Dame Judi Dench can be seen on screen in two movies being shown at The Alban Arena in St Albans this week.
Now that the Aladdin pantomime run has ended, movies are being screened again at the St Albans entertainment venue.
Victoria & Abdul (PG) is on at The Alban Arena today (Wednesday, January 10) at 7.30pm.
The film, partly shot at Knebworth House, is a biographical comedy-drama directed by Stephen Frears and written by Lee Hall.
Based on the book of same name by Shrabani Basu, the movie is about the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal).
The film also stars Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith and Adeel Akhtar.
Dame Judi can also be seen as part of the star-studded ensemble cast in Murder on the Orient Express (12A).
Kenneth Branagh’s version of the Agatha Christie thriller can be seen at The Alban Arena on Wednesday, January 17 at 1.30pm and 7.30pm.
A lavish trip through Europe quickly unfolds into a race against time to solve a murder aboard a train.
Everyone’s a suspect when detective Hercule Poirot arrives to interrogate all passengers and search for clues before the killer can strike again.
Directed by Branagh, the screenplay by Michael Green is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie.
The film stars Branagh as Hercule Poirot, with Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, and Daisy Ridley in supporting roles.
Christmas may have been and gone for another year, but The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG) will be shown at The Alban Arena on Thursday, January 11 at 7.30pm.
In October 1843, Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) is suffering from the failure of his last three books.
Rejected by his publishers, he sets out to write and self-publish a book he hopes will keep his family afloat and revive his career.
The film tells the story of the six fever-pitched weeks in which Dickens created A Christmas Carol.
The movie takes the audiences inside the magical process that brought to life Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and others, changing the holiday into the merry family event we know today.
The Florida Project (15) will be shown at The Alban Arena on Tuesday, January 16 at 7.30pm.
Warm and gloriously alive, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is a deeply moving and unforgettably poignant look at childhood.
Set on a stretch of highway just outside the imagined utopia of Disney World, The Florida Project follows six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince in a stunning breakout turn) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinai) over the course of a single summer.
The two live week to week at ‘The Magic Castle’, a budget hotel managed by Bobby (Willem Dafoe), whose stern exterior hides a deep reservoir of kindness and compassion.
Despite her harsh surroundings, the precocious and ebullient Moonee has no trouble making each day a celebration of life, her endless afternoons overflowing with mischief and grand adventure as she and her ragtag playmates – including Jancey, a new arrival to the area who quickly becomes Moonee’s best friend.
They fearlessly explore the utterly unique world into which they’ve been thrown.
Unbeknownst to Moonee, however, her delicate fantasy is supported by the toil and sacrifice of Halley, who is forced to explore increasingly dangerous possibilities in order to provide for her daughter.
Film tickets cost £7, and concessions £5.
• For tickets, call The Alban Arena box office on 01727 844488 or book online at www.alban-arena.co.uk
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