SOUL KITCHEN.M. Comedy. 95 min.

This culinary comedy set in Hamburg, won Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival 2009. Young restaurant owner Zinos is down on his luck. His girlfriend Nadine has moved to Shanghai and his Soul Kitchen customers are boycotting the new gourmet chef. With a broken heart Zinos flies to China, leaving the restaurant in the hands of his ex-con brother Illias. A decision which is disastrous: Illias gambles away the restaurant and Nadine is with another lover. The brothers have got to work together to get Soul Kitchen back...

PREDICAMENT. M. Drama. 97 min.

A crime comedy set in 1930s small town New Zealand about a naive teen who conspires with two misfits to photograph and blackmail wealthy, adulterous couples. Stars Flight of the Conchord's Jemaine Clement as the creepy Spook, The Lovely Bones' Rose McIver as the lusted-after Maybelle, portly Australian comedian Heath Franklin, Wellington theatre actor Hayden Frost and musician Tim Finn.

Shot in the ‘Naki, this is the only remaining unfilmed novel by late Hawera author Ronald Hugh Morrieson (Came a Hot Friday).

http://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/predicament/

THE CHOIR. M. Doco. 82 min.

Shot over four years, The Choir is the story of Jabulani Shabangu and a group of fellow inmates who are battling to survive in Leeukwop Prison -- South Africa's largest prison. Jabulani is rebellious and angry until he meets a wily old bank robber named Coleman, who recruits him for the prison choir. Jabulani rises in the ranks and leads the choir to victory at the National Prisoner Choir Competition.

http://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/the-choir/

ITS A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE. M. Comedy 100 min

A Indian mother who takes her obsession with marriage into the world of
serial murder. Producer Gurinder Chadha is known for her quirky films
like Bend It Like Beckham and Bride & Prejudice.

This is a good film for a girls night out...

WELCOME. Drama. 110 min. (sub title)

Bilal is 17 years old, a Kurdish boy from Iraq. He sets off on an adventure-filled journey across Europe. He wants to get to England to see his love who lives there. Bilal finally reaches Calais, but how do you cover 32 kilometers of the English Channel when you can't swim? The boy soon discovers that his trip won't be as easy as he imagined... The community of struggling illegal aliens in Calais is captured with authenticity, from the point of view of people who arrived there knowing nothing about France. This immigrant drama, with wonderful performances by the actors, is a strong story which uses documentary austerity and minimalist style to create a great emotional impact

http://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/welcome/

MY ONE AND ONLY. M. Comedy. 108 min

Directed by Richard Loncraine and inspired by the childhood experiences of actor George Hamilton. One mother's attempt to find a new father for her two young boys after catching her husband with another woman. Ann Devereaux (Renée Zellweger) has always gotten by on her own charms.. Its 1953 when she bundles the 2 boys into her Cadillac Coupe convertible and never looks back. At first their trip is something of an adventure for everyone involved, but the harder Ann searches for a suitable mate the more she realizes that true gentlemen are a dying breed. The 2 boys start to tire of changing schools, their increasingly humble lodgings, and their mother's romantic misadventures. It's a life of instability and unpredictability punctuated by moments of sheer panic.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE.  Thriller. R16. (sub titles). 129 min

The 2nd series of the Blomkvist trilogy, following on from the very well received "girl with the dragon tattoo"

Mikael Blomkvist, publisher of Millennium magazine, has made his living exposing the crooked and corrupt practices of establishment Swedish figures  When a young journalist approaches him with a meticulously researched thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuse underage girls, Blomkvist immediately throws himself into the investigation..

Boy. M. Drama / Comedy. 90 min.

Directed by Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi about a boy growing up in the small settlement of Waihau Bay on the East Coast in the 1980's. It centres around a week in the life of Boy and his brother, when after seven years in prison their father returns home.Like many kids Boy only views his dead beat dad in a positive light - a hero, a sea diver, a war hero and a rugby legend. Waititi, the director of Eagle vs Shark and Two Cars, One Night, also plays Boy's father Alamein.

The film contains themes based around the evolution of Maori warriors, the role of drugs in society, the changing structure of families and the role fathers have to play in bringing up their children.

JULIE AND JULIA. M. Drama. 120 min.

The story of the iconic cook and the author.. whoose lives intertwine, though separated by time and space. The woman  are both at loose ends until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

Starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Bon appetite!

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.  R16. Thriller. 152 min.  (sub titles)

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family. There was no corpse, no witnesses, no evidence. But her uncle, Henrik, is convinced that she was murdered by someone from her own deeply dysfunctional Vanger clan. Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist is hired to investigate.

4 star ratings in the Dom. post and NZ herald.

TOPP TWINS: UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS. M. Doco /. comedy. 84 mins.

Half a century of cultural changes and the foundation of a national identity. Part concept film, part biopic, part historical record, part comedy, the Twins share their journey from "coming out? to Jools' recent brush with breast cancer with much laughter, honesty and wisdom. It is a film about two truly unique New Zealanders which ends up saying as much about us as it does about them.

WELCOME TO THE STICKS. M. Comedy. 106 min. (sub titles).

A classic French comedy about a guy who works for the postal service in Southern France. Attempting to please his  gloomy wife, he pretends to be disabled in order to try and score a position at a Mediterranean seaside town. When  his fakery is rumbled, the company punishes by transferring him to Bergues, in the north of the country – regarded as a cold, rainy hick town. But the place soon charms him – to the disbelief of his wife who remained in the south.  Philippe ends up telling her what she wants to hear – that he is miserable without her and that the town is 
horrible, and thus begins a web of white lies and madcap plotting…
Starring Kad Merad, Danny Boon, Zoe Felix, Philippe Duquesne, Jacques Bonnaffe

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. R13. Comedy/ Drama / Romance. 115 min.

The award winning film of an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who experiences the biggest day of his life when he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" When the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating;  Jamal tells the story of his life in the slums where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. One question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? Winner of 4 Golden Globes, including Best Feature Drama, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

THE VISITOR. Drama / Romance. M. 103 min

In a world of 6 billion people it only takes one to change your life... a chance encounter between a disillusioned economics professor and 2 recent immigrants leads to an unexpected friendship and romance.

OUTSOURCED. PG. Drama  / Romance. 93 min

After being sent abroad, American salesman (Josh Hamilton) does his best to navigate the chaos of Bombay and bring an office filled with constant cultural misunderstandings up to speed. Unexpectedly, his team of Indian call center workers, including charming Asha (Ayesha Dhatkar), not only teach Todd about India, but also more about America and himself. This film was inspired by writer/director Jeffcoat and his experiences traveling in Nepal and India.

THE YOUNG AT HEART CHORUS. PG. Documentary / Music. 109 min
An inspiring and entertaning account of the New England senior citizens chorus that has delighted audiences worldwide with their covers of songs by everyone from The Clash to Coldplay. Directed by Stephen Walker, the documentary reveals what it takes to feel young at an average age in the chorus of 81. The music is upbeat, vibrant and passionalty adopted by the chorus.

It's been awarded a big fat 4 stars from Francesa Rudkin, Kate Rogers, Sunday Star Times, Flicks and 5 stars from Otago Daily Times, Nelson Mail Review , NZ Woman's Weekly and the Dorothy Browns Team .. it's uplifting and completely poignant and to borrow a quote from Kate Rodger's (Film3) review last Saturday, "Young @ Heart is kinda like drinking from the cinematic fountain of youth when you didnt even realise you were thirsty" ..

2ND HAND WEDDING. PG. Comedy. 94 min.

Written by Nick Ward and based on a true story, this kiwi film tells of a woman who is engaged but is trying to keep her wedding a secret from her bargain-hunting mother - for fear she will ruin her big day.

PRICELESS. Comedy. M. 102 min. (sub titles).

Jean, a shy waiter working in a grand hotel, is mistaken for a young millionaire by beautiful, scheming adventuress Irene. When she discovers his lwly status, Irene beats a quick retreat. But lovestruct Jean has no intention of letting her escape, and pursues her to t

he Cote d'Azur. Quickly running out of money, he adopts his beloved's lifestyle, setting himself up as a gigolo and moving in to a magnificent luxury hotel. Irene at last accepts this new Jean. She starts to give him advice, she grows closer and closer to him, not realizing that love is working its subtle magic on her too.

ONCE. Drama / Romance. M. 83 min.

The Irish romance ONCE may be a musical, but it is miles away from the traditional Hollywood idea of people bursting into song. Glen Hansard (frontman for indie rock band the Frames) plays the guy, a street musician who is playing for change when he meets the girl (Marketa Irglova), an immigrant from the Czech Republic. The pair immediately bond over their shared love of music (he is a guitarist, and she plays the piano), and the film chronicles their tentative relationship. Both are weighed down by plenty of bagga

ge: his songs are fuelled by a painful breakup, and she is a young mother who left her husband behind in her native country.

CONVERSATIONS WITH MY GARDENER. M. DRAMA. 110 min

A successful, fifty-something Parisian artist goes back to his roots and returns to provincial France and his childhood home. he has neither the energy nor the talent to keep up the sprawling land around the house, and takes out a small ad to find some local help. Completely by chance, the first applicant ? who turns out to be the right one ? is an old school friend whom the PAINTER hasn?t seen since he was a kid. He becomes the GARDENER

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. M. Drama . 140 min.

Daniel Dareus, a talented and successful international conductor suddenly interrupts his career and returns alone to his childhood village in Norrland, in the far north of Sweden. It doesn't take long before he is asked to come and listen to the fragment of a church choir, which practises every Thursday in the parish hall. Just come along and give a little bit of good advice. He can't say no, and from that moment, nothing in the village is the same again. The choir develops and grows. He makes both friends, enemies and finds love.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL. M. Comedy 104 min

The death of Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) and Robert's (Rupert Graves) father brings their entire dysfunctional family together to mourn his passing. When a man shows up at the funeral threatening to reveal the deceased man's shocking secret unless he gets some cash, the two brothers are forced to figure out a way to deal with the blackmailer. As they pull out every stop to try and prevent any news from spreading to the guests, the ceremony turns into complete chaos

SNOW CAKE. M. Drama / Romance.

Alex Hughes, recently freed from prison, begrudgingly picks up a vivacious 19-year-old hitchhiker, Vivienne, while driving through Ontario. When the car is hit by a truck on the outskirts of her home town, Vivienne dies instantly. Shocked and stranded in snowbound Wawa, Alex is drawn to seek out Vivienne’s mother, to talk to her in person about the fate of her daughter

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES. M. 131 mins

In 1952, two young Argentines, Ernesto Guevara and Alberto Granado, set out on a road trip to discover the real Latin America. Ernesto is a 23-year-old medical student specializing in leprology, and Alberto, 29, is a biochemist. The film follows the young men as they unveil the rich and complex human and social topography of the Latin American continent. With a highly romantic sense of adventure, the two friends leave their familiar surroundings in Buenos Aires on a rickety 1939 Norton 500. Although the bike breaks down in the course of their eight-month journey, they press onward, hitching rides along the way. As they begin to see a different Latin America in the people they meet on the road, the diverse geography they encounter begins to reflect their own shifting perspectives. They continue to the heights of Machu Picchu, where the majestic ruins and the extraordinary significance of the Inca heritage have a profound impact on the young men. As they arrive at a leper colony deep in the Peruvian Amazon, the two are beginning to question the value of progress as defined by economic systems that leave so many people beyond their reach. Their experiences at the colony awaken within them the men they will later become by defining the ethical and political journey they will take in their lives.

C.R.A.Z.Y R16. Drama / Comedy. 126 min.

The story of a special little boy who grows into young manhood and ends up even denying his inner self to attract his father's attention. A portrait of a family that depicts the often-extraordinary lives of ordinary people in search of happiness. From 1960 to 1980, surrounded by his brothers, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones, between motorbike escapades to impress the girls, cigarettes smoked in secret, minor and not-so-minor disagreements and, particularly, a father that he searches desperately to find, Zac relates his story. Through music and rebellion, and also with humour, down to a mystical voyage to Jerusalem - "to the ends of the earth" as his father was always singing - where perhaps in such a far-away place he finally succeeds in finding him...

LORD OF WAR. R16. Drama / Thriller. Doc 140min.

"Lord of War" is an action adventure story set in the world of international arms dealing. The film, based on fact, follows the globetrotting exploits of arms dealer Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage). Through some of the deadliest war zones, Yuri struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke), his business rivals, even some of his customers who include many of the world's most notorious dictators. Finally, Yuri must also face his own conscience.

APRES VOUS. M. Comedy. 110 mins. (Sub titles)

A popular hit in France, this odd-couple comedy pairs Daniel Auteuil as a fastidious maitre d’ with José Garcia as the wannabe suicide whose life he saves. Star power trounces dubious psychology: Auteuil proves as deft and dry a comedian as he is a dramatic actor, the perfect foil to the damp-eyed Garcia who teases slow-burning comedy out of broken-hearted despondency. Needless to say there’s a woman at the root of Garcia’s trouble; an elegantly flustered Sandrine Kilberlain is the object of his obsession. Her bewilderment escalates into total confusion when Auteuil decides he must meet the woman who has caused his new best friend such misery. Incognito, he might be able to patch things up. Then again… Salvadori (Wild Target) and co-author Danièle Dubroux (Diary of a Seducer) make some tart observations about friendship and betrayal, but mostly this film’s about being in love and behaving like an idiot. Garcia’s inept audition for the sommelier position in Auteuil’s brasserie is a show-stopper.