The new Community Cinema in the middle of Broughton continues this coming Friday with two screeenings aimed at children and families in the afternoon, and adults in the evening.
Below, programmers Rory Bonass and James Mooney preview what's in store.
Hugo, 126 minutes, Certificate U
The idea behind our daytime screenings has been to promote cinematic curiosity amongst audience members of all ages, and few films enliven budding cinephiles quite like Martin Scorcese's Hugo.
We follow orphaned Hugo around a beautifully realised 1930s Montparnasse train station as he tries to rebuild a robot his late father found, believing it to contain a message from him. He steals food to survive, maintains the station's gigantic clocks, and avoids the nefarious attentions of the dastardly Inspector Gustave. Before long, he meets Isabelle, who longs to help him, provided Hugo show her cinema, which she has been forbidden to see by her uncle. Isabelle's cinematic awakening is an avenue into film history, some of which may have been lost in Hugo's very station …
While ostensibly an old-school adventure, Hugo is an ode to the earliest days of cinema. As a beautifully earnest and innocent story, it is a wonder. As a tribute from a master of the form to the loved works of those who came before him, it is perfect. Watching people discover cinema is a wholly joyous experience. Come discover joy with us.
This screening is open to all ages, and we encourage parents with young children to bring them along.—RB
Doors open at 2pm. Come in and join us for refreshments and to meet the New Town Cinema community. The film will start at 2:30pm. Reserve your ticket in advance here (£6.44) or buy on the door (£5).
White God, 121 minutes, Certificate 15
Next up on our cinematic journey around some of the world’s most impressive capital cities is Budapest, the setting for White God.
Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó ignores W.C. Fields’s famous advice to never work with children or animals in offering this tale of 13-year-old Lili and her dog Hagen, a mixed-breed who is thrown out by her father and has to fight to survive on the city streets.
Inspired by J.M. Coetzee’s Booker Prize winning novel Disgrace, what starts as a simple story of a girl and her dog progresses into part coming-of-age drama, part political parable as Lili struggles to reunite with Hagan as he leads the city's dogs in revolt against their human oppressors.
Shot with a cast of over 250 dogs and without any use of CGI, White God is an amazing achievement, featuring stunning cinematography and a superb classical score (courtesy of Lizst’s Hungarian Rhapsody).
Forget Benji, Lassie and Homeward Bound; this visual and aural feast will take you on a different kind of incredible journey.—JM
Doors open 7pm, with film starting at 7.30pm. The screening will be preceded by a short introduction and followed by an opportunity for informal discussion. To buy your ticket in advance visit here (£6.44) or buy on the door (£7; £5 concs).
