FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Robert Altman’s California Split is one of the greatest films ever made about the highs and lows of gambling. Your choices, then, for what we’ll be screening on Tuesday 21 April are out of three more films worth taking a punt on. Up for the vote are:

Eight Men Out (John Sayles, USA, 1988)

“For Mr. Sayles, whose idealism has never been more affecting or apparent than it is in this story of boyish enthusiam gone bad in an all too grown-up world, Eight Men Out represents a home run.” - Janet Maslin, New York Times

The World Series of 1919, and the Chicago White Sox are considered among the greatest baseball teams ever assembled. But when a group of professional gamblers offers the Sox's best athletes a fortune to throw the final against the Cincinnati Reds, the lure of big money proves impossible to resist... With a cast that includes John Cusack, John Mahoney and Christopher Lloyd, John Sayles' adaption of Eliot Asinof's 1963 book Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series, is a gripping recreation of one of the most infamous scandals in professional sport.

Queen of Spades (Thorold Dickinson, UK, 1949)

“The visual style is baroque horror noir (lots of tilted camera angles), and the central performance from Anton Walbrook as the desperate Captain Herman positively buzzes with pressure-cooker intensity.” - Kevin Maher, The Times

Imperial Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, and Anton Walbrook stars as Herman Suvorin, a soldier obsessed with discovering the secret of elderly Countess Ranevskaya (Edith Evans) who is said to have sold her soul to the devil in order to always win at cards. As Suvorin draws closer to the truth, he finds himself smitten by the Countess' beautiful young companion, Lizaveta Ivanova (Yvonne Mitchell) and his quest takes an unforgettably eerie turn... Based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin, The Queen of Spades is a creepy British horror which exudes an otherworldly chill.

Uncut Gems (Josh & Benny Safdie, USA, 2019)

“This fantastically unhinged thriller is one of the most exhilarating experiences one is likely to have at the cinema this year.” Linda MarricThe Jewish Chronicle

Adam Sandler stars as Howard Ratner, a fast-talkin’ New York jeweller over-burdened with debts, angry collectors and a private life spiralling out of control. But when Howard makes a high-stakes bet that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime, faint traces of a method appear in his madness…. With a truly extraordinary performance from Sandler as the hapless Howard and a supporting cast that includes Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch and Julia Fox, Uncut Gems is a modern classic from two of the most exciting filmmakers of recent(ish) years.