Stoke on Trent


Bringing the best in Independent and World Cinema to North Staffordshire

April

 

Thu 1 to Sat 3 April    7.45pm

A SINGLE MAN (12A)

A Single ManTom Ford's acclaimed debut, a stunning adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel about one man's spiritual journey from despair to redemption; centred on an Oscar nominated performance from Colin Firth as George Falconer, a gay British college professor in 1962 Los Angeles, grief stricken and suicidal following the death of his partner of sixteen years.

USA, 2009, 100 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Tue 6 April    7.45pm

THE ISLAND (PG)

The IslandA Russian drama set in remote Northern Russia in 1976, centred on Father Anatoly, a miracle working Orthodox monk, haunted by actions taken in self preservation during the Second World War. Director Pavel Lungin's film rooted in the Russian literary tradition of the holy fool recalls the philosophical subtext and visual grandeur of Tarkovsky.

Russia (subtitled), 2009, 113 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian ::

:: Top of Page ::

Thu 8 April    7.45pm

DEPARTURES (12A)

DeparturesYōjirō Takita's Oscar winning drama tracing the profound and sometimes comical journey of Daigo Kobashi, a cellist who moves back to his home town following the disbanding of his orchestra, inadvertently beginning a new career as a funeral professional.

Japan (subtitled), 2009, 130 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian ::

:: Top of Page ::

Fri 9 and Sat 10 April    7.45pm

INVICTUS (12A)  DTS  Audio Description

InvictusThe true story of the South African rugby teams attempt to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the recently elected Nelson Mandela's belief in the inspirational unifying effect of a Springbok victory. Clint Eastwood directs Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon to nuanced portrayals of Mandela and Francois Piennar the team captain.

USA, 2009, 133 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Mon 12 April    7.45pm

THE QUEEN OF SPADES (PG)

Alexander Pushkin The Queen Of Spades

Thorold Dickerson's atmospheric, macabre adaptation of Pushkin's short story is a classic of supernatural cinema; an eerie chiller set in 1806 Imperialist Russian St Petersburg, starring Anton Waldbrook as Captain Herman Suvorin, a lowly German Engineer determined to make his fortune by any means.

UK (B/W), 1949, 91 mins

Free Admission

:: Top of Page ::

Tue 13 April    7.45pm

CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY (12A)  DTS

Capitalism A Love StoryMichael Moore returns to his personal bźte noire; the ruinous impact of large corporations on everyday lives. In a provocative attack Moore uses archive footage, interviews and humour to provide impassioned and invigorating entertainment, also showing the human side to the story and its consequent personal devastations.

USA, 2009, 127 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Thu 15 to Sat 17 April    7.45pm

THE LAST STATION (15)

The Last StationAn entertaining historical drama recounting Leo Tolstoy's final tempestuous year and the bitter rivalry between Sofya, his wife of 48 years and Chertkov, the leader of the Tolstoyan movement, as they vie for his attention and literary legacy. Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren are superb as the author and his wife amid a strong cast including James McAvoy and Paul Giamatti.

UK/Russia, 2009, 112 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Mon 19 April    7.45pm

MADAME BOVARY (A)

Vincente Minnelli Season Madame Bovary

Minnelli's adaptation of Gustave Flaubert's novel, starring Jennifer Jones as Emma Bovary, the provincial doctor's wife, whose romantic illusions about life and social status lead her to betray her naive husband.

USA, 1949, 114 mins

Free Admission

:: Top of Page ::

Tue 20 April    7.45pm

STILL WALKING (U)

Still WalkingAn observant, completely absorbing Japanese family drama from Hirokazu Kore-Eda meriting comparison to Yasujiro Ozu. Still Walking gracefully explores over the course of 24 hours the flaws, virtues and regrets of the Yokohomas family, as they meet to mourn the death of the eldest son fifteen years earlier.

Japan (subtitled), 2009, 114 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Thu 22 April    7.45pm

MICMACS (12A)   DTS

MicmacsJean-Pierre Jeunet returns to the imaginative whimsical charm of Amelie and Delicatessen in a comic fable lead by Dany Boon as Bazil, a man separately orphaned and wounded by competing arms companies who exacts ingenious retribution upon the company heads with the help of an endearing group of Parisian misfits.

France (subtitled), 2009, 104 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Fri 23 and Sat 24 April    7.45pm

PRECIOUS (15)

PreciousThe tough, authentic study of Claireece 'Precious' Jones, an illiterate, obese Harlem teenager with the world set against her, whose life improves through a move to an alternative school. Lee Daniels' universally acclaimed drama offers glimmers of hope, real and imagined, in a heartbreaking adaptation of Sapphire's novel Push, which draws strong performances from a surprising cast.

USA, 2009, 109 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Mon 26 April    7.45pm

FIT: The Movie

Stonewall / Diversity Week Screening

The feature film adaptation of Stonewall's highly successful play for schools aimed at tackling homophobic bullying, reviewed by The Times as 'A kind of gritty take on the shiny E4 drama Glee'; presented during Stoke-on-Trent College's Diversity week in association with Staffordshire University.

UK, 2010, 110 mins

:: Top of Page ::

 

Tue 27 April    7.45pm

LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (U)

Letter From An Unknown WomanMax Ophüls' poignant fin-de-sičcle Vienna set romance, relating the obsessive passion of Ilse Berndle for the decadent pianist Stefan Brand. Joan Fontaine's magnificent performance sits at the heart of Ophüls' adaptation of Stefan Zweig's moving tale of misplaced desire, all the more remarkable for being shot in a Hollywood studio.

USA, 1948, 87 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Thu 29 April    7.45pm

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (15)

Exit Through The Gift ShopThe anonymous poster child of street art world, Banksy, ventures onto the silver screen with a mischievous 'documentary' on the history, making and appraisal of urban art that is as entertaining and creative as it is unreliable - Any veracity found in its presentation of the career of the filmmaker-turned-street artist Thierry Guetta is incidental.

UK, 2009, 85 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::

Fri 30 April and Saturday 1 May    7.45pm

CRAZY HEART (15)   DTS  Audio Description

Crazy HeartA musician's life on the road forms the backdrop to Scott Cooper's drama surrounding Jeff Bridges' Oscar winning performance as Bad Blake, a washed-up country singer whose battles with the bottle are put into perspective by a single-mother reporter played by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

USA, 2009, 111 mins

Reviews:    :: The Observer :: The Guardian :: The Times ::

:: Top of Page ::


:: March :: May ::