ETERNAL BEAUTY
Jilted as a young woman on her wedding day, the outsider in a fragmented family and beset with anxieties both real and imaginary, June has a life of constant struggle. Pills offer a possible solution and her relationship with vagrant musician Mike (David Thewlis) might be another. But does the medication and even love just exacerbate June’s delusional state of mind? Following his 2015 directorial debut Just Jim, Submarine star Craig Roberts’ sophomore feature is a true high-wire act, depicting the unstable perceptions of a fragile persona with delirious colour and design across ever-shifting time frames. Sally Hawkins’ fearless performance again confirms her as one of Britain’s best, and an ace supporting cast – Alice Lowe, Billie Piper, Penelope Wilton – prove equally committed to Roberts’ singular, humane vision.


CITIZEN K
Mikhail Khodorkovsky is charismatic and mercurial. It’s not difficult to see why Alex Gibney chose him as the focus of his new film. After thriving in Russia in the 1990s and amassing incredible wealth from the oil industry, Khodorkovsky became a nuisance to Vladimir Putin, who subsequently had him jailed in Siberia for ten years. Now living in exile in the UK, he orchestrates a far-reaching anti-Putin campaign. Through this story, Gibney charts Putin’s rise to power, the golden years of the oligarchs and an era of gangster capitalism, combining archive footage and interviews with various journalists and Khodorkovsky himself. Unfolding like a gripping political thriller, Citizen K is an urgent and topical account of a culture dominated by fake news and the rise of Russia’s alleged meddling in politics beyond its borders.


TELL ME WHO I AM
What if every memory that haunts you could be erased? What if something truly horrific had happened to you and the person who loves you most could wipe that from your mind? Would you want them to? This is the ethical dilemma that 18-year-old Marcus Lewis faced when his identical twin Alex awakened after a motorcycle accident and Marcus was the only person Alex recognised. With no memories at all, Alex relied entirely on his brother as he tried to understand who he was. Working from an autobiography by the twins, Perkins and the Lewis brothers craft a powerfully cinematic adaptation that helps the audience explore their incredible story and remarkable 35-year post-accident journey. It’s a profoundly moving examination of memory and trauma, personal responsibility and, ultimately, love.