Film index
0 Floating Life ( l5) ((‘lara Law. Auxtralia. l‘Nb) Annette Shun Wah. Annie Yip. Anthony Wong. Iidwin I’ang. 95min. ('lara law'x laxcinating take on ()Iu‘x 'l‘okyo Story replacex I-‘ruit ('hang'x little ('lieang at thix year'x ()yerxeax (’hinexe I-‘ilm liextiyal. When an aging Ilong Kong couple mm c to Auxtralia with their two youngext xonx. they xtay with a financially xuccexxful daughter. Meanwhile their eldext daughter Iiyex in (iermany and their eldext ,xon remainx in Ilong Kong. The film explorex the different way x the family memberx cope with ixolation and alienation. Part of Iilectric Shadowx. (ilaxgow ’x 2nd ()yerxeax (‘hinexe l-"ilm I’extiyal. See preyiew page 22. ('(i(‘ Ren/reir Street. Glasgow.
Flower and Garnet ( )5) (Keith Behrman. (‘anada. 2002) (‘allum Keith Rennie. Jane Mc(iregor. Alixha I’eney'. ('olin Robertx. 103mm. Keith Behrman'x debut llllll ix a portrait of lonelinexx and ixolation. (iarnet endurex an emotionally painful childhood. and after hix mother diex while giy ing him birth. he and xixter l-‘low er are raixed by their Violent and rexentful father. whoxe conxtant neglect and lack of underxtanding yirlually eliminatex any
chalice of emotionally .xtable adolexcence for
them. Part of North of Holly wood. New ('anadian ('inema xeaxon. I'i/In/ioaye. Iz'rlin/iarg/i.
Freaky Friday (PG) 0. (Mark S Waterx. IS. 2003) Jamie l.ee ('urtix. I.indxay l.ohan. Mark Ilarmon. llarold (iould. ('had Michael Murray. ()7min. ('ontrol freak mum l)r 'I‘exx ('oleman ((‘urtix) and her IS-year-old daughter Anna (I.ohan) are not getting along. They doth xee ey e-to-ey e on clothex. hair. inuxic. and certainly not in each other‘x taxte in men. Then an old ('hinexe lady cauxex a little
my xtic mayhem. and they are both forced to xpend a couple of day x in each othcrx' bodicx. So xo \erxion ol' the much loy‘ed .Iotlle I'ithter I)ixncy \ehicle from I970. Mildly diyerting. and ax tixual ('urtix giyex it her all. General I‘e/eaye.
Gangs of New York ( IS) 000 (Martin Scorxexc. IS. 2002) l.eonardo I)i('aprio. (’ameron l)ia/. Daniel I)ay - I.c\\ix. IOSIHIII. 'l‘hink (;()()(/’t'//(l\ meetx "lilana. But ey en a poor film by Scorxexe' xtandardx ix an interexting one by anyone el\e\. And ii for no other reaxon. (fillies ix worth xccing for Day -l.ew ix. towering performance ax the terrifying. charixmatic anti-innnigration gang leader Bill the Butcher. (‘(i(‘ ReIt/I'en .Sll't'el. (I/ayg’mr. Gaz Bar Blues t 15) (I.ottix Belanger. (‘anada. 2003) Serge 'I‘hierault. Sebaxticn l)elorme. Maxime I)umotier. Danny (iilmorc. llfimin. Mr Brochu. endearineg called "l‘he Boxx' by friendx. hax run a gax xtation for o\ er 15 yearx and hax tnaintained an admirable ley‘el of happinexx. ey en in the face of xuch cyentx ax the death of hix wife. multiple theftx. hold-upx. the oner of I’arkinxon'x dixeaxe and the fact that hix xonx detext the buxinexx. l.ight hearted character xttltly. Part of North ol IIoIIyWootI. .\'ew ('anadian ('inema xeaxon. I-‘i/mlioaxe. Iii/in/nufie/i.
T
Thurs 22nd Jan Seabiscuit (PG)
CUPPA at 70:30 for 77am, <2 at 7:30pm Mon 261/) Ian
Marion Bridge (18) 7:30pm '0 8 A .‘m’i: [NM {or after the wee/mt; Thurs 29th Jan Apprenticeship Of Duddy
Kravitz (PG) 7 30pm Wed 4 in Feb Laurel Canyon (18) 7.30pm
Tickets and further information from The Steeple Box office
(Tel: 01324 506850)
or on the day from the hall
30 THE LIST 7‘? .Ja"
Girl with a Pearl Earring (12A)
.0 t I’eter Webber. l'K/l .u.\embourg. 2003) Scarlett Johanxxon. ('olin I‘irth. 'I‘om Wilkinxon. Judy l’arlitt. (‘illian Murphy. 95min. Adapted from the book by Tracy ('hey'alier. Webbcr'x xumptuouxly upholxtered lilm dealx with the xtory behind the creation of Vermeer'x famou\ painting. Marred by mixcaxting and an oyerly literal approach to the cinematography. thix ix a major dixappointment: a laxcinating xtory hax been rendered into a dull. xyrup-thick tale of on e and peaxantt‘y. (ienera/ release. GThe Goddess of 1967 (PG) ((‘lara Law. Anxtralia. 2000) Roxe Byrne. Rikiya Kurokaw a. l I‘lmin. A young Japanexe man tray elx to Atixtralia to purchaxe a famoux car dexigned in the 50x. Ile arriy ex lo lind the car'x owner and wife lying dead in their home. while a l7-year-old girl w elcomex him in and offerx xomething to eat. After xeeing the car. the man and girl xct off on a the day excurxion through outback Auxtralia that alxo takex them on a journey into the girl'x early childhood and her family 'x chronicle. Part of lilectric Shadow x, (ilaxgoyy \ 2nd ()\ erxcax ('hinexe I-‘ilm I‘Iextthl. See prey iew page 22. (i/‘HI. (i/ayeou;
Good Boy! (1') .0. (John Robert Hoffman. IS. 2003) Molly Shannon. Liam Aiken. Keyin .\'ealon. Brittany Moldowan. 87min. l.ikeable talking animalx comedy that ix xuitable for all agex. ()(lt'llll ll'eyler Hailey. [film/Hugh. I'filI'n/nu‘e/i. OGoodbye Dragon Inn (t') ('t‘xai Ming l.iang. Taiwan. 2003) Li Kang Sheng. Miao 'l‘an. 82min. l.o\ e cinemax'.’ Loy c lilmx‘.’ 'l‘hen thix lilm ix for you. ll tellx the xtory of the laxt xcreening of an old moy ie before the trim ic theatre L‘onex itx doorx. the rum ie playing ix an old kung fu flick called Dragon Inn. In the auditorium. a young man encounterx a handful of xtrangc people. Ile triex to connect with the xattle people while the tnoy ie ix being xhown. then realixex that there ix a certain connection between the people xitting in the rowx of the theatre and the actorx on the xcreen. Magical and yery different. Part of lilectric Shadow x. (ilaxgow ‘x 2nd ()y erxcax ('hinexe I'ilni I‘cxtiy'al. Sec prey iew page 22. (iIV'I. (ilaxgun‘.
GThe Human Stain ( IS’) 0000 (Robert Benton. l'S/(iermany /l-'rancc. 2003) Anthony Ilopkinx. .\'icole Kidinan. lid llarrix. (iary Sinixe. I(l()tlllll. See reyiew page 23. (ienera/ I‘e/eaye.
0| Know Where I’m Going! it) (Michael l’ow ell tk' limeric I’rcxxburger. l‘K. I045) Wendy llillcr. Roger I.i\exey. l‘inlay ('urrie. Pamela Brown. Nancy Price. 91min. Beautifully xliot in black and white. thix ix an intriguing comedy romance with dark undertonex. in which the young. confident .\I\ lliller \et\ ottt to marry her rich. elderly fiance in the llebridex. but fallx inxtead for |.i\exey 'x xexy young nayal officer. 'I‘he
\ ixual xymbolx. all drawn from the ixlandx‘ natural landxcapc. underline the xtory ‘x deeper rexonancex. Part of 5/50 xcreeningx of the of the 50 bext Scottiin lilmx c\ er made. I'ilin/iuaye. Iii/in/mrg/i. (il‘l. (i/(lygmi.
In America ( 13A.) 000. (Jim Sheridan. Ireland/I‘K. 2002) Samantha Morton. I’addy (‘onxidine. Sarah Bolger.
Sharon Stone nd Denis Quaid find they have property ladder problems in Cold Creek Manor
Iimma Bolger. l)jimon llounxou. l05min. Reeling from the death of a child. man and wife Irixh emigrex Johnny ((‘onxidinei and Sarah (Morton) hit modern day Manhattan with their young feixty daughterx in tow (’hrixty and Ariel. 'I'hey hay e juxt about enough money to hole tip in a crumbling junkie infcxted block in the city'x IIcll'x Kitchen area. A deccpliyely ximple tale of grief. redemption. accliinati/ation and friendxhip ax Johnny. a jobbing actor and taxi driy'er \tt'ttgglex to keep hix Ill'titKI.\ aboy e the breadline. Moy ing drama from the director and writer of In The Name a) the lathe): ()tll’llll. Iftli/i/mre/i. Oln the Mood for Love (Po) .0... (Wong Kar-wai. Ilong Kong. 2000) Maggie ('heung. long l.eung. 97min. In Kar—wai'x film. xet in ()le Ilong Kong. an adulteroux romance ix happening elxewhere between the huxband of xecretary (‘heung and the wife of l.eung'x journalixt. Kar-wai'x interext liex with the cuckolded. and the way that xomething ey en more intenxe. perxonal and fortuitoux dey clopx out of their xhared ‘adulteree' xtatux. With .\'at King ('ole on the xoundtrack. regular (’hrix I)oy le behind the camera and beguiling wardrobe dexign. Kar-w'ai offerx a xcductiye xurface texture that'x undercut by the director'x trademark emphaxix of the accidental o\ er the clearly intentional. Subtly xtunning lilmmaking. Part of Iilectric Shadow x. (ilaxgow 'x 2nd ()y erxeax ('hinexe I-‘ilm I‘extiyal. See prey iew page 22. (WA. (Hawaii. The Island ( l2A) (Kaxarayalli . India. 2002) l32min. Monxoon xcttxon ix aboitl to xtrike the South Indian town of Kannada. and the (ioyernment‘x decixion to conxtruct large damx throughout ('entral India encomjxixxex one of the moxi important xocial ixxuex for the country in modern timex. Ax the flood leyel rixex and the dam in Kannada ix conxtructed. many local littl'ttiet's and their familiex are forced out ol' their homex and neighbourlioodx. left with only a mediocre compenxation for their land. One local priext. how eyer. i‘el'uxex to give tip hix ixland home no matter how high the water rixex. (iI'I'II (i/areow; Kal Ho Na Ho (tbc) (.\'ikhil Adyani. India. 2003) Shah Rukh Khan. Saif Ali Khan. l’reity Xiiitzi. Jay a Bhaduri.'I'hrce friendx. one of whom ix a xtockbroker in Manhattan. go through a xeriex of incidentx that change their liy'ex completely. Romantic drama from India xtarring the eminently watchable Khan. l'l/Iil/IUHH'. Iz'ilinlmrgli. Kanadiana ( IS) (Jon t-Linarxxon (iuxtafxxon. ('anada. 200) ) Thom Schioler. Mr Ryder. I)aniel (irea\ ex. (‘hrixtie Wilkex. 85min. An award-w inning film at 'loronto‘x I’lanet Indie I‘ext in 2002. ly’anailiana chroniclex the exploitx of an ex-con and hix brother ax they head north from Winnipeg with xtolen diamondx. 'I‘he getaway planx turn xour when they are forced to xtaxh the
jewelx in a pick-up at a gax xtation and their
quext lurchex into a frantic xearch of ('anada'x fro/en plainx for a girl and a truck. Film/muse Ifrlin/mreli.
Khakee Plan ( l2A) (Rajkuinar Santoxhi. India. 2001) Amitabh Bachchan. Akxhay Kuniar. Aixhw ary a Rai. Ajay I)e\ gan tbcmin l)('I’ Anant Shriyaxtay (Bachchan) and hix team hay e been axxigned to excort a dangei'oux terrorixt and double agent from
(’handigarh to Mumbai. There ix going to be a whole heap of trouble along the way. Iixciting Indian actioner. far xuperior to S'll‘it "‘1' but that would not be difficult now would it'.’ (,'('I. Edinburgh.
King Kong (PG) .000. (Merian (‘ (‘oopcr. l'S. ION) Robert Armxtrong. I‘ay Wray'. I00min. A film producer on xafari bringx back a xouy'enir monxter which terrorixex New York in one of the all time great monxter moy'icx. Amazingly. the xpecial effectx xtill imprexx. but the film achiey'ex claxxic .xtatux by xucccxxfully tranxpoxing the xtory of beauty and the beaxt into a Hollywood blockbuxter moy'ie. (il’il (i/aygmr.
Kitchen Stories (P0) 0000 (Bent Ilamer. Norway. 2003) Joachim ('almey cr. 'I‘omax .\'orxtrom. Bjorn I-‘loberg. Reine Brynolfxxon. Sy'erre Anker ()uxdal. 95min. A team of Swedixh xcientixtx ix dixpatched to rural Norway in the early I950x in order to carry out a rexearch project into the kitchen routinex of confirmed bachelorx. Beautifully obxeryed. wry comedy drama that layx open many of the l()5()x' xcientilic rexearch mythx with an axxured xenxe of detail and deadpan humour. Alxo the photography ix outxtanding. (,'(;('. lz‘ilinlmrgli.
The Last Samurai ( IS) 0..
(Iidward 7.wick. ISA. 2003) Ken Watanabe. 'l'om ('ruixe. William Athenon. (’had l.indberg. Ray (iodxhall Sr. l5‘lmin. llugely oyerw eight ritcx of paxxage epic which hax clearly been cobbled together ax a yehicle for the ('ruixeter. (ieneral release.
Laurel Canyon ( )8) 0000 (Lixa (‘holodenktn IX. 2003) I‘rancex ‘5 McI)ormand. (‘hrixtian Bale. Kate Beckinxale. .\'ata.xcha Mclilhone. Alexxandro .\'iyola. l0-tmin. I'rancex Mcl)ormand giy'ex one of her bext jx'rformancex in yearx ax the xeducer. y'eteran record producer lane. a xe.\ual frec xpirit whoxe current. main xquee/e ix a much younger Britixh rock xingcr. lirotic xparkx “y when her puritanical pxychiatrixt xon. Sam (Bale). and hix equally uptight liattcec. Alex (Beckinxalc) are forced to xharc Jane'x houxe in the Hollywood llillx. Laid—back. mature and xexy entertainment. (ii-"l: (ilaxgmr.
Life is Cheap . . . ( )8) 0000
(Wayne Wang. IS. 1990) Spenxer Nakaxako. Victor Wong. ('ora Miao. ('heng Kw an. 88 minx. 'I'he xuppoxedly ximple deliy'ery of a xuitcaxe to Ilong Kong becoinex more complicated when the Triad boxx it wax intended for refuxex to accept it. Wang'x portrait ix of a city that becoinex increaxingly nightmariin and xurreal the more our innocent hero ix xucked into it. A lewd. rude and xcatalogical antidote to the tray elogue genre. Part of lilectric Shadow x. (ilttxgoyy \ 2nd ()yerxeax (’hinexe I'AiIlli l‘extiyal. See prey iew page 22. (il’ll (i/ayeun:
The Little Polar Bear (t') 000
('I‘hilo Rothkirch and I’iet de Ry'cker. (iermany. 2003) 78min. l.arx ix a xweet little polar bear who w antx to be fricndx with ey'eryone. including Robbie the xeal. After cony incing the other bearx to xtop eating xealx and feed on tixh inxtead. he ix faced with a dilemma when the lixh run out and the xealx are about to becotne lunch again. Ilaxcd on the xtoryhook'x by Ilttnx De Beet. the arctic xetting of thix animated film createx a ximilar magical atmoxphere to that of The Snowman. A cute and xluxhy xtory for young children. proyiding a few light- hearted laughx. (’( 'I (Yule/tank: ('( 'I Ifi/iiilmrg/i.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King I I2:\) m” (I’eter Jackxon. l'S/NZ. 2003) lilijah Wood. Billy Boyd. Ian McKellen. ('ate Blanchett. Orlando Bloom. Viggo Mortenxen. (‘hrixtopher l.ee. 210mm. A remarkable end to a remarkable xeriex of lilmx. the journey of l-‘rodo. Sam and (iollunt ix the piece de rexixtance of the trilogy. 'I'he tenxion-lilled journey forcex both (iolluni and Sam to xhow their true colourx ax I'it’otlo xtil‘I-erx under the burden of the ring. All around ix war ax Aragorn lightx to reclaim what ix rightfully hix. Jackxon'x \ ixion ix aw exome. 'I’lie Rt’llll'lt nil/1e Kine ix xome kind of beautiful. xome kind of maxterpiece. l'ninixxable. (ienera/ re/eau'.