The Emperor’s Club

Great teachers rarely earn a place in the history books. Their impact on history is mainly through the pupils they teach.

William Hundert (Kevin Kline) is assistant headmaster at St Benedict’s School for Boys.

An impassioned Classics teacher, he believes that the history of the ancient Greeks and Romans is more than just a lesson about the distant past: he believes that the principles that can be learned from the Classics can mould a pupil’s character.

But in the autumn of 1972 Hundert finds his well-ordered world of learning and tradition becomes shaken by the arrival of a new troublemaking student, Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch), a senator’s son who lives in the shadow of his father (Harris Yulin).

Hundert, however, does not give up on his rebellious pupil. He sees all of the potential that has been thwarted by the boy’s troubled relationship with his father – a struggle that resonates with Hundert.

Teacher and student become embroiled in a turbulent battle of wills with repercussions that will haunt Hundert’s life a quarter of a century later.

Daredevil

Ben Affleck stars as Marvel Comics’ legendary superhero who is a blind lawyer by day and a masked vigilante and avenger of justice by night.

He attempts to lead a normal life by day as Matt Murdock, a lawyer from New York’s Hell’s Kitchen.

By night Matt becomes Daredevil, a brooding super hero who wages war on behalf of the downtrodden, punishing those who are guilty but whom he cannot tackle in the courtroom.

Although Daredevil is blind, his other four sense function with superhuman sharpness, giving him his signature “radar sense”.

Wearing a red leather suit and mask, he leaps from high skyscrapers with acrobat-like agility and tracks his enemies with radar-like vision.

At the centre of the city’s villainous underworld looms Daredevil’s arch-foe, New York crime boss Wilson Fisk (Michael Clarke Duncan) – also known as Kingpin.

Kingpin’s sidekick is psychotic, knife-wielding Bullseye (Colin Farrell), the world’s deadliest assassin who can kill a person with any object – be it a pencil, playing card or paper clip.

Daredevil fights these evil forces alone, until he meets the beautiful Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner), a martial arts expert who is after Bullseye and Kingpin for murdering her father.

Ned Kelly

Innocence, they say, is far from finding as many defenders as crime.

Australian gunslinger, outlaw and murderer, Ned Kelly (1855-1880), despite his criminal record, enjoys the status of a folk hero.

Heath Ledger plays Ned Kelly in this imaginative depiction of his life.

The film starts with 16-year-old Ned’s early brush with authorities when he is imprisoned on a supposedly trumped-up charge of horse-stealing.

Released four years later, Ned soon finds himself in trouble again.

When a police officer assaults Ned’s sister Kate, Ned and his mother find themselves charged with attempted murder.

Forced to go on the run, Ned is determined to strike back at the corrupt authorities.

He forms a gang with his younger brother and two friends, and for two years they cut a trail through the Outback, holding up towns and robbing banks.

Ned becomes a folk hero to the masses, but to the authorities he is the most wanted man in Australia.

The story ends with Ned’s showdown with police at Glenrowan, a dramatic finale which secured his legendary status for all time.

Also stars Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts, Orlando Bloom, Joel Edgerton and Peter Phelps.

Johnny English

Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean, Blackadder) stars in this comedy as an incompetent low-level British diplomat who is mistaken for the UK’s most famous and dangerous spy.

When Her Majesty’s crown jewels are stolen by a villainous French businessman (John Malkovich), Johnny English is thrown onto the case.

A bit wet behind the ears, but keen to do his patriotic bit, he suddenly finds himself launched into a world of fast cars, high-tech gadgets and top secret information.

Although his courage and dedication cannot be doubted, he is nevertheless soon out of his depth.

When he meets double agent Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia), though, he discovers that falling in love makes saving the nation worthwhile.

Ripley’s Game

Set about 20 years after the events of The Talented Mr Ripley, psychopath Tom Ripley is now married, living on an Italian estate, and wealthy from both his in-laws and the spoils of his criminal exploits.

In this film, a creepy-looking John Malkovich is well cast as Ripley whose premeditated, violent crimes are performed with sophisticated flair and chilling impassivity.

When Ripley is invited to a neighbour’s party, he overhears his host Jonathan Trevanny (Dougray Scott) telling other guests about his (Ripley’s) supposed lack of taste.

This sneer rankles with Ripley. But rather than let the matter drop, he plots an elaborate and subtle revenge.

Trevanny finds himself drawn into Ripley’s dangerous world of violence and murder.

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