Talking Movies: Oxford

Come join us at the Curzon bar to meet fellow film fans and discuss all things film over a drink.

We'll give our thoughts on some of these latest releases, and also discuss our opinions on what films have been selected this month. Some are new and at the cinema, some are classic and can be enjoyed from home. Whether you're an avid cinemagoer, home streamer...Or a bit of both! Please come and share your views on the following films:

Remember!
*Please only RSVP if you intend on turning up

*Don't worry, you are not expected to see every film, this is just a selection for you to choose from, watch what you can!

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Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling stars in this sci-fi epic based on a bestselling novel. Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he soon discovers he must solve the riddle behind a mysterious substance that's causing the sun to die out. As details of the mission unravel, he calls on his scientific training, returning memories and sheer ingenuity -- but he may not have to do it alone.

The President’s Cake (In Cinema and on Streaming)
A coming of age tale from Iraq. It is the early nineties and Saddam Hussein is the supreme ruler of the country. The nation has been under western sanctions following the Gulf War. In this setting 9 year old Lamia is chosen for the honour of baking a ceremonial birthday cake for the ‘beloved’ leader on behalf of her classmates. However Lamia’s family are poor and can’t afford the raw ingredients needed to bake the cake. What’s more failure to produce a cake may be taken as a sign her family are anti-regime. Armed with a shopping list Lamia must dangerously venture out to barter for the ingredients she desperately needs

The Drama
A dark engagement comedy full of twists and turns from A24. A young couple are only a week away from their wedding day, they couldn’t be happier. But ‘something’ happens which derails not only their wedding plans but potentially their entire relationship. In fact, seeing each other in a state of panic and at loggerheads, do they really know each other that well at all? Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star.

Nouvelle Vague (Streaming)
Richard Linklater returns for this movie about the making of iconic French New Wave classic ‘Breathless. Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Francois Truffaut are young bohemian film critics looking to make their own film, one which rejects the stuffy traditional methods. With a minimal budget Godard boldly decides to shoot it on the streets of Paris, with handheld cameras, natural light, no filming permits and inexperienced actors. Such improvisation and rebellion though is bound to cause friction, especially between Godard and headstrong American actress Jean Seberg.

Carrie (1976)
Chosen by- Julia
Phrase: Mean Girls

Brian De Palma, Sissy Spacek and Stephen King combine for this classic high school horror. Carrie White is a sheltered, nerdy girl at school, navigating her way through teenage life and puberty. Brought up by a deeply religious mother, the popular kids all love to bully her and use her naivety to make her the butt of the joke. However it is not just body transformations Carrie is going through, she may be developing supernatural abilities

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Chosen by- Mariya
Phrase: Life During Wartime

Landmark Studio Ghibli animated film. It is 1945 and Japan is on the verge of defeat in WW2. In the city of Kobe a firebombing raid by American planes has turned the city into a tinderbox of fire, smoke and ash. Through flashback we hear the heartbreaking story of 14 yr-old Seita and his sister Setsuko. With nothing left in the world except each other, they must journey through the scarred landscape and traumatised population to survive