Happy New Year to all our supporters! We look forward to welcoming you back and enjoying another season of great films!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21ST

JANE EYRE

REVIEW: This new jane Eyre is well made in every way and highly recommendable. Fukunaga's delicate artistry leaves it hard to ask for much more.
This adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel is balanced, well crafted, and beautifully acted. This is no plain Jane. It's stunningly mounted, and relative newcomer Mia Wasikowska, from Australia, essentially carries "Jane Eyre," and succeeds with restraint, expressing a strong moral compass. 
Screenwriter Moira Buffini sticks pretty closely to the novel, and director Cary Fukunaga conjures a drab tone that nicely sets off the characters' violent but rigidly controlled passions. The best adaptation of a 19th Century novel, with all the grandiose production design and fussy costumes thereby implied, since Pride & Prejudice all the way back in 2005, if not longer. 
As Jane Eyre proves, you still can't beat a good story.
What is surprising is how vigorous and alive it feels.
Wasikowska gives Jane such intensity and intelligence that her relationship with Rochester feels absolutely right and not, for a change, wish-fulfilment fantasy.  This Jane Eyre is a good-looking film, serious, thought through and well acted. A time-tested rags-to-riches tale with burning passions and smoldering secrets, spiked with pointed statements about morality, religion and forgiveness. Elegantly adapted for the screen  Buffini condenses the source novel into two hours of yearning and regret proving that some works of art are inexhaustible. The film is chaste, yet is an inescapably sexy love story told with depth and passion. It's decently acted, well photographed and sumptuously costumed . Indeed what more could one ask?

Past Showings:

SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 10TH

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS                                    

synposis:   Told as a series of memories by 93 year old Polish immigrant Jacob Jankowski, this epic tale of forbidden love, human struggles and compassion for animals will both move and entertain you from start to finish. Robert Pattison stars as the young vetrinary student, Jacob, who after learning of his parents untimely deaths and the sacrifices they made to give him an Ivy League education runs away from everything. He jumps on a night train and embarks on an unplanned journey which takes him trhough a series of trials in friendship, love and courage during america's great depression era. Under the Big Top he shares compassion for a special animal with circus performer Marlena(Reese Witherspoon) and they fall into a dangerous relationship which tests both their courage and passion to the end.

Also starring: Christoph Waltz

rating: 12A

Saturday, October 15th

MAO'S LAST DANCER

synopsis:

A drama based on the autobiography by Li Cunxix. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from his poor village in China and taken Bejing by Madame Mao's cultural delegates to study ballet. He was thrown into a life of concentrated training and discipline and his huge talent was honed to perfection. In 1979, he fell in love with an American woman during a cultural exchange to Texas. He managed to defect two years later and went on to performas a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet. The film is beautifully made, full of inspiration and passion.

Director: Bruce Beresford

Starring: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwoon, Kyle MacLachlan

rated : 15

Upcoming Films:

Saturday, November 12th

HANNA

summary:

This film is as beautiful to look at as it is action packed, a rare combination. Rare a combination as is Hanna (Saoirse Ronan of “The Lovely Bones”) and her upbringing. Raised alone by her father Erik (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the remote Finish wilderness, she is a survivor with the strength and stamina of a soldier and the acute senses of a trained assassin. At 16, Hanna has learned to hunt, been through years of extreme self- defence workouts and is devoted to her father who has trained and educated her with only the help of an encyclopedia and a book of fairy tales. She is bright and inquisitive and ready to go out into the world and satisfy her curiosity. With a mixture of pride and apprehension Erik sends her out into the world where there is mysterious and unfinished business for her family. Hanna travels stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless operative with secrets of her own (Cate Blanchett). As Hanna nears her ultimate target, she faces startling revelations and questions about her own existence and humanity.

starring:  Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Olivia Williams,

                Michelle Dockery

director:  Joe Wright

UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK

DVD: 1 hr 51 mins
Blu-ray: 1 hr 51 mins

Saturday, December 3rd

Apologies for the postponement, but come in party gowns and cumberbuns and enjoy canapes and Champagne with us !

Bridesmaids

Director: Paul Feig

synopsis:

Proof that ladies can be lads and just as outrageous and raunchy and hilariously funny! Comic genious at its best. Annie(Kristen Wiig) is both delighted and daunted when she is asked to be the maid of honour at her best friend Lilian's(Maya Rudolph) wedding. After one two many knocks to her confidence, a self absorbed boyfriend and a failed business, Annie still grasps the opportunity with both hands and decides to organise the best ever wedding shower/engagement party and be the best ever cheif of all bridesmaids. What ensues, however, is a catalogue of unfortunate events fueled by the tensions, jealousies and competition betweem rival best-maids!

A shrewdly honest and gritty observation of contemporary women and culture woven together with compelling and genuine characters. Genious comedy, brilliant writing (Kristen Wigg and Annie Mumolo) and perfect comic timing combined in one tight little package. You may squirm in your seat , cringe and be shocked but you'll almost certainly leave still laughing!

Also starring: John Hamm, Rose Byrne, Jill Clayburgh, Rebecca Wilson, Tim Heidecker, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and Melissa McCarthy.