In Cinemas this week (28 December – 3 January)

Cloud Atlas

Everything is connected: an 1849 diary of an ocean voyage across the Pacific; letters from a composer to his friend; a thriller about a murder at a nuclear power plant; a farce about a publisher in a nursing home; a rebellious clone in futuristic Korea; and the tale of a tribe living in post-apocalyptic Hawaii, far in the future.

Cast:
Tom Hanks
Halle Berry
Hugo Weaving
Hugh Grant

Director: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski
Writer: David Mitchell, Lana Wachowski
Runtime: 172 min
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Rating: 15
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

What If… (Αν…)

The story focuses on the lives of two young men Dimitris and Christina who meet in two parallel universes under different circumstances. In the first story their love is fierce and undeniable, yet they experience problems because of the economic crisis and these have an impact on them. But what IF they had met under different circumstances?

Cast:
Christoforos Papakaliatis (Dimitris)
Marina Kalogirou (Christina)
Maro Kodou (Elenitsa Kokovikou)
Giorgos Konstadinou (Antonakis Kokovikos)

Director: Christoforos Papakaliatis
Writer: Christoforos Papakaliatis
Runtime: 111 min
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: 12
Language: Greek
Production Year: 2012

Wreck-It Ralph 3D (Greek)

Wreck-It Ralph longs to be as beloved as his game’s perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix. Problem is nobody loves a Bad Guy. But they do love heroes… So when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun, Ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness. He sneaks into the game with a simple plan – win a medal – but soon wrecks everything, and accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade. Ralph’s only hope? Vanellope von Schweetz, a young troublemaking “glitch” from a candy-coated cart racing game who might just be the one to teach Ralph what it means to be a Good Guy. But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it’s “Game Over” for the entire arcade?

Voices:
Vasilis Axiotis
Cleopatra Rontiri
Othonas Metaxas
Iphigenia Staikou

Director: Rich Moore
Writer: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
Runtime: 108 min
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rating: K
Language: Greek
Production Year: 2012

Life of Pi

Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, is a magical adventure story centering on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival.

Cast:
Suraj Sharma (Pi Patel)
Irrfan Khan (Adult Pi Patel)
Gérard Depardieu (Cook)
Tabu (Gita Patel)

Director: Ang Lee
Writer: David Magee, Yann Martel
Runtime: 127 min
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

Arbitrage

Robert Miller is a New York hedge-fund magnate who appears to have it all – money, power, a loving wife, and a devoted daughter working by his side. But behind the gilded walls of his mansion Miller is running on borrowed time, trying to unload his crippled trading company before his frauds are revealed. A deadly error throws Miller’s “perfect life” into a tailspin, raising the suspicions of a detective and threatening the future of his financial empire. As the line blurs between what is right and wrong, legal and criminal, Miller is driven to desperate measures to protect the only thing more precious than his considerable fortune: his family.

Cast:
Richard Gere (Robert Miller)
Susan Sarandon (Ellen Miller)
Tim Roth (Det. Michael Bryer)
Brit Marling (Brooke Miller)

Director: Nicholas Jarecki
Writer: Nicholas Jarecki
Runtime: 107 min
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

Zarafa (Greek)

Under a baobab tree, an old man tells a story to the children around him: The story of the everlasting friendship between Maki, a little boy aged 10, and Zarafa, an orphaned giraffe, a gift from the Pasha of Egypt to the King of France, Charles X. Hassan, Prince of the Desert, is instructed by the Pasha to deliver Zarafa to France. But Maki has made up his mind to do everything in his power to stop Hassan from fulfilling his mission and to bring the giraffe back to its native land – even if it means risking his own life – because he must fulfill his promise to Zarafa’s late mother. During an epic journey that takes them from Sudan to Paris, passing on the way through Alexandria, Marseille and the snow-capped Alps, they have many adventures, crossing paths with the aviator Malaterre, a pair of unusual twin cows called Mounh and Sounh, and the pirate queen Bouboulina.

Director: Rémi Bezançon, Jean-Christophe Lie
Writer: Alexander Abela, Rémi Bezançon
Runtime: 78 min
Genre: Animation, Family
Rating: K
Language: Greek
Production Year: 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D/2D

Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Cast:
Ian McKellen (Gandalf)
Martin Freeman (Bilbo)
Richard Armitage (Thorin)
Ken Stott (Balin)

Director: Peter Jackson
Writer: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
Runtime: 169 min
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

Seven Psychopaths

Marty is a struggling writer who dreams of finishing his screenplay, “Seven Psychopaths”. Billy is Marty’s best friend, an unemployed actor and part time dog thief, who wants to help Marty by any means necessary. All he needs is a little focus and inspiration. Hans is Billy’s partner in crime. A religious man with a violent past. Charlie is the psychopathetic gangster whose beloved dog Billy and Hans have just stolen. Charlie’s unpredictable, extremely violent and wouldn’t think twice about killing anyone or anything associated with the theft. Marty is going to get all the focus and inspiration he needs, just as long as he lives to tell the tale.

Cast:
Colin Farrell (Marty)
Sam Rockwell (Billy)
Christopher Walken (Hans)
Woody Harrelson (Charlie)

Director: Martin McDonagh
Writer: Martin McDonagh
Runtime: 110 min
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Rating: 18
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

Shadow Dancer

During an aborted bomb attempt in London, Collette falls into the hands of an MI5 officer, Mac, who offers her a deal: turn informant or go to prison. Fearing for her son’s welfare, she returns to Belfast where betraying family and beliefs she becomes a reluctant mole for British intelligence. As suspicion of Collette mounts and Mac takes increasing risks to protect her, both feel the net closing in.

Cast:
Clive Owen (Mac)
Andrea Riseborough (Colette McVeigh)
Gillian Anderson (Kate Fletcher)
Aidan Gillen (Gerry)

Director: James Marsh
Writer: Tom Bradby
Runtime: 101 min
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

Hotel Transylvania 3D/2D (Greek)

Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the world’s most famous monsters – Frankenstein and his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more – to celebrate his daughter Mavis’ 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem – but his world could come crashing down when a human stumbles on the hotel for the first time and takes a shine to Mavis.

Voices:
Vassilis Charalambopoulos
Stefania Filiadi
Angelos Liagos
Elias Zervos

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Writer: Peter Baynham, Robert Smigel
Runtime: 91 min
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Rating: K
Language: Greek
Production Year: 2012

Lawless

The three Bondurant brothers run a bootlegging operation during the depression, up in the mountains of Franklin County, Virginia. Crooked Special Deputy Charles Rakes is after a share of the brothers’ profits. Compounding their troubles, the local competition is elbowing in on their activities. Forrest’s boisterous defiance and Cricket’s knack for moonshine production help the brothers gain a local monopoly. When Forrest is wounded as tension with Rakes escalates, Jack, initially the timid one, must prove his worth against gangster Floyd Banner’s mob, and we see him metamorphose into a cocky exhibitionist in his attempts to woo the off-limits preacher’s daughter, Bertha.

Cast:
Shia LaBeouf (Jack Bondurant)
Tom Hardy (Forrest Bondurant)
Guy Pearce (Charlie Rakes)
Gary Oldman (Floyd Banner)

Director: John Hillcoat
Writer: Nick Cave, Matt Bondurant
Runtime: 116 min
Genre: Crime, Drama
Rating: 15
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

Rise of the Guardians 3D/2D

When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

Voices:
Chris Pine / Antinoos Albanis (Jack Frost)
Alec Baldwin / Costas Triandafillopoulos (North)
Jude Law / Christodoulos Stylianou
Hugh Jackman / Vassilis Milios

Director: Peter Ramsey
Writer: David Lindsay-Abaire, William Joyce
Runtime: 97 min
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Rating: K
Language: English / Greek
Production Year: 2012

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2

Bella is enjoying her new life and new powers, after the birth of their daughter, Renesmee. Soon, however, their family bliss is threatened again, by a new menace. Vampire Irina believes a child like Renesmee could challenge the power and existence of the Volturi. As Irina rallies the Volturi to destroy this potential threat, Bella and the Cullens – together with any allies they can assemble – are preparing to fight a crucial, ultimate battle, to protect their family.

Cast:
Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan)
Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen)
Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black)
Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen)

Director: Bill Condon
Writer: Melissa Rosenberg, Stephenie Meyer
Runtime: 115 min
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2012

Skyfall

Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Cast:
Daniel Craig (James Bond)
Judi Dench (M)
Javier Bardem (Silva)
Ralph Fiennes (Gareth Mallory)

Director: Sam Mendes
Writer: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Runtime: 143 min
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2012