THE CLASS (15)
The big picture: At a racially mixed high school in a tough neighbourhood of the Paris suburbs, Francois (Francois Begaudeau) and his fellow teachers prepare for a new term. Francois insists on respect for and from his students, and his frankness often surprises them. His approach is severely tested when they start challenging his methods, and the spectacular clash of cultures and attitudes makes his classroom a microcosm of modern France. This film won the Palme d'Or award at Cannes in 2008.

THE UNBORN (15)
The big picture: Veteran of the Blade series, writerdirector David S Goyer concocts a fresh take on the life of the undead in this supernatural thriller. Casey (Odette Yustman) is dragged into a world of tortured nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens the people she loves. To rid herself of the evil, she turns to the one man she believes can make it stop – Rabbi Sendak, played with relish by Gary Oldman.

NEW IN TOWN
The big picture: New in cinemas, too, is this romcom starring the ever-popular Renee Zellweger as a sharpsuited big-city business woman who travels to a little town in Minnesota to manage the reorganisation of a factory.

The frosty reception she gets is nothing compared with the sparks that fly when she orders the plant to be shut down and has to face up to a union rep (Harry Connick, Jr.) who vows to protect his colleaguesʼ jobs.

THE INTERNATIONAL (15)
The big picture: Edge-of-your-seat thriller that could have been ripped from tonightʼs headlines. Interpol agent Salinger (Clive Owen) and New York Assistant DA Whitman (Naomi Watts) are investigating corruption and extortion apparently financed by one of the worldʼs most powerful banks. As they follow the money transactions around the world, the cold realisation dawns that their targets will stop at nothing – even murder – to protect their interests. Armin Mueller-Stahl co-stars.