Director: James Hawes With Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn Runtime: 110 mins The true story of Sir Nicholas 'Nicky' Winton, a young London broker who visited Prague in December 1938. He found families who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria, living in desperate conditions with little or no shelter and food, and under threat of Nazi invasion. How many children could he and the team rescue before the borders closed? Fifty years later, Nicky is still blaming himself for not doing more. It's not until a live BBC television show, 'That's Life', surprises him by introducing him to some surviving children - now adults - that he finally begins to come to terms with the guilt and grief he had carried for five decades. WHY WATCH THIS FILM? It’s a wonderful story and audiences have loved it. “Hopkins's subtle, emotionally powerful performance grounds the film, and he's aided by classy support from Lena Olin, Helena Bonham Carter and his Two Popes co-star Jonathan Pryce.” Radio Times “This disarmingly straightforward tale of an average man who helped save hundreds of lives is at first quietly moving, and ultimately devastating.” The Prague Reporter

Director: Alexander Payne With Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph Runtime: 133 mins With no family and nowhere to go over the Christmas holidays in 1970, unpopular classics teacher Paul Hunham (Giamatti) is stuck at school to supervise Angus, a bright teenager whose bad behaviour always threatens to get him expelled. Joining Paul and Angus is head cook Mary (Oscar-winner Randolph) - an African American woman whose own son was recently lost in Vietnam. These three shipwrecked people form an unlikely Christmas family, sharing comic misadventures during two very snowy weeks in New England. WHY WATCH THIS FILM? It’s a definite crowd pleaser. “The Holdovers is a consistently smart, funny movie about people who are easy to root for and like the ones we know. Its greatest accomplishment is not how easy it is to see yourself in Paul, Angus, or Mary. It’s that you will in all three.” Rogerebert.com “The star gives an awards-worthy performance in this terrific period piece.” The Telegraph “Hunham’s hero Marcus Aurelius once wrote, “Give thyself leisure to learn some good thing.” Take his advice and see this film.” Empire

Director: Thea Sharrock With Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley Runtime: 100 mins A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a dark, absurd scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, Wicked Little Letters follows two neighbours: deeply-conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents start to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town's women, led by Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan), begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss and Rose might not be the culprit after all. Warning: very strong language. WHY WATCH THIS FILM? There’s nothing like two of the finest actresses of their generation waging war against each other. “The obviousness of the lack of mystery surrounding the real culprit, which is pretty much obvious from the off, means the film relies heavily on the performances to hold the interest. Fortunately, the director has that particular element on her side and, even if the outcome is never in doubt, it’s fun to watch Buckley getting a chance to let her Irish accent have full rein in the face of Colman’s buttoned up but self-aggrandising spinster.” Eye for Film “Colman and Buckley are . . . an exceptional double-act whose comedy arises from their distinct deliveries, mannerisms, and internal approach.” Rogerebert.com

Director: Aki Kaurismäki With Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen Runtime: 81 mins LANGUAGE: FINNISH WITH SUBTITLES In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles - from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog. WHY WATCH THIS FILM? Admittedly a Finnish rom-com sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but it won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. “Fallen Leaves is consistently funny, but its laughs arrive without fanfare. They slide in calmly, at times obliquely in eccentric details, offbeat juxtapositions, taciturn exchanges, long pauses and amiably barbed insults.” New York Times “Fallen Leaves is another of Kaurismäki’s beguiling and delightful cinephile comedies, featuring foot-tapping rock’n’roll. It’s romantic and sweet-natured, in a deadpan style that in no way undermines or ironises the emotions involved and with some sharp things to say about contemporary politics.” The Guardian “Sometimes all it takes to turn your world around, for a few hours at least, is a small Finnish movie about a woman unjustly fired from her job, a stubborn drunk guy who knows when he’s hit the wall, and a preternaturally expressive yellow dog.” Time