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Film Review: Florence Foster Jenkins

Florence Foster Jenkins is screening from 8th - 14th July For the second time this year, ‘legendary’ opera singer and socialite Florence Foster Jenkins’ life is the subject of a major feature film. French movie Marguerite was not a straight biopic, more a loosely inspired standalone film – though a rather good one. So I was especially curious to see how its British counterpart, starring Hugh Grant and Meryl Streep, would turn out in comparison. I said Foster Jenkins is ‘legendary’ – perhaps infamous may be a better word, but I hesitate to use it because people did actually like her. Basically, though ... Continue Reading

Film Review: Son of Saul

https://youtu.be/uh2toNTE7rA The winner of this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, ‘Son of Saul’ tells the story of Saul Auslander, a Hungarian Jew working at Auschwitz as a Sonderkommando. A German word that does not directly translate into English, ‘Sonderkommando’ was the name given to prisoners who were put to work in the crematoriums. It was a task that while buying them a few extra months of life, exposed them to the very worst of the atrocities. They assist with the exterminations, working at great haste. It is 1944, and with the Allied Forces drawing ever closer, the Nazis are under pressure ... Continue Reading

Film Review: Eye in the Sky

‘Eye in the Sky’ is a film that explores the moral, political and personal implications of modern warfare. While the language of war remains unchanged, decisions to strike are made in military bunkers hundreds of miles from the front line; the probability of casualties is sorted by computer program and the bullet comes not from a gun, but fired from a clear, blue sky. We meet Colonel Katherine Powell (played by Helen Mirren), at the make-or-break moment of a top-secret operation to track and capture some of the ... Continue Reading

What is The F Rating and What Does it Mean for Women in Film?

This summer, Plymouth Arts Centre has launched a new film rating. Introduced to the UK by the Bath Film Festival in 2014, the ‘F’ rating is to notify cinema-goers of a film that meets the following criteria: Does it have a female director? Is it written by a woman? Is / are there significant women on screen in their own right? The ‘F’ in this rating stands for feminist. The F Rating was inspired by the Bechdel Test used by a group of cinemas in Sweden, and developed further ... Continue Reading

Film Review: A Bigger Splash

https://youtu.be/1mOVgI0-pb4 A Bigger Splash is showing at Plymouth Arts Centre from 18 - 24 March, with a Bringing in Baby screening on the 24th. Taking its title from the 1967 David Hockney painting, and directed by Luca Guadagnino, A Bigger Splash is a remake of the 1969 psychological thriller La Piscine (The Swimming Pool). The action has moved from the South of France and relocated to Pantelleria – an Italian island just off the coast of Sicily. A deeply-stylish film, A Bigger Splash makes quick work of exposing the splitting seams beneath the couture finish. New temptations and old connections interweave ... Continue Reading

Film Review: Trumbo

https://youtu.be/n0dZ_2ICpJE Trumbo is in the cinema at Plymouth Arts Centre from 11 - 17 March Trumbo tells the life-story of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who at the height of his career, found himself under the scrutiny of the McCarthy witch-hunts. As a member of the Communist Party, Dalton was summoned to a House of Un-American Activities Committee hearing in 1947. Found in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions or name associates he knew to be of a similar political persuasion, Dalton was sent to prison. After serving 10 months, Trumbo found himself blacklisted – his only option being to ... Continue Reading

BAFTAs 2016 Predictions

https://youtu.be/_jyCBFM1S58 With awards season now in full swing, here are our writer Helen Tope's hopes and predictions for the 2016 BAFTA Awards. The winners will be announced on Sunday 14 February 2016. Watch the ceremony on BBC One that evening. Best Film The Big Short / Bridge of Spies / Carol / The Revenant / Spotlight It’s definitely a year for films not shy of tackling big themes, but for pure heart-thumping, exhilarating drama, it has to be The Revenant. A beautifully-crafted journey through Frontier America, The Revenant is a genuine cinematic achievement, and has what it takes to scoop the major prizes. Outstanding British Film 45 Years ... Continue Reading

Truly a master of his art: our bloggers revisit Alan Rickman’s most memorable characters

https://youtu.be/GorPPLfJ7s0 It is an unashamedly partisan choice, but my favourite memory of Alan Rickman will always be his performance in Sense and Sensibility. While Emma Thompson’s screenplay was the star of the show, Alan Rickman’s depiction of a character that gets a second chance at life is truly moving. You see Colonel Brandon’s transformation from a man who expects nothing further, to one filled with optimism - exactly as Jane Austen wrote it. This was Rickman’s interpretation of the male romantic lead. It was the defining characteristic of his work – the ability to find the unexpected in any role, any genre. There ... Continue Reading

Opening Times

Award Winning Independent Cinema

What’s On: Thu 3rd September

Ish (15)

The Summer Book (PG)

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