THE SIDNEY LUMET SELECTION

To celebrate 100 years since the birth of legendary director Sidney Lumet, his iconic and sadly still incredibly topical comedy-drama film Network, about a fictional television network, UBS, and its struggle with poor ratings, returns to our cinema from June 27th onwards. We’ve also added two other masterpieces by Lumet to our program: anti-establishment crime drama Dog Day Afternoon and courtroom classic 12 Angry Men.

12 Angry Men (1957)

A behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system that is as riveting as it is spare, this iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose’s teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the dissenting member on a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. The result is a saga of epic proportions that plays out over a tense afternoon in one sweltering room. Lumet’s electrifying snapshot of 1950s America on the verge of change is one of the great feature film debuts.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Framed by great work from director Sidney Lumet and fueled by a gripping performance from Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon offers a finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tension-soaked drama shaded in black humor.

Network (1976)

Ageing television presenter Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is on the edge of a mental breakdown when he is fired. He decides to open his heart to his audience, breaking down live on TV. Incredibly, this boosts his ratings, and Beale is re-hired and given his own show on which he can scream and shout. The film won three Oscars, with Paddy Chayevsky winning an award for Best Original Screenplay.