Green Zone (15)
US Army warrant officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) and his team career through war-torn Baghdad in 1993 on the hunt for WMD.
Yet again, they draw a blank and Miller voices his frustrations, suspecting bogus intelligence. A tip-off from disgruntled local Freddy leads Miller to a meeting of Saddam’s high-ranking advisors. Trusted general Al Rawi escapes but Miller acquires a notebook with the locations of enemy safe houses. Returning to base, Miller bypasses scheming Pentagon official Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) and his minion Major Briggs (Jason Isaacs) to deliver the book to local CIA chief, Gordon Brown (Brendan Gleeson). Meanwhile, reporter Lawrie (Amy Ryan) scents a potential scoop. Green Zone is a breathless two hours of action and political manoeuvring that places as much emphasis on emotionally charged dialogue as the set pieces. The film is distinguished by Paul Greengrass’s tour-de-force direction, galloping through the streets of Baghdad with handheld cameras as Miller risks his life for a country he was entrusted to tear apart.
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A Celebration of Classic MGM Film Musicals (E)
CLIVE Anderson introduces a special Prom from the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the music of the MGM film studio, which has been painstakingly reconstructed by John Wilson, who transcribed each soundtrack by ear. Wilson leads his orchestra through unforgettable music from classics such as High Society, Meet Me In St Louis, and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.
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Leap Year (12)
ANNA Brady (Amy Adams) is deliriously happy with cardiologist boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) and, as their four-year anniversary approaches, she becomes convinced he is about to propose.
He doesn’t and heads off to Dublin instead for a conference. Anna hatches a plan to propose to Jeremy in Ireland on Leap Day but her travel itinerary falls into disarray when bad weather forces the aeroplane to make a detour far from her destination. Anna is distraught and calls upon the services of handsome innkeeper Declan to help her get to Dublin by February 29.
Leap Year is a sappy road movie that signposts every tiny pothole in the path to true love. To say the lead characters are an unlikely match would be an understatement. Anand Tucker’s film is a terrible waste of Oscar nominee Adams’ undoubted talents.
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