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Film Preview: Singin’ in the Rain – “Both optimistic and cynical, Singin’ in the Rain has lost none of its power to charm and persuade.”

Helen Tope reviews Singin’ in the Rain, showing on our screen from Saturday 14 to Friday 20 December as part of our Musical Classics Season. For many the ultimate musical, Singin’ in the Rain looks at the glamour of old-school Hollywood and just what it takes to make a film come to life. Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, the film looks at a fictional leading man, Don Lockwood (played by Kelly). It is 1927, and Lockwood – handsome, sophisticated and urbane – is an established name, starring in films alongside Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). Together ... Continue Reading

Film Preview: Meet Me in St Louis – “Garland, under Minnelli’s direction, gives a performance that bursts with energy.”

Regular blog contributor Helen Tope previews Meet Me in St Louis showing in our cinema from Friday 20 to Saturday 28 December. It’s 1903, and St Louis, Missouri, is just one year away from hosting the World’s Fair, and most definitely a town on the rise. Against this backdrop, we meet the Smith family. Born and raised in St Louis, the family enjoy a generous lifestyle, afforded by Mr Smith’s role as junior partner in his law firm. There are four girls in the family – Rose, Esther, Agnes and Tootie. Rose (played by Lucille Bremer) is ... Continue Reading

Film Preview: It’s a Wonderful Life – “George Bailey’s life is not only wonderful, it is irreplaceable.”

Regular blog contributor Helen Tope previews It’s a Wonderful Life, her favourite film! This beloved Christmas classic is showing in our cinema from Thursday 12 to Thursday 19 December. A perennial classic, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is a film that has become a victim of its own success. After being shoehorned into television schedules since its release in 1946, It’s a Wonderful Life is one of those films that exists in the memory, not as a whole narrative, but through a series of moments. George Bailey, running through a snowy Bedford Falls, is not only ... Continue Reading

Film Review: The Laundromat – “Soderbergh’s film is a kaleidoscopic portrayal of greed and corruption”

Helen Tope reviews The Laundromat, showing in our cinema until Thursday 21 November. The Laundromat attempts to unsettle us right from the start. We meet our narrators, smartly suited and impeccably groomed, walking through a primeval landscape. They explain the story of finance to us, from exchange and barter, to the intricacies of credit. As we leave behind the desert and head into a nightclub, we move from early man into a contemporary world where tax avoidance is very much a political issue. The release of the Panama Papers in 2016, the leaked documents being the property ... Continue Reading

Film review: The Goldfinch – “a beautifully-voiced odyssey through pain and privilege”

Helen Tope reviews The Goldfinch, showing in our cinema until Thursday 31 October. Taking a book from page to screen is no easy task. In adapting such a large, complex book, the temptation is to go simpler; to pare down the ideas. But with Donna Tartt’s novel, the level of expectation demands a care and precision beyond the norm. Published in 2013, Tartt’s novel was a long-awaited return of an author not prone to huge output. With only three novels to her name, including The Secret History, Tartt has created a singular voice that is fiendishly hard to ... Continue Reading

Film Preview: Judy – “Zellweger nails Garland’s ability to tap into the pain, and just makes it sing”

Helen Tope reviews Judy Garland’s biopic Judy, showing in our cinema from Friday 1 November to Thursday 7 November. After a brief hiatus, it seems that biopics are back. Following on from Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, theatre director Rupert Goold brings us the story of Judy Garland. Adapted from the Peter Quilter play, End of the Rainbow, the film focuses on the final months of Garland’s life. The Judy of the Carnegie Hall concerts is now a fading memory. It is 1968, and Garland is desperate for cash. Gambling what is left of her reputation, she signs ... Continue Reading

Film Review: Downton Abbey – “the film hits every sweet spot a Downton fan would want”

Helen Tope reviews Downton Abbey, showing in our cinema until Thursday 17 October. We also have a Bringing in Baby screening on Wednesday 16! A world of elegance and charm, Downton Abbey makes the leap to the big screen with comparative ease. We join the Crawleys as a letter is delivered. The Royal Family – King George V and Queen Mary – will be stopping over at Downton during a tour. It’s one night to impress, and put on a show. It’s what Downton does best. But as the preparations begin, feathers are ruffled ... Continue Reading

Film Review: Notorious – “What Hitchcock delivers here is a definitive take on the spy thriller.”

Helen Tope reviews Notorious, showing in our cinema until Wednesday 9 October. 1946 was a very good year for film. The Big Sleep, Gilda and It’s a Wonderful Life, the medium was most definitely experiencing a post-war high. Among them sits Hitchcock’s dark thriller, Notorious. Set in Rio de Janeiro, Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant join forces to defeat a group of Nazis. This may sound about as subtle as a Rita Hayworth hair toss, but Hitchcock’s film about post-war anxiety and patriotism runs far deeper than first impressions might suggest. We meet Alicia Huberman (Bergman) as her German ... Continue Reading

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The Wild Robot (U) – Family Friendly and Bringing in Baby

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