Anne (Riva) and Georges (Trintignant) are two octogenarians who share a loving, tender relationship. When Anne suffers a series of strokes, we are witness to her slow but imminent demise from confident, active woman to dependent, helpless patient.

Director Haneke is most famous for making nihilistic and austere films like The White Ribbon, Caché (Hidden), The Piano Teacher and both versions of Funny Games. This is a more intimate film, although it is harrowing at times (and there’s one scene that has a trademark Haneke shock moment). His movies are reminiscent of the better techniques of both Ingmar Bergman and Roman Polanski, but he has developed a reputation of his own, having won two Cannes Palme d’Ors (for Ribbon and this). It has received 5 Oscar nominations, is favourite for Best Foreign Language Film and nominated for Best Picture, Directing, Actress and Screenplay (no mean feat for a non-Hollywood film). Both actors are French legends, and have been in significant films of the twentieth century (she in Hiroshima Mon Amour, he in Z winning an acting award at Cannes).

Hopefully all of this will entice you to come along to see this beautiful heart-breaking movie about REAL love (not the honeymoon kind you see portrayed in most movies). You won’t regret it.

We all know the Hansel and Gretel tale – they head into the woods, deeper than they’ve ever been, but leave a trail of breadcrumbs to lead them out. When the trail is eaten they get lost and caught by an evil witch. Some creative cooking later, they escape and find their way home. Well after that experience, and no doubt some post-traumatic stress counselling, the brother and sister duo start thinking about potential careers and identify what seems to be a gap in the market.

15 years on from that day Hansel (Renner) and Gretel (Arterton) are vigilante witch hunters who are bent on taking out the trash around the world. Unfortunately their line of work comes with some occupational health and safety risks and their past actions have raised the ire of a greater evil than that of the witches they’ve been hunting…

Directed by Dead Snow’s Tommy Wirkola, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is an interesting blend of action/comedy/fantasy with some outstanding visuals and action choreography alongside some fancy modern tech in an unidentified historical time. So if you’re up for some classic witch hunting escapism, witch hunting tips or interested in a fun night of kicking witch ass, then I think you’ve just found your film. But stay away from the gingerbread foundations.