Visual Arts

Film highlights in November...

Living CERT 12a (102 mins) Starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex

Sharp, Adrian Rawlins, Hubert Burton, Oliver

Chris Directed by Oliver Hermanus The consistently excellent Bill Nighy is on top form in this Kazuo Ishiguro-scripted remake of a 1952 Japanese film about a man dealing with a terminal diagnosis. Set, like the original, in the 1950s - but relocated to London - the film follows the character of Mr Williams (Nighy) - an impeccably dressed and seemingly immeasurably dull civil servant - as he reacts to a diagnosis of cancer that means he has only a year to live. Faced with the reality of his imminent demise, Mr Williams realises that he’s been living life in the slow-to-stationery lane. So he determines to make a modest impact on the world in the short time he has left - by forcing the city authorities to build a children’s playground for which local mothers have long been petitioning... This gentle and poignant film was screened to great acclaim at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, in the wake of which it picked up numerous four and five-star reviews.

Released Fri 4 November

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

CERT 12 (161 mins) Starring Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke,

Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Tenoch Huerta, Dominique Thorne, Michaela

Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli Directed by Ryan Coogler With King T’Challa dead, the nation of Wakanda is vulnerable to external forces and needs to be protected. But who will step into the late ruler’s shoes and embrace the role of the Black Panther? This latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie has been a source of significant speculation since lead actor Chadwick Boseman died in 2020, with fans eager to know how producers intended to move the story forward. Boseman played the character four times in all, earning rave reviews along the way, and Marvel Studios confirmed that, in honour of the late actor, the role of T’Challa would not be re-cast. The movie’s trailers do, however, hint at the introduction of a new Black Panther, with several of the supporting characters firmly in the frame to don the distinctive black & gold suit... Released Fri 11 November

Armageddon Time

CERT tbc (115 mins) Starring Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong,

Anthony Hopkins, Banks Repeta, Jaylin

Webb, Ryan Sell Directed by James Gray

Taking place in an early-1980s America on the threshold of voting Ronald Reagan into the White House, acclaimed filmmaker James Gray’s coming-of-age family drama contemplates the generational pursuit of the American Dream. When 12-year-old Paul Graff and his AfricanAmerican best pal, John Crocker, are caught sharing marijuana, Paul finds himself moved by his parents to a private prep school - an institution not only positively awash with white, privileged kids but also routinely rife with prejudice. Paul is desperate to escape the misery of his new existence, and it isn’t long before he and John hatch a plan that will see the hitherto inseparable friends running away from their troubled New York lives in pursuit of a better future in Florida...

Released Fri 18 November

The Menu CERT tbc (106 mins) Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes,

Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Hong Chau,

Janet McTeer Directed by Mark Mylod If you like your food served with a succulent side-order of gore, The Menu is the main course you’ve been waiting for. Playing out on a remote island, the dark comedy-horror follows the fortunes of a group of people who arrive for an exclusive fine-dining experience laid on by a celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes). At $1,250 per head, the once-in-a-lifetime culinary extravaganza certainly comes at a cost - but little do the unsuspecting diners realise just how high a price they will soon find themselves paying for the tastebudtantalising experience...

Released Fri 18 November

Film

She Said CERT 15 (128 mins) Starring Samantha Morton, Tom Pelphrey, Carey

Mulligan, Jennifer Ehle, Zoe Kazan, Andre

Braugher Directed by Maria Schrader The latest in a long and distinguished line of films about tenacious journalists breaking sensational stories - think The Post (2017), Spotlight (2015), and surely the headline-maker of the lot, All The President’s Men (1976) - She Said stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as The New York Times’ Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, the two women who blew the lid on Harvey Weinstein’s years of sexual misconduct. Brad Pitt is named as executive producer on the film, an involvement which has seen him come in for some significant criticism in the last few months. Social-media users have been pointing out that the Oscar-winning actor twice worked with Weinstein despite knowing about the now-disgraced movie producer’s predatory behaviour around women.

Released Fri 25 November

Bones And All CERT 15 (130 mins) Starring Timothée Chalamet, Michael

Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny, Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance, Jessica Harper

Directed by Luca Guadagnino Creepy cannibal caper Bones And All has been voraciously feasting on five-star reviews since its screening at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Set at the tail end of Ronald Reagan’s eightyear presidency (1980s-set movies seem to be all the rage this month - see Armageddon Time, opposite), the film focuses on the character of shy-but-smart youngster Maren, a girl whose move to a new school soon sees her invited to a sleepover with some other teen females. But Maren, it turns out, is no ordinary young lady, bringing to the table an alarming propensity for devouring human flesh...

Released Fri 25 November

Strange World CERT PG

With the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, Alan Tudyk, Dennis Quad, Lucy Liu Directed by Don Hall

“I loved reading the old issues of pulps growing up,” reveals Strange World director Don Hall. “They were big adventures in which a group of explorers might discover a hidden world or ancient creatures. They’ve been a huge inspiration for Strange World.” Disney’s 61st animated movie is an actionadventure about a legendary family of explorers. But not every member of the Clade clan is up for a life of outrageous excitement. Although Searcher Clade would much prefer to spend his life quietly farming the land, he instead finds himself journeying deep into an uncharted and dangerous world where fantastical creatures await him...

Released Wed 23 November

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the

Musical CERT PG (117 mins) Starring Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson,

Lashana Lynch, Andrea Riseborough, Stephen Graham, Carl Spencer

Directed by Matthew Warchus Matilda is an extraordinary child but unappreciated by her parents. When not glued to the television set, Matilda’s mum practises ballroom dancing and her dad gloats about his latest dodgy business deal. Life at school isn’t much better for Matilda either. Then, one day, she discovers that she’s got very special powers and decides it’s high time the grown-ups were taught a much-needed lesson... Originally adapted for the stage from one of Roald Dahl’s best-loved books, Matilda The Musical has been wowing theatre-goers for over a decade and is now set to delight legions of film fans. Tim Minchin, who previously wrote songs for the stage version, has penned some new numbers for this big-screen adaptation.

Released Fri 25 November