Our movie screening programme July-August 2010
Dir. Christopher Nolan. USA & UK 2010. 2hrs 28mins.
BBFC classification advice: Contains moderate violence.
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After blowing our minds with The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan has once again outdone himself with this hugely anticipated sci-fi thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, an international fugitive with the special ability – to enter people’s minds and steal their valuable secrets through the art of ‘extraction’.
Now Cobb is being offered a chance to get his life back with the obligatory one last job, working with a team of specialists whose aim is to plant an idea instead of stealing it, using the impossible act of inception. Featuring a quality all-star cast including Ellen Page (Juno), Joseph Gordon-Levitt ((500) Days of Summer), Marion Cotillard (La vie en rose) and Michael Caine, Inception is an absolutely stunning film by a director at the top of his game that must be seen to be believed.
Dir. Catherine Corsini. France 2009. 1hr 26mins. In French with English subtitles.
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Kristin Scott Thomas follows her amazing international turn in Tyneside favourite I’ve Loved You So Long with another acting tour de force in this compelling tale of adultery and class conflict. Scott Thomas plays Suzanne, wife of a doctor and a mother of two, who has grown bored of her comfortable middle-class lifestyle.
But all that’s about to change, and when she meets Spanish construction worker Ivan, the pair fall madly in love and begin a passionate affair in hope of finding something more fulfilling together. This loose re-working of Lady Chatterley sees Scott-Thomas once again shine, beautifully displaying the complex emotions and the lengths Suzanne goes to find love.
Dir. Radu Mihaileanu. France, Italy, Romania & Belgium 2009. 2hrs 3mins. In French & Russian with English subtitles.
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If you only see one film this summer then please, please make sure it’s this gem of a comedy about an oddball orchestra that’s guaranteed to win your heart. Andreï Filipov was one of the most celebrated conductors of the Bolshoi Orchestra, the greatest orchestra in Russia, until he was fired in 1980 at the height of the Cold War.
Today Filipov still works at the Bolshoi - but as the cleaner. When he intercepts a fax inviting the orchestra to play in Paris, he comes up with a crazy plan to reunite his old musician buddies and play the show themselves - but Andreï has a secret reason for wanting to play in Paris, and it’s this that proves the driving force for one of the best films of 2010. An absolute masterpiece of European cinema and one which packs a hefty emotional wallop, The Concert is truly magnifique!
Dir. Neils Adren Opplev. Sweden, Denmark & Germany 2010. 2hrs 33mins. In Swedish with English subtitles.
Sunday 1 August, 12.50pm & Thursday 5 August, 8.10pmBuy tickets
Based on the bestselling literary phenomenon by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, this incredible adaptation is sure to be loved by gazillions of people. Mysterious computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist unite to solve the case of a missing girl. The unlikely duo form a fragile alliance as they dig into the past of a secretive and dysfunctional, high profile family. But as they unravel the dark mystery, they begin to find their own lives under threat. An edge of your seat thriller that acts as an excellent opener to the Millennium trilogy, continuing later this year.
New Print
Dir. Barney Platts-Mills. UK 1969. 1hr 27mins.
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This cult British classic is digitally reissued on its 40th anniversary. Sam Shepard plays Irish prison escapee Jo Bronco Bullfrog. Hiding out in a seamy section of London’s East End, Bullfrog befriends a gang of teenagers. Looking for kicks, the kids team up with Bullfrog, but his notion of excitement proves too much for them…. A wonderful time capsule of late 60s London – from the brutalist tower blocks and bomb sites of the East End to the trashy glamour of the West End - this is filmmaking with a spontaneity, wit and endearing humanity that still feels strikingly fresh.
Dir. Joann Sfar. France & USA 2010. 2hrs 15mins. In French with English subtitles.
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Fans of La Vie En Rose and Coco Before Chanel are in for a treat as the life of the immensely talented French singer/songwriter and national hero Serge Gainsbourg is retold in this superb biopic based on director Joann Sfar’s graphic novel.
Anchored by an outstanding central turn from Eric Elmosnino as the legendary artist, the biopic takes us from Gainsbourg’s early life, growing up in 1940’s occupied Paris, through his successful booze and cigarette-fuelled songwriting years in the 1960s, his affairs with many beautiful women, including Brigitte Bardot, to his death in 1991at the age of 62.
Sfar creates a very original and engaging film blending in animation and also creating a grotesque alter-ego for Gainsbourg (played by Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy star Doug Jones) that make this biopic all the more engaging and exciting!
New Print
Dir. Eric Rohmer. France 1969. 1hr 50mins. In French with English subtitles.
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As a tribute to director Eric Rohmer, who sadly died in January, we bring back one of his most compelling films, the Academy Award nominated My Night With Maud. The third film in Rohmer’s series of Moral Tales, My Night With Maud is the story of Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant, Three Colours Red), a straight-laced Catholic engineer invited to a dinner with an old school friend Vidal and his playful acquaintance Maud (Françoise Fabian, Belle de Jour).
Maud is a rebellious, adorable divorcée who challenges Jean-Louis’ views on morals, religion, fidelity and love, forcing him to wonder whether his devout opinions are correct. A sophisticated, beautifully written, fresh, provocative classic.
Free Film Night in the Tyneside Bar
Dir. John Hughes. USA 1987. 1hr 32mins.
Friday 30 July, doors 9.30pm, (Starts 10.00pm), free entry
Buckle up for this unforgettable road trip as Steve Martin desperately tries to get home to his family on Thanksgiving, helped and hindered by John Candy’s shower curtain ring salesman. A wonderful film from the late 80s legend John Hughes that wraps our eighties comedy classics nicely.
Cult Classic
Dir. George Armitage. USA 1997. 1hr 47mins.
Monday 2 August, 8.45pm
If you’ve never seen Grosse Pointe Blank then here’s your chance to catch what is one of the best and most overlooked black comedies of the 90s. A fantastic John Cusack plays Martin Blank, a depressed professional killer who returns to his hometown of Grosse Pointe for his ten year high school reunion, only to be faced with curious former classmates, a disgruntled ex-girlfriend (Minnie Driver) and an array of rival assassins baying for his blood. Grosse Pointe Blank is a noir thriller, biting satire and unabashed romantic comedy all at once and you’ll love every second of it.
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are Student days!
Bring your NUS card to any regular screening and get in for just £4.00* and you can get a bottle of Corona, Becks, Heineken or Coke for £1.50 when you show your student ticket at the Tyneside Bar. *Price excludes special events or Classic Circle.
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Dir. Kareem J Mortimer. Bahamas 2009. 1hr 43mins.
Tuesday 3 August, 6.00pm
A politically bold and beautifully photographed examination of identity and sexuality in the Bahamas, this is the story of Johnny, an artist from Nassua who relocates to the island of Eleuthera in search of inspiration. He finds it in the shape of Romeo, a local boy with whom he embarks on a passionate affair. But Romeo has some serious decisions to make, whilst the island receives some new, ultra-conservative inhabitants…. Sweepingly romantic and gorgeously shot, this is a classic tale of young love against a backdrop of homophobia and social unease, and singles out director Kareem Mortimer as a talent to watch.
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Here we go again! The best of the capital’s festival of the best in Lesbian and Gay film is back out on the road and hits us in style over July and August. Boys and girls are well-catered for in these six titles – make sure that you catch these amazing one-off shows.
Dir. Andrew Kötting. UK 2001. 1hr 51mins.
Wednesday 4 August, 6.00pm
To mark the release of Andrew Kötting’s Ivul we’re screening his bold second feature This Filthy Earth. Kath and Francine are sisters who live and work on the farm they inherited from their parents. But their lives are disrupted when Kath’s brutish boyfriend Buto asks for her hand in marriage, with the aim being to lay his own claim on their productive and profitable land. Loosely adapted from Émile Zola’s novel La Terre, this brutal, aggressive and downright mucky film certainly lives up to its title, with Kötting creating an enthralling and imaginative feature that you won’t forget.
“…an unforgettable experience that heralds the rise of a major British film-maker.” Sight and Sound
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Dir. Lucía Puenzo. Argentina, Spain & France 2009. 1hr 36mins. In Spanish and Guarani with English subtitles.
Wednesday 11 August, 6.00pm
A suspenseful lesbian crime thriller from the prize-winning director of XXY, Lucia Puenzo. Frail, refined Lala is the daughter of a prominent judge who lives in an exclusive neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Unbeknown to her family, she is having an illicit liaison with Ailin, their voluptuous Guaraní maid from Paraguay. Together the pair steal money from Lala’s father so they can escape to the lush Lake Ypoá, where Ailin spent her childhood. However, when Lala’s father is murdered and Ailin is taken into custody, Lala must unravel her lover's dark past if they are to be reunited…. A pulsating crime thriller packed with suspenseful plot twists, The Fish Child is one of the real highlights of the tour.
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Here we go again! The best of the capital’s festival of the best in Lesbian and Gay film is back out on the road and hits us in style over July and August. Boys and girls are well-catered for in these six titles – make sure that you catch these amazing one-off shows.
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Dir. Various. Total running time 1hr 38mins.
Wednesday 18 August, 6.00pm
After a year’s absence, the short highlights of the LLGFF return, and as ever the quality’s very high! Films include Candy Boy; touching tale of first-time love Protect Me From What I Want; sexual awakenings, LA style in Dish :); Breath; Swedish crushes come to the fore in Lucky Blue; and secrets and consequences abound in My Name is Love….
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Here we go again! The best of the capital’s festival of the best in Lesbian and Gay film is back out on the road and hits us in style over July and August. Boys and girls are well-catered for in these six titles – make sure that you catch these amazing one-off shows.
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Dir. Various. Total running time 1hr 34mins.
Wednesday 25 August, 6.00pm
A glut of amazing international shorts come together in this scintillating programme. Films include Memoirs of an Evil Stepmother, where the tale of Snow White gets a subtle spin; food, magic and manipulation in Henna Night; a double-life is discovered in Wicked Desire; wardrobe malfunctions and extreme ditziness must be combated in Falling for Caroline; and there is a brilliant gender-bending Cinderella tale in Little Black Boot.
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on tour 2010
Here we go again! The best of the capital’s festival of the best in Lesbian and Gay film is back out on the road and hits us in style over July and August. Boys and girls are well-catered for in these six titles – make sure that you catch these amazing one-off shows.
