Keswick Film Club - Caldbeck Area Film Society

The first film is the multi-award-winning The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius It’s an affectionate pastiche of the old black & white silent films, complete with captions and musical accompaniment made in 2011. It lasts 90 mins and is Cert PG, so no need to worry about sex, violence or bad language.

A silent film idol, (Jean Dujardin) neglects his wife but has a loyal chauffeur and a talented dog, Jack (Uggie). As he takes part in a photo opportunity outside a cinema, he bumps into a pretty girl with ambitions of her own (Berenice Bejo). She attempts to get an audition at the studio where he is working and being vivacious and talented, she succeeds. As a new star is born, his popularity is jeopardised by the introduction of the Talkies, which he doesn’t think will succeed. When his latest silent project fails and leaves him in debt, his wife leaves him and even his chauffeur has to go. Left with his faithful dog in a small apartment, life is bleak. But Uggie dramatically averts disaster and eventually there is a happy ending. (Give that dog an Oscar).

The acting is broad as befits a silent film and the styling is convincing. So you can sit back and just enjoy a film depicting an older more glamorous era.

October's film is one to make you think, get you talking and it comes with an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2011. The Separation was made in Iran, lasts 122mins, cert PG and was both written and directed by Asghar Farhadi. It will be shown at 7.30 in Caldbeck Village Hall on Fri 19th October.

We first see professional couple Simin (Leila Hatami) and Nader (Peyman Moaadi) petitioning a magistrate for divorce. They live in an apartment with their 11yr old daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) and Nader�'s elderly father, who has Alzheimers and needs constant care. Simin wants them to leave Iran to give her daughter more educational opportunities. But then who will look after Nader’s father? The couple can both justify their positions but cannot find a compromise.

Simin finally moves out and goes back to her mother. Nader desperately tries to find a carer and takes on a young woman, who is not ideal. She has a difficult journey to get to their apartment, brings her small child with her and she does not have her husband’s permission to work. The carer is horrified that she will have to help the old man with his personal care, as this conflicts with her religious scruples and she seeks advice from her Imam. She also has another secret, which leads to problems and tragedy, when her volatile husband also gets involved. Middle-class, secular life clashes with that of poor but religious people.

After a series of increasingly fraught events, we see Simin and Nader back before the magistrates yet again. The final moral dilemma depends on a decision by the daughter, which puts her under intolerable pressure. The events shown in this domestic drama would be hard enough to deal with in the UK- in the Islamic Republic of Iran they are compounded by the restrictions placed on women and the judicial system. The acting of all the principal characters is most impressive and the fact that the Iranian authorities deplored the film says a great deal.

The film lasts 118mins, is PG rated and was suggested by the novel "These foolish things" by Deborah Moggach. A collection of people of a certain age all decide to travel to India, mostly to escape their disappointing pensions and unsatisfactory lives back in England. The hotel turns out to be somewhat less palatial than they expect. The guests react to life in India in different ways: finding love before it’s too late, realising that they can’t spend the rest of their life with their partner, finding they can be independent, learning not to be racist and atoning for a lost love. The cast includes Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, Ronald Pickup and Dev Patel.

The film has comedy and drama; it’s colourful, occasionally noisy and very enjoyable.

The film is based on Michael Morpurgo’s book about a farm horse which is conscripted to become a cavalry horse in World War I. It lasts 146 mins and has a (12A) certificate. It was directed by Stephen Spielberg and so has a slightly different tone from the book. There are scenes of warfare, which are not suitable for younger children.

However, the film is suitable for older children and we are making a special offer on tickets of 1 adult plus up to 2 children over 12 for £6. Adult tickets cost £4.

Classic comedy. Two 1920s musicians narrowly escape the St Valentine's Day Massacre and flee to Florida, cross-dressed as members of an all-girl band. Unfortunately the gangsters also turn up in Florida. This wonderful comedy stars Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe.

The Pirates In An Adventure With Scientists (2012) lasts 88 mins and is an enjoyable bit of fun and well up to the standard we have come to expect from Aardman. The plot is preposterously funny and contains lots of clever visual jokes for the sharp-eyed. You would need to see it again to take in all the signs, the jokes and the detailed backgrounds.

The Pirate Captain, (voiced by Hugh Grant), longs to win the Pirate of the Year Award aided by his motley crew but they have a distinct lack of booty compared to their rivals. There is a chance encounter on the high seas with The Beagle and Charles Darwin (David Tennant). Darwin correctly identifies the Pirate Captain's beloved parrot, Polly, as a Dodo and they set off for London.

The Captain sees an opportunity to gain booty but Darwin wants to take Polly to the Royal Society and a meeting with Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton). The Queen loathes pirates and is no slouch at hand to hand combat herself. There are some fantastic set pieces including a wild bathtub ride (don’t ask just watch!) and combat with the Queen's steam-powered vessel.

As this film is rated Cert 12, why not bring along some young relatives - they will be both entertained and educated.