Karin Johnstone looks at the treats ahead at the Errol Flynn cinema…
With previous weather making me ponder whether to build my ark or not a simpler solution may be to retreat to the shelter of the Errol Flynn Filmhouse. Studio Ghibli the Japanese production company has produced animation films for over thirty years. The studio has produced films such as ‘Spirited Away’ (2001) the highest grossing film ever in Japan and ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ (1989). Their animated films appeal to a mass International audience but also have a real following of hard-core Ghibli fans. These fans should welcome the latest Ghibli animated offering, ‘The Red Turtle’ directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit, a Dutch animator based in the UK. The story told with no dialogue, follows the journey of a man shipwrecked on a tropical island. His plans to escape on a log raft are scuppered by a big red turtle. The film simply drawn, lures you in to the island with soft browns, oranges and blues. You are taken on a journey of the main milestones in a man’s life. This touching film crosses many cultural boundaries and deals with Universal themes – something that Ghibli is great at.
If you fancy something a bit more Hollywood try ‘Gifted’ directed by Marc Webb who directed ‘500 Days of Summer’. ‘Gifted’ is a drama about a young Uncle (Chris Evans) left with the responsibility of bringing up his 7-year-old niece. It’s all going well until her teacher notices that she is a 7-year-old capable of some pretty advanced maths – think calculus. A battle ensues between her grandmother (Lindsay Duncan) who swans in and wants to take her away from her Uncle and send her to a place for gifted children. The film has all the usual gulpy sad bits and has some lovely settings since it’s shot in a pretty coastal town in Florida.
For a feel-good romance, British style there is ‘Hampstead’ directed by Joel Hopkins. It has a kind of Richard Curtis ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ feel. A middle aging widow (Diane Keaton) lives an idyllic life in a house near Hamstead Heath. She has everything but not the one thing that makes a woman happy – some women happy. She comes across a growly recluse Donald (Brendan Gleeson) who lives in a shack on the Heath. Trouble is he is at threat of being evicted so she has to join the likes of Lesley Manville to help ‘Save the Shack’. This film is definitely aimed at the more silver haired amongst us. Sit back and enjoy this with a rhubarb gin and tonic. There are lots of really interesting filmed ‘live’ performances from Edward Albee’s masterpiece; the NT Live performance of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ to Take That Live at the O2 – IF there are still tickets available.
The Red Turtle
Mon 19 June 8:45pm
Tue 20 June 6:15pm
Gifted
Fri 23rd June – Thur 29th June
Hampstead
Fri 30th June – Thur 6th July
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Sat 1 July 2:30pm
Take That
Sat 24 June 8:30pm
Sat 1 July 8:45pm
