Friday January 10 to Thursday January 16, 2014

4 OSCAR NOMINATIONS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE & ACTRESS

The title character of Stephen Frears' Philomena is played by Judi Dench. She is an elderly Irish woman who, as a teenager, gave birth while she was working at a convent. The Catholic Church had the child adopted, and now, decades later, Philomena is introduced to Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), onetime government spokesperson who is now working as a freelance journalist.

“If there can be such a thing as a sweet, reflective fable about death and the Holocaust, The Book Thief is it. Based on the bestseller by Markus Zusak, the film tells the story of Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse), a young girl left in the care of foster parents Hans Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush) and his strict laundress wife, Rosa (Emily Watson).

Tom Wilson presents BLOOD SIMPLE. “Black humor, abundant originality and a brilliant visual style make Blood Simple a directorial debut of extraordinary promise. Joel Coen, who co-wrote the film with his brother Ethan, works in a noir style that in no way inhibits his wit, which turns out to be considerable.

Every living thing requires water. We humans interact with it in a myriad of ways, numerous times a day. But how often do we consider the complexity of that interaction? And, unless confronted by scarcity, when do we meditate on its ubiquity in creating, sustaining and enriching life?

“Lean, muscular and on the money, The Last Days on Mars takes a familiar story and tells it so tautly that we are pleased to be on board.