France 2010 105 mins 12A

His father killed by a Moroccan landmine and himself barely surviving a stray bullet from a gangland shoot-out, video-store assistant Bazil’s (Danny Boon) life is cruelly blighted by the arms industry. Down on his uppers, he’s adopted by a picaresque community of scrap-yard dwellers who help him wreak revenge on the weapons manufacturer who authored his misfortune. This quickly becomes an epic caper embracing both comedic ingenuity and dramatic tension, plus a little light romance with the extraordinary Elastic Girl (Julie Ferrier), the whole a visual feast we have justifiably come to expect from Amelie and Delicatessen director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. (S

Fra/Ger/UK 2010 128 mins 15 (postponed from previously advertised date of 17th Sept)

Among Polanski’s finest works, and with a script by Robert Harris based on his own novel, The Ghost features matchless performances by Ewan McGregor as a ghost-writer hired to produce the memoirs of ex-British prime minister, Adam Lang, (Pierce Brosnan) now exiled in America with his truculent wife (Olivia Williams) and icy personal assistant/mistress (Kim Cattrall). With clear references to recent political history, beneath Lang’s discredited support of US war-mongering the reluctant McGregor uncovers much darker and ultimately life-threatening secrets. Beautifully paced and atmospherically shot, the plot twists and ending are worthily Hitchcockian.

Japan 2009 114 mins U

Embracing universal themes within a domestic Japanese setting, Still Walking explores the relationships between family members who gather for an anniversary. Seen by many as a homage to Tokyo Story by revered director Yasujiro Ozu, the film avoids clichéd histrionics as we discover the tensions that both link and divide the characters. Acute and tender, this gentle portrayal of middle class Japan uncovers individual pleasures and disappointments that many will recognise in their own lives. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda brings together a brilliant cast who play out the delicate drama with great sensitivity in a film that has had worldwide critical acclaim. (S)

It/Fra 2010 128 mins 15

The extraordinary story of Ida Dalser, who claimed to be Benito Mussolini’s first wife and the mother of his son, is brought to us by director Marco Bellochio who also wrote the screenplay. From being Mussolini’s passionate mistress before the First World War, Dalser is shocked to discover that during the years of wartime, through which they have been separated, Mussolini has acquired a new wife and daughter. Against a background of tumultuous events in inter-war Fascist Italy the dramatic affairs are beautifully reenacted by a fine cast led by Giovanna Mezzogiorno as Ida. Winner of numerous awards and a big hit at the Cannes Film Festival. (S)

Japan 2010 101 mins U

Japanese animated films don’t get a lot of big screen exposure in this country. The most widely seen examples in recent years, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, have come from the marvellous Studio Gibli led by Hayao Miyazake. This is their latest creation, a charming and beautiful movie loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Ponyo is a goldfish-girl who longs to become human and is befriended by a five-year-old boy called Sosuke. The film follows their relationship while Ponyo struggles to release herself from the undersea world and as the story develops we discover extraordinary scenes and creatures. Delightful and inspiring.

Fra/It 2009 155mins 18

A young man of Arab descent, a petty criminal, Malik, is sent to prison in France for attacking police officers. The prison is rife with tension between a Corsican Mafia faction and a large group of Muslims. When another Muslim, Reyeb, who plans to testify against the Mafia Don in order to reduce his sentence, is incarcerated amongst them, Malik gets drawn into a plot to assassinate him. A tough and at times brutal vision of jail and racial tension, A Prophet has nevertheless attracted overwhelmingly positive reviews even from those who are wary of violent films. Director Jacques Audiard delivers a film of unique power described by many as a masterpiece. (S)

Romania/UK 2009 82 mins 15

So what would you do if you were an aspiring British film maker left a family legacy – buy a flat? Or a car? Or go and make a film in Romania? Peter Strickland chose the latter route and made life even more complicated by shooting the film entirely in Romanian. This brave decision has resulted in a terrific movie. A thriller in the Dostoevskian mode, it tells the tale of a young woman, the eponymous Katalin, disowned by her husband when he finds out about her past life, who journeys across the country in search of retribution for her current situation. Gripping and fascinating, with a complex soundtrack and excellent performances, Katalin Varga is a memorable treat. (S)

Austria/Fra/Ger 2010 96 mins U

As suggested by the title, Lourdes, that popular beacon of hope and fascination for the Catholic world, is the co-star in this subtle and intriguing film by Austrian director Jessica Hausner. Featuring Sylvie Testud, who starred as Piaf’s best friend Momone in La Vie en Rose, it explores the relationship between the miraculous and the rational as observed by its array of characters. Christine (Testud), suffering from multiple sclerosis, is brought to Lourdes as part of a visiting group and her experience amongst the pilgrims and staff in the town is brilliantly portrayed. Here is intelligent movie-making that is at once ambivalent, mysterious and mischevious. Unmissable. (S)