The Little Soldier (Le Petit Soldat)
( 18) (Jean-Luc (iodard. France. 1960) Michel Subor. Henri-Jacques lluet. Anna Karina. SSiiiin. (iodard’s second liliii. banned on its initial release. deals with Algerian terrorism in (ieneva. There's a romantic plot involv ing Subor and Karina. btit (iodard‘s interest lies in the disparity between romantic heroism and the reality of terrorist actions. (ii-"IQ Glasgow. Looney Tunes - Back in Action (PG) 0. (Joe Dante. (TS. 2003) Brendan Fraser. Jenna Iilfman. Steve .Martin. Timothy Dalton. Heather Locklear. 90min. Btigs Bunny and the gang return for this feature length mixture of live action and animation. Loads of iii-jokes but no genuine laughs beleagtier the tisually reliable Dante's attempts to pay respect to the cartoon heroes and animators of yore. (ieIIeI'al release.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (12A) moo (Peter Jackson. l'S/NZ. 2003) Iilijah Wood. Billy Boyd. Ian McKellen. (‘ate Blanchett. Orlando Bloom. Viggo Mortensen. ('hristopher Lee. 210min. A remarkable end to a remarkable series of films. the journey of I‘rodo. Sam and (iolluni is the piece de resistance of the trilogy. The tension-filled journey forces both (iollutti and Sam to show their true colours as Frodo suffers under the burden of the ring. All around is war as Aragorn lights to reclaim what is rightfully his. Jackson's vision is awesome. The Return of the King is some kind of beautiful. some kind of masterpiece. l'nmissable. (ieneral release.
Lost in Translation ( 15) O... Coppola. l'S/Japan. 2003) Bill Murray. Scarlett Johansson. Akiko Takeshita. Ka/uyoshi Minamimagoe. 105mm. Bill Murray plays it straight as an ageing movie star forced to shoot adv'ertiseiiients in Tokyo because they are so lucrative. This culture clash. lisli out of water. pan-faced pseudo comedy marks Sofia (‘oppola‘s second outing as director. Part love story. part oddball lost weekend drama. lxnt in translation underlines the continuing leftlield talents of Murray and ('oppola and. of course. the precocious Johansson. (ieneral release.
Love Actually ( 15) 000 (Richard ('urtis. (K. 2003) Bill Nighy. (iregor Fisher. Ilugli (irant. ('oliii Firth. Martine Mc('utcheon. l.iam Neeson. Iimma Thompson. 1 10min. (‘urtis sets otit to prove the fairly anodyne point that love is actually all around (is in all its many forms. bill to do this he indulges a huge cast and several different story strands. So we see a new prime minister bachelor ((irant) fall in love with a Number 10 tea girl (Mc(’utcheon). And then there is the story of the broken-hearted writer (Firth) who falls for his Iiastern litiropean cleaner. ()ii top of this liinma 'I‘hoinpson. Alan Rickman. Keira Knightley. Andrew Lincoln. Liam Neeson and Laura l.inney all pop up to play otit their roles as either object of. or giver of. the sweet gift of love. Lightweight and enjoyable. if a little over-impulated. romantic comedy. This is actually fairly impressive considering it is writer ('urtis‘ first time in the director's seal. ()deim Hester Hal/es. Edinburgh.
0Mamma Roma ( IX) 0000 (Pier Paolo Pasolini. Italy. 1962) Anna Magnani. Iillore (iarofolo. Franco (villi. I Illmin. Pasolini's superb second liltii alter the grimy. hoodlum tragedy Aeeatone stars Magiiaiii as a prostitute escaping a cycle of poverty and despair. only to have her past reappear in the shape of a blackiiiailing pimp. The liliii encapsulates a doomed human condition by marrying high art and then- inlluential Italian neo-realism. I-ilmhuuse. Edinburgh.
Man Dancin’ (15).. (Norman Stone. I'K. 2003) Alex Ferns. Tom (ieorgeson. Kenneth ('ranham. James (‘osmo. Jenny I'Dtlltls. (ierald chkowski. 1 13min. lis- (ilasgow hard man Jimmy Kerrigan (l‘erns) is out ofjail after nine years. He says he has renounced violence btit his former crime boss l)oiinie (James (‘osmoi and corrupt detective \'illers ((‘ranhann don‘t believe him. Meanwhile. Jimmy is being press-ganged into appearing in his local church‘s passion play by the benign Father (iabriel Flynn (Tom (ieorgeson) a bi/arre experience that will change Jimmy's life forever. Weird. charmless and cliched drama from the writer of
(Sofia
American ('ousinv. l,'(i(‘ Renfrew Street. (ilasgmv:
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World ( 12A) 0000 (Peter Weir. LS. 2003) Rtissell (’rowe. Patil Bettany.
James D'Arcy. Iidward Woodall. ('hris Larkiii.
138mm. Ship Surgeon Stephen Maturin (Bettany) and Navy (’apt. Ship Surgeon Stephen Maturin (Bettany) and Navy (‘apt Jack Aubrey ((‘rowe) get caught tip in a battle of wits with a French Naval destroyer during the Napoleonic Wars in Weir's first film as director since The 'lrimian Show in 1998. Based on the high seas adventure novels of Patrick ()'Brian. this a rare and stirring treat which boasts great performances and some truly awe inspiring action sequences. l'ue (farmer/y Ilarner Iillaee). Edinburgh.
A Mighty Wind ( 12A) ooo
((‘hristopher (iuest. LS. 2003) Ilarry Shearer. Michael McKean. ('hristopher (itiesl. liugene Levy. Bob Balaban. Marty Belafsky. 91min. When folk group agent Irving Steinbloom dies. his soii Jonathan (Balaban) and the raggle taggle collection of bands his father looked after decide to hold a commemorative night for him at New York Town Ilall. There's Mitch and Mickey (Levy and (’atherine O'Hara). a dysfunctional folked otit Sonny and (‘her. there's The Folksmen ((iuest.
.Mc Kean and Shearer) and the .Main Street Singers (John Michael Higgins. Jane Lynch and Parker l’osey ). a new age folk regiment. When this lot run into each other after all these years there is. of course. chaos. So so documentary spoof from the Spinal 'Iii/i boys. I'ibnhouse. Edinburgh.
The Missing ( l5) 0... (Ron Howard. LS. 2003) Tommy Lee Jones. (‘ate Blanchett. Iivaii Rachel Wood. Jenna Boyd. Aaron lickhart. I30min. Maggie (Blanchett) is a healer and farmer in the American Southwest 1885. Iler two daughters Lilly (Wood) and hot (Boyd) work the famin smallholding under the tutelage of her live-in partner Brake (Aaron lickhart). One day Maggie's estranged father wanders back into her life. having left her mother when she was young to go native with American Indians. At first hostile. Maggie soon realises she needs his Iielp when Lilly is abducted by a murderous group of Apaches. Pretty fine take on the classic Western (noticeably 'I'he Sean-hers) from Ron Howard and undoubtedly the best film he has ever made. (ieneral release.
Mona Lisa Smile ( 12A) 00 (Mike Newell. LS. 2003) Julia Roberts. Kirsten l)unst. Jtilia Stiles. Maggie (iyllenhaal. (iinnifer (ioodwin. Dominic West. 1 17min. In 1950s conservative America. Katherine Watson (Roberts) is a free-spirited graduate teacher from ('alifornia who accepts a teaching post at Wellesley (iirl's ('ollege. The students are torn between the traditional wife bound repression and a longing for intellectual freedom. Dead Poet's Soi'ietv for girls. Yawn. Nice costumes though. (ieneral release. Mondays in the Sun (Los Lunes AI Sol) ( l5) (l-‘ernando Leon I)e Aranda. Spain/ltaly/l‘rance. 2002) Javier Bardem. Luis Tosar. Jose Angel ligido. Nieve dc Medina. linrique \"illen. 1 13min. Very popular in its homeland. .Ilondavs in the Sun follows the misadventures of live recently unemploy cd
he assion of the Christ: worse thanpa video nasty
dockers. all of a similar age (40/50). A sort of cross between Auf Beidersehen l’et.’ And Ken Loach's “when. this film won five awards at the Spanish (ioy'a awards. (il’l. (ilas’gaii‘. Moulin Rouge ( 12) moo (Baz Luhrmann. LS. 2001 ) liwan Mc(iregor. Nicole Kidman. Jim Broadbent. 108mm. Luhrmann's follow-up to Runteu & Julie! is a wildly unrestrained. gloriously camp. lewd as hell musical love story that re-invents the form. from the (iolden Age Hollywood song- and-dance spectaculars tip. Liihrmanii has transformed the eponymous 19th century Parisian dancehall-cuiii-brothel into the rave capital of Iiurope. weaving 20th century pop music hits into the very dialogue of the film so that it becomes almost opera. And spiralling around a fairytale romance between Mc(iregor's idealistic poet and Kidnian‘s dance girl is a barrage of riotous imagery and design. There‘s no iiiiddle-ground with l.iihrmann's film; if you abandon yourself to it it'll leave you intoxicated with pleasure. ()deon. Edinburgh.
Mulholland Drive (15) 0000 (David Lynch. LS. 2001) Naomi Watts. Laura lilena Ilarring. Justin 'I'herous. l-Ibmin. (iiven the troubled production history of Lynch's latest slice of nightmare noir it was originally a pilot for a [S television series which was cancelled it's nothing short of miraculous that .llulhalland Drive shines with the filmmakers idiosyncratic brilliance. Although set in the present day (albeit with retro styling). Lynch draws on his fascination with 40s and 50s Hollywood and its secret history of crime. here involving two actresses. amnesiac Rita (Ilarring) and amateur sleuth Betty (Watts). The proceedings veer into the kind of waking nightmare territory that either litimmoses or delights viewers. as Lynch mixes the bizarre and almost laughable with the moments of electrifying fear. (.‘(i(' Rea/few Street. Glasgow:
My Dream is Yours it) (Michael (‘urii/. LS. 1949) Jack ('arson. Doris Day. lidgar Kennedy. I01min. When a conceited singer refuses to renew his radio contract. his agent
index Film
replaces him with a single mother with a great voice who just happens to be Doris Day. Fun and musical numbers ensue. St Bride '5
( 'entre. Edinburgh.
Mystic River ( 15) 000 ( (‘lint liastwood. LS. 2003) Sean Penn. Tim Robbins. Kevin Bacon. Laurence Fishburrie. l37min. Three boys from a small suburb in Boston see things in their childhood they maybe shouldn't. Years later the past comes back to bite them on the arse. Seamless. slightly worthy. version of Dennis Lehane's bestseller. btit as usual Iiastwood delivers something that is both timeless and issue led. Selected release.
Northfork (PG) 0... (Michael Polish. LS. 2002) Nick Nolte. James Woods. Darryl Hannah. 94min. It is 1955 and it is flooding season on the Montana Plains. The town of Northfork is about to be wiped off the map forever to make way fora dam that will help bring electricity to the area. Walter ()‘Brien (Woods) and his son Willis (Polish) are among the teams of fathers and sons employed to encourage people to leave their properties. But what is it that connects Father Ilarlan (Nolte) with the orphaned sickly boy Irwin (Farnes) and a group of bizarre eccentrics who live in a commune deep in the valley. Bizarre. surreal ITS independent. stunning to look at. impossible to decipher. (iE’l: Glasgow; I'tlmltaus'e. Edinburgh.
One Last Chance ()5) 00 (Stewart Svaasand. 1K. 2004) Jamie Sives. Kevin McKidd. Iain Robertson. Neve McIntosh. l)ougray Scott. 96min. Fitz and Nellie two unemployed no marks (Sives and Robertson) hang around the pub where their best friend Seany (Kevin McKidd) is a barman. Fitz is desperate to secure a place in a nursing home for his father.and to do this he must bribe the proprietor with £1,000. To get this money Fitz. has to submerge himself and his friends into a crazy caper involving found gold and the local curling club. Iixecrable Highland-set comedy thriller. (ieneral release.
0 Open Range (12A) 0000 (Kevin (’ostncr. LS. 2004) Kevin Costner. Robert l)uvall. Michael (iamhon. 139min. See review. (ieneral release.
The Other Final (PG) 0000 (Johan Kramer. Netherlands. 2002) 78min. Football fanatic and agency director Johan Kramer brought together the world's lowest ranking national football teams Bhutan and Montserrat to let them battle it out in an alternate World ('up filial. They call football the beautiful game. This wonderful. heart- warming little film. all about the playing not the winning. will make you believe that. Ei'lnihous'e. Edinburgh.
0 Pasolini Shorts ( l5) (Pier Paolo Pasolini. 1taly/France. 1966 1970) \'ariotts.'1'he master Italian neo-realist also tried his hand at shorts Packaged here: ‘The Iiarth Seen from the Moon'. ‘What are the (‘loiids‘.". "I'he Sequence of Paper Flower‘ and ‘The Walls of Sana'a'. l’ilnihouse. Edinburgh. The Passion of the Christ ( 18)
O (Mel (iibson. LS. 2004) James (‘aviezeL Monica Bellucci. Maia Morgenstern. l2oniin. See feature and review. General release.
18 Mar -1 Apr 2004 THE LIST 39