• Friday 6 June for 1 week

MONGOL (15)

(Germany/Kazakhstan/Russia/Mongolia 2007) dir. Sergei Bodrov 125m. Subtitles. Digital.
Tadanobu Asano, Honglei Sun, Khulan Chuluun, Amadu Mamadakov, Ba Sen, Bu Ren.

MONGOL is epic movie making at its most spectacular and breathtaking. Filmed entirely in Mongolia and Kazakhstan, it's the story of Genghis Khan, the slave who united his people and went on to conquer half the Medieval world. Director Sergei Bodrov captures a world in which nomadic life is harsh, and the climate and terrain of Central Asia even harsher. This is an insightful and rounded portrait of the legendary ruler, but equally prominent is the character of Borte, Genghis Khan's strong, resourceful first wife and his lifelong adviser. The mix of folklore and fact is hauntingly complemented by the music of Mongolian band Altan Urgan.

• Friday 13 June for 1 week

IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS (15)

(US 2007) dir. Alex Holridge 100m. Digital.
Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, Brian McGuire, Kathleen Luong, Twink Caplan.

New Year's Eve. Wilson (McNairy) has just endured the worst year of his life and is determined to pass on the festivities and be home alone. But he is persuaded to post an ad for a last minute companion on an internet dating site, and consequently meets Vivian (Simmonds), a headstrong and uncompromising woman determined not to be on her own at the stroke of midnight. Strikingly filmed in black-and-white and refreshingly using little-seen L.A. locations, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS is Woody Allen's MANHATTAN revisited for a new millenium. It's also a little gem with a huge heart and one of the best movies of the year.

• Friday 20 June for 1 week

THE EDGE OF LOVE (15)

(UK 2008) dir. John Maybury 111m. Digital
Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Rhys.

The story of the other Dylan, the equally legendary Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet, author of Under Milk Wood and dedicated alcoholic, told through his affairs with two feisty, free-spirited women. When Thomas (Rhys) meets his childhood sweetheart Vera (Knightley) during World War Two old feelings reappear. But Thomas is now married to the equally wild Caitlin (Miller). Despite the unusual circumstances, the two women forge an unlikely bond, and a friendship that survives the conflict and turmoil of their love for one man. Moving from blitz-ridden London to the Welsh countryside, this poignant and touching story is as outstandingly original as director John Maybury's LOVE IS THE DEVIL, the story of another twisted artistic genius, the painter Francis Bacon.

• Friday 27 June for 1 week

FEMALE AGENTS (Les Femmes de l’ombre) (15)

(France 2008) dir. Jean-Paul Salomé 117m. Subtitles. Digital.
Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Marie Gillain, Déborah François, Moritz Bleibtreu.

More evocatively known in France as LES FEMMES DE L'OMBRE, this is a gripping, star-studded tribute to a group of unsung heroes of World War Two. On the brink of D-Day 1944 Louise (Sophie Marceau) is instructed to round up a team who will be parachuted into France to rescue a captured British agent. Tough prostitute Jeanna (Julie Depardieu), explosives expert Gaelle (Déborah François) and showgirl Suzy (Marie Gillain) are then given the mission to kill Karl Heindrich (Moritz Bleibtreu), head of German military intelligence, who is thought to know the location of the pending Allied landings. Director Jean-Paul Salomé keeps the action and suspense going at breakneck speed but still delivers believable characters and situations with a conviction that is irresistibly entertaining.

• Friday 4 July for 6 days

COUSCOUS (La Graine et le mulet) (15)

(France 2007) dir. Abdel Kechiche 154m. Subtitles. Digital.
Habib Boufares, Hafsia Herzi, Farida Benkhetache, Abdelhamid Aktouche, Bouraouïa Marzouk.

LA GRAINE ET LE MULET is an imaginative and engaging drama from award-winning director Kechiche about an immigrant Arab family in the port town of Sete, in southern France. When divorced father Slimane is made redundant after 35 years he decides to invest his lifetime saving, into his dream of opening a restaurant. Family squabbles give way to love and loyalty but the latent racism of the locals is never far from the surface. A final dinner, with the family's speciality, fish couscous, at its centre brings together all the characters and themes of an tender, uplifting and engrossing tale that is outstandingly acted by the ensemble cast.

• Thursday 10 July for 2 weeks

MAMMA MIA! (PG)

(UK/US 2008) dir. Phyllida Lloyd 109m.
Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski.

The Movie of the Musical of Abba's Greatest Hits album with Summer fun and frolics aplenty. Director Phyllida Lloyd, who staged the original worldwide theatrical smash hit, fills the big screen with energy and imagination and an all-star cast of super troupers gets to sing from everyone's favourite 1970's disco songbook. There's even a story... 18-year-old Sophie is is soon to be married, but is yet to resolve who will give her away as her mother reveals her father could be any one of three past lovers. The only solution Sophie can see is to invite them all to the wedding to solve the mystery. Everyone takes a chance, the winner takes all but celebration is really the name of the game. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

THE DARK KNIGHT (12A )

(US 2008) dir. Christopher Nolan 152m.
Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman.

In this dark, chilling tale, Batman (Christian Bale) faces his greatest challenge to date in Heath Ledger's Joker, a psychopathic criminal mastermind determined to take control of Gotham city. Utilising his newfound partnership with the police and District Attorney, Bruce Wayne also finds support from old friends – but will that be enough to defeat this most deadly of enemies? Visually dazzling imagery and excellent performances from cast regulars Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman make this the best 'Batman' yet, but it is Heath Ledger, with his menacing, all-encompassing performance as the ultimate arch-villain, who steals the show.