FREE ENTRY TO THIS FILM as it did not arrive as advertised on 25 February.

Three brothers, who have not seen each other since their father’s funeral a year earlier, come together to travel on a colourful Indian train journey of self-rediscovery to meet their Himalayan-convent-dwelling mother.  The journey begins with them, clutching their Louis Vuitton luggage, running to catch the departing train and ends with them, still with their suitcases, stranded in a desert.  In between, stuff happens – sadness and poignancy laced with comedy.

US 2007 Directed and written by Wes Anderson,with Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman (104 minutes)

Ang Lee’s beautifully filmed tale of conspiracy is set in 1940s wartime Shanghai during the Japanese occupation.  Wang (sensational newcomer Wei Tang) is a young, idealistic college student who is persuaded to join a band of would-be resistance fighters.  They ‘train’ her to seduce the government minister, turned collaborator, Mr Yee (Tony Leung).  But this is a dangerous game to play, pulling both into a passionate but deadly affair.

Taiwan/US/Hong Kong 2007 Subtitles  Directed  by Ang Lee,withTony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tang Wei,Joan Chen,Leehorn Wang (158 minutes)

Briony is a 13 year-old with a crush on Robbie (James McAvoy) and an even greater imagination.  Over the course of a day, three lives are dramatically, potentially tragically, changed by a catastrophic misunderstanding.  How culpable is a child?  Is it possible to achieve redemption over the course of a life?  Atonement is a complex, delicate and devastating adaptation, by the team behind Pride & Prejudice, of Ian McEwan’s novel.  Keira Knightley (Cecilia) is beautiful and accomplished in a grown-up part; James McAvoy is handsome; the performances are excellent and the cinematography is breathtaking

US/UK/France 2007 Directed by Joe Wright,with James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai (123 minutes)

The deserving winner of Best Film and Best Director Oscars, this gripping and poetic crime drama represents a magnificent return to form for the Coen brothers.  Texas, 1980: a hunter stumbles across dead bodies, a heroin stash and $2.4 million.  Taking the money, he sets in motion a series of violent events.  Giving an Oscar-winning performance as the ruthless killer on his trail is Javier Bardem.  The dark tone and startling violence is balanced by the Coens’ characteristic quirky humour.

US 2007 Directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen,withTommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin (122 minutes)

At the centre of this film is 5-year-old Vanya. He has been abandoned by his mother and lives in a rural Russian orphanage which runs a nice sideline in inter-country adoption. He becomes the envy of the other children and earns his nickname when a rich Italian couple want to adopt him. Vanya is not convinced that this is what is best for him; he decides to find his mother. This is not a sentimental journey. It is a sometimes grim, sometimes funny adventure with a compelling performance by Spiridonov.

Russia 2005 Subtitles Directed by Andrei Kravchuk,with Kolya Spiridonov, Denis Moiseenko, Sasha Sirotkin (99 minutes)