• Friday 4 April for 2 weeks

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (PG)

(US 2008) dir. Mark Waters 96m. Digital.
Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Nick Nolte, Mary-Louise Parker, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn.

Based on the well-known series of books, this masterful family thriller will not disappoint. Recently-single mum (Mary-Louise Parker) and her three children move into a creepy mansion on the Spiderwick Estate that has been in their family for generations. The children soon find themselves caught up in a world they didn't know existed, full of mystical characters and secrets. With a scene-stealing performance from Freddie Highmore (of FINDING NEVERLAND and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY fame) this Spring break matinee is a wonderfully engaging, suspenseful fantasy that both children and adults alike will find delightful.

• Friday 4 April for 1 week

FUNNY GAMES (18)

(UK/US/France/Austria 2007) dir. Michael Haneke 111m. Digital.
Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart.

Michael Haneke revisits his explosive psychological 1997 thriller that brilliantly played cat-and mouse games with both characters and audiences. The setting may have changed but the violence/voyeur debate that Haneke continued to explore in such movies as THE PIANO TEACHER and HIDDEN is as relevant as ever. Anna (Naomi Watts) and George (Tim Roth) find their holiday home invaded by a pair of young, articulate serial killers. They hold the family hostage and initiate a series of violent and sadistic games. This is movie making on the edge, in turns elegant, disorientating and disturbing, a powerful and shocking parable from a master filmmaker that in the end is only as violent as you want it to be.

• Friday 11 April for 1 week

YOU, THE LIVING (15)

(Sweden 2007) dir. Roy Andersson 93m. Subtitles. Digital.
Jessika Lundberg, Elisabeth Helander, Leif Larsson, Olle Olson.

There is nothing remotely like Roy Andersson's absurdly funny look at the drab banality that is Life itself. It begins with with a dream of bombs falling from the sky and ends with a blank vision of the Apocalypse. In between there are 50 snatches of the lives of others, a veritable litany of misery, frustration and desperation. Among the highlights: a tuba-player annoys his wife and neighbours with his loud practising, and complains lugubriously, during sex, about his diminishing pension plan; a carpenter stuck in a traffic jam relates a dream of being put in the electric chair for a joke; an ill-tempered consultant has a bad hair day. It all adds up to an hilarious search for the Meaning of Life that will drive you to dream or despair.

• Friday 18 April for 3 weeks

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (15)

(UK 2008) dir. Mike Leigh 118m. Digital.
Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman, Andrea Riseborough, Samuel Roukin, Sinead Matthews.

The new Mike Leigh – and we really do mean new. His first film since the award-laden VERA DRAKE could not be more different. Meet Poppy an optimistic and upbeat North London primary school teacher who constantly tries to brighten the lives of everyone she meets. Although some of her encounters are with those of a less sunny disposition, the results are never less than hilariously observed by a director who has always wittily recorded human foibles and idiosyncrasies. Once again he has captured exemplary performances from a brilliant ensemble cast and above all there is Sally Hawkins stealing the show as Poppy. Already the Best Actress award winner at Berlin, this is a performance to cherish in a movie that is quite simply irresistible.

• Friday 9 May for 1 week

PERSEPOLIS (12A)

(France/US 2007) dirs. Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi 96m. Digital.
Voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Sean Penn, Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands, Iggy Pop.

Artist and novelist Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical tale of a young girl's coming-of-age in Iran during the Islamic revolution is a brilliantly imaginative, visually extraordinary piece of animation. Based on Satrapi's acclaimed graphic novels, it records a journey from childhood innocence to teenage life abroad and a return home to a world that that has been transformed. PERSEPOLIS is an enthralling tale of a spirited young woman who has to deal with the consequences of her nation's history. It is certainly a moving story, but often one told with humour, and it offers a unique window on a turning-point of world history.

• Friday 9 May for 1 week

JOY DIVISION (15)

(UK/US 2007) dir. Grant Gee 100m. Digital.
Anton Corbjin, Ian Curtis, Tony Wilson, John Peel, Peter Saville, Annik Honore.

The highly acclaimed biopic of Ian Curtis, CONTROL, introduced the story of Joy Division. This documentary provides a broader, sharper and more revealing account of the influential late 1970s band and the tragic demise of their lead singer. But the film is in no way a mournful tribute, but rather a celebration of the grit and determination that would transform landscapes both urban and musical. The performance footage captures perfectly the powerful magnetism of the band's live performances. Not just a treat for Joy Division and New Order fans, this documentary is a must-see rollercoaster ride of 70s music and memories.

• Friday 16 May for 1 week

CARAMEL (PG)

(France/Lebanon 2007) dir. Nadine Labaki 96m. Subtitles. Digital.
Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Elmasri, Joanna Moukarzel, Gisèle Aouad, Adel Karam, Sihame Haddad.

The setting may be unfamiliar but the neatly drawn characters and situations of writer/director/actress Nadine Labaki's tales of a backstreet Beirut beauty salon will be instantly recognisable. CARAMEL is a life-affirming comedy beautifully played by an outstanding ensemble cast. The director herself plays Layale, the owner of the salon, who is having a passionate affair with a married policeman. Hairdresser Nisrine is about to get married, but faces a daunting obstacle and co-worker Rima is quietly struggling with her growing interest in women. And there's Jamale, a customer who virtually lives in the salon and is battling her age while Lili is the crazy aunt who collects parking tickets from car windshields. It's been described as 'Sex in the City' with brains and favourably compared to the Almodovar of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. Like that gem, CARAMEL is ultimately a movie about people, their lives, loves and dreams. You'll like it a lot.

• Friday 23 May for 2 weeks

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (12A)

(US 2008) dir. Steven Spielberg. 122m
Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent.

The Hero Returns! The adventure seeking archaeologist emerges from the cinematic sunset to face new challenges as he reaches for unattainable objects that take him to unthinkable places. Indy's long-awaited fourth instalment retains all the deadpan humour of the originals and George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's love of the escapist cinema of a more innocent age of good versus evil still shines through. A star studded cast of filmdom's finest give their all as friends and foes, new and old, and Harrison Ford is still the one and only Indiana Jones.