A veritable smorgasbord of cinematic delights awaits you lucky UK film fans as of this Friday…

Blood Ties

Clive Owen has just been released from prison and his nice brother Billy Crudup gives him one last chance, letting him move in and helping him reconnect with his ex-wife and kids. But his criminal past, as so often in these films, begins to catch-up with him. The classy, talented cast in Guillaume Canet’s familial thriller includes James Caan, Zoe Saldana and Marion Cotillard. The office website is here and the film will be showing at screens in key cities only.

The Congress

Robin Wright plays her animated self in this intriguing product from director Ari Folman. Unlike the real Ms Wright, this actress is washed up and decides to take her final job in this modern, movie take on the Faust legend: preserving her digital likeness for a future Hollywood. Through a deal brokered by her loyal, longtime agent (Harvey Keitel) and the head of Miramount Studios (Danny Huston), her alias will be controlled by the studio, and will star in any film they want with no restrictions. In return, she receives healthy compensation so she can care for her ailing son, and her digitised character will stay forever young. The official trailer can be seen here on the Studio Canal page; the film will be playing across a wide selection of UK cinemas including Vue, Showcase and Picturehouses.

Dinosaur 13

When Paleontologist Peter Larson and his team from the Black Hills Institute made the world’s greatest dinosaur discovery in 1990, they knew it was the find of a lifetime: the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex ever found. But during a ten-year battle with the U.S. government, powerful museums, Native American tribes and competing paleontologists, they found themselves not only fighting to keep their dinosaur but fighting for their freedom as well. The official website with trailer is here; UK screening locations are here.

Hector and the Search For Happiness

Psychiatrist Steven Pegg travels the world in his search for happiness. Rosamund Pike and Toni Collette are among those he meets on his journey. No official website, but the trailer is here on Youtube and IMDb has a few further details.

The Notorious Mr Bout

Documentary chronicle of Viktor Bout, the Russian entrepreneur, a war profiteer, an aviation magnate, an arms smuggler and, strangest of all, an amateur filmmaker. Until three days prior to his arrest on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, Bout kept the camera running, documenting a life spent in the grey areas of international law. Dubbed the “merchant of death” he was portrayed by Nicholas Cage in Lord Of War (2005). The official Facebook page is here, the Market Roads Films website is here and the film will be playing at key city cinemas only.

The Rover

Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce star in this Australian set drama following a massive economic meltdown, similar to the Depression of the 1930’s. We follow two men—one, a murderously embittered Australian man, a former soldier who has lost his farm and his family; the other, a simple and naive American boy, too young to remember a time when things were anything other than what they are. The official website is here and the film will be showing across a wide selection of UK cinemas.

The Unbeatables

Animated Family Football movie starring Rupert Grint, Anthony Head, Raf Little, Alistar McGowan and Rob Brydon. A poignant story about love, pride, friendship and passion, The Unbeatables, follows the adventures of Amadeo, a shy but talented young man and his Table Football team, who magically come to life as they try to reunite after being dismantled and torn from their home. However, they soon find themselves up against their biggest obstacle – deifying the most famous soccer player in the World, Flash. The official website is here and you can use the Find Any Film site to book tickets here.

We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

With only three weeks left until his two best friends leave for college, Billy Joe robs his cotton farmer boss, Giff, in order to pay for one last blow-out weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas. Arriving home from the weekend, the teens find the consequences of Billy Joe’s actions brutal. Now Billy Joe, Bobby, and Sue will be taken on a ride that will test love, heartbreak, trust, and crossing that permanent line from adolescence into adulthood. The official Facebook page is here but the film will only be showing on a limited release.