Nov 30th  
Edie* 
(GB/Ger 2017)
Arrow Films/Cape Wrath Films. 102m. ws

An elderly widow tries to fulfil her dream of climbing Mount Suilven in Scotland while she still has the time.
Moving twilight years drama, an enjoyable variation on the recent trend, and though choppily edited and being a little unnecessarily expansive in its Scottish tourist board view of the landscape, is at its best when viewed from the perspective of its rejuvenated central character, a gentle one-woman tour de force.

Written by: Elizabeth O'Halloran.
Producers: Mark Stothart, Tim Dennison, Edward Little.
Director: Simon Hunter.
Starring: Sheila Hancock, Kevin Guthrie, Paul Brannigan, Amy Manson, Wendy Morgan.
Photography: August Jakobson.
Music: Debbie Wiseman.
Editing: Olly Stothart.

 

Nov 13th
The Lost King** (12A)  
(Electric Palace, Harwich)                    

(GB 2022)
Warner Bros/Pathe/BBC Films/Creative Scotland/Ingenious/Baby Cow. 108m.

Separated mother Philippa Langley is haunted by the image of King Richard III to find his burial location, which the local authorities then take the credit for.
Subjective but smoothly done comedy drama with a pretty accurate depiction of modern day Britain; denounced by academics as being an unfair portrayal, but they can't really complain as the film is reasonably even handed, and they took plenty of credit at the time anyway.

Written by: Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope.
Producers: Steve Coogan, Christine Langan, Dan Winch.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Harry Lloyd (as Richard), Mark Addy, Lee Ingleby, James Fleet.
Photography: Zac Nicholson.
Music: Alexandre Desplat.

Nov 11th
Living**  (12A)   
(Plaza Community Cinema, Liverpool)

(GB/Finland 2022)
Lionsgate/Film Four/Number 9 Films/Lipsync/Film i Vast. 109m.

A repressed civil servant discovers he is dying, and spends his few remaining months trying to live his life better.
Skillful and moving transposition of Kurosawa's Ikiru (and before that Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich) over to austere London of the early 1950s, and despite the occasional modern accent in some of the cast, and some gaps in the plot, the stifling atmosphere of the working environment is very well conveyed, with a lead actor ideally cast.

Written by: Kazuo Ishiguro.
Producers: Stephen Woolley, Elizabeth Karlsen.
Director: Oliver Hermanus.
Starring: Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharpe, Tom Burke, Barney Fishwick, Michael Cochrane, Thomas Coombes.
Photography: Jamie D. Ramsey.
Music: Emilie Levieanaise-Farrouch (plus Sibelius and Vaughan-Williams)
Editing: Chris Wyatt.

Nov 8th  
Nuns on the Run**  
(GB 1990)
Twentieth Century Fox/HandMade Films. 89m.

Two crooks hide from their bosses under disguise in a London convent school.
Lively British farce which, like Some Like It Hot, has more fun with the two stars in drag (who also make for a passable latter day Laurel and Hardy), than the disposable gangster or superfluous romantic sub-plots.

Written and Directed by: Jonathan Lynn.
Producer: Michael White.
Starring: Eric Idle, Robbie Coltrane, Camille Coduri, Janet Suzman, Lila Kaye, Doris Hare, Robert Patterson.
Photography: Michael Garfath.
Music: Yello, Hidden Faces.

Preceded by:
Post Early for Christmas**
(GB 1943. Ministry of Information. 2m. bw; w, s: Richard Massingham.)