It’s that time of year again. The time when you’re out every night catching up on the British Film Festival.

This year I’ve limited myself to just four movies. Which four? I’m glad you asked.

The Death of Stalin (photo above)

The title put me off but then I looked at the cast – Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev; Jeffrey Tambor as Stalin’s heir, Georgy Malenkov; and Jason Isaacs as Georgy Zhukov. That was enough to send me to the trailer. Hilarious, in all the ‘oh no he didn’t’ kind of way.  The Death of Stalin is a historical satire set in the USSR in the  days after  Stalin suffers a stroke and dies. As his body lies on the floor his senior advisors take turns at asserting their control. Go check out the trailer if you don’t believe that this is a must see.

The Journey

In another wonderful piece of casting, The Journey sees Timothy Spall and Martin McGuinness go up against each other. Set in 2006, this historical drama sees Ian Paisley (Timothy Spall) the deeply conservative British loyalist meet up with Martin McGuinness (Colm Meaney), a former Irish Republican Army leader who has devoted his life to the cause of Irish reunification. During an impromptu car ride through the Scottish countryside, each begins to see the other less of as an enemy and more as an individual. If only a car ride could solve all the worlds problems.

The Bookshop

I’m not usually into period dramas but when Bill Nighy is involved I’ll make an exception. Emily Mortimer (another favourite) portrays the free-spirited Florence Green, a widow who sets her grief aside to open her store in the seaside town of Hardborough in 1959. She struggles to establish herself but, by exposing the sheltered local townsfolk to the best literature of the day (including Nabokov’s scandalising Lolita), she opens their eyes. Thought not everyone is pleased.

How To Talk To Girls At Parties

And for something completely different, a punk, sci-fi, teen romance set during the lead-up to Queen Elizabeth II’s 1977 Silver Jubilee celebration, the one the Sex Pistols crashed by sailing up the Thames playing ‘God Save the Queen’. With an extraterrestrial romance and an angry punk Nicole Kidman it should be interesting.

and if I get time Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes For Lizards about Manolo Blahnik. For the fashion conscious check out the special event on October 27th.

Also on is an Agatha Christie Festival but as I said I’ve limited myself to four.

For more information go to Luna Cinema or British Film Festival.