UK/USA/France, 2004

Cert: 15

125 minutes

Dir: Walter Salles.  Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna and Mia Maestro.

From the director of “Central Station” and “Behind The Sun”, both screened by the society. This film, opening in Argentina in 1952, sees the future revolutionary leader, Ernesto (Che) Guevara, a medical student, and his biochemist friend, Alberto Granado, crossing Latin America on a dilapidated motorbike aiming to reach Venezuela for Alberto’s 30th birthday.

USA/UK, 2003    

Cert: 12A  

138m

Dir: Kevin Costner.  Starring Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner and Annette Bening.

A superb ‘western’ from one of the few remaining director devotees of the genre, “Open Range” tells a story about the ending of the West.  It is both brilliantly acted and fabulously photographed and, not least, depicts the life of a cattleman as you feel it really must have been.

Russia, 2003      

Cert: 12A            

110m

Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev.  Starring Vladimir Garia, Ivan Dobronravov and Konstantin Lauronenko.

 A brilliant debut feature, “The Return” is essentially a mystery story of Andrez and Ivan’s father who returns to the family home after many years’ absence and promptly takes the boys on a bizarre trip.  Is he their father?  What is his secret?  An atmospheric and haunting film.

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France/USA, 2004

Cert:15 

133m 

Dir: Jean-Pierre Jeunet.  Starring Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, Jean-Pierre Becker and Jodie Foster.

From the director of “Amélie” and “Delicatessen” this film, set in Brittany in 1920, tells of Mathilde’s attempts to find out the truth of the accounts of her childhood sweetheart’s death in World War One.

Germany/Mongolia, 2003

Cert: U 

90m 

Dir: Byambasuren Davaa & Luigi Falorni.  Starring Janchiv Ayurzana, Chimed Ohin, Ingen Temee (mother camel) and Botok (baby camel)!

Set in the Gobi Desert, this brilliant documentary features a family of nomadic shepherds waiting for their camels to give birth.  One camel produces a white calf, Botok, whom she rejects.  The tribesfolk keep Botok alive, believing an elaborate musical ritual will reconcile mother and calf.

Spain, 2004

Cert: 15 

105m 

Dir: Pedro Almodovar.  Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Fele Martinez and Daniel Gimenez-Cacho.

From the director of “Talk to Her” and “All About My Mother”, this film finds Almodovar again at the top of his form.  Controversial as ever, Almodovar presents a compassionate view of the paedophile priest, Father Manolo, around whom the bizarre but hugely entertaining cast revolve.  This film could offend some members.

USA, 1975

Cert: PG 

129m 

Dir: John Huston.  Starring Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Christopher Plummer.

Dir. of Photography: Oswald Morris

In celebration of our President’s 90th birthday we are delighted to screen this wonderful ‘ripping yarn’, Ossie’s 8th and final collaboration with director John Huston.  Set in India in the 1880s, two adventurers, Caine and Connery, find themselves accepted as kings by a remote tribe, but greed betrays them.

France/Switz/Germany, 2004

Cert: 12A 

96m

Dir: Christophe Barratier.  Starring Gérard Jugnot, François Berléand and Kad Merad

A mega-success in France, largely derided by the British press, and much requested by you, the members, “Les Choristes” tells of Mathieu, a failed musician, who arrives at a boarding school for ‘difficult’ boys in 1949.  He is confronted with the brutal regime of the Head but gets permission to start a choir.  A great central performance by Jugnot as Mathieu, and fabulous music.  Overly sentimental?  You can make your own mind up.

Hong Kong/China, 2004

Cert:  15 

119m 

Dir: Zhang Yimou.  Starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau and Zhang Ziyi.

Set in China in 859AD, Yimou’s visually sumptuous film, in the mould of Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, is essentially a love story, and the ‘Flying Daggers’ of the title a secret cadre of rebels.

France/Chile/Spain/UK, 2004           

Cert: 15  

121m 

Dir: Andres Wood.  Starring Matias Quer, Ariel Mateluna and Manuela Martelli.

Set in Santiago, Chile, against the overthrow of the Allende government in 1973, this delicate coming-of-age tale sees two boys from very different backgrounds become classmates and grow closer until eventually their friendship is threatened by the intractable forces of revolution.

France/Serbia/Montenegro, 2004

Cert: 15 

154m 

Dir: Emir Kusturica.  Starring Slavko Stimac, Natasa Solak and Vesna Trivalie.

Set in rural Bosnia, 1992, after the outbreak of war, “Life Is A Miracle” is a comic celebration of Balkan joie de vivre.  The pace of the film is near manic, it is very funny and almost certainly unlike anything you have seen before!

UK, 2004

Cert: 15

 89m 

Dir: Saul Dibb. Starring Ashley Walters, Luke Fraser and Clare Perkins.

Evocatively filmed in East London this is a striking portrait of two black boys growing up in inner city London and a timely damning of gun crime and its devastating effects.  Ashley Walters won the 2004 BIFA Most Promising Newcomer Award.

France, 2003

Cert: 15

 106m 

Dir: Cédric Kahn.  Starring Jean Pierre Darroussin, Carole Bouquet and Vincent Deniard.

Based on a Georges Simenon novel this is an outstanding study of marital break-down that’s as taut as a snare drum and set against a car journey that degenerates into a nightmare.  Great performances from Darroussin and Bouquet.

Spain/UK/Argentina/Portugal, 2004

Cert: 15

 89m 

Dir: Teresa de Pelegri/Dominic Harari.  Starring Norma Aleandro, Guillermo Toledo and Maria Botto.

The Jewish family Dalinsky, living in Madrid, meet the younger daughter’s fiancé.  He is Palestinian!  We end the season with this robust Spanish farce with its pinball screenplay that ricochets from one religious, political or sexual gag to another.  Very funny.