ali Taner Baltaci 123m. Subtitles.
Cem Yilmaz, Tuna Orhan, Mazhar Alanson, Ozlem Tekin.

The latest film to star enormously popular Turkish comedian Cem Yilmaz. Yilmaz is best known in the UK for his big budget sci-fi spoof GORA but he is a huge star – and a multi faceted one – in Turkey and here gets a co-director credit as well as the starring role. To most people Iskender (Cem Yilmaz) is a clown. In fact he is trying to make a living as a magician, but without much success – the only person who believes in him is his childhood friend Maradonna (Tuna Orhan). Together they dream of a better life, and decide to embark on a tour of Anatolia to escape the hustle and bustle of the streets of Istanbul – with the aim of making as much money as possible. However things don't start well when they are forced to take Iskender's father, the mad Sait, along with them. And at their first performance, a surprise awaits them. Be prepared to laugh and cry as you follow them on their journey.

• Friday 3 November for 1 week

THE PAGE TURNER (15)

(France 2006) dir.Denis Dercourt 85m. Subtitles.
Déborah François, Catherine Frot, Pascal Greggory, Antoine Martynciow, Jacques Bonnaffé, Christine Citti.

“Tension and innuendo swirl through this creepy French drama, which so gleefully deploys the tricks of the evil nanny genre. Mélanie (Julie Richalet/Déborah François) is a promising 10-year-old pianist whose dreams are dashed by the thoughtless behaviour of celebrity musician Ariane (Catherine Frot) at her big final exam. A decade later, she finds herself interning at the law firm of Ariane's husband (Pascal Greggory), quickly volunteering to watch their pre-teen son (Antoine Martynciow) for the summer. So she moves in with the family, and slowly sets about extracting her revenge. We chuckle as filmmaker Dercourt knowingly drops hints and red herrings all over the place. And in many ways the film is just a big waiting game, as we patiently remain on the edge of our seats wondering what Mélanie's plotting. It lingers in the memory long after the film ends and this is mainly due to the astonishingly cool performance of Déborah François (THE CHILD), who gives away so much with the tiniest of glances. While those around her expertly nail their naively trusting characters. Dercourt toys brilliantly with our expectations.”
(Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall)

• Friday 10 November for 2 weeks

THE PRESTIGE (12A)

(UK/US 2006) dir.Christopher Nolan 130m.
Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Ricky Jay.

From acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan (MEMENTO, BATMAN BEGINS) comes one of the most dazzlingly original and enjoyable films of the year. It's the tale of two magicians whose intense rivalry becomes a life-long battle for supremacy. From the time that they first meet as young illusionists in 1890's London, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are both friends and competitors. However, when an escape trick ends in tragedy, they become the fiercest of enemies. Obsession, deceit and jealousy escalate as the two men desperately try to discover the other's secrets – with deadly consequences.

Bale keeps us guessing with another fine portrayal of a mysterious, slightly unhinged character, this time the rough-and-ready Cockney magician Borden; Hugh Jackman is excellent as the increasingly obsessed Angier who will do anything to outdo his rival. Support comes from the great Michael Caine as Angier's good-hearted ingénieur, Scarlett Johansen as the glamorous assistant who comes between the two men, and David Bowie as enigmatic electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, creator of the ultimate illusion. Co-writer/director Nolan creates a world where the narrative plays as many tricks on the audience as his characters. The amazing number of twists and turns make THE PRESTIGE a mesmerising and, of course, magical movie experience.

• Friday 24 November for 2 weeks

PAN’S LABYRINTH (15)

(Spain/Mexico 2006) Guillermo del Toro 120m. Subtitles.
Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Ivana Baquero, Alex Angulo, Doug Jones, Ariadne Gil.

“Del Toro makes amazing children's movies for grown-ups (see THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE); this spellbinding story parallels a young girl's fantastical odyssey with the grim realities of war. In rebel-filled 1944 Spain, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels with her mother (Ariadne Gil) to an isolated hideout, where her stern stepfather (Sergi López) captains a military outpost, searching the woods for insurgents. With her mother heavily pregnant, Ofelia explores the surroundings, discovering an ancient stone labyrinth. Inside she encounters the creepy faun Pan (Doug Jones), who tells her she's a long-lost princess and can regain her throne if she accomplishes three dangerous tasks. Meanwhile, she realises that her stepfather's housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú) is helping the rebels. The dual story threads merge seamlessly in del Toro's elegant style – with warm, lamp-lit colours, deeply shaded characters and a forest whistling with restless leaves. Baquero has a remarkable ability to fully capture her character's inner life as she explores unexpected places. Both Gil and Verdú are excellent, as is López in a rare hard-edged role. This definitely isn't a movie for young children. And as the story moves toward it's heart-stopping climax, what the film has to say about imagination and fantasy becomes achingly resonant.”
(Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall)