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Academy Award nominees Steve Carell, Timothee Chalamet and Amy Ryan star in a heartfelt drama from director Felix Van Groeningen (The Broken Circle Breakdown), based on the bestselling memoir by David & Nic Sheff and adapted by Luke Davies (Lion, Candy). David (Carell) is the loving father of Nic (Chalamet), a bright and engaged child who has endured a more troubled life as an adult. Gradually seeing his son become victim to addiction, David attempts to maintain their relationship as they experience different sides of the difficult cycle of survival, relapse and recovery.
6 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor, Editing, Score There ain’t no joint like a Spike Lee joint! The iconic filmmaker unfurls an outrageous yet true story that won him the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. As the first African-American officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington, son of Denzel) is itching to make a name for himself. His means of doing so is a plan to infiltrate the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan as an undercover operative. But while Stallworth can talk to KKK members over the phone, including Grand Wizard David Duke (Topher Grace), he obviously cannot attend meetings in person. Enter Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), a white colleague who becomes Stallworth’s body double. But having two Ron Stallworths throws up complications as the pair inveigle themselves deeper into the dangerous hate group. Produced by Get Out director Jordan Peele, BLACKKKLANSMAN is Spike Lee’s most electrifying film in recent years, an anti-racism revenge tale that is all the more relevant given it all really happened.
5 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, Actor, Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing Golden Globe winner - Best Picture (Drama); Best Actor (Drama). Rami Malek gives a career-defining performance as music icon Freddie Mercury in the triumphant feel-good musical drama BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. Working as a baggage handler at Heathrow airport, Farrokh Bulsara (Malek) offers his vocals to a band that has just lost their lead singer. Causing a stir with his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave range, Farrokh soon changes his name to Freddie Mercury and the band Queen is born. Touring the world with Brian May (Gwilym Lee), Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello), Queen's unconventional style divides critics but sees the band attract some of the largest concert audiences in history. His star rising and the world at his fingertips, Mercury's personal life becomes increasingly public and the price of fame begins to add up. Co-starring Aiden Gillen, Lucy Boynton, Tom Hollander and Mike Myers.
Jared (Lucas Hedges), the only child of a Baptist pastor, is forcibly outed to his parents following an encounter with a boy in college. Unable to accept that their son is gay, Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a gay conversion therapy program, or be permanently exiled by his family, friends and his faith. Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, this is an insider’s perspective on how gay conversion camps operate, explosively exposing the harm they cause to both to those who are forced to attend, and the people who place them in this environment of continual denial and shame. Directed, written and co-starring Joel Edgerton, alongside Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, BOY ERASED tells the true story of a young man’s struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity.
3 Oscar nominations - Best Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay Melissa McCarthy stars in CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, the true story of best-selling celebrity biographer (and friend to cats) Lee Israel, who turned to forgery when her style of writing fell out of fashion. It’s a hard, lonely life, being a writer. But what if you could find a way to make money by passing off your own writing as the work of far more famous authors? Lee Israel made a name for herself writing biographies on the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Estee Lauder, but changes in reading tastes have lately found her books languishing in bargain bins. Desperation causes her to start writing letters, purportedly by famous people, and selling them for quick cash as celebrity ephemera. Abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant), Lee soon finds herself raking in money – and quickly sinking into a scheme that is far more than she can handle. Lead by impressive talent behind the scenes with director Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) and writer Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said), CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? is a typewriter thriller that should see McCarthy garner high acclaim come awards season.
Emma Thompson gives one of the best performances of her career in a moving drama of a woman embroiled in a moral dilemma in which a child’s life hangs in the balance. High Court Justice Fiona Maye is used to presiding over cases where she must act as a Solomon whose decisions irrevocably effect people’s lives. But a case that comes before her involving gravely ill 17-year-old Adam (Fionn Whitehead) is a unique quandary. Adam’s parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and are refusing to allow him to have a blood transfusion that could save his life. Adam appears to share their beliefs, but Fiona has the power to order that the treatment go ahead against his and his family’s wishes. Taking an unorthodox tact, Fiona decides to visit Adam in hospital, and an unlikely bond springs up between them. Adapted by Ian McEwan from his own novel, and directed by Richard Eyre (Notes on a Scandal, Iris), THE CHILDREN ACT is a deeply humane film that grapples with the morals of belief and who should hold power over a life.
Advance Screening: Friday 30 November, 8.30pm. Tickets includes a drink on entry, with a choice of red wine, white wine, and - if you dare - sangria. Tickets available below. Nova Exclusive! From director Gaspar Noé (Love, Enter the Void) comes a hypnotic, hallucinatory, and ultimately nightmarish depiction of a party that descends into delirium over the course of one wintry night. A troupe of young dancers gathers in a remote location to rehearse. Following an unforgettable opening performance, the troupe begins an all-night celebration that turns fateful as the dancers discover that their refreshing sangria has been laced with LSD. Following their journey from jubilation to chaos to full-fledged anarchy, crushes, rivalries, and violence combine to create a collective psychedelic meltdown. Starring Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde) and a cast of professional dancers, this is Gaspar Noé's most brazen and visionary statement yet. French language, English subtitles
3 Oscar nominations - Best Director, Foreign Language Film, Cinematography A critical and audience favourite at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Best Director prize, and already touted as a major 2019 Oscar contender, Paweł Pawlikowski’s follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Ida is a ravishing, music-fuelled romance charting two mismatched lovers caught between East and West in 1950s Europe. In the ruins of post-WWII Poland, pianist Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) is commissioned by the Soviet state to form a musical ensemble to help rekindle national pride. Whilst touring the villages in search of talent he meets the much younger Zula (Joanna Kulig), a fiery and charismatic singer with a past, and the two fall passionately in love. When a performance in Berlin offers the pair an opportunity for escape to the West, a last-minute decision finds them stranded on either side of the Iron Curtain. As the years march on, Wiktor and Zula – whether through political circumstance or personal impetuosity – struggle to find their moment in time. Spanning 15 years across Warsaw, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, and inspired by the real-life story of the director’s own parents, COLD WAR meticulously recreates the era with virtuosic black-and-white visuals, and a terrific soundtrack that is used judiciously to signify the passage of time and shifting relationships. Warmly lyrical, impossibly romantic and visually stunning, COLD WAR is one of the films of the year. Polish, French, German & other European languages, English subtitles
Keira Knightley is magnificent in the role of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the French writer who defied the gender conventions of the 19th century to become an outspoken and beloved author – but first she had to fight to be recognised as the originator of her words. After marrying a successful Parisian writer and publisher who writes under the pen name “Willy” (Dominic West), Colette is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendour of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to become one of his ghost writers, and she pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels. But things turn ugly when Colette asks Willy for her work to be recognised publicly as hers rather than his. Colette's fight over creative ownership defies gender roles and drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionising literature, fashion and sexual expression.
The critically acclaimed directorial debut from comedian Bo Burnham, EIGHTH GRADE is an achingly realistic and honest exploration of the anxiety of being a teenager. Thirteen year old Kayla (a revelatory Elsie Fisher) is in her last week of middle school, and is frustrated at being constantly ignored by her peers – she longs to win any class award other than ‘Most Quiet.’ Pushing away her concerned dad (Josh Hamilton) and confiding in a series of vlogs, Kayla attempts to project the person she wants to be – confident, chatty, popular. But the indignity and embarrassments of teenage life, compounded by a new age where social media accentuates isolation, make this journey of self-actualisation anything but smooth. “Movies about teenagers are often filled with contrived excesses, but Mr. Burnham understands that some of the most pronounced extremes — the drama, the comedy, the horror — take place in that lonely room known as our heads.” – The New York Times
Plunge once more into the magical wizarding world of J.K. Rowling with the exciting new instalment of the Fantastic Beasts series. Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) has escaped and is making good on his threats to gather followers in his war against non-magical beings. Hogwarts professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former pupil Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) for the coming fight against dark wizardry. But the gentle and naïve magizoologist is unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines will be drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the closest of friends and family, as the wizarding world becomes ever more divided. With a cast including Ezra Miller, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler and Zoë Kravitz, the latest magical tale from the Harry Potter universe is a thrilling adventure where the battle between good and evil escalates to the point of no return.
10 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Supporting Actress (2), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Costume Design, Production Design Golden Globe winner - Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) The latest film from director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) turns the period drama upside down, as three unique, calculating and unpredictable women run riot to snatch power and love from the highest bidders that they can. Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives Abigail a chance to fulfil her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.
4 Oscar nominations - Best Vidual Effects, Sound Editing, Production Design, Sound Mixing Damien Chazelle, the Oscar winning director behind Whiplash and La La Land, reteams with Ryan Gosling to recreate one of the greatest triumphs in the history of mankind. Pilot Neil Armstrong (Gosling) is offered the choice of a lifetime: the opportunity to be a part of the first manned moon landing. Exploring the sacrifices and costs upon the United States Government and people, and on Neil himself, Chazelle's critically acclaimed drama dramatizes one of the most dangerous missions in the history of space travel. Co-starring Claire Foy (The Crown), Corey Stoll (House of Cards), Jason Clarke (Chappaquiddick), Kyle Chandler (Argo) and Ciaran Hinds (There Will Be Blood).
Exclusive award-season event screenings! Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When pregnant parishioner Mary (Amanda Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future, until he finds redemption in an act of grandiose violence. From writer-director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver; American Gigolo; Affliction) comes a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary.
Live beyond fear. From the directors of Meru comes FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of the free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream of climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock - the 3,200ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park... without a rope. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb set the ultimate standard: perfection or death. Succeeding in this challenge places his story in the annals of human achievement. FREE SOLO is an edge-of-your seat thriller and an inspiring portrait of an athlete who challenges both his body and his beliefs on a quest to triumph over the impossible, revealing the personal toll of excellence. As the climber begins his training, the armour of invincibility he’s built up over decades unexpectedly breaks apart when Honnold begins to fall in love, threatening his focus and giving way to injury and setbacks. The film beautifully captures deeply human moments with Honnold as well as the death-defying climb with exquisite artistry and masterful, vertigo-inducing camerawork. The result is a triumph of the human spirit.
5 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Editing Golden Globe winner - Best Picture (Musical or Comedy); Best Screenplay; Best Supporting Actor. Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen and Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) star in GREEN BOOK, a film inspired by a true friendship. In need of a driver for his 1962 concert tour, world-class black pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Ali) recruits Tony Lip (Mortensen), a tough-talking Italian-American from the Bronx. As this mismatched pair set out on their journey, they must rely on the “Green Book” to guide them to safe establishments in America’s segregated south – but they’ll need more than a book to understand each other. Winner of the Audience Award at Toronto International Film Festival, Mortensen and Ali make a winning double act in this humorous and heart-warming film.
Nova Exclusive! Now the top-selling female artist in the world, Yuyoi Kusuma overcame impossible odds to bring her radical artistic vision to the world stage. For decades, her work pushed boundaries that often alienated her from both her peers and those in power in the art world. Kusama was an underdog with everything stacked against her: the trauma of growing up in Japan during World War II, life in a dysfunctional family that discouraged her creative ambitions, sexism and racism in the art establishment, mental illness in a culture where that was particularly shameful and even continuing to pursue and be devoted to her art full time on the cusp of her 90s. In spite of it all, Kusama has endured and has created a legacy of artwork that spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation art, performance art, poetry and literary fiction. Some Japanese language, English subtitles
Oscar nominated filmmaker Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Driving Miss Daisy, Mao's Last Dancer) adapts Madeleine St John's bestselling novel for the screen with this delightful Australian comedy. The year is 1959 and young Lisa Miles (Angourie Rice) is fresh out of high school and learning the ropes at her new job working in women's wear at a prestigious Sydney department store. At first dismissed by her older colleagues, Lisa soon forms friendships with unlucky-in-love Fay (Rachael Taylor) and poised Hungarian immigrant Magda (Julia Ormond). Exposed to the wider world gradually being brought to the city by Magda, her husband Stefan (Vincent Perez), Rudi (Ryan Corr) and other 'new Australians', Lisa and Fay come to embrace this exciting new culture. Co-starring Susie Porter, Shane Jacobson, Nicholas Hammond and Noni Hazlehurst, LADIES IN BLACK is a perfectly timed reflection on Australia's very own coming-of-age.
Seduction, glamour, corruption, drugs and raucous poolside parties: the life and times of scandal-plagued Silvio Berlusconi have long-demanded a screen depiction, and who else to deliver it than Paolo Sorrentino. The Academy Award-winning director of The Great Beauty and The Young Pope returns to cinema in spectacular fashion with this dazzling, topical and no-holds-barred look at life in Italy under the glistening eye of modern Europe’s most infamous politician. With LORO, Sorrentino gradually unpeels the complex personality and motivations of the billionaire former Prime Minister – played with unmistakable panache by Toni Servillo – during a tumultuous period in his career, as his marriage to second wife Veronica Lario (Elena Sofia Ricci) fractures; all the while skilfully threading together stories of a wide variety of characters from multiple levels of society and their attempts to either ingratiate or distance themselves from him. Boldly and controversially speculating on what may or may not have taken place behind closed doors, LORO offers a timely commentary on the excesses and follies of the power-hungry. Viewers sensitive to depictions of unfettered wealth, debauchery and sex: consider yourselves forewarned. Everyone else: strap in for a wild, unforgettable ride.
4 Oscar nominations - Best Song, Best Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design Step in time with a brand new adventure with the world’s favourite nanny, inspired by further stories in P.L. Travers’ original book series, and filled with all the magic of the original film. Now an adult with three children, bank teller Michael Banks (Ben Wishaw) learns that his house will be repossessed in five days unless he can pay back a loan. His only hope is to find a missing certificate that shows proof of valuable shares that his father left him years earlier. Just as all seems lost, Michael and his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) receive the surprise of a lifetime when Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) -- the beloved nanny from their childhood -- arrives to save the day and take the Banks family on a magical, fun-filled adventure. With a fantastic supporting cast including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Julie Walters, Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and – of course! – Dick Van Dyke, MARY POPPINS RETURNS is pure delight from end to end.
2 Oscar nominations - Best Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling It’s queen against queen as Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie face off in a new telling of the classic battle royale between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I. Mary (Ronan) returns to Scotland as the widowed queen of France to take up the Scottish throne. Initially desiring to reign in peace alongside her cousin Elizabeth (Robbie) who is queen of neighbouring England, Mary and Elizabeth’s would-be sisterly relationship is violently rocked by the schemes, plots and machinations of the men in their lives. As relations between the two queens deteriorate, and when Mary produces an heir where Elizabeth cannot, a royal reckoning can’t be avoided. Co-starring Jack Lowden, Gemma Chan, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant and Guy Pearce, and helmed by celebrated theatre director Josie Rourke, this is the period drama at its most lush, passionate, and divinely performed.
Nova exclusive! Drawn from a cache of personal video recordings from the past 22 years, director Steve Loveridge’s Sundance award-winning MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is a startlingly personal profile of the critically acclaimed artist, chronicling her remarkable journey from refugee immigrant to pop star. She began as Matangi. Daughter of the founder of Sri Lanka’s armed Tamil resistance, she hid from the government in the face of a vicious and bloody civil war. When her family fled to the UK, she became Maya, a precocious and creative immigrant teenager in London. Finally, the world met her as M.I.A. when she emerged on the global stage, having created a mashup, cut-and-paste identity that pulled from every corner of her journey along the way; a sonic sketchbook that blended Tamil politics, art school punk, hip-hop beats and the unwavering, ultra-confident voice of a burgeoning multicultural youth. Never one to compromise on her vision, Maya kept her camera rolling throughout. MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. provides unparalleled, intimate access to the artist in her battles with the music industry and mainstream media as her success and fame explodes, becoming one of the most recognizable, outspoken and provocative voices in music today.
From master-filmmaker Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Gran Torino) comes an all-star comic drama about an aging divorcee forced into a lucrative life of crime, based on an unbelievable true story. Earl Stone (Eastwood) is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well—so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But he isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl; the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper). And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him. Co-starring Michael Pena, Dianne Wiest, Lawrence Fishburn and Andy Garcia.
If you love tearing up at YouTube videos of cute puppers, do we have the film for you! Follow five adorable little puppies as they go on a journey to discover if they have the chops to become guide dogs. Guide Dogs for the Blind, a charity based in the US, receives more than 1000 requests each year for guide dogs. But the traits, talents and animal compassion needed to become one of the most special of canine companions is not possessed by every dog, and a rigorous training program is instituted with candidate pups from the moment of birth. As we journey with the dogs through foster families, training, and the lucky few being paired with ecstatic new owners, PICK OF THE LITTER weaves an empathetic and affecting tale of human and canine bonding that is a must for all lovers of man’s best friend.
To coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan 27, Nova presents a 25th anniversary release of Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece Schindler’s List, one of the most significant endeavors in the history of cinema, digitally remastered. Winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, this incredible true story follows the enigmatic Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. It is the triumph of one man who made a difference and the drama of those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history because of what he did. Meticulously restored from the original film negative in pristine high definition and supervised by Spielberg, Schindler’s List is a powerful story whose lessons of courage and faith continue to inspire generations.
Oscar nominee: Best Foreign Language Film Winner: Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival 2018. From master Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda comes an uplifting tale of small-time criminals who take in a child they find on the street. Shoplifting to make ends meet, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter her, Osamu's wife agrees to take care of the child after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets and tests the bonds that unite them. Japanese Language, English subtitles.
Nova Exclusive! The debut film from Boots Riley, activist and frontman rapper of political hip-hop band The Coup, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU is a surreal, comedic ride through an alternate universe version of Oakland, California, and raises a fist against the erosion of workers’ rights and the unrelenting march of late-capitalism. Things aren’t going great for Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield). Unemployed and living in a garage belonging to his Uncle Sergio (Terry Crews), Cassius’ debts are piling up. In desperation, he takes a job telemarketing for a company called RegalView and, encouraged by his co-worker Langston (Danny Glover) to use his ‘white voice’ on calls, Cassius quickly becomes a highly successful employee. But his swift promotion up the corporate ladder puts him at odds with his artist girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson), and the higher he climbs the more bizarre, disturbing and completely freaky his world becomes. With a gonzo performance from Armie Hammer as a sinister tech bro billionaire and the voices of David Cross, Patton Oswalt and Lily James, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU was a huge surprise hit in the U.S., and is the loud, comic, cosmic shout in the dark that cinema and the world sorely needs.
8 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Song. Golden Globe winner - Best Original Song An old Hollywood tale, reborn anew. Bradley Cooper directs and stars in A STAR IS BORN, with pop superstar Lady Gaga making her leading role feature film debut. Seasoned rock ‘n’ roll musician Jackson Maine (Cooper) is an icon on the precipice of a downward spiral. With tinnitus and an alcohol problem pickling him from the inside out, Jackson is the very picture of a fading star. But his life is lifted when he discovers – and falls in love with – Ally (Gaga), a struggling singer who may be a nobody, but has a voice that Jackson knows will turn her into a somebody. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer… until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is begins to break down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
An Australian classic that has been revitalised for a new generation, STORM BOY presents a new vision of Colin Thiele’s beloved novel of a young boy and his pelican. Michael Kingley begins to tell his granddaughter a story from his childhood, of when he discovered, rescued and raised an orphaned pelican who grew into an extraordinary bird called Mr Percival. Conjuring up long-forgotten memories of growing up by the coast with his father, the profound experience of remembering Mr Percival and telling his story affects Michael like never before. Directed by Shawn Seet and with an impressive cast including Jai Courtney and David Gulpilil, STORM BOY promises to be a landmark in Australian family cinema.
From master filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, I Am Love, A Bigger Splash) comes a reinterpretation of the iconic giallo horror by Dario Argento. The year is 1977 and West Berlin is gripped by the ongoing terrorist negotiations between police and the Baader-Meinhof group. American dancer Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) arrives in the city as residents exist on the edge of panic, no longer certain of whom to trust. Successfully auditioning for revered choreographer Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton), Susie is put up in the living quarters of another dancer who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Exhibiting a strength and skill that transfixes Blanc, Susie begins a regime of training that will prepare her not only for the stage, but for something far more sinister. Meticulously crafted and cast by Guadagnino, the filmmaker's reimagining of the horror classic is amongst the most anticipated films of the year. Some German and French language, English subtitles.
On the centenary of the end of First World War, Academy Award-winner Peter Jackson presents an extraordinary new work showing the Great War as you have never seen it. Using state of the art technology to restore original archival footage which is more than a 100-years old, Jackson brings to life the people who can best tell this story: the men who were there. Driven by a personal interest in the First World War, Jackson set out to bring to life the day-to-day experience of its soldiers. After months immersed in the BBC and Imperial War Museums’ archives, narratives and strategies on how to tell this story began to emerge for Jackson. Using the voices of the men involved, the film explores the reality of war on the front line: their attitudes to the conflict; how they ate; slept and formed friendships, as well what their lives were like away from the trenches during their periods of downtime. Jackson and his team have used cutting edge techniques to make the images of a hundred years ago appear as if they were shot yesterday. The transformation from black and white footage to colourised footage can be seen throughout the film revealing never before seen details. Reaching into the mists of time, Jackson aims to give these men voices, investigate the hopes and fears of the veterans, the humility and humanity that represented a generation changed forever by a global war.
They didn’t know that they were brothers. But someone did. An incredible true story that starts off feel-good and swerves into truly astonishing territory, THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS is the documentary experience of the year. New York, 1980: three complete strangers accidentally discover that they are identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds' joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, but it also unlocks an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes beyond their own lives - and could transform our understanding of human nature forever.
8 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Editing, Makeup & Hairstyling Golden Globe winner - Best n Actor (Musical or Comedy) Oscar winning writer/director Adam McKay (The Big Short) brings his trademark wit to the true story of US Vice President Dick Cheney in VICE. George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) wins the 2000 election, but it’s Cheney (Christian Bale) who quietly takes charge, wielding his newfound power as vice president to reshape the country and the world – with lasting consequences. Featuring magnificent performances from Bale, Rockwell, Amy Adams and Steve Carell, VICE is a smart, irreverent comedy-drama that will shock and entertain in equal measure.
They’re here to finish the job. The new film from Steve McQueen, director of 12 Years A Slave, is a kinetic, high tension thriller that sees Viola Davis leading a badass gang of ladies attempting to orchestrate the mother of all heists in a pulsating big screen update of the original TV series by crime queen Lynda La Plante. When an explosive shoot out results in the deaths of their criminal husbands, the grieving (and some not-so-grieving) widows left behind (Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo and Elizabeth Debicki) must take over operations in order to repay a debt and take revenge on those who robbed them of their husbands’ lives. With a screenplay by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, and an incredible extended cast including Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya and Robert Duvall, WIDOWS is high class genre filmmaking to relish.
Nova Exclusive! The new film from Palme d’Or-winning Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Winter Sleep, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia), THE WILD PEAR TREE follows the homecoming of a young writer and the colliding destinies and competing concerns of fathers and sons. Sinan (Aydın Doğu Demirkol) is an aspiring writer who returns to the village he grew up in, and while his image of his childhood home grew rosy in his absence, being confronted again by its realities quickly causes Sinan to feel restricted and for resentment to build inside him against people, especially his blustering father Idris (Murat Cemcir). An inveterate gambler in debt to everyone in town, Idris embodies the messy chaos that Sinan wants to completely avoid in his own life. But Sinan is making problems for himself in other ways: despite his arrogance, his literary talents may not be as golden as he believes them to be. Turkish language, English subtitles