Award Winning Independent Cinema

A glorious, whimsical love letter, the French film Amélie sets its heart on convincing the cynics among us that romance – real, honest-to-goodness romance – is still very much alive in the 21st century.  Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amélie is introduced to us in montage. She lives an isolated childhood with her unhappy parents, and when she leaves home, she buries herself in a waitressing job in a Parisian cafe. But Amélie (a star-making role for Audrey Tautou) is filled with curiosity: she notices everything around her. She makes a chance discovery at her flat, when she ... Continue Reading

Dubbed a “once in a lifetime” event, the Rijksmuseum’s exhibition, Vermeer, has been a huge success. It is the most comprehensive gathering of Vermeer paintings for a generation, with loans from across the world. For those of us not lucky enough to see the sold-out exhibition in person, it is now the latest subject of the Exhibition on Screen series (showing at Plymouth Arts Cinema on Thursday 27 April). Providing a crowd-free tour of the exhibition everyone is talking about, the documentary, Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition,... Continue Reading

Starting with a premise, Women Talking presents us with a single phrase: “What follows is an act of female imagination”.  Taken from the novel by Miriam Toews, director and screenwriter Sarah Polley adapts a story of an isolated religious community (they refer to themselves as a colony), with a dangerous undercurrent of abuse and violence, meted out to the women and children of the group. The phrase “female imagination” refers to the Elders’ attempts to dismiss acts of sexual abuse. The community structure is densely patriarchal; the women receive no education and subordination is expected. With the attacks, we ... Continue Reading

A searing portrait of racial inequality, Till tells the true life story of teenager, Emmett Till. The film, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, joins him at age 14. Emmett lives happily in 1950’s Chicago with his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. We are immersed in this special mother and son relationship from the outset: Mamie (played by Danielle Deadwyler) clearly dotes on her only child. Jalyn Hall, as Emmett, portrays a funny, carefree boy. In the summer of 1955, Emmett is invited to visit his cousins in Mississippi. Mamie – a former Mississippi resident – has serious misgivings, but Emmett is eager to ... Continue Reading

With Tár screening at Plymouth Arts Cinema this week, Helen Tope takes a deep dive into classical music in cinema.  Dramatic swathes of score, larger-than-life personalities – it’s little wonder that cinema has repeatedly turned to classical music for inspiration. While it is hard to imagine Brief Encounter without the romantic swell of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2, or A Clockwork Orange without the incongruous insertion of Rossini’s William Tell Overture, where it gets really interesting is when film decides to examine the creators and interpreters of the classical world.... Continue Reading

There are few books with such a reputation as D.H Lawrence’s final novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It has become a byword for literary lasciviousness: the fiercely erotic affair between aristocrat Lady Chatterley and her gamekeeper, Mellors, is firmly embedded (pun intended) into our popular culture. In a new film adaptation, French director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre reconfigures the novel into its historical and political context. The book begins in the last years of the First World War. Constance and Clifford Chatterley have just married before his return to the Front. Connie (played by Emma Corrin) is from a well-connected but bohemian family ... Continue Reading