clinging to the dream. Think This Is Spinal Tap but real. The Class The darling of this years Cannes Film Festival. An A+ observational study of an inner-city Paris classroom. Fish Tank Powerful, sublimely shot, in-your-face look at British estate life seen through the eyes of a mouthy Asbo girl. District 9 Aliens land in Johannesburg with thought- provoking results in this black comic horror debut from Peter Jacksons promising protg Neill Blomkamp. Film Reviews This Weeks Releases Camerons film is nometro Arts & Entertainment life The XX In Town This Weekend DJ set from the London whippersnappers whose debut album achieved instant Next Big Thing status. That their keyboardist left the band last month, allegedly due to exhaustion, is unlikely to break the boys mighty stride Tomorrow, TriPod, Harcourt Street D2, 11.30pm, 12. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.myspace.com/thexx The Prodigy Their fifth studio album Invaders Must Die peaked at No.3 in the Irish charts, proving that theres still life in the old firestarters yet as they continue to straddle the lines between rock, drumnbass, hip-hop and reggae Tonight, The O2, East Link Bridge, North Wall Quay D1, 6,30pm, 49.20 to 54.80. Tel: 0818 719 300. www. theprodigy.com Handels Messiah The Irish Chamber Orchestra and soprano Sinead Campbell (pictured), mezzo-soprano Martha Bredin, tenor Eamonn Mulhall and bass Owen Gilhooly perform Handels rousing oratorio, which premiered in Dublin in 1742 Tomorrow, RDS, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge D4, 7pm, 12.50 to 25. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.irishchamberorchestra.com Book Now Haunted Brenda Blethyn (pictured) stars in novelist Edna OBriens highly acclaimed London-set play which premiered in Manchester this summer. All is not what it seems in this beguiling memory play that meditates on loss, regret and moving forward. With shades of Whos Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and American Beauty, a fragile marriage is rocked by the arrival of Hazel (sensitively played by Beth Cooke), a young woman who runs a market stall while giving elocution lessons on the side. Niall Buggy and Blethyn excel as the troubled couple, while director Braham Murray treats OBriens literary allusions with care Feb 4 to 13, Gaiety Theatre, South King Street D2, 7.30pm (Sat mat 2.30pm), 25 to 40. Tel: (01) 677 1717. www.gaietytheatre.ie TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2009 ST Trinians 2: The Legend Of Frittons Gold (PG) Running time: 106min Humpday (no cert) Running time: 94min Avatar (12A) Running time: 161min T aking 15 years to create and rumoured to have cost $300m (which would make it the most expensive movie ever made), James Camerons first film since Titanic couldve easily been the biggest turkey of all time. It isnt, any more than its a masterpiece. But its truly unlike anything youve seen before. Don your 3D specs and youre instantly so sucked into the world of Avatar you pay zero attention to the plot then realise hey, thats no loss. The story is a frustratingly bland save the rain forest Return Of The Jedi-meets-Terminator-meets- Apocalypto-meets-Thundercats pseudo-spiritual mishmash that sees a crippled marine (Sam Worthington) sent to a planet where grumpy scientist Sigourney Weaver (yay) melds his mind into the body of a giant blue Navi tribesman. His mission is to win again the tree-hugging native populations trust so Earths evil white capitalists can plunder their resources but he ends up falling in lurve with a lithe blue hottie (Zoe Saldana). However, the enjoyment of Avatar is exploring its lush world. Concentrating on depth of field over waving 3D effects in your face, its a truly immersive, almost addictive, experience that lives on beyond its forgettable motion-captured characters and frustratingly formulaic story arc yes, there is a big end battle. Yes, it is awesome. And the flying dragons are beyond ace. This may not be a classic, but its certainly the must-see ticket this holiday. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh 14 metrolife Friday, December 18, 2009 The title may be a minger, but this second jolly helping of the resurrected British boarding school franchise packs some quality titters. The spurious plot sees the boo-hiss head of a secret, evil and chauvinistic society (David Tennant) out to snaffle an ancient treasure belonging to the ancestor of St Ts gloriously eccentric headmistress, Camilla Fritton (a film- stealing Rupert Everett wickedly channels Mrs Parker-Bowles). Its Everetts hilarious ongoing flirtation with Colin Firth that peps up whats little more than a hit-and-miss hamper of bad-girl set pieces, peppered with self-consciously now (thus already then) yoof audience references to stuff like iPhones, Lady Gaga and flash mobs. With Russell Brand having ducked out as Flash Harry, its Sarah Harding who provides the celeb factor as the naughtiest girl in the school a rock chick who may (shock horror) have lost her virginity! There may be a rehab unit (packed with 11-year-old former alcoholics) in whats supposedly the worst school in Britain, but ironically its more like a model example: you never spot a single teen smoking, drinking, shagging, or swearing, never mind doing drugs. LI-Z Two best friends make an outrageous pact in this engaging US indie comedy. Ben (Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) are old US college pals party buddies whove drifted apart. Ben is now happily married to Anna (Alycia Delmore) and trying for a baby. Andrew is still wandering the global hippy trail, picking up women. Then out of the blue Andrew invites Ben to a party. After a few drinks and smokes, the conversation turns to Humpfest: a film festival of amateur arty erotica and Ben agrees to make the ultimate porn film with Andrew: something thats never been seen before... How about two straight best mates having sex? Gulp. Sounds like a wild idea at the party, but the morning after, surely Ben and Andrew will laugh it off? But no: pride, competitiveness and a dash of daring kick in, and they agree to go ahead. Its the psychology of this unlikely situation that makes this edgy buddy flick so fascinating and funny. Entirely ad-libbed, Humpday explores Synecdoche, New York More unique, inspired intellectual loopiness from the writer of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. True genius. Up The cartoon that made grown men weep while children giggled. More sublime, multi- dimensional animation from the creators of Toy Story and Wall-E. Let The Right One In The Swedish coming-of-age vampire film that utterly outclassed Twilight. Poetic, creepy and... predictably now being diluted into a US remake. Anvil! The Story of Anvil Funny, touching and almost too good to be true rockumentary about a forgotten, now middle-aged, metal band still Hurt Locker Nail-biting tension from the off in this award- tipped bomb-disposal drama. The best film yet about the Iraq war. Encounters At The End Of The World Eccentric director Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica and finds penguins having an identity crisis. Antichrist Enfant terrible director Lars Von Trier had audiences hurtling for the exits with his deranged arty torture porn. LI-Z The hoTTesT TickeTs in Town We have a pair of tickets to see HAUNTED Feb 9 at the Gaiety, 7.30pm For a chance to win, e-mail your answer to the question below to life@metroireland.ie by noon today with Hot Tickets in the subject line. With your answer please include your name, address and a number where you can be contacted between 1pm and 3pm. Strictly one entry per person; entrants must be age 18+. Q. Brenda Blethyn was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in which film? A Saving Grace B Secrets & Lies The winner of yesterdays tickets to see Rufus Wainwright is: Cliff Herron index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html