• Friday 7 August for 1 week

COCO BEFORE CHANEL (12A)

(France 2009) dir. Anne Fontaine 110m. Subtitles. Digital.
Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos.

Fascinating story of the acclaimed fashion designer, portraying her roots from a humble seamstress to the first lady of Parisian haute couture. Audrey Tautou gives a career-defining performance as the young Gabrielle, before she became Coco, struggling through the ranks of the Parisian upper classes, love affairs and heartaches to become one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. With cinematography as stunning as the costumes, impeccable period detail and wholly convincing performances, this is a visually dazzling treat and an unexpected break from the standard biopic.

• Friday 14 August for 1 week

SIN NOMBRE (15)

(Mexico/US 2009) dir. Cary Fukunaga 95m. Subtitles. Digital.
Edgar Flores, Paulina Gaitan, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Luis Fernando Peña, Diana Garcia.

A remarkable film highlighting the incredible hardships faced by illegal immigrants trying to cross the Mexico/US border. Sayra is leaving Honduras with her father and brother, determined to reach the US by whatever means possible – in this case riding the roofs of the trains heading north. Willy is a young gang member tasked with robbing the tops of the trains along with his young initiate Smiley. The crossing of these stories leads to a true star-crossed romance, but it is the social realism of the film that hits home the hardest – director Fukunaga spent much time on these very train tops, and paints a vivid and haunting portrait of those reaching for the ‘American Dream’.

• Friday 21 August for 1 week

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (18)

(US/Germany 2009) dir. Quentin Tarantino 153m.
Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christopher Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger.

World War II is wildly reimagined as Tarantino’s long-awaited saga finally hits screens after a critically-acclaimed debut at Cannes. Brad Pitt leads a group of Jewish mercenaries (‘The Basterds’) from America to France ready to tackle the Nazis – culminating in a plot to blow up a Parisian cinema and with it members of the highest ranks of the German military. Tarantino’s revenge fantasy incorporates his trademark brutally funny dialogue, explosive violence, and larger-than-life characters – ensuring this mind-blowing fairytale is a winning return to form.

• Friday 28 August for 2 weeks

BROKEN EMBRACES (15)

(Spain 2009) dir. Pedro Almodóvar 128m. Subtitles. Digital.
Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar, Jose Luis Gomez, Blanca Portillo, Lola Duenas, Ruben Ochandiano.

Legendary European auteur Almodóvar is on playful form in this film noir with a vibrant twist. Harry Caine (Homar) reflects on his life as a film director, before a traffic accident left him blind. Reminiscing about working on his dream project 15 years previously, memories of enchanting actress Lena (Cruz) are stirred as the action moves between 1994 and the present. This lavish yet quirky melodrama will thrill the director’s loyal fanbase with a cast of Almodóvar regulars on top form, delivering a tale that speculates on the very power of cinema itself.

• Friday 11 September for 2 weeks

FISH TANK (15)

(UK 2009) dir. Andrea Arnold 123m. Digital.
Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing, Rebecca Griffiths, Harry Treadway. Sydney Mary Nash.

Three years after winning the same prize with RED ROAD, Andrea Arnold again won the jury prize at Cannes this year for an equally compelling portrait of a fearless, troubled 15-year-old whose life changes when her terrible mother finally goes out with someone nice. Newcomer Katie Jarvis is mesmerising as wannabe dancer Mia and there's another outstanding performance from Michael Fassbender as her mother Joanne's new boyfriend, Connor. As the chemistry between Mia and Connor first fizzles and then explodes, FISH TANK becomes a powerful story of love betrayed and a triumphant piece of modern cinema.

• Friday 25 September for 1 week

THE SOLOIST (12A)

(UK/US/France 2009) dir. Joe Wright 117m. Digital.Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr, Catherine Keener, Tom Holllander, Lisa Gay Hamilton.

Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr produce outstanding performances in this poignant film about the relationship between a Los Angeles Times journalist and a homeless musician. After hearing former Julliard cello prodigy Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx) play outside his building, Steve Lopez (Downey Jr) begins to write a series of articles about him. But as Ayers' acute schizophrenia becomes apparent, so too does the realisation that some part of him will always remain unreachable to Lopez and the rest of the outside world. Based on a true story, Joe Wright (ATONEMENT, PRIDE & PREJUDICE) avoids the sentimental clichés to deliver a realistic yet touching portrayal of an unlikely friendship.