Papadopoulos and Sons - Sunday 12th January 5:00 PM

Our next film Sunday chronicles the fortunes of Harry Popadopoulos, a north London comestibles magnate "obliged to downsize when he finds that even an empire founded on taramasalata cannot survive a double-dip recession" (The Guardian’s reviewer, along with others, had a field day with food based puns!)

Papadopoulos and Sons is a comedy-drama exploring the stresses of family and business, not to mention the odd ethnic tension with the kebab shop down the road.

Again according to the Guardian "its an ambitious attempt to rewrite Lear for laughter rather than tears. It's a throwback, but relaxed, sweet and funny with it: a first feature that makes an impression by not pushing too hard to make an impression."

Happy New Year From Keswick Film Club

Happy New Year, film lovers - I hope you have had a great Christmas and New Year and you are now ready for our new season!

We start again this Sunday, 5th January at 4.15pm for our usual start of season drinks; this gives you a chance to swap Christmas stories, get a free drink and maybe buy yourself a Spring Season Pass; these will be on sale in foyer for £30 to club members, which makes it only £2.50 per film if you come to them all!

Our first film follows at 5.00pm. Continuing what is almost as long a tradition as the free drinks, we have a French period drama for you. 'Marius' is the first of a trilogy based on Marcel Pagnol novels (the second, 'Fanny', follows as the last film in our Spring Season on 30th March). The trilogy is directed by Daniel Auteuil, who also stars as Cesar, the father of Marius and the title role of the third film. The films are Auteuil's follow up after 'The Well-Digger's Daughter', which was our most popular film in in Spring 2012 season.
In the first film, Marius is helping to run his father's bar in Marseille where he dreams of running away to sea, until he meets Fanny. Will their love be enough to keep Marius' feet on dry ground? The love story is played against a background of humour, giving us a great season starter.

Wadjda - Sunday 22nd December 4:50pm

Our closing film for the season promises to be a real gem. Described as ‘the first Saudi teen rebel girl’s bike movie’ Wadjda has won universal acclaim from the critics. It is the first feature film to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and is all the more remarkable for having been made by a female Director, Haifaa Al-Mansour.
It has all the right ingredients, a sassy young lead who kicks out against the constraints of her society (and who is not afraid of using her opponents’ underhand tactics when it suits her) in her attempts to get a bike. A scenario that is just so wrong in so many ways in contemporary Saudi Arabia.

Its a gentle comedy that has a wider message about the role of women in Saudi society.

“Worthy in its own story right, this hundred-twelve minutes is also notable for the non-strident style with which Al Mansour -- cinematically schooled in Cairo and Sydney -- comments on the restrictions on and frustrations of even middle class women in a country in which cinemas are forbidden. Free from ranting or raving, this quiet celebration of joy of the spirit is one first step towards righting centuries of repressive wrong.” Reel Talk Movie Reviews

The Great Beauty - Sunday 15th December 5pm

We picked this week's film as a potential 'best film of the season' when we set up the programme, so I hope you can all get along to see 'The Great Beauty' on Sunday. Peter Bradshaw in the Guardian compared it in style to Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita' and Antonioni's 'La Notte' and said it is 'a gorgeous movie, the film equivalent of a magnificent banquet composed of 78 sweet courses'.

Starting on Jep Gambardella's totally over the top 65th birthday celebrations, we follow Jep around Rome as he reviews his playboy life. Realising how decadent he has become, he sees how beautiful Rome is - as do we, through the eye of master cinematographer Luca Bigazzi.

The film has won 7 awards around Europe and director Paolo Sorrentino gained his fifth nomination for the Cannes Palme D'Or. An all round 'Great Beauty' by the sounds of it.

I Am Nasrine - Sunday 8th December 5:00 PM

From a well-established Iranian Director in Abbas Kiarostami last Sunday, we move this week, to the debut of the Iranian-exile, Tina Gharavi, with I Am Nasrine.

On limited release, the film has received some interesting reviews. The List stated:
 "The low-budget I am Nasrine is not without flaws....... yet Gharavi should be commended for her clandestine filming in the Iranian capital - she herself had to smuggle out the subsequent footage - and the film, thanks partly to Micsha Sadeghi's engaging performance (in the title role), captures Nasrine's sense of excitement at creating a new life in spite of so many obstacles. Alongside the forbidding tower blocks and cramped interiors, Gharavi finds an element of poetry in the wide-open spaces of the North East countryside through which Nasrine passes in her journey of self-discovery."

All neatly summed up by View London:
"With its recognisable soundtrack, impressive script and a strong performance from Micsha Sadeghi, I Am Nasrine makes for an interesting and engaging film that's worth a watch."

 The film runs for some 93 minutes.