gets thrown otit of his rock batid. the other members of which are tired of histeii minute gtiitar solos and his propensity for inappropriate stage-(livery. lti need of some qtiick cash. hetakes a job. assuming the identity of his flatmate Ned (White) and ends up as a stipply teacher at a posh kids" prep school. Knowing next to tiothiiig abotit history or tiiatlis. Dewey ptits his class on permanent recess tiiitil. that is. he overhears them playing classical music. Well. if they can play Rodrigo. they can play Zeppelin and there‘s the Battle of the Bands competition coming tip. Ingenious. smart. sassy comedy that plays to star Black's and director l.inklater‘s strengths. Seleeted release.
Scooby 000 Too: Monsters Unleashed (PG) 0. (Raja (iosnell. l'S. 2004) l‘reddie Prin/c Jr. Sarah Michelle (iellar. Matthew l.illard. Linda (‘ardellini. Seth (ireen. Peter Boyle. 92min. The second live-action liliii spawned by the l970s cartoon series is art amiable enough. if eminently forgettable rotnp. Where the first movie was pitched somewhere betweeti tribute and send-up of the Hanna-Barbera show. the sequel plays things pretty straight. The gags are a mix of pop culture intertextuality atid low-brow silliness: (iellar's Daphne - iii a nod to her Buffy role - shows off her martial arts chops. while Shaggy arid Scooby repeat the first movie's fart jokes. Younger viewers will be amused and grown-ups will fitid the experience relatively painless. See review. page 25. (ienerul release.
Seville Southside (Poligono Sur) (tbc) (Dominique Abel. Spain. 2003) l05min. Dominique Abel presents the truths about flamenco life within the squalid streets of Sevillc's l.as 'l‘rcs Mil Viv ietidas (The Three 'l‘housand Homes) estate. in a rather surreal documentary that reveals the struggles of Seville‘s (iypsy population. forcibly moved itito overcrowded. poverty- stricken conditions. In some cases. such dire coiiditiotis led to surprisingly creative living and a flowering of the (iypsy culture. l"ilIiilioits¢'. Iidinlmreli.
Shaun of the Dead (15) 00. (lidgar Wright. l'K. 2004) Simon Pegg. Nick l-‘rost. Kate Ashlield. Dylan Moran. l.ucy Davis. Bill Nighy 99min The team from the cult TV series Spueed venture iii film with a likeable lolll-rtml-L‘olll that pits a bunch of London slackers against the undead. Pleasingly puerile. See interview- and review; [my ’ 23.
Shrek (l‘) .0... (Andrew Adamson. Vicky Jenson. ['S. 2001 ) Voices of Mike Myers. (‘ameron Dial. liddie Murphy. 90min. Slirek will have Walt Disney turning in his cryogenic free/e tank. This truly
subversive animated film takes pot shots at fairytale mythology. singling out l'ncle “'ttll‘s’ beloved Snow White. ('imlerelltt. l’iiioeeliin. et al. l'nder the guise of a quest to rescue a princess from a dragon undertaken by the eponymous green ogre (which kids will love). Slirek also ruthlessly pillages corporate Disney. satirising its theme parks arid executives. And who‘s behind all this‘.’ Producer Jeffrey Kat/etiberg of Disney rival studio DreamWorks. also formerly head of. yep. Disney. (ii-7. (iltty‘gmi’.
Something’s Gotta Give ( 12A)
0. (Nancy Meyers. l'S. 2003) Jack Nicholson. Diane Keaton. lirances .\lcl)ormand. Keanu Reeves. Amanda Peel. 128mm. ()ld playboy Harry Sanborn likes young woman until he has a heart attack and realises he actually likes woman closer to his age as exemplified by the award- winning playwright arid mother of a previous girlfriend. lirica Barry (Diane Keatoti). Dreadful. smug atid overlong star vehicle that attempts to address the vagaries of ageing love atid ltist by throwing heaps of star power and sugar over the subject. A big disappointment from Nicholson after the excellent About Selimidt. Ster ('enturv. lftlllll’lll'fifll.
0 Son Frere ( IS) .000 (Patrice ('hereau. France. 2003) Bruno 'l‘odcschini. liric (‘aravactL Nathalie Botitefeu. Maurice (iarrel. 95min. Adapted from Philippe Besson's novel. (‘hereau's follow-up to Intimuev refuses to traffic in movie cliches about disease and medicine. whereby courageous patients battle heroically against their conditions. ('utting backwards atid forward in time between wintry Paris and summery Brittany. Sun l-"rere examines in detail the process of thinysomething 'l‘honias' bodily decay as he suffers a fatal blood disorder. And while concentrating on the fraternal relationship. this exceptionally acted drama conveys how illness impacts on the wider emotional lives of sufferer and carer alike. ('unieu. lidinlmrgli.
Song for a Baggy Boy (15)
.0. (Aisling Walsh. lreland / l'K/ Denmark / Spain. 2003) Aidan Quinn. lain (ilen. Dudley Sutton. Marc Warren. ('laus Btie. l00min. Williatn l‘ranklin (Quinn). an Irishman who has recently returned froin the Spanish (‘ivil War. takes a teaching job at a reform school and fitids there a brutal regime every bit as fascistic as Franco's. Subjected to beatings and buggerings by the priests. the boys find in l’ranklin an adult who treats them with compassion. Btit try as he might. there seems little the war veteran-turned-teacher cati do to stop the brutality. Writer- director Walsh's's film checks the
catalogue of brutality with lighter moments. iii the scenes between Quinn and his students. iii a way the unrelentingly harrowing .llugdulene Sisters didn't. But Sung/Ur A Rue‘elv Boy nevertheless hammers home its criticism of religious institutions. particularly iii the violent climax. See review. page 25. Seleeted release
The Son’s Room (La stanza di flglio) ( l5) 0... (Nanni Moretti. Italy. 2002) Nanni Moretti. Laura Morante. (iiuseppe Sanfelice. 99min. A significant creative departure for Italian actor-writer- director Nanni Moretti. the Paltne D'()r- winning The Son is Ronni makes for a fascinating portrayal of how an unexpected death fragments a previously united middle- class family. Moretti depicts the chilling practical details of the funeral arrangements. atid then shows how grief is both externalised arid ititernalised by the bereaved. Aided by understated performances and ati unobtrusive vistial style. this is a film of deceptive simplicity. which engages directly with the spectator's emotions while avoiding tearful reconciliations. lit/ililmifeli I'ilm (iuild. lidinlmrg/r
South from Granada t IS) (l-‘crnando Colombo. Spaiti. 2002) Matthew (ioode. Veronica Saiichel. (iuillcrmo 'l'oledo.
ll lmin.A young linglish writer falls for his idealised vision of a girl and her rural town on the outskirts of (iranada in l’ernando ('olomo‘s filtii adaptation of (ierald Brenan's autobiography. The search for personal liberation in I920s Spain constitiied by economic. religious and social constraints is the theme of this quirky. warm-hearted romance. (ii-"II Glasgow:
Spellbound tt') 0000. (Jeff Blitl. ('8. 2002) 97min. Brilliant documentary about eight children in their bid to w in the I999 Spelling Bee championship. Magical. this stayed in (S cinemas for over 20 months almost unheard of for a documentary. l'(i('. Edinburgh.
Spirited Away (P( i) 00... ( Hayao Miyazaki. Japan. 200l ) Voices: Daveigh (‘hase. Rtitiii lliragi. Sidonie voii Krosigk. Miyu lrino. Jason Marsdcn. l25min. At more than two hours long. any Japanese animation with a children's certificate can only be a hard sell for western audiences. l)espite winning the best animated picture ()scar and getting a heavy push from Disney. Spirited Away didn't get the audience it deserved iii the States. Which is a shame because llayao Miya/aki's film is art animated masterpiece atid truly takes you by surprise. ('hihiro travels througli a ttititiel itito another world. where she
Archival footage of Robert McNamara from his hawkish heyday in The Fog of War
index Film
happens upon a bathhouse for the spirits. After chowing down greedily on some spiked local produce. (’hihiro‘s parents are transformed into pigs. leaving their suddenly dutiful daughter to seek work iii the bathhouse in order to release them. Philosophy. anitne and shamanism this is something really stunning that needs to be seen to be believed. Film/muse. l‘.‘diiiliitigli. Starsky & Hutch ( 15) 0000 (Todd Phillips. l'S. 2004) Owen Wilson. Ben Stiller. Vice Vaughn. l0lmin. (‘omic duo Wilson and Stiller take the leads in this big screen pastiche of the classic l970s American cop show. Wilson' s lackadaisical charms work perfectly as the workshy Htttcli. arid Stiller excels again as ati uptight. but loveable dooftis. and the pair do perform some real buddy movie magic. Snoop Dog plays their snitch. Huggy Bear. and origitials David Sotil and Paul Michael la/er both make cameo appearances. A smattering of corny moments aside. it’s smartly played and skilfully acted. atid for once you don't leave the cinema wishing that your beloved originals had never been resurrected. (ieiieml release.
The Station Agent ( IS) 000
(Tom Mccarthy. ISA. 2003) Peter Dinklage. Bobby ('annavale. Patricia (‘larkson. 88min. Dinklage's l‘inn is a train-obsessed dwarf. who has inherited a disused railway depot in rural New Jersey from art old business partner. He wants to be left in peace to do up the property. walk the tracks and count the trains that still pass through the area. His solitude is disturbed. though. by two other lonely misfits. artist ()livia ((‘larksom and garrulous hot-dog salesman Joe ((‘annavalei It's a sensitively acted. gently amusing and carefully crafted film. which never leaves its in much doubt as to its final destination. Still. it's unafraid to meander along at its own relaxed tempo. and Dinklage provides an impressively understated lead performance. Seleeted I‘l'h'tlfi'l'.
Tadpole ( l5) 0.. (Gary Witiick. l'SA. 2002) 78min. Hit of this year's Sundance Festival. this is a smart and unexpectedly endearing comedy. A tale of misdirected ltist in which ()sear is hopelessly in love with his step-mother (Sigourney Weaver). yet seduced by her best friend (Bebe Neuworth). lidiiilimjeli Film (iuild. lz‘dinlitug/i.
The 39 Steps (PG) om. (Alfred Hitchcock. l'K. 1935) Robert Donal. Madeleine ('arroll. (iodfrey 'l'eale. 81min. l'ndoubtedly the best film version of John Buchan‘s tiovel. as Donat evades a spy ring across the length and breadth of the country. with marvellous set pieces in the London Palladium and the Forth Bridge. Hitchcock at his action-packing peak. Edinburgh I‘ilm (iuild. Ifdinlmreli.
O 21 Grams ( I5) ooooo ( Alejandro (iaonzale/ lnarritu. ISA. 2003) Sean Penn. (‘harlotte (iainsbourg. Benicio Del 'l‘oro. Naomi Watts. l2-1min. A car accident changes the lives of three total strangers: ex-convict-turned-youth worker and family man Jack Jordan (Del 'l'oro). suburban wife and tnother (‘ristina Peck (Watts) and college professor Paul Rivers (best actor ()scar-winner Petiti). who's terminally ill and awaiting ati organ transplant. Following the accident. Jack. ('ristina and Paul are thrown together on a journey towards retribution. Brilliant. coiiiplexly plotted tragic drama from the lilniiiiakers behind :lmm‘es‘ perim. The title refers to the weight we all lose when we die. A major movie. a classic. untiiissable. (it'ltel'tll I'eleuxe.
Theorem ( lb’) (Pier Paulo Pasolini. Italy. 1968) Terence Stamp. Silvana Mangano. Massimo (iirotti. Anne Wia/enisky. 98min. Pasolini‘s twin obsessions. (’hristianity and Marxism. are brought searingly to life iti this intense fable. featuring our 'l‘cl as a mysterious (‘hrist figure. who creates spiritual. sexual and emotional upheavals within a wealthy family when he stays for a short time in their home. linigmatic and powerful. Part of the Pasolini season. (il'"lI (ilusgmv; Film/muse. lidinlmrgli.
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