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.
The Secret of Kells (2009), 75 minutes, NR
Our series on adventuring children continues with a journey to a medieval Ireland soaked in mystic beauty and gorgeous Celtic designs.
Directors Tom Moore and Nora Twomey’s The Secret of Kells is about Brendan, a young monk in training at the titular monastery. He is watched over with great fervour by his uncle, Abbot Ceallach.
The Abbot is obsessed with building a wall around the monastery to protect the inhabitants from the raiding Viking hordes, and is especially protective of his nephew. This does not chime with Brendan’s adventurous curiosity one bit.
Arriving to further provoke Brendan’s curiosity is the much revered brother Aidan, an illuminator working on the Book of Kells. Aidan takes a shine to Brendan and takes him on as his apprentice.
Thus begins a fight for not only Brendan but the very sanctity of the monastery. Do you protect yourself and those around you, or do you try to be more, to create?
While the story is a beautiful blend of Irish myths, history and a boy’s adventure, this is a movie all about the visuals. If Every Frame Is A Painting, then each shot of this wonderful film is that of a true master.—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).
The Great Beauty (2013), 141 minutes, Certificate 15
The next stop on our cinematic tour of the world’s capital cities is Rome, the setting for Paulo Sorrentino’s Oscar-winning The Great Beauty.
The film opens with a wonderfully decadent rooftop party, thrown to celebrate the 65th birthday of Jep Gambardella (played by frequent Sorrentino collaborator Toni Servillo), a louche socialite and self-appointed king of the high life.
After finding literary fame in his early 20s, Jep squandered his talent and now spends his time writing shallow gossip columns and attending parties – proudly claiming that he alone has the power to make them succeed or fail.
After receiving the news that his first (and perhaps only) love has died, Jep embarks on something of an existential journey through Rome, lamenting his demise and wasted years, yet finding himself touched by the beauty that surrounds him.
Sorrentino has a lot to live up to – following in the footsteps of Rossellini’s Rome, Open City and Fellini’s La Dolce Vita – but in The Great Beauty, he has delivered a cinematic masterpiece worthy of its predecessors and the Eternal City itself.—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).
