“By speaking to our regular filmgoers we have now got a very good idea of what they want to see,” says Liz Buchanan, who heads the GalleryFilm team. “Last season was pretty dark, this time we are going for more cheerful films, but without losing out on quality.”
Yet, it is not only the films that attract the filmgoers at Dulwich Picture Gallery. It is the convivial club atmosphere that is an added attraction – and the fact that you will not share your film experience with popcorn- and fizz-guzzling neighbours. Half an hour before the films are screened there are drinks and bites served, first drink is free and if more is needed, the wine is only £2 per glass. You won’t find that anywhere else.
Still, the main attraction is the film and the next season offers something for all tastes. “We show a film a month, except for August, and we have therefore selected eleven categories and then picked the best film available from each category,” explains Liz. The first to be screened in February is the most romantic film of all times, no, this is not hype by a publicist but the view of the American Film Institute. An Affair to Remember stars Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. He is a well-known playboy who meets the ever lovely Deborah Kerr on a cruise and they agree to meet later on, but their plans fall apart.
In March the tone goes darker with Lore, a very recent film with Saskia Rosendahl and Nele Trebs, not yet stars. The film deals with a young girl, Lore, who leads her siblings on a harsh journey of reality as the Allies enter Germany at the end of the war. She has to rely on those she earlier saw as her enemies. It’s not all dark, this is a story of redemption and hope.
In April it is time for another classic, The Country Girl starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and William Holden. Grace Kelly received her only Oscar for her role and Bing Crosby showed that he was just as good an actor as a crooner. The storyline is built on Clifford Odet’s famous play and it brings out the best of all the major actors. It is a bittersweet love story which threatens a marriage already ruined by excessive drinking.
So what’s next? A Western, and it is probably the first one shown during GalleryFilm’s 9 years. Any Western fan will be delighted to see the famous Winchester 73 starring James Stewart in one of his most lauded roles. After that it is time for a proper romcom, Two for the Road, starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. The chemistry between the two is almost palpable and so is the light touch and the humour.
One of English cinema’s masterpieces, which launched the careers of both James Fox and Sarah Miles is The Servant directed by John Schlesinger and with Dirk Bogarde in his most demanding role. It is the most perfect portrait of the 60’s as well as a sharp depiction of the changing relationship between master and servant.
The season continues with Untouchable, another recent critical favourite. The French movie portrays the relationship between a paraplegic aristocrat, who hires a black man as his carer. It is funny, touching and lacks any trace of cloying sentimentality. Nine weeks after its release in 2011 in France it became the second biggest box office hit and was nominated for eight Cesar awards, earning Omar Sy the award for Best Actor.
This is followed by Twelve Angry Men starring Henry Fonda and directed by Sydney Lumet. It tells the story of a 12-man jury as they deliberate the guilt or acquittal on the basis of reasonable doubt. In 2007 the film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Archive by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically and aesthetically significant.”
Another less known star-turn is We have a Pope, acclaimed by critics but not seen in many cinemas – a fate often shared by foreign films. This Italian movie is a delightful tale of a Pope on the run and the cardinals having to find him before the media scrum does.
Everyone loves a good musical and Showboat is another classic from the golden age of Hollywood musicals, and GalleryFilm’s Christmas Special. The action takes place on a paddle steamer along the Mississippi river and Ava Gardner proves that she was not only one of the most dazzling stars of her era but also a very good singer.
All in all, Liz and her team, has managed to pick films to appeal to as many as possible. Old classics and those about to become classics. Do come and join the fun by enjoying the best films in great company - and with cheerful mingling before the film is screened.
February 7 - An Affair to Remember
March 17 - Lore
April 14 - The Country Girl
May 12 - Winchester 73
June 02 - Two for the Road
July 14 - The Servant
September 8 - The Untouchable
November 3 - We have a Pope
December 9 - Showboat
Tickets £9, £7 Friends includes a glass of wine and snacks
Tickets for the first four films are now available
Shown in the Linbury Room
Online at www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Through Friends at 020 8299 8750 Mon-Fri 10am-4pm
Or from Friends Desk in the Gallery
One Comment
Hi!
I’m not sure that Ava Gardner’s voice was used. I think the songs were dubbed. However that doesn’t mean she couldn’t sing, just that the film studio ‘powers that be’ wouldn’t let her. Dubbing seems to have taken place a lot then because the given idea was that if you were an actress you couldn’t sing.
Cannot remember them ever telling a singer they couldn’t act!