At Irish cinemas December 11th

It's a week for drama in cinemas, just before things get absolutely mental with the arrival of Star Wars The Force Awakens

It's pretty incredible to be able to say that we're just a few short days away from the release of the first Star Wars film in over a decade, and from a week when pretty much everything else in cinemas is going to be completely ignored as The Force Awakens becomes the biggest film of all time. You won't find many big releases next week and this week is similarly quiet, with a few dramatic numbers which are hoping to wring some emotions out of you before the festive season begins.

By the Sea

Angeline Jolie-Pitt directs Angeline Jolie-Pitt and Brad Pitt in an intense drama about a marriage that's falling apart. This looks, to us, like a way to have a movie studio pay for some very public therapy and early reviews haven't been kind to the film. It is dripping with style though, set in France in the mid 1970s.

Grandma

Drama and comedy meet in this road trip movie about an ageing lesbian (Lily Tomlin) who is visited by her troubled granddaughter. They go on a journey of self discovery with some life lessons thrown into the bargain. Review have been good so far.

The Forbidden Room

This is definitely not any kind of mainstream film, but it's almost the only other thing out this week. It's the latest from Canadian weirdo Guy Maddin and sees an ensemble cast struggle with life and love and everything in between. Check out the trailer to see if this is the kind of thing that interests you...