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Graham Young

Graham Young

A Walk In The Park- Hodge Hill Common

SOME of Birmingham's green treasures are tucked away, hidden from view. 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

City's Chinese ceramics on show for first time

THERE I was, dreaming of taking my family out for lunch to a French restaurant we'd never been to in town. Read

My Blueberry Nights

My Blueberry Nights (12a)

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

Rambo

Rambo (18)

DON'T mess with the Sly! Sylvester Stallone is now 61, but the still-muscly star is defying the years like no other action man before him. Read

U23D (u)

ROCK LEGENDS U2 are playing live in Birmingham everyday for the foreseeable future - and in two places at once! Read

Waz (18)

THIS ultra violent psychological serial killer thriller is another version of the current, unappetising vogue for 'torture porn'. Read

Be Kind Rewind (12a)

JACK Black's movie choices are becoming as tedious as Jude Law's - and that's before he returns in next week's Margot at the Wedding. Read

The Holte, Villa Park, Trinity Road, Aston.

WEBSITES show that not all Villa fans like the upmarket restoration work that's rescued the Holte from dereliction. Read

Evening (12)

ANY woman who has lost, or is having to face up to losing, her mother, will find much comfort from having a good cry during this film which stars Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson, Meryl Streep and Glenn Close! After playing the older Briony in Atonement, Redgrave is again extraordinary as the bedridden, dying Ann. Her two daughters Constance (played by Vanessa's own girl, Natasha Richardson) and Nina (Toni Collette) are by her side when suddenly she calls out for the mysterious love of her life, 'Harris'. Ann's life is filled out in flashback as she continues to slowly weaken. Also out to buy from Monday for £19.99. Read

Michael Clayton (15)

THIS best picture Oscar contender also has deserved best supporting actor nominations for Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton who play off a career-best Oscar-nominated George Clooney. Debut-directed by Tony Gilroy, who has also been nominated, Michael Clayton is a very complex thriller that doesn't make a lot of sense at first. Corporate fixer Clooney is never in control of everything in his chaotic life, but do persevere - it all begins to fall in to place and both the final showdown and the end-credit sequence are magnificent. Also available to buy for £19.99, the extras include deleted scenes. Read

Run Fat Boy Run (12)

SIMON Pegg's cult following made this rather tired marathon-running comedy a surprisingly-big cinema hit. Debut directed by Friends' star David Schwimmer, Pegg plays Dennis who can hardly run to save his life. Libby (Thandie Newton), whom he jilted on their wedding day while pregnant with son Jake (Matthew Fenton), now has a new American beefcake called Whit (Hank Azaria). Although Dennis continues to see their son, Libby accuses him of never being able to finish anything he's started Also available to buy for £19.99 (Blu-ray £24.99). Read

4 months 3 weeks & 2 days (15)

OPENING in a hall of residence, this chilling Romanian film about abortion won the Palme d'Or at Cannes as well as the best picture and director prizes at the European Film Awards. Read

RAF Cosford

The Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford

THERE'S only one word to describe a day out at the RAF Museum at Cosford - and that's BRILLIANT. Read

There will be blood

There Will Be Blood (15)

WINNING the 1990 best actor Oscar for My Left Foot seemingly made Daniel Day-Lewis more choosy - and how! Read

The Bucket List

The Bucket List (12a)

IF, as expected, Daniel Day-Lewis wins his second best actor Oscar at the 80th Academy Awards on Sunday week, he'll join Fredric March, Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks as the only actors to have achieved the feat twice. Read

Sound bar

Sound Bar, Corporation Street, Birmingham

IF YOU like having a sense of space then the re-emergence of the long-closed former Hawkins' Wine bar is a must. Read

Adam's Place, Bristol Road, Selly Oak

THIS halal, eat-in chippy is at the heart of Selly Oak's ultra-busy 'golden-breadcrumb mile'. Read

The Hoax (15)

DIRECTED by Lasse Hallstrom and featuring Richard Gere at his best, The Hoax is the riveting story of how Clifford Irving claimed he had interviewed reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes for his memoirs - and then secured a lucrative publishing deal. Rich in period touches, Hallstrom shows how we're all suckers for audacious people - and for a good yarn. It's also available to buy for £15.99. Read

Ratatouille (u)

IN WHAT is something of a classic week, Pixar's new blockbuster is the top family choice. Oscar nominated for both best script and best animation, it's the story of Remy the rat who works in... a hat! Bringing a whole new meaning to the term 'little chef', Remy learns from a book how to cook. But before he can try to impress the toughest critic in Paris (Peter O'Toole's Anton Ego), he has to earn his place in a kitchen belonging to the late, great Gusteau. Great fun for all ages and also available to buy on DVD from £22.99, with extras including deleted scenes and Gusteau's Gourmet game. 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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