The Man Who Wasn’t There .00.
(.'(i(‘. 25 Aug. 7pm. Shot in moody monochrome. with a persistent voice-over narration by
tight-lipped barber lid ('rane (Billy Bob Thornton ). this is a cool slice of neo-noir from the (‘oen Brothers. with fitie performances all round and seductive cinematography by Roger Deakins. lid realises that his ambitions wife. Doris (Frances .\lcl)ormand). is having an affair with her flamboyant boss. Big Dave (James (iandollini). manager of the department store owned by his wealthy wife. lid blackmails Big Dave. who turns nasty and ends up in a pool of his own blood. Then. through a series of complicated machinations. Doris (Frances .‘vchormanth
ends tip being charged with Big Dave‘s murder.
Admirers of Blood Simple and the hard-boiled novels of James M. (‘ain (The Postman Always Rings 'Iiviee) will enjoy the film's amoral nihilism. Yet amidst all this sordid corruption. lid enjoy s a pure. Platonic friendship with the pubescent Birdy (Scarlett Johanssont. whose playing of Beethoven piano sonatas soothes his nerves. l.ess convincing is a sub-plot about Big [)ave’s wife Anne. a weirdo who is obsessed with flying saucers and alien beings. The serpentine plotting is always involving. but with so much of the tnurderous action happening off- screen. lid‘s flat reporting of events generates a feeling of cold detachment. (Nigel Floyd)
The Anniversary Party .00
(ll-T. 23 Aug. b.30an Writing-directing debut of Scottish actor Alan (’umming and Hollywood star Jennifer Jason Leigh. an ensemble piece revolving around a iiew ly - mended Tinseltow n marriage.
Battle Royale 0.. t'(i(‘. 23 Aug. l()pm; (il’l~ 25 Atig. Ill-15pm. lmtl ()l The Him is re-intagined as a violent pre- millennial nightmare as a class of teenage Japanese schoolchildren is abandoned on an island. given a variety of weapons. atid told that only the last survivor will be allowed to leave.
BBC Writers’ Roadshow l‘ilmhouse. 24 Aug. 12.30pm. l‘ree but ticketed event aimed at working and aspirittg writers. giving them the opportunity to question a panel of industry professionals from Auntie Beeb. Boyhood Loves (Amour D’enfance) l'(i('. 23 Atig. (Lillpm. lnsightful l‘rcnch drama about a Paris university graduate who returns to the family farm with hopes of reconciliations with his irascihle father.
The Chateau O. ('ameo. 23 Attg. 5.30pm. llotttage. If you find yourself repeating that word with elongated vowels and a ‘(iallic shrug'. then maybe you'd appreciate I.e (Tritium. Jttst what the world needs a culture-c|ash-comedy that makes
."ott realise that I'll/u 'A/lu doesn’t have the
monopoly on offensive stereotyping. Two American brothers (Paul Rudd and Romany .‘v’lalcoi inherit a dilapidated
28 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE L”: Air; '3 5;:
Stacy Peralta mixes jaw dropping skate and surf footage and a fantastic soundtrack at
a frenetic pace Dogtown And Z—Boys
mansion ‘dans le pay sage' frotii a mysterious dead uncle. but finding that the servants come too is just the beginning of their problems avec ‘ilarious consequences. Xttt alorsT This tnov ie just doesn‘t haitg together lurching in style from sitcom to wannabe-disturbing l-ev/en- like dramatic family revelations. it's a farce. And not in a cool l-‘rench way. (Richard Rees)
The Devil’s Backbone (El Espinazo Del Diablo) 00.00 ('ameo. 25 Atig. lllfillpm. (ittillet'ttto l)el ’l'orro's beautifully shot. richly evocative ghost story about an orphaned boy abandoned at a remote school during tlte Spaniin civil war is as intelligently as any you‘re likely to see. 0 Dogtown And Z-Boys .0000 l'ti(’. 2-1 Aug. 0pm: (‘ameo 25 Attg. 12.45am. Kick flippin‘ its way to lidinburgh comes this hugely invigorating documentary telling
skate punks from a
run-dow n suburb of IA who re—inv cnted what was to becottie one of the most popular sports of the next twenty years. Passionately directed by Stacy l’cralta with narration by Sean Penn. the film mixes jaw -dropping skate and surf footage and a fantastic soundtrack at a frenetic pace leaving the audience little little to catch their breath. This is accompanied by interviews with skating legends such as Tony Alva and Tony Haw k. as well as all of the original /.-Boys. A mesmerising. unmissable film. this winner of the audience award at Snndattcc is massively entertaining for skaters and non- skaters alike. (Niall \lacpltersont
:; 1w):
the story of a group of
0 Down From The Mountain 0... (‘ameo. 2-1 Aug. 8pm. 25 Attg. 5.30pm. The (‘oen brothers had an enormous hit on their hands with () Bro/lie]: ll'liere Ar! 'I'Ituul’. not just the filth. the country and bluegrass soundtrack too. So it was good of the boy's. attd their music supervisor T. Bone Burtiett. to set up a concert in Nasltville by the artists featured on the soundtrack. (iood. too. of rockumentary—maker l).A. l’ennebakcr (1)011 'I lam/v litre/(l. ('lit'is llegedus and Nick I)oob to film it for us. Aitd it‘s a corker: front the l-‘airlield Four to Dr Ralph Stanley. these are the great country performers. Singer-fiddle player extraordinaire John llarford M(‘s with wry humour ‘anyone out there know who limmylou Harris is‘." and his recent passing away adds a touch of pathos to the proceedings. About as good as concert movies gel. (Miles Fielder)
Eureka liilmhouse. 2-1 Aug. 7pm; Lumiere. 25 Attg. opin. Three shattered survivors of a hostage situation set off across Japan on a low—key odyssey in this hypnotic Japanese drama.
Explosive Fragments 6 liiltnhouse. 24 Aug. 3pm. 25 Aug. 1.30pm. The fittal ()0 minute programme presenting an eclectic mix of short films from around the world.
Face (K30) C... l'ilmhoUse. 23 Aug. 0pm. A Japanese seamstress flees earthquake torn Tokyo and has a hard time of it mixing with the provincial underclass. l’ow erfttl stuff that is at times hard to watch.
La Fille de Son Pere (Hunt-o. 25 Aug. (ifillpm. lntriguittg l’rcnclt drama about the devastating effect lies have oit a family. starring Nataclta Reginier (Dream Life ()/~ Ange/v ).
Q Freaks 00.00 (‘aint-o. 24 Aug. l2._i()am. Tod Brow ning's l‘)32 cult classic is vv illtotll ;I doubt one of the strangest films ever made .'\l(i.‘vl head l.ottis .\layer was disgusted with it. Browning drew ttpon his own experiences
to tell the story of the physically malformed ‘freaks‘ of a travelling circus. When one of them is assaulted by the ‘beautiful' trapeze artist and her strongman lover. the freaks work in solidarity to exact an awful revenge. Though no less dark than Browning‘s much-lauded macabre silent films. Freaks is also a very compassionate tale. Browning employed real freaks for his blackly humorous tale of creeping horror. but his treatment of them is far from exploitative. They’re the heroes in a film that‘s about inner beauty. This screening premiere's the first new print in twenty years. (Miles Fielder)
Friends Have Reasons (Las Razones de Mis Amigos) 00 Lumiere. 23 Aug. ()pm. A trio of friends‘ monthly get—together goes pear-shaped when the subject of money-lending crops tip. Mid-mouthful. a cash-strapped (‘arlos asks fora loan to aid his failing business and so as to appear generous. Marta and Santiago quickly agree. As (‘arlos struggles to repay the loan. their relationship ultimately suffers. (‘arlos keeps his distance out of pure embarrassment. Marta Uses the money as art excuse not to commit with her partner and Santiago questions his casual relationship with Sol. With a cautionary moral message. the unpredictability of human behaviour is observed. But the film's lacklustre pace and predictable and cliched storyline. spoils what could have been an otherwise engaging tale. (Helen Monaghan)
From Here To Where liilmhouse. 23 Aug. 7pm. l‘ashion photographer (ilen l.ucliford makes his directing debut with a film about an ambitions. self-absorbed young filmmaker who co-opts the life of a man who has lived in Paris (‘harles l)e(iaulle airport for eleven years. Gimme Shelter 0.. tt(;(‘. 2() Aug. l()pm. 25 Aug. l()pm. Digitally remastered roekumentary of The Rolling Stones‘ legendary 1970 Altamont concert. which descended into violence and signalled the end of the era of peace and love.
The Icelandic Dream (lslenski Draumurinn) O. Filmhousc. 24 Aug. 5.30pm. Icelanders discover the joys of patronising the lower classes with this bogus video diary. following the tragic life of thirtysomething-loser Toti. whose personal failures are inextricably linked to the demise of his beloved football team. Imagining Reality Shorts i‘ilmhouse. 24 Aug. 12.30pm. Programme of true short stories front around the world proving that fact is always stranger than fiction.
Lifetime Guarantee: Phranc’s Adventures In Plastic 0... l'iilnthouse. 2-1 Aug. (3pm. Those old enough to remember The Smiths tours of the 80s will know l’hranc as the fiat-top acoustic folkie who dared put some un- American irony itito her campfire riffs. She‘s still going strong. but as a sideline sells 'l‘upperware. This charming film follows her to the top of the plastic pyramid.
Lift l'(i('. 24 Aug. 7pm. Streetwise crime caper revolving around a drug addict sexual abuse survivor who remodels her identity through shoplifting excursions to the smartest stores in town.
Little Dieter Needs To Fly liilmhouse. 25 Aug. noon. Werner Her/og‘s astonishing documentary about the [S pilot who was shot down over l,aos. where he was captured and tortured for six months before making a bid for freedom.
Lovely Rita l'(i(‘. 2-1 Aug. 9pm. Sly comic story with a shocking ending of a disaffected adolescent girl attempting to distance herself front family and school. Made In Japan l-‘ilmhouse. 23 Aug. bpm. Motion graphics. animation and tnusie videos in this Mirrorball round-up of truly progressive work from Japan. Maids (Domesticas, O Filme) CO... Lumiere. 23 Aug. o..i()pm. Adaptation of the hugely successful