This season we are having 4 films by new British directors. The first one is from Rufus Norris this week - 'Broken'. Technically Norris has directed before, but only for the theatre - 'London Road'. This film has brought him nominations for 'Best British Newcomer' and 'European Discovery of the Year', so it promises to be good. Add to this the acting of Tim Roth, Rory Kinnear and Cillian Murphy (recently playing Thomas Shelby in 'Peaky Blinders' if you have been watching it) and we should be in for a good night!
The story follows the real actions behind a seemingly ordinary suburb in North London. The innocent world of a young girl (played by newcomer Eloise Lawrence, also to great acclaim) is gradually stripped away by what she witnesses.
A good British Indie drama, by all accounts;
'Broken is a valuable showcase for an outstanding up-and-coming talent, and Laurence is an actor to watch' - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian. Let's hope we enjoy watching it.
Our second film of the season is another in the increasingly impressive run of films from South America. White Elephant is a film by Argentine Director, Pablo Trapero (Carancho and Lion’s Den), set in a Buenos Aires slum. It stars Ricardo Darin (The Secret in their Eyes) and the Darnelle Brothers favourite, Jeremie Renier (The Kid With A Bike, In Bruges). Add in a Michael Nyman score and this is classic KFC fare.
It has been critically acclaimed:
In this unique and impressive drama Argentinian filmmaker Pablo Trapero invites us into the lives of a team of dedicated Catholic priests, led by Father Julian, who work with and live amongst gang members, drug addicts and outcasts in a huge slum in Buenos Aires. Just as these Fathers have chosen to fully face the reality of one of the world’s dark places rather than opting for an easier life, Trapero and his co-writers dive fully into wrestling with the grey areas and compromised principles that, in this context, become inescapable for these men of faith; it makes for a rich and satisfying character study.
Paul Gallagher – List film
Produced on a grand scale, this powerhouse of a movie recounts a true story with skill and artistry, highlighting an extremely volatile situation and the brave people who put themselves in the middle of it. And fiery performances make it very moving....... It's such a tough, messy, thoroughly authentic story that we can't help but be swept up in the escalating crisis. And along the way we are challenged to try to make a difference somewhere ourselves.
Our 15th year starts on Sunday with 'Thérèse', a beautiful French drama set in the 1920s. We started last year with a marriage of convenience between a princess and a king in 'A Royal Affair'; this year we have another marriage of convenience, this time between two large business owners, in 'Thérèse'.
Accepting of her fate to start with, Thérèse gets gradually weighed down by her life with her new husband and is unable to shake off thoughts of what might have been...
Claude Miller's final film promises to be a visually beautiful creation, set among the trees in provincial France. On top of this we have an 'utterly mesmerising' performance (Trevor Johnston in the Radio Times) from Audrey Tatou (probably best known to most of us from 'Amelie') to look forward to.