The Parents and Babies Club gives parents with babies a chance to visit the cinema, without having to find a baby sitter or worry about their babies causing a disturbance. The auditorium is lighter than usual, and there is a secure space for pushchairs. The Club is exclusively for parents with babies under one year old. Membership is free but you do need to sign up and receive a membership card to come to these screenings. You may join on the day, or email us: mail@riocinema.org.uk with your name, address, contact telephone number, your baby's name and date of birth. Tickets are at the normal matinee price of £5.50 and £4.50 Concessions.

CHILDREN OF MEN (15)

(UK/US 2006) dir.Alfonso Cuarón 120m.
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.

•• Thur 5 Oct 12.30

CHILDREN OF MEN (15)

(UK/US 2006) dir.Alfonso Cuarón 120m.
Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, Claire-Hope Ashitey.

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 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 (1996) and LOST IN LA MANCHA (2001), 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 siamese 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)

• Thur 12 Oct 1.00

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)

• Tue 17 Oct 12.45

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.

• Thur 19 Oct 12.45

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.

• Thur 2 Nov 12.30

VOLVER (15)

(Spain 2006) dir.Pedro Almodóvar 121m. Subtitles.
Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, Chus Lampreave, María Isabel Díaz.

"With its overwhelming richness, its colour and warmth, Almodóvar's new movie is set to capture your heart. The picture's ingenuities and contrivances just seem to float out of the screen, like psychedelic moodshapes. Penélope Cruz is Raimunda, a hard-working woman with a teenage daughter, Paula, and a feckless, layabout husband, whose family life shatters with one terrible act of violence. No other director has as much swoon factor as Pedro Almodóvar. What a triumph for this great European director who just seems to get better and better."
(Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian)

• Tue 7 Nov 1.15

THE PAGE TURNER (La tourneuse de pages) (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)

• Thur 9 Nov 1.15

THE PAGE TURNER (15)

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

• Tue 14 Nov 12.15

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.

• Thur 16 Nov 12.00

LOOK BOTH WAYS (12A)

(2006 Australia) dir.Sarah Watt 101m.
Justine Clarke, William McInnes, Anthony Hayes, Lisa Flanagan, Andrew S. Gilbert.

"Only an Australian could make such a warm, gentle comedy about how death is all around us. Meryl is a sympathy card illustrator with a pessimistic streak, imagining disaster around every corner. When she witnesses a fatal train incident, she meets newspaper photographer Nick, who has lived life to the full and has just been diagnosed with cancer. The central idea is that everyone is living on the brink, and no one can really know what anyone else is facing. Watts examines this theme in an artful, effective way that gets far beneath our skin. What emerges is an involving, thoughtful examination of how people connect with each other."
(Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall)

• Tue 21 Nov 12.15

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.

• Tue 28 Nov 1.00

THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE (18)

(US 2006) dir.Mary Harron 91m.
Gretchen Mol, Chris Bauer, Jared Harris, Sarah Paulson.

"The pin-up who titillated the libido of '40s and '50s America, Bettie Page emerges from this picaresque account of her life as a sympathetic, even wholesome victim of reputation. As played terrifically by Gretchen Mol, Bettie is sweet-natured and tolerant, God-fearing and sincere but proud to provide a little pleasure and have some fun along the way. Harron proves her aptitude for period pop culture with spot-on soundtrack choices and design details."
(Ben Walters, Time Out)

• Thur 30 Nov 12.30

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)

• Tue 5 Dec 12.30

PAN'S LABYRINTH (15)

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

• Thur 7 Dec 12.45

HARSH TIMES (15)

(US 2006) dir.David Ayer 115m.
Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Tammy Trull, Adriana Millan, Eva Longoria.

"The directorial debut of TRAINING DAY screenwriter David Ayer features yet another sensational and transformational performance from Christian Bale. Disturbed ex-US Ranger Jim spends his days either south of the border with his Mexican fiancée, or riding around LA with his childhood friend Mike getting wasted. When Jim's eventually offered a post with Homeland Security, he must choose between being a Fed and being with his mamisita. Ayer goes for the jugular at all times and the grainy, handheld camerawork adds to the scuzzy authenticity."
(Mark Salisbury, Time Out)