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Tuesday 6th September
7.45pm
Little Theatre
The American
2010 Italy/USA 104 mins
Director: Anton Corbijn
Starring: George Clooney, Violante Placido
George Clooney (Jack) plays a rugged hitman in this stylishly shot existentialist thriller. After a job goes wrong and experiencing a midlife crisis he moves from the winter landscape of southern Sweden to a mysterious and remote Italian village. Falling in love with a beautiful local prostitute and coming into contact with the wise local priest he is shown the possibility of a more contemplative way of life but his past is catching up with him.
“A visual treat.” The Film Pligrim
Your rating of this film: 
Your comments on this film:
Codswallop!
Brilliant!
Good suspense, inconclusive ending - too many questions.
Tosh!
Anti-climactic ending.
A bit slow.
"The Swedes have found me" - brilliant!
Reminded me of the Consequences of Love.
Tuesday 27th September
7.45pm
Little Theatre
1948 Italy 87 mins + short
Director: Vittorio de Sica
Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola
+short
An Italian workmen Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) long unemployed manages to obtain a job as a poster man providing he has a bicycle. Selling nearly all the impoverished family possessions he manages to buy a second hand one.
On his first day of the bicycle is stolen and Antonio, his small son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) and their friends search post World War II Rome for it. Vittorio de Sica's film explores the touching relationship between father and son and the shame and guilt that easily creep into desperate lives.
Recognised as the jewel in the crown of the postwar Italian movement the achievement is even more remarkable due to the performances of the non-professional lead actors.
“Unquestionably a masterpiece.” Halliwell's
Your comments on this film:
So pleased to have seen this!
Magnifico!
Beautifully shot, but spoit slightly by the patchy subtitles. Felt like I was missing something.
Excellent film soc film.
Frustrating, would have liked a happy ending!
Amazing to see a film set in Rome where there were no tourist scenes.
Brilliant lighting and photography!
So sad, it was agony.
Tuesday 4th October
7.45pm
Little Theatre
2010 USA 107 mins
Director: Roger Mitchell
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford
Becky (Rachel McAdams) has just been made redundant as a TV show producer. Desperate to find another position she finally obtains one as a producer for ‘Daybreak' with the remit to save the struggling show from plummeting ratings. However the job is made more difficult than even she thought involving the sacking of the co-host and trying to convince the egotistical news reporter Mike (Harrison Ford) to take the new job as anchorman. This scenario is further complicated when Becky falls for the handsome Adam (Patrick Wilson). Will Becky be able to hold onto her dream job and her sanity?
Your comments on this film:
Cliche ridden mainstream 'fluff'
Facile and irritating. Despite my better judgement I laughed a few times.
Entertaining enough, but is it a [straight to video] romcom what a film soc should present?
Great fun, really enjoyed it. Harrison Ford great.
I was entertained.
Entertaining but shallow, bit like morning telly really.
Tuesday 18th October
7.45pm
Little Theatre
2009 France 102 mins
Director: Claire Denis
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Christopher Lambert
Set in a nameless, lawless African state, Maria (Isabel Huppert) runs a coffee plantation and is living in increasingly threatening and dangerous environment. Ignoring all warnings to leave, Maria, her family and her business becomes the focus of local hatred.
One of the most critically acclaimed films of 2009. Claire Denis' riveting and powerful thriller examines the highly charged and controversial legacy of colonialism.
“Nominated Award Best Director Golden Lion Venice 2009
Good film.
Powerful, but rather slow moving.
Very slow, dreary and pointless.
The soundtrack was amazing.
Somewhat depressing.
Tuesday 1st November
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
![[REC]](Images12/prog_REC.jpg)
[REC]
2007 Spain 78 mins + La Cabina
Director: Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza
Starring: Manuela Velasco
The crew of a late night reality TV show make a visit to a fire station. Then comes a call about an old woman trapped in her apartment the [REC] Record button is on, the safety rails off and the edge-of-the-seat tension is sustained to the very last second. [REC] is that rare cinematic treat - a horror film that's actually scary!
Winner Silver Scream Award Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival 2008
[REC] is accompanied by La Cabina (1972 Spain 35mins). A man becomes trapped in a telephone box, while passersby seem unable to help him. This simple story starts off as a comedy and sprials into a surreal nightmare. It's one of those films you will never forget.
Unbelievably tense.
Minus score - tosh.
Terifying like Blair Witch - somebody thought it worth watching.
Excellent (sorry for swearing so loudly!)
Once you have seen one zombie film you have seen them all. This one was very good though. One of the better ones.
Over the top and out of control.
Can't score as my eyes were closed!
Sound was amazing.
I've never seen anything like it - but isn't that what a film society is for?
Gore not over the top, just an intensity throughout - great film.
Really enjoyed La Cabina - disturbing.
Tuesday 15th November
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
Vincere (To Win)
2009 Italy 119 mins
Director: Marco Bellnochio
Starring: Filippo Timi, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Fausto Russo Alesi
The extraordinary story of fascist director Benito Mussolini's (Filippo Timi) secret mistress Ida Daiser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and her struggle for recognition. Having been loved by the ruthless and ambitious Mussolini and having borne him a son Ida has to fight to overcome the denial and her erasure from Il Duce's official biography.
Nominated Best Director Palme d'Or 2009
Gripping.
Emotional.
Time frame shifts were distracting.
Tuesday 29th November
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
2010 USA 100 mins
Director: Debra Granik
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Jon Hawkes
A journey into the poor backwoods white community of America, following the fortunes of young Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) as she tries to hold her family together. The film moves from being a study of a tight-knit community to low key thriller as Ree embarks upon an increasingly dangerous search for her missing father.
“American independent cinema does not get much better” The Scotsman
Good, but difficult to understand.
Dreary. Boring. Missed half the dialogue because of the accents.
Amazing story.
Strong central performances, storylline uninspiring. Lost 20% of the dialogue - (Southern) US accents needs subtitling.
Grim.
Quite enjoyed the film but struggled to understand a lot of the dialogue.
Could have done with subtitles.
Right old barrel of laughs. Subtitles please!
Sound was very poor.
Hard going.
There was tension, yes, but also a bond amongst this community.
Tuesday 13th December
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
(La Tete en Friche)
2010 France 82 mins
Director: Jean Becker
Starring: Gerard Depardieu, Gisele Casadesus
The chance meeting between Germain (Gerard Depardieu) and Margueritte (Gisele Casadesus) is the basis for this charming story of a growing friendship based on words and books. A feel good film for the festive season!
Perfect sentimental with style.
Enjoyed every minute of the main feature.
Enjoyable.
Tuesday 10th January
7.45pm
Steam Mill
2008 Norway 95 mins
Director: Jens Lien
Starring: Trond-Fausa Aurvaag, Petronella Barker
40 year old Andreas (Trond-Fausa Aurvaag) steps off a bus into a strange city with no memory of how he got there. It all seems familiar but the citizens do not seem to connect or even enjoy themselves. It isn't long before Andreas meets and marries an attractive interior designer Anna Brith (Petronella Barker) and the pair settle into a comfortable if emotionally vacant routine. Very soon Andreas starts to question why everyone and everything seems so superficial and decides to do some investigations with surprising results. Given it's deadpan tone the most obvious influence is Franz Kafka.
Memorable film! Lost it's way a bit at the end.
Interesting, and definitely worth a discussion on. A bit gruesome in parts - at least for my taste.
Beautifully filmed. It's about making a choice between a thinking or an unthinking life. Relevant to my life.
Interesting but wierd. Could have done with a discussion group after this one!
Interesting take on consumer society. Comic scenes worked well. Particularly thought the scene in the back of the bus very effective!
Strange dreamlike film, made my brain hurt.
Heaven or hell, hard to tell.
Weird!
The most disturbing kissing scene ever.
More Scandinavian films please.
Tuesday 17th January
7.45pm
Steam Mill
2008 France 122 mins
Director: Xavier Beauvois
Starring: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Olivier Rabourdin
Christian (Lambert Wilson) and Luc (Michael Lonsdale) are monks living in a Catholic monastery during the 1990's Algerian civil war. Their sense of fraternity with the locals both Catholic and Islamic is challenged by the violent incursion of guerilla fighers into the area and up to the gates of the monastery. Threatened by the guerilla fighters and distrusted by the government who consider that they are aiding the rebels they are forced to question themselves and their mission. As the situation deteriorates the Order is forced to choose to stay or to go.
BAFTA nomination best foreign film 2009.
Very powerful, great acting.
I would like to try Atlas Honey.
Thought provoking.
Tuesday 24th January
7.45pm
Steam Mill
2009 Australia 101 mins
Director: Warwick Thornton
Starring: Marissa Thornton, Mitjilli Gibson, Rowan McNamara
They are called Samson and Delilah and though there are scenes where they cut their hair but otherwise there seems no great significance or irony in their names. Samson and Delilah's world is a small and isolated community in the central Australian desert. When tragedy strikes they turn their backs on home and take off together in a stolen car embarking on a journey of survival. Lost, unwanted and alone in the big city they discover that life isn't always fair however love never judges.
A rapt and heartfelt piece” Daily Telegraph
“Quietly devastating drama with an almost mythic quality” The Times
Very disturbing film.
Shocking, but glad it ended well.
Tedious and soul-destroying.
Absolutely heartbreaking.
A touching drama.
Tuesday 31st January
7.45pm
Steam Mill
2009 Romania 115 mins
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Starring: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov
From the Director of the acclaimed '12:08 East of Bucharest'. A blackly humorous police drama in which a policeman Cristi (Dragos Bucur) suffers from a crisis of conscience when he is assigned to gather evidence against a college student dabbling with soft drugs. Arguing for leniency to be shown towards what he regards a youthful irresponsibility, he finds his superiors have a very different interpretation of morality and the law. However Cristi is determined to go the whole way to make his point.
And to think, I could have stayed at home and watch paint dry!
Pity no one told them about editing.
A fascinating study of pointless pedantry!
Very slow and repetitive.
Tedious.
Unbelievably tedious.
Terribly slow moving.
Will he light another cigarette? I couldn't wait.
Possibly the most boring film i've ever seen (part of).
Compellingly tedious/tediously compelling.
Life's too short to be watching drivel like this.
It was like watching paint dry.
Plod, n. A police officer, especially one who is slow-witted.
Plod, vb. To proceed doggedly and slowly at a dull task. As in "to plod through a Romanian film about police work."
Tuesday 7th February
7.45pm
Steam Mill
2009 USA 92 mins
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Larry David, Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson
Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) attempts to impress his idealogies on anyone who will listen. He surprisingly befriends a young naive Mississippi runaway Melodie (Rachel Wood) to come and join him temporarily in his flat. As Boris begins to mould the impressionable young girl's worldly views to match his own he begins to mellow which leads to a loving relationship. Despite their differences in age they marry and start to live a routine life that is until out of the blue Melodie's mother Marietta (Patricia Clarkson) arrives challenging all of Boris's views.
Tuesday 21st February
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
2007 Germany 107 mins
Director: Christian Petzold
Starring: Nina Hoss, Devid Striesow
Yella (Nina Hoss) leaves her home town in East Germany for a promising job and a new lifestyle in Hanover but once there she is haunted by the truths of her past. She becomes an assistant to Philipp (Devid Striesow) an executive in a private equity company and quickly gets involved in the world of big business and personal relationships. Hoping her dream of happiness can be achieved she tries to discount the voices she starts to hear from her past which menace her hoped for new and better life.
Monday 5th March
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
2009 UK 94 mins
Director: Nick Whitfield
Starring: Will Adamsdale, Andrew Buckley
Two shadowy figures are the representatives of a company that specialises in exhuming difficult and painful memories, inaccessible to every other kind of therapy. An original and dark comedy that is outright weird most of the time.
Winner of the Michael Powell Award for best feature film at the Edinburgh Film Festival 2010.
“A real breath of fresh air - both odd and very funny” The Guardian
Nominated Outstanding Debut Writer/Director BAFTAs 2011
Tuesda 13th March
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
2009 Japan 112 mins
Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Starring: Gaku Hamada, Atsushi Ito, Vincent Giry
Based on the novel by Kotaro Isaka Fish Story weaves together several seemingly seperate storylines taking place at different points in time over a 37 year period to explain how a little known punk rock song can save the world. The story moves from 1975 when ill-fated punk band Gerikin wrote their final song Fen Si to 1980 where rumours of hidden messages in the song surface, to 2009 when a boat is taken over by terrorists and finally to the future in 2012 where a huge comet threatens to destroy the Earth. Here, at the end, can a punk rock song offer mankind their only hope?
“A cool surreal film and not a little fishy” Empire
Tuesday 27th March
7.45pm
St Mary's Centre
2009 France/UK 83 mins
Director: Rachid Bouchareb
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyate
Two unconnected individuals Elizabeth (Brenda Blethyn) and Ouamane (Sotigui Kouyate) come to London to search for their children who are missing in the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings. As their search progresses a friendship develops between the two seemingly unconnected people. Beautifully detailed, this film convincingly creates a portrait of a multi-ethnic city struggling to come to terms with the terrorist attack.
Academy Award Winner 2010 Brenda Blethyn
“Humane, stunningly acted, Blethyn is magnificent.” Evening Standard
Tuesday 17th April
7.45pm
Riverside Building
2009 Mexico/Spain 89 mins
Director: Pedro Gonalez-Rubio
Starring: Jorge Machado, Natan Machado Palombini, Nestor Marin
Jorge (Jorge Machado) a Mexican fisherman is spending quality time with his son Natan (Natan Machado Palombini) before his returns to Italy with his mother. Father and son bond as they work and play together in the beautifully photographed idyllic location of Mexico's coral reef, painting boats and even making friends with a perky white egret, Blanquilla.
“Do not miss this film. I loved every minute of it.” Time Out
Tuesday 24th Apr
7.45pm
Riverside Building
2009 Spain 127 mins
Director: Alejandro Amenabar
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella
Set in Alexandria in the 4th century AD, the centre of this drama is Hypatia, a pagan intellectual woman much admired by her pupils and respected by men of influence, yet who becomes a subject of persecution. ‘Agora' throws a revealing light on a turbulent period that pre-dates by a couple of centuries the coming of Islam, and the conflicts of our own multi-ethnic times.
Winner Best Cinematography and Screeplay Goya Awards 2010
Nominated Audience Award Best European Film Awards 2010
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