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Helen M Jerome brings you

London Film Festival 2007 Preview... So you want an insiderıs tip on choosing what to see at the upcoming London Film Festival? You want to be ahead of the game? Check out Helen M Jerome's picks of what to move heaven and earth to see, what to avoid and some unexpected treats you hadnıt considered. Tip 1: You know there will be big name directors arriving hand in hand with their big budget films for their UK premieres. Some will be fabulous, darling, some will be must-sees, and some will be only so-so, but know this: each and every one of them will coming to a multiplex cinema near you within weeks ­ or even days. Opening and closing the festival are David Cronenbergıs Eastern Promises, his graphic, London-based follow-up to A History of Violence, and Wes Andersonıs journey east in The Darjeeling Limited. Highest profile documentary has to be Michael Mooreıs angry examination of the US healthcare system, Sicko (right). Also soul searching as they variously deal with current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are Robert Redfordıs Lions for Lambs, Nick Broomfieldıs Battle for Haditha and Brian De Palmaıs Redacted. And on a lighter, more family-oriented note comes Dreamworksı latest animated feature, Beeline, which could be smarter than your average Œcartoonı as itıs scripted by the maestro, Jerry Seinfeld. But look to Tip 3 to see what you probably wonıt be seeing elsewhere anytime soon.

Tip 2: Go in the daytime, if you can. Itıs easier to get tickets, especially for the main attractions. You know it makes sense! So, for example, if the opening evening Gala screening of Eastern Promises (right) is booked up, then simply go to the 4pm screening the following day. The tickets are often cheaper too. You can also save money by buying five or ten Weekday Matinee Vouchers at £35/£70 that let you into weekday screenings before 5pm if seats are available ­ but you must buy the vouchers in person. And itıs always worth turning up and trying for standby tickets half an hour before each screening - you never know your luck.

Tip 3: Hot tickets are not necessarily the biggest, starriest films (see Tip 1). Highly recommended are Secret Sunshine (right), from Korea and boasting a riveting central performance from Jeon Do-Yeon; Serbian thriller The Trap; two stylish Italian dramas, Saturno Contro (take a box of tissues and a shoulder to cry on though), and shot-in-one-continuous-take Valzer; Romanian black comedy California Dreaminı; and Mike Millsı revelatory documentary on Japanese depression-sufferers, Does Your Soul Have A Cold? Also worth checking out are Sean Pennıs beautiful dramatisation of the true story of doomed young adventurer, Chris McCandles, Into The Wild; Moby Dick prequel Captain Ahab; Tom Kalinıs Savage Grace; documentary The English Surgeon; Juno, Jason Reitmanıs follow-up to Thank You For Smoking; The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, starring Brad Pitt; Carlos Reygadası Silent Light; broad ladsı comedy from Spain, Friends of Jesus; and French animation Persepolis.

Tip 4: Okay, itıs subjective, but give Far North (right) a miss as itıs beautiful but only comes to life at the end when the miscast Sean Bean gets a bit of a shock. Harmony Korine is Marmite (you love him or loathe him) and his Mister Lonely looks lovely, stars Diego Luna and Samantha Morton, but feels like the Emperorıs New Clothes. So donıt say I didnıt warn you! Visit the site at: BFI.org.uk/whatson/LFF or call 020 7928 3232.

Review copyright © Helen M Jerome 2007.

DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.

PC games reviewed by the editor are on: