Film index
Spider-Man f 12m 000. (Sam Raimi. [S 2002) Tobey Maguire. Kirsten Dunst.
l2 1 min. A big btidget blockbuster based on a best-selling superhero comic book you'd be right to expect spectacular effects and bland storytelling in a flashy but ultimately dull lillli. (it) see :illm‘k’ riff/Iv (Tunes for that particular exercise in bringing in the box office bucks. Spiller-Mun. by contrast. is a delightfully unexpected mix of spectacle and engrossing human drama. lt's surprising that Raimi. who made his name with the highly stylised genre pastiche t'l'lie Iz‘i'i'l Dem/i should focus so much on character. The cast acquit themselyes \yell. althouin Dafoe hams tip the \‘illainy'. But Raimi's lead. Tobey Maguire. brings just the right amount of ktioyy ing humour to Parker/Spidey. which is emblematic of Raimi's \\ hole winning approach to the film. (ieneral release.
Split Wide Open t ISi (Dex Benegal. India. 2002) .-\yesha Dharker. Rahul Bose. l.aila Rouass. 100mm. Set in modern day Bombay. Split Wide Open pits those locals who haye embraced the modern world
mobile phones. liash cars s against the impoverished street urchins. Part of liiiagineASlA. (ll-T. (ilasgoyy.
Spy Kids 2 (1') 00. (Roberto Rodrigucl. [S 2002) Mesa \"ega. Daryl Sabara. Roberto Rodriguez. (’arla (iugiiio. Min tbc. Taller and considerably more tenacious. (‘armeii and Juni (‘orte/ are feeling pretty damn confident alter saying their super spy parents from peril in the first instalment of “but will undoubtedly become a family adyenture series. No“ serying in an all next Spy Kids sub-diyision of the ()SS organisation. the plucky prepubescents are all set for their first solo mission to disco\ er the lost island of Liki l.iki \y here they must locate and destroy a 'l‘ransmookcr dey ice capable of slitittiiig doyy ii all electricin on earth. Although this sequel does not. could not match the originality of Spy- Kids. it's still great fun to uatch. (leneral release.
Stuart Little 2 (ft .0 (Rob
Miiikoff. l'S. 2002i Michael J. Fox. (ieena l)a\is. Hugh Laurie. 77min. The inevitable
iiioney-spinning sequel to the unlikely yarn of
a small. “hite mouse adopted by a middle- class .\'e\\ York family. A neyy play mate for Stuart arriyes in the shape of a small canary.
\y ho falls into the passenger seat of his toy car
as Stuart races through the city streets. Stuart iny'ites his neyy friend back to his house. but an evil falcon is on his tail. It doesn't get an) more tys'ee than this. The \oices yyork \s ell enough and the ('(il animation is good. if not ady‘enturous. The problem is that it's distinctly lacking in humour. for both kids and adults. (ieneral release.
The Sum of All Fears f 13) O.
il’hil Alden Robinson. l'S. 2002i Ben .-\ffieck.
Morgan Freeman. .-\lan Bates. Min the. ln I‘M-1's ('leur and Present Danger. Tom (‘lancy's heroic spook Jack Ryan \yas Promoted to DePtit) Director of the ('l.-\. liight years on. he has ine\plicably been demoted to junior analyst. possibly because he's lost tyyo decades off his age and is no“ embodied by hunky .-\ffleck instead of haggard llarrison l~'ord. But if Ryan has gone backwards. the world has most definitely mm ed on. The setting is the present and a nuclear yyarhead has fallen into the hands of a group of terrorists funded by Bates' neo-.\'a/i industrialist. The Sum u] .l// l’eurs' makers uould like you to belie\e they haye their lingers on today 's geo-political pulse. bill the film‘s eiasioiis (the book's terrorists are .-\rabsi and whom plotting implausibilities are fatal flayy s. (il’lh. (ilasgoyy.
0 Sweet Sixteen f lxi 0000 iis'en l.oacli. FR. 2002) Martin (‘ompston. WilliamRuane. (iary .\lc('ormack. l0(imin. (’heeky \\ est coast Scotland ned Liam ((‘oiiipstoni is ayyaiting his mother's release from prison. l’a's not around. so l,iam. determined to giye his ma a lie“ home and a better life. begins dealing drugs. l.oach's no frills \yorking method sits \\ ell \yith
screen“ riter l’aul l.a\ erty 's straightforuard storytelling. \yliich prioritises character
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36 THE LIST 171—131 Oct 2007
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de\elopment oyer fancy plotting. In his first screen role (ii'ecnock local (‘ompston e\ccls as the tough kid \\ ith a tender heart. and it's his performance \shich lifts the film. iiiibiiiiig it \s ith both \yai'mth and humour and countering the balance betsyecn \iorthy polemic and highly \satchablc drama. (ienei‘al release.
Swimwn l l2:\l .0. iJolin l’olson. l'S. IllilZl Jesse lit'utlltit‘tl. lii’ilstt (Illi'isletisefi. ()0miii. Suim/(n If is part of the email address of ‘bunny boiler‘ and new girl in lil\\ll. Madison t('liristenseni. \\ ho has found ncyy lii-tech nay s to stalk the obiect of her desire. high school sis imniing champ. Ben iBradfordi. With a handy set of closet skeletons to serye. and a bland girlfriend he loy cs. Ben beds tor. rather. poolsi the pretty. cello-playing Madison. and definitely gets more than he bargained for. It is Iiaiidsoiiiely mounted. shot as it is in a high-contrast. colour-muted style. but the film fails to liye up to early promise. as it stumbles to its rather routine and someysliat predictable conclusion. l‘(i(' Renfreyy Street. (ilasgtiyy.
Talk to Her f IN .0000 (Palm .-\liiiodo\ar. Spain. 2002i Ja\ ier ('amara. Dario (irandinetti. Rosario l‘lorcs. Leonor \Vatling. ll2min. Beiiigiio t(‘amarat and Marco i(iraiidincttii are in Ime \\ ith t\\o \somen . . . both of \yhom are hospitalised in comatose states. Beiiigiio became a nurse so that he could care full time for his belmed once aspiring ballerina Alicia i\\'atling i. In the hospital room nest door Marco \ isits l._\dia il'lorcsi. a female bullfighter \slio “as butchered in the i'iiig. (hit of these tragic circumstances a friendship forms bctyseen the tyyo men. Iii/L In Her is mature .'\lilltttlii\;tf'l Spain's most famous filmmaker on top form. describing comple\ characters and complicated emotional states in c\pcrt storytelling fashion. from the gorgeous photography. design and music to the script and remarkable perfiii'manccs. loll In Her is a flayy less film and a treat for cinema loyers. Selected release.
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Tartan Smalls it". t\.lfliitts. t'is'. Jooji. .\lin tbc. Three short films foi children aged (i l3 produced through a neys iiiitiatiye launched by (‘BB(‘ Scotland and Scottish Screen. .\lacRobert. Stirling.
A Taste of Cherry Wt}. 000. l.\l‘l‘.l\ Kiai'ostanii. li‘an. l‘N'i lloiiiayoon lsliradi. 00min. .-\ middle aged Iranian dines around the ugly country roads outside 'lchci'an. try mg to hire an accomplice to bury him after he commits suicide. Director ls'iai'ostann has no interest in plot oi' rounded-out characters. By refusing to i'cyeal \sliat lies behind the man's decision to kill himself. the focus falls instead on the decision-making process and ends \\ illi the contention that it doesn't matter if this particular iiidi\ idtial liyes or dies on. l"ilinliouse. ladinburgh.
The Terminator 1 Ix» .0000 Llaines ('anicron. l'S. l‘lS-li .'\l'llt\ltl Scliuai'xeneggci. Michael Bichn. linda llamilton. l0"min. In 202‘) machines hayc all but contiueied the planet but a sa\ iotii‘ is at hand in the form of a nc\\ human leader. The machines respond by sending Scliysar/encggcrs cyborg back in time to IUSJ on a mission to kill the future leaders mother. lnyeiitiye. e\citingly paced science-fiction adycntui'c \s ith a notable performance from .'\l‘lile in his first \ illainous role. l‘iliiiliotisc. ladinbui'gli.
Thesis (Tesis) : is: 0.0 l.'\le|;tlitlf'il :\menabar. Spain. IWSI \na Torrent. Rafael Mai'tiiie/. liduaido \oricga. 125mm, l‘lf‘\l film from :\mcnab.ir ltlll't'cltll‘ of ()I’lt n luiu l.\('\ and Hi" ()I/lr'I'H. a taut littlc thriller in \shicli a student researching \ iolencc in audiox isual media becomes embroiled in a snuff mm ic ci'iine ring. l‘iliiihousc. l'.diiibiii'g|i.
Time of Favorr 12:00. t_liisc]‘li (‘cdaix lsi‘acl. 2002i .'\ki .v\\ in. .\\l Dayan. lidan .'\|tcrman. |02inin. \mei'ican born. lsi'acl-raiscd \\l'llef'vtlll'eclttf' .losepli (‘edai tries in a small way to redress the ttllll‘SL'lilillc tendencies til the lll‘t‘t'dl [\i‘ess \\ till his lalc til loyc. friendship and fundamentalism. Mcnacliem t.\lsl .\\ llll is a iespcctcd religions officer in the Israeli army \\|iose cai'eei is
life goes
Louréog fer'vzusve we; QUH‘L—b WWI—mm
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