Featuring our pick of the films for August……
Public Enemies (MA15+) 139 mins
Director: Michael Mann (The Insider)
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Rory Cochran
Synopsis: In the action-thriller Public Enemies, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp) - the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public.
No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone - from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.
Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals - from the infamous 'Lady in Red' to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti - were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.
Chéri (M) 93 mins
Director:Stephen Frears (The Queen)
Cast:Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend
Synopsis: Set in the luxurious demi-monde of pre-First World War Paris, Chéri is the story of the love affair between the beautiful retired courtesan Léa (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Chéri (Rupert Friend), the son of her old colleague and rival, Mme Peloux (Kathy Bates).
Léa has educated the spoilt and callow boy in the ways of love, but after six years Mme Peloux has secretly arranged a marriage between Chéri and Edmée (Felicity Jones), daughter of another rich courtesan, Marie Laure (Iben Hjejle).
As the inevitable moment of parting approaches, Léa and Chéri try to come to terms with their imminent separation, but the roots of their life of ease and pleasure reach deeper than even they imagine and they begin to understand, too late, how much they mean to one another.
Red Cliff (MA15+) 149 mins
Director: John Woo (Broken Arrow, Face/Off)
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu Wai (2046, Hero, In the Mood for Love), Takeshi Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers)
Synopsis: The highest grossing film in Chinese Box Office history comes to Dendy Cinemas this July! From the acclaimed director of Mission Impossible II, Face/Off and The Killers, comes a dazzling, visionary epic based on the legendary Battle of Red Cliff, in which a force of fifty thousand defeated an army of nearly one million.
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minister Cao Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale, led by the Prime Minister, himself. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance. Numerous battles of strength and wit ensued, both on land and on water, eventually culminating in the battle of Red Cliff. During the battle, two thousand ships were burned, and the course of Chinese history was changed forever.
Subtitles: English/Chinese
The Escapist (MA15+) 101 mins
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Cast: Brian Cox, Dominic Cooper, Joseph Fiennes, Seu Jorge, Liam Cunninham
Synopsis: The Escapist is a fresh, exhilarating take on the prison-break film from a bold new voice in the action-thriller genre, director Rupert Wyatt. A fantastic ensemble cast populates this action packed escapade, which follows the story of a father's reckless devotion and the bonds built between a group of men whose last hopes are on the line.
Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is a lifer; in prison for the rest of his natural born days. He's never had a problem with that: he did the crime; he'll do the time. Until now. After receiving a letter telling him that his beloved daughter is critically ill, Frank decides he has to escape - but he can't do it alone. Vet cons Lenny (Joseph Fiennes), Brodie (Liam Cunningham), Baptista (Seu Jorge) and a young inmate named Lacey (Dominic Cooper) form the ensemble of convicts aiding Frank in his daring break-out
Winged Creatures (MA15+) 100 mins
Director: Rowan Woods (Little Fish)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson
Synopsis: A story of tragedy and hope for our times, Winged Creatures is a powerful ensemble drama that explores the notion that our lives are fleeting. A moment of random violence in an ordinary Los Angeles diner. The survivors (Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, Forest Whitaker) find that the meaning of their lives have changed. No matter how much their families and friends (Jennifer Hudson, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Embeth Davidtz) attempt to understand , these individuals must follow their own paths to recovery seeking to regain trust in a world that now seems chaotic.
The Burning Season (PG) 90 mins
Director:Cathy Henkel
Cast:Hugh Jackman (Narrator), Dorjee Sun, Interviewees
Synopsis: The Burning Season is the story of a remarkable achievement by one young man not afraid to single-handedly confront the biggest challenge of our time.
Dorjee Sun, a young entrepreneur, believes there's money to be made from protecting rainforests in Indonesia, saving the orangutan from extinction and making a real impact on climate change. Armed with a laptop and a backpack, he sets out across the globe to find investors in his carbon trading scheme. It is a battle against time. Achmadi, the palm oil farmer is ready to set fire to his land to plant more palm oil, and Lone's orangutan centre has reached crisis point with over 600 orangutans rescued from the fires. Dorjee's determination to succeed and his award-winning achievement will uplift and entertain audiences and inspire hope.
Awards: 2008 IF Award Winner: Best Documentary
