Covid Catch-Up
During the various lockdown periods, many new releases suffered various delays and cancellations, and some went straight to streaming platforms. Here are three of the best returning to the Cinema screen where they were meant to be experienced. Booking Ref
County Lines
Henry Blake’s assured atmospheric debut feature casts its 14-year-old protagonist into the wilds of cross-country drug trafficking. Tyler (Conrad Kahn) is disengaged from his studies and the target of bullies, so when his single mother loses her job, he feels obliged to step up and falls under the spell of Simon, (portrayed chillingly by rising star Harris Dickinson). A cycle of debt and exploitation unfolds in which Tyler’s mother Toni (Ashley Madekwe) struggles to save him from becoming collateral damage in a ruthless drugs trade. This is an astounding debut which combines a vivid, empathetic approach to the working-class characters as well as a thriller master’s ability to unsettle. “A short, sharp jab to the national conscience.” (Screen International) UK 2019 Henry Blake 90m
Fri 20 Aug 20:30 (Studio) Fri 27 Aug 16:00 (Studio)
Booking Ref
Les Misérables
Three French policemen preside over a delicate status quo that soon escalates to boiling point. By-the-book cop Stephane (Damien Bonnard), only just arrived from Cherbourg, joins the anti-criminality brigade of Montfermeil in a sensitive district of the Paris suburbs. Paired up with Chris (Alexis Manenti) and Gwada (Djebril Zonga) whose methods are less scrupulous, he witnesses the tensions between the various neighbourhood groups. The theft of a lion cub from a travelling circus is the catalyst for violence. Throw in a cop with a hairtrigger, and ingredients for a full-blown riot are ready to stir. Propelled by Pink Noise’s electronic score, Ladj Ly’s debut is a deft depiction of the escalation of chaos. Victor Hugo would have greatly approved, from the joyful opening to the unforgettable final fadeout. (Subtitles) France 2019 Ladj Ly 104m Sat 21 Aug 18:30 (Studio) Thu 26 Aug 10:30 (Studio)
BOX OFFICE 01243 786 650
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