This true story centres on the art deco Lyric cinema in Carmarthen which was threatened with closure in the early 1990s, and the efforts of local resident Liz Evans (Samantha Morton) to save it.
However much you enjoy Save the Cinema, it will be hard to claim it is a particularly original or unpredictable piece of work. But it does have a real charm. With Liz, her family, and the plucky supportive residents standing-up to corrupt politicians and a compliant police force, it can be considered to be firmly in the Ealing comedy tradition even if it is not in the same class as Passport to Pimlico or Whisky Galore.
Morton is her usual excellent self as the determined campaigner. Among a sea of the usual faces in any Welsh production, Adeel Akhtar plays against type as the dodgy mayor and Erin Richards is enchanting as his assistant. Johnathan Pryce brings a touch of class though his character seems there to illicit tears rather than add much to the story.
If, like me, you are in Wales, Save the Cinema will probably be showing at a cinema near you. Otherwise, it is available on Sky Cinema.
Rating: 7 out of 10