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Graham Young

Graham Young

A Walk In The Park - Billesley Common

BILLESLEY Common is roughly the size of Cannon Hill Park. In Birmingham's southern half, the only other non-golf course public spaces which look bigger are Senneleys Park in Northfield and Woodgate Valley Country Park. Read

Newtown Fish Bar, Newtown Shopping Centre, Newtown

AT FIRST glance, culinary ambitions seem limited round here, but Newtown Fish Bar's chips were spot on. Read

The Brasshouse, Broad St, Birmingham

FRESH from a three-week closure for its first full makeover in more than 20 years, the Brasshouse provided a surreal experience last Saturday lunchtime. Read

Once (15)

HAVING raved about this microbudget Irish film's release in October, nobody was more pleased than me that it won the Oscar for best song this week. In beating three classically-crafted Disney nominations from Enchanted along the way, Once illustrates the timeless power of songs to cross all borders. Written and directed by John Carner, it's the story of a Dublin busker who also repairs vacuum cleaners. And of an Eastern European Big Issue seller who plays the violin and piano. Read

Rendition (15)

JAKE Gyllenhaal plays North Africa-based CIA analyst Douglas Freeman who is forced to question his principles when Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) arrives for interrogation. Read

Death At A Funeral (15)

HEREFORD-born actor-director Frank Oz in an old-fashioned farce featuring ensemble cast including Matthew Macfadyen, Rupert Graves, Jane Asher and Keeley Hawes. Read

Untraceable (18)

GRAHAM Young reviews new thriller Untraceable. Read

Margot at the Wedding (15)

THOUGHT Graham Young had seen enough of Jack Black after Be Kind Rewind last week? Then read on! Read

In the bleak midwinter, motorbike made moan

A Walk In The Park. Read

The Bank Job (15)

THIS bank-robbing scandal is based on a true story allegedly involving compromising pictures of Princess Margaret stored in a safety deposit box. Read

The Accidental Husband (12A)

SINCE the short western An Accidental Outlaw in 1911, there have been more than 50 titles featuring the A-word. Read

Semi-Pro (15)

SEE the trailer for this new Will Ferrell movie and you'll doubtless catch all of the 'best' bits in one go. Read

Jennifer Ellison

Jennifer Ellison at Birmingham's Star City for screening

FORMER Brookside star Jennifer Ellison popped into the Vue Cinema at Birmingham's Star City last night to introduce a special advance screening of her new 18-rated movie, The Cottage. Read

Seven out of ten correct is a glittering triumph!

YOU can't win 'em all - but I nearly did! Read

Stardust (pg)

BASED on producer Neil Gaiman's graphic novel, this engaging fantasy is for older children who fancy a fairy tale along the lines of The Princess Bride meets The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Powered by a Pirates of the Caribbean-style score, Casanova star Charlie Cox plays the dashing Tristan who promises the prettiest girl in the village that he'll win her heart by fetching a fallen star. The star is actually Yvaine (Claire Danes), injured in a cosmic tumble. Now what's a man to do? Meanwhile, the wicked witch Lamia (a splendid Michelle Pfeiffer) also needs the star's powers for eternal youth. Read

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (12)

BEST actress candidate Cate Blanchett is is on top form here - and her breadth of work elsewhere last year would make her my favoured choice for an Academy Award. Although director Shekhar Kapur seems to make up some of his own history here, Elizabeth's struggle to hold together a country split by the religious divide between Protestants and Catholics, is a still-relevant lesson in tolerance. Also available to buy for £19.99. Read

Eastern Promises (18)

HE'S got little chance of beating Daniel-Day Lewis to tomorrow's best actor Oscar, but don't miss fellow nominee Viggo Mortensen here. Especially as the script, about London's deadly Russian underworld, was written by Birmingham's own Steven Knight for back-on-form Canadian director David Cronenberg. The bathhouse fight sequence, featuring a stark-naked Mortensen, was one of the most astonishing cinematic highlights of 2007. Co-starring Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl and also available to buy for £19.99 (Blu-ray £24.99), the extras include a 'Secrets and Stories' featurette. Read

City scriptwriter's film up for Oscar

BLUES' fan Steven Knight will have his fingers crossed during tomorrow night's Oscar ceremony. Read

My Blueberry Nights

My Blueberry Nights (12a)

HE'S STILL only 35 - but somebody up there still likes Jude Law. Read

Black Water

Black Water (15 )

THREE Australian youngsters sail into deadly salt water crocodile territory, believing that anything is better than being stuck in an office. Read

Author Profile

Award-winning Film Editor Graham Young has covered the Midlandsý radio and TV scene for two decades. The father of three is also the Mailýs reviewer of pubs, parks, family days out and chips and a keen photographer.

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