The Roses

The Princess, a film stitched together from archive footage, about a woman who has surely been exploited enough now, continues. It is joined by Minions 2: The Rise of Gru, which has been doing the rounds and the original Railway Children, directed by Lionel Jefferies, and starring, of course, Jenny Agutter. There is, therefore, another opportunity for John to consolidate his knowledge of underwear favoured by Edwardian young women, before The Railway Children Return, which starts its run next Friday. (PW)

Is it possible we’ve all got confused and The Princess (2022) is actually this film. According to IMDB, ‘When a strong-willed princess refuses to wed the cruel sociopath, she is kidnapped and locked in a remote tower of her father’s castle. With her vindictive suitor intent on taking her father’s throne, the princess must save the kingdom.’ It sounds preferable, and no less believable.(JM)

The Guildhall

Gloucester Guildhall is closed for building refurbishments until early September. Just wondering: why refurbish a perfectly good building that hardly anyone uses? (JM)

The Sherborne

Elvis and LIghtyear until Friday and then Lightyear, The Railway Children Return and Thor: Blood and Thunder. Stifles yawn. (JM)

The Cineworlds

The new film this week is Where The Crawdads Sing. Based on one of those books that everyone is supposed to read, which prejudices me straight away. An abandoned child called Kya somehow grows to adulthood alone in the marshlands of Carolina. Then a local man dies and the semi-mythical ‘Marsh Girl’ becomes the principal suspect. The backwoods Southern girl is played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, a British graduate of the National Theatre who once starred in the ITV comedy-soap Cold Feet. Actresses: one of our few remaining exports.

Otherwise, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday at 17:15 there is the chance to see Notre-Dame on Fire, a drama (using some real footage) based on the cultural/architectural catastrophe of 2019, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, who came to fame with The Bear.

There’s an anime called The Deer King, apparently subtitled on Wednesday and dubbed on Thursday.

On Friday there is an animated comic-book feature called DC League of Super-Pets. The desperation of Hollywood is almost palpable. (JM)