(GREAT BRITAIN)
DEAR FRANKIE-
Shona Auerbach

Dear Frankie is a heartwarming and often humorous story about the lies people tell each other and themselves. Nine-year-old Frankie, his mom Lizzie and grandmother Nell move around a lot—ever since he can remember, it has been one town after another. They’ve recently arrived at a new place in Glasgow and have set about settling in. Luckily, they have a post office box so Frankie’s seaman dad can always send him letters from aboard his ship, the HMS Accra. But it’s really Lizzie who’s been writing the letters, complete with exotic stamps and tales from far away. Constantly tracking his father’s ship, Frankie learns the Accra will docks in the port in just a few days. Lizzie must decide whether to end the lie or go to even more elaborate ends to shield Frankie from the truth. Director Shona Auerbach's first feature is a delicately woven drama full of moments of tenderness and insight that has delighted audiences worldwide.(1:45:00) Print courtesy of Miramax Films.

Filmography: Seven (96).

Showtimes:
11-02-2005 | 7PM | GU
14-02-2005 | 6PM| WH

MILLIONS - Danny Boyle

Damion and Anthony, two young brothers, stumble across a sack of stolen cash near their house. Whisking the bag home they decide they’d better hide it from their dad until they can figure out what to do with it. Damian, who has a wide-eyed innocence, tries to persuade his more worldly and skeptical older brother that they should donate the money to the poor. Hilarious episodes ensue as Damian tries to give the money away without anyone noticing, until circumstances conspire to reveal the windfall. Complicating their plan is the approach of Euro Day, when the conversion from the pound to euro will render all their banknotes useless. A whimsical fantasy that combines elements of Trainspotting and Amelié with the sensibilities of an Ealing comedy, Millions brings the innocence of childhood to the adult dream of having millions. (1:37:00) Print courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Selected Filmography: Shallow Grave (94), Trainspotting (96), Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise (01), 28 Days Later (02).

Showtimes:
12-02-2005 | 3.45PM | WH
16-02-2005 | 8.30PM | B1

DEEP BLUE -
Alastair Fothergill, Andy Byatt

In the tradition of Winged Migration and Microcosmos, this spectacular film, shot over three years and 30,000 miles,explores the marvels above and far beneath the ocean surface. An offshoot of David Attenborough's much-admired BBC underwater hit series The Blue Planet, Deep Blue brings the life of this intriguing world to the big screen. Filmed in over 200 locations around the world-including the Maldives, Azores, Cayman Islands and Bermuda—with camera crews descending as far as three miles in the most powerful submersible craft known, the film presents some truly amazing footage of little known creatures of the ultra-deep. With an inspired score from composer George Fenton and performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Deep Blue provides a haunting, never-before-seen look into the striking beauty, harsh brutality and mysteries of the deep. (1:39:00) Print courtesy of Miramax Films.

First Feature

Showtimes:
19-02-2005 | 4PM | GU
24-02-2005 | 6.15PM | GU
27-02-2005 | 2.45PM | GU

THE LIBERACE OF BAGHDAD - Sean McAllister

Life is a little complicated for Samir Peter. Once the most famous pianist in Iraq, he now plays to half empty lounges, sleeping in a hotel basement, afraid to cross Baghdad to his seven-bedroomed mansion. Samir's string of Western girlfriends over the years led to his wife and two of his kids leaving for the States. Though he has a visa to move to the US, he's having trouble convincing his other children to go with him. And he has mixed feelings about an America that has brought more, rather than less, violence to his country. Samir is happy to introduce McAllister, a filmmaker he met by chance at his hotel, to his world, but as the months of filming progress and violence escalates around them, he grows understandably nervous. And indeed it seems that nowhere is safe—Samir's next door neighbor's body is discovered by his son: she had been shot three times in the chest with her six-year-old daughter by her side. As conditions deteriorate, the pianist and the filmmaker together try to survive the 'peace' of post-war Iraq. (1:15:00) Print courtesy of Sean McAllister.

Filmography: Shoot Out In Swansea (96), Working For The Enemy (97), The Minders(98), Settlers (00), Hullâs Angel (02).

Showtimes:
21-02-2005 | 8.15PM | GU

LADIES IN LAVENDER -
Charles Dance

It is the summer of 1936 in coastal Cornwall. Two sisters, Ursula (Judy Dench) and Janet Widdington (Maggie Smith), lead a comfortable, old-fashioned existence and enjoy the quiet village life. Ursula is the dreamy one, still retaining a child's sense of fun; Janet, the gently protective older sister, is the practical one. After a fierce storm, a body washes up in view of the Widdington cottage. Miraculously alive and with little more than a broken ankle, the mysterious stranger is brought inside by the sisters, who minister to his wounds. As they take the handsome young man into their care and into their hearts, their peaceful existence is shattered. They discover he is Polish; his name is Andrea and he is a gifted violinist. Ursula, who has never really been in love before, is smitten and fusses over her charge like a giddy schoolgirl. Janet, who has some experience with matters of the heart, is more maternal in her feelings. But what to do with this young man? Smith and Dench shine in a charming romantic tale of the mysteries of love. (1:43:00) Print Courtesy of IDP.

First Feature

Showtimes:
26-02-2005 | 8PM | GU