Hunger for To The Wonder is sure to have been sharpened by Ben Affleck’s recent Bafta wins for his career-changer Argo.

In fact, Affleck is clearly a cannier choice than the original lead for the American romantic drama – Christian Bale, who dropped out of production. Terrence Mallick’s stars a surprising cast featuring Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem To mark the launch of To The Wonder on Saturday, Phoenix Picture House in Jericho is offering Oxford Times readers the chance to win tickets to the film as well as Studio Canal DVDs (Take This Waltz and Blue Valentine, posters and art cards. To win, email your name, address and contact details to liz.nicholls@nqo.com before 5pm tomorrow (Friday).

This is a week of rich pickings for small-budget indie films and one must-see is Fire In The Blood. An intricate tale of ‘medicine, monopoly and malice’ it tells how Western pharmaceutical firms and governments aggressively blocked access to low-cost Aids drugs for Africa and the global south – causing ten million or more deaths – and the improbable group of people who decided to fight back. Shot on four continents with cameos from Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu and Joseph Stiglitz, get involved in the fight for access to life-saving medicine. Success beckons for Jack Reynor, star of compelling Irish flick What Richard Did. Nominated for Critics’ Circle FIlm Awards’ Young British Performer of the Year, Jack’s performance has helped launch the film worldwide.

What Richard Did, which won five Irish Film and Television Awards last weekend, is directed by Lenny Abrahamson, follows Richard Karlsen, golden-boy athlete and undisputed alpha-male of his privileged set of South Dublin teenagers through the summer. When one drunken night threatens everything, Richard’s character is put to the test.

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