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Film

New Releases

The Rum Diary (IIB)

See review on this page.

Magic to Win (IIA) (Cantonese)

See review on this page.

Arthur Christmas 3-D (I) (Cantonese and English versions)

Animated comedy-drama about how, one Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son uses his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission. Not reviewed.

Datong: The Great Society (Cantonese, Putonghua, English and French)

Evans Chan Yiu-shing's docudrama about Qing dynasty political reformer Kang Youwei (Liu Kai-chi) who went into exile in Sweden. Also starring Lindzay Chan and Chiang Ching. YT

Patisserie Coin de Rue (I) (Japanese)

Foodie drama revolving around a brilliant patissier (Yosuke Eguchi) who makes a sudden exit from the world of pastry and a woman from a small town in Kyushu (Yu Aoi) who ventures to Tokyo in search of her sweetheart. Not reviewed.

Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (I)

Film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's romantic musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux's story about a bitter man, deformed since birth, who lives in the sewers underneath the Paris Opera House and the woman he falls for. Not reviewed.

Strawberry Cliff (IIA) (English, Cantonese and French)

Thriller revolving around a teenager (Leslie-Anne Huff) who can predict when people will die and a bartender (Eason Chan Yik-shun) who suffers from having an 'incomplete soul' who embark on an adventure in search of the Afterlife and a mysterious presence found there. Not reviewed.

Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale II (IIB) (Seediq language, Taiwanese Hokkien, Mandarin and Japanese)

Concluding part of Wei Te-sheng's historical epic depicting the guerilla warfare employed as the Seediq use Taiwan's mountains and forests in their fight against the imperialist Japanese forces. CT

General Releases

3 Idiots (IIA) (Hindi, Urdu and English)

Raju Hirani's Bollywood comedy about two friends who embark on a journey to find their lost buddy (Aamir Khan). CT

50/50 (IIB)

Comedy-drama telling the true story of a 27-year-old man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who, after being diagnosed with cancer, turns his battle with the disease into a unique opportunity to experience life. CT

A Little Bit of Heaven (IIB)

Romantic comedy-drama about a cancer patient (Kate Hudson) who considers the possibility of falling in love scarier than death. CT

The Adventures of Tintin (IIA)

(Cantonese and English versions) Steven Spielberg's 3-D animation-action-adventure film about a young reporter named Tintin who sets off on a hunt for treasure with ties to Captain Haddock and his swashbuckling ancestor, Sir Francis. LKW

Big Blue Lake (I) (Cantonese)

Jessey Tsang Tsui-shan's drama centring on a young woman who returns to her home village of Ho Chung to start anew after years of self-exile. CT

East Meets West (IIA) (Cantonese)

Jeff Lau Chun-wai 's comedy revolving around eight individuals who meet in Guangzhou, not knowing that they used to be eight quarrelling heavenly gods who fell to earth because they could not live harmoniously together. PF

The First Grader (IIA) (English and Kikuyu)

Biographical drama about an 84-year-old Kenyan villager and ex-Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school for the first time. CT

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Stars of Milos (IIB) (Japanese)

Anime based on the the Fullmetal Alchemist manga franchise that has two brothers crossing paths with a young female alchemist and getting embroiled in her people's rebellion. Not reviewed.

Immortals 3-D (IIB)

Fantasy-action-drama revolving around a mortal (Henry Cavill) who is the only hope to prevent power-mad King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) from obtaining a legendary weapon that could destroy humanity. CT

In Time (IIB)

Sci-fi-action-thriller about a man (Justin Timberlake) who teams up with a young heiress (Amanda Seyfried) to destroy the corrupt system in a future where time is money - literally. CT

Jump Ashin! (IIB) (Mandarin and Taiwanese Hokkien)

Lin Yu-hsien's film version of the life story of his brother - portrayed as a small town youth with a passion for gymnastics who starts to hang out with the wrong crowd after being taken off the gymnastics team at his mother's instigation. CT

Life Without Principle (IIB) (Cantonese)

Johnnie To Kei-fung's crime drama follows a gangster, a bank officer and a policeman on one chaotic day, their desperate scramble for cash leading each of them to make choices that could lead them - and others - to ruin. PF

Margin Call (IIB)

J.C. Chandor's thriller revolving around the key people at an investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis. Starring Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons and Demi Moore. CT

Starry Starry Night (IIA) (Mandarin)

Tom Lin Shu-yu's adaptation of Jimmy Liao Fu-bin's coming-of-age love story revolving around a lonely young girl (Josie Xu Jiao) and a boy she befriends. LKW

Trespass (IIB)

Joel Schumacher's thriller has a wealthy diamond dealer (Nicolas Cage) and his architect wife (Nicole Kidman) finding themselves under siege from a gang of brutal armed robbers at their remote lakeside house. CT

Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale I (IIB) (Seediq language, Taiwanese Hokkien, Mandarin and Japanese)

First part of Wei Te-sheng's historical epic based on the true story of the 1930 Wushe Incident, when the aboriginal Seediq peoples of Taiwan rebelled against Japanese imperialist forces. CT

You are the Apple of My Eye (IIB) (Mandarin)

Giddens Ko Ching-teng's adaptation of his autobiographical coming-of-age novel about a mischievous high school student, his friends and the girl he'll never forget. CT

Art House

HK Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

The HK Lesbian and Gay Festival Society presents a programme of homosexual-themed films, including the following one. Ends Dec 1. Palace IFC, Podium Level 1, IFC Mall, 8 Finance St, Central, HK$75 www.cinema.com.hk. Inquiries: hklgff.hk

Beginners

Mike Mills' comedy-drama about a man (Ewan McGregor) newly in love who thinks back and remembers his father (Christopher Plummer) who rocked his son's world by divulging that he had terminal cancer and, also, a young male lover. Also starring M?lanie Laurent. In English and French with English subtitles. Dec 1, 7.50pm, 9.50pm, Palace IFC.

The 40th French Cinepanorama

The Alliance Francaise presents a selection of French films, including the following 13 feature films and one short film programme. Until Dec 11. AMC Pacific Place, L1 Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, HK$75 www.amccinemas.com.hk; Broadway Cinematheque, Prosperous Garden, 3 Public Square St, Yau Ma Tei, HK$60; and Palace IFC, Podium Level 1, IFC Mall, 8 Finance St, Central, HK$75 www.cinema.com.hk; and HK City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central; HK Film Archive, 50 Lei King Rd, Sai Wan Ho; and HK Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Rd, TST, HK$55 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2527 7825

The Girl Cut in Two

Claude Chabrol's black comedy centring on an ambitious TV weather woman (Ludivine Sagnier) and the two very different men who pursue her. In French with English subtitles. Dec 1, 9.45pm, Broadway Cinematheque, Dec 4, 8pm, Dec 11, 7.30pm, HK Film Archive.

17 Girls

Muriel and Delphine Coulin's drama-comedy, inspired by actual events in 2008 in the US, about 17 schoolgirls who decide to get pregnant at the same time. In French with English subtitles. Dec 2, 8.05pm, Palace IFC, Dec 5, 9.45pm, Broadway Cinematheque, Dec 10, 9.50pm, AMC Pacific Place.

Fragments of a Revolution

Documentary that makes use of anonymous amateur footage, images produced by the government, e-mail exchanges and official speeches to chronicle Iran's 'green revolution'. In French with English subtitles. Dec 2, 9pm, HK Space Museum.

Hell

Drama revolving around an irritable and stressed-out hotel manager whose life crumbles as he develops paranoid delusions about his wife's infidelity. Claude Chabrol directs. In French with English subtitles. Dec 2, 9.30pm, HK Film Archive.

Sarah's Key

Kristin Scott Thomas stars in a drama about a girl who, in July 1942, as the French police went about arresting Jewish families in the middle of the night, locks her younger brother up in their secret hiding place - with an American journalist investigating the roundup 67 years later. Mainly in French with Chinese and English subtitles. Dec 2, 9.50pm, AMC Pacific Place.

A Judgement in Stone

Claude Chabrol's crime drama about a maid (Sandrine Bonnaire) who is manipulated into plotting a crime against the rich family she works for by an unstable female postal worker with a grudge against her employers. Also starring Isabelle Huppert. In French with English subtitles. Dec 3, 2pm, Dec 10, 4.30pm, HK Film Archive.

The Rabbi's Cat

Animated film, set in Algeria in the 1920s, about a rabbi's cat that learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot that expresses its desire to convert to Judaism. In French with English subtitles. Dec 3, 2pm, Palace IFC, Dec 8, 7.55pm, AMC Pacific Place.

The Flower of Evil

Crime drama revolving around a wealthy family that is caught in the crossfire when one member (Nathalie Baye) decides to run for mayor, thanks to a political pamphlet that revives an old murder scandal. Claude Chabrol directs. In French with English subtitles. Dec 3, 4.30pm, Dec 11, 5pm, HK Film Archive.

The Names of Love

Michel Leclerc's romantic comedy about a young, extroverted left-wing activist (Sara Forestier) who sleeps with her political opponents to convert them to her cause and the man with whom she actually falls in love. In French with English subtitles. Dec 3, 7.50pm, Broadway Cinematheque, Dec 6, 9.50pm, AMC Pacific Place.

Early One Morning

Drama centring on a 50-year-old business manager who goes to a bank and shoots two of his superiors, then relives his life and the events that lead him to commit those acts while waiting for the police to arrive and arrest him. In French with English subtitles. Dec 3, 9.50pm, Palace IFC, Dec 10, 8.05pm, AMC Pacific Place.

My Little Princess

Eva Ionesco's drama revolving around an artist (Isabelle Huppert) whose daughter's life radically changes after she (Anamaria Vartolomei) becomes her mother's model. In French with English subtitles. Dec 3, 9.50pm, Broadway Cinematheque, Dec 7, 9.50pm, Palace IFC.

Into Our Own Hands

Mariana Otero's documentary about lingerie factory employees who, after their company goes bankrupt, attempt to take it over by forming a co-operative. In French with English subtitles. Dec 4, 2pm, HK Space Museum.

A Trip to the Moon + Short Films Selection: Live Action

Double bill comprising: Georges M?li?s' 1902 short film about group of astronomers who go on an expedition to the moon (no dialogue); and a programme of six contemporary short films (in French with English subtitles). Dec 4, 4.30pm, 7.30pm, HK Space Museum.

Beloved

Catherine Deneuve stars in Christophe Honor?'s romantic musical following two generations of women: a classy hooker in the 1960s, and her daughter, whose primary scenes take place during her adulthood. In French with English subtitles. Dec 4, 9.45pm, Broadway Cinematheque, Dec 9, 7.20pm, AMC Pacific Place, Dec 11, 7.30pm, Palace IFC.

Art of Commercials 2011

The HK Arts Centre presents a selection of winning TV advertisements from around the world, including the following three programmes. Until Dec 18. HK Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai, HK$50 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2582 0246

Programme 3

Selection of British TV advertisements that were nominated for the 2011 British Arrows Awards. In English. Dec 3, 11, 2.30pm, also Dec 3-4, 18, 7.30pm, Dec 11, 9pm, HK Arts Centre.

Programme 2

Selection of TV advertisements for hotels, cars, wines and more from various parts of the Asia-Pacific region, including Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and India. In various languages with some English subtitles. Dec 3, 11, 4.30pm, also Dec 3-4, 16, 9pm, Dec 4, 2.30pm, HK Arts Centre.

Programme 1

Selection of Japanese commercials featuring appearances by personalities including Takuya Kimura and Tommy Lee Jones. In Japanese with English subtitles. Dec 3, 11, 6pm, Dec 11, 17, 7.30pm, Dec 18, 9pm, HK Arts Centre.

Master of Versatility: Lee Tit

The HK Film Archive presents a showcase of director Lee Tit's films, including the following film. Until Dec 18. HK Film Archive, 50 Lei King Rd, Sai Wan Ho, HK$30 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2734 2900

The Ill-fated Girl

Melodrama about a young woman who endures catastrophic hardships with resolve and perseverance. Starring Lam Kar-sing, Ting Ying and Helena Law Lan. In Cantonese. Dec 3, 7pm, HK Film Archive.

The Dirty Picture

Bollywood biopic on the life of the South Indian movie siren Silk Smitha. In Hindi with English subtitles. Dec 3, 9.30pm, GH Whampoa, L2 Whampoa Plaza, Whampoa Garden, 7 Tak On St, Hung Hom; and Dec 4, 5.30pm, Golden Gateway, 25 Canton Rd, TST, HK$120-HK$180. Inquiries: 2366 7725

Restored Treasures

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department presents a continuing series of movies that have undergone restoration work, including the following film. Ongoing. HK Film Archive, 50 Lei King Rd, Sai Wan Ho, HK$40 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2734 2901

The Rules of the Game

A group of Parisian aristocrats - and their servants - spend weekends in a country estate in Jean Renoir's look at bourgeois life in France at the onset of the second world war. In French with Chinese and English subtitles. Dec 4, 2.30pm, HK Film Archive.

L'Arc~en~Ciel 20th L'Anniversary TOUR Osaka Live

'Live' transmission of the Japanese rock band in concert at the Kyocera Osaka Dome. Dec 4, 3.30pm, GH Mong Kok, G/F Grand Century Place, 193 Prince Edward Rd West, Mong Kok, HK$280 www.goldenharvest.com. Inquiries: 2622 6688. Also: MCL JP Cinema, JP Plaza, 22-36 Paterson St, Causeway Bay; and MCL Kornhill Cinema, 4/F Kornhill Plaza South, 2 Kornhill Rd, Quarry Bay; and MCL Telford Cinema, Telford Gardens, 33 Wai Yip St, Kowloon Bay, HK$280 mclcinema.com. Inquiries: 3413 6688.

Classical in Cinema

Music Art & Film Culture Promotion Association of HK presents a HD programme of classical music concerts and operas including the following HD film. Until January 2012. AMC Pacific Place, L1 Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty; Broadway The One, 6-11/F The One, 100 Nathan Rd, TST; Grand Ocean, Ocean Centre, 3 Canton Rd, TST; Palace IFC, Podium Level 1, IFC Mall, 8 Finance St, Central; and The Podium, L4, Cyberport 2, 100 Cyberport Rd, Cyberport. HK$75-HK$190 HK Ticketing (for The Podium) and respective cinemas. Inquiries: 6336 3595

Manon

Film of Jules Massenet's opera comique about a country girl turned courtesan who seeks both wealth and love. Starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin. In French with Chinese and English subtitles. Dec 4, 7pm, AMC Pacific Place.

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