HUGH BONNEVILLE: A SELECTIVE RETROSPECTIVE

French Film

A comedy about how French and English cultures differ in their attitudes to relationships. Jed (Hugh Bonneville) prepares to interview a French director and self-appointed expert on the nature of love, Thierry Grimandi (Eric Cantona). The worldly and somewhat jaded Jed is dead-set on dismissing the auteur’s musings as pompous and, well, French, until his own relationship with Cheryl starts to fall apart. Soon everyone is talking about love: his relationship counsellor; drinking buddy Marcus; and Marcus’ girlfriend Sophie. Beginnings, endings, tricks… could the French be on to something?

UK 20O8 JACKIE OUDNEY 85M

Hugh Bonneville writes: “The script by Aschlin Ditta had me laughing on page one. I didn’t think for a second that the producers would secure the services of football legend Eric Cantona, but they did… and he was fantastic to work with. Before Eric’s arrival on set the Exec Producer addressed the company, asking everyone to treat him as just another actor. Fat chance. Within seconds there was a queue of electricians asking for his autograph, keen to discuss the finer points of his career at Manchester United.”

Fri 18 Aug 15:45 – Studio Sat 19 Aug 18:15 – Studio

Our thanks to Vertigo for this screening.

Breathe

The inspiring true love story of Robin and Diana Cavendish, an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease.

When Robin (Andrew Garfield) is struck down by polio at the age of 28, he is confined to a hospital bed and given only a few months to live. With the help of Diana’s (Claire Foy’s) twin brothers (Tom Hollander) and the ground-breaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), Robin and Diana dare to escape the hospital ward to seek out a full and passionate life together, raising their young son, travelling and devoting their lives to helping other polio patients.

UK 2017 ANDY SERKIS 120M

Hugh Bonneville writes: “An inspiring story based on the life of producer Jonathan Cavendish’s father, Robin, who contracted polio and was destined for a short, institutionalised life on a respirator. However, Robin and his wife’s remarkable grit allowed him to live a full and spirited life for many, many years. In one scene, family friends carry Robin and his bed from the house out into the garden. I suppose if they’d really put their minds to it the props department could have found a heavier cast iron bed, but they would have been hard pushed. It weighed an absolute ton.”