Dec 31st    
Paddington in Peru* (PG)   
(Vue Stratford Westfield)

(GB/Fra/Japan 2024)
Columbia/Stage 6/Studio Canal/Marmalade. 106m.

Paddington goes back home after his beloved Aunt Lucy mysteriously disappears.
The human beings take second place to the animated bears in this second sentimental sequel on a similar par with its predecessors, together with an added element of spoofery of Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Sound of Music, and others, with at least its heart in the right place.

Written by: Mark Burton, Jon Foster, James Lamtont, Paul King, Simon Farnaby.
Producer: Rosie Allison.
Director: Dougal Wilson.
Starring: voice of Ben Whishaw; Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer (replacing Sally Hawkins), Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Juleie Walters, Carla Tous, Jim Broadbent, Hayley Atwell, Hugh Grant; voice of Imelda Staunton.
Photography: Erik Wilson.
Music: Dario Marianelli.

Dec 13th     
1984*    
(GB 1984)                
Virgin/Umbrella-Rosenblum Films. 110m.

Meek news censor Winston Smith seeks to chronicle his thoughts and enters into an illegal loveaffair with a co-worker, but it is all a trap by Big Brother to root out possible subversives.
Filmed apparently during the actual time period of the novel (April-June 1984), with some 80s excesses, but mostly a retro exercise harking back to Orwell's 1930s/40s, almost totally pervading in gloom which can distract from the philosophical aspects of the novel, with interesting performances.

Written and Directed by: Michael Radford, based on the novel by George Orwell.
Producer: Simon Perry.
Starring: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Gregor Fisher, Roger Lloyd-Pack.
Photography: Roger Deakins.
Music: Dominic Muldowney, Eurythmics.

+ Burton's last film, for which he came in as late replacement six weeks into shooting after Paul Scofield had pulled out of the role due to injury

Nov 26th    
A Little Chaos**     
(GB 2014)     
BBC Films/Lipsync. 117m. ws

In 17th century France, Andre le Notre hires an attractive young widow to design the ornamental gardens for Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles.
Unashamedly decorous historical romantic drama, emphasising the power of beauty, with some occasional moving insights into the characters rather than necessarily into history. All but French in style, but with accomplished English speaking actors instead. 

Written by: Alison Deegan, Alan Rickman, Jeremy Brock.
Producers: Gail Egan, Andrea Calderwood, Bertrand Faivre.
Director: Alan Rickman.
Starring: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alan Rickman, Helen McCrory, Stanley Tucci, Steven Waddington, Danny Webb, Jennifer Ehle, Phyllida Law.
Photography: Ellen Kuras.
Music: Peter Gregson.

Preceded by:
Tom and Jerry in
Polka Dot Puss**
(US 1948. 7m.; d: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera; p: Fred Quimby.)

Nov 13th  
Blitz**  (12A)     
(Curzon Colchester)    

(GB 2024)     
Apple Original/Working Title/Regency/Lammas Park. 120m.

In 1940 a half-black child in London goes AWOL whilst being evacuated, and has a perilous time wanting to get back to his mother.
Modern retelling of WWII successfully conveying the nightmare of the Blitz by squeezing most of the major emergencies into one drama, far removed from the old British stiff upper lip of the period, with most of the characters fashionably dropping their t's. Powerfully and melodramatically but also sensitively done, with homages to The Great Escape and Oliver Twist (and the more originally authentic Fires Were Started), and just the right side of historical veracity.

Written and Directed by: Steve McQueen.
Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Steve McQueen, Anita Overland, Adam Somner, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Paul Weller, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Alex Jennings, and others.
Photography: Yorick Le Saux.
Music: Hans Zimmer.

BLITZ. Poster advertising on the London Underground - one of the major settings for the film itself

                        

Oct 30th   
They Live**    
(US 1988)   
Universal/Carolco/Alive. 94m. Panavision

A construction worker in Los Angeles discovers that most affluent people in the world have been infiltrated by aliens in disguise.
Nifty sci-fi/horror satire on the consumerist 1980s with a strong premise put across in a simply effective (although slightly underdeveloped) manner, with the director back on good form.

Written and Directed by: John Carpenter, based on the story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" by Ray Nelson.
Producer: Larry Franco.
Starring: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, Peter Jason, George "Buck" Flower, Raymond St. Jacques.
Photography: Gary Kibbe.
Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth.

Oct 21st   
Lee**  (15)
(Electric Palace, Harwich)

(GB 2023)  
Sky Original/Rocket Science/MS Partecipations/Brouhaha. 117m.

Memories of a former European-based American model for Vogue Magazine who turned photographer during World War II into some of its darkest corners.
From Mr. DiCaprio to his Titanic co-star, in an excellent star vehicle (and pet project) based fairly closely on history, and with a thoroughly convincing make-up for the elderly Lee Miller, even though this involves the old hackneyed convention of the flashback. Harrowing, moving and interesting, although none of it is particularly surprising. 

Written by: Liz Hannah, John Collee, Marion Hume, Lem Dobbs, based on the book "The Lives of Lee Miller" by Antony Penrose.
Producers: Kate Solomon, Kate Winslet, Troy Lum, Andrew Mason, Marie Savare, Lauren Hantz.
Director: Ellen Kuras.
Starring: Kate Winslet, Alexander Skarsgaard, Andy Samberg, Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Josh O'Connor, Samuel Barnett.
Photography: Pawel Edelman.
Music: Alexandre Desplat.

Oct 20th
The Aviator**   
(US 2004)   
Warner Bros/Miramax/Forward Pass/Appian Way. 170m. ws

The younger active years of Howard Hughes from his first breakthrough film in Hollywood to his obsession with completing and flying his wartime Hercules "Spruce Goose".
Superficial and long but excitingly fast-paced biopic, with a star still too baby-faced looking, despite much effort from himself and those of an all-star supporting cast (some of whom are also laughably dis-similar to their real-life counterparts), and Scorsese's distinctively stylistic touches.

Written by: John Logan, based on the book "Howard Hughes: The Secret Life" by Charles Higham.
Producers: Michael Mann, Sandy Climan, Graham King, Charles Evans Jnr.
Director: Martin Scorsese.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett (as Kate Hepburn), John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Kate Beckinsale (as Ava Gardner), Ian Holm, Danny Huston, Gwen Stefani (as Jean Harlow), Jude Law (as Errol Flynn), Brent Spiner, Willem Dafoe.
Photography: Robert Richardson.
Music: Howard Shore.
Production Design: Dante Ferreti.