to the lidinburgh l’estiyal to enjoy the film. but I think you’d want to go after seeing this: it certainly captures the drama of the occasion.~ Griffin was also keen to capture the beauty of the city as well as the mayhem of the l~'esti\al. ‘Both myself and cinetnatographer Danny Cohen like shooting on location: but that isn't just shooting on the Royal Mile or on Princes Street. it’s shooting in an expensiy‘c house on Abercroinby Place. a nightclub in lidinburgh or a church that's used as a Venue. It‘s location interiors as well as exteriors. although it‘s more about exteriors than The Book Group. that took place in people‘s sitting rooms. whereas this is about the whole city of Edinburgh.’
It’s true that from the opening scene. where Lyndsey Marshal‘s fresh-faced hopeful Faith gets off the bus into town and begins flyering her one-woman Dorothy \N'ordsworth show to Jim Stitherland's curious (‘eltic-ineets-l.atin score. the beautifully shot backdrop is the only constant. Yet that‘s because (iriffin's Robert Altman-style ensemble cast are all required to fill in the procession of wild and occasionally defunct personalities who pass through a Festival-lit lidinburgh. 'l‘here‘s (ireen ll'ing‘s
THIS IS NO CHEEKY HOUR AND A HALF ADVERT FOR VISITSCOTLAND
Stephen Mangan as frighteningly self-absorbed comedy star Scan Sulliy'an. (‘liye Russell as Faith‘s thespian soulmate yet embittered opposite. Brother Mike. and Amelia Brillmorc (Coronation Street's Steph Barnes. now a playwright and comedy actress) as repressed New Town wife {\"licheline. who falls under the spell of the three gormless ('anadian bohemians renting her flat.
Yet first among equals (at least in tabloid recognition terms) must come Daniela Nardini. whose character Joan (ierard. a sharp-tongucd BBC radio reporter and critic. plays fast and loose on the idea of fidelity with her l'cstiyal fling Tommy ()‘Dwyer. played to home- addled comic tnanchild perfection by lrishman Chris ()‘Dowd. Her trailer is parked just up the street froin the bus I meet (iriffin on. and. intery'iewed with 'I’eoc/rers alumna Raquel ('assidy'. who plays an alcoholic I’A. she seems to be relishing her characters darker side.
(‘assidyt ‘I find it distressing playing l’etra. because she seems like she’s in the wrong life and doesn‘t know how to get otit. If you play tormented characters and they haye an outlet.
then that can be really good fun. but if it's all in. in. in then _\ou‘i'e not in for a nice ride.‘
Nai'dini: ‘\\'e|l. l liaye a lot more fun because l lt;l\ e sc.\ Ilallgllsl.‘
('assidy: ‘Slie has great sey w ill) a beast of an Irishman. .\nd you also get to say "cunt".‘
\ai'dini: ‘Yup.~
Despite her obyious job satisfaction. .\'ai'dini is may much aware of the narcissistic streak lter character shares with \ii‘lually eyel'y other one in l-‘i'yrriirl. ‘.loan is quite an unhappy person because she's frustrated with her relationship. with her rob. and she's not getting on with her producer. She kind of has this fling. and then has a rough time because he goes back to his wife. But then. the rest of the characters hay e a lot of unpleasantness going on too. lake somebody like Sean Sulliy‘an who‘s iiist been absolutely corrupted and his ego‘s gone haywire. It draws parallels with the stories of people like l’ctei‘ Sellers. people who are \ery funny but \i lio slipslide into their ego and become unbearable to |i\e with. litit then there‘s faith. w lio’s a loyely. positi\e character. an earnest young actress who comes tip to the l'iestiyal with her ()IlL"\‘.t)lllllll show. I think
what the fill” illics ls ltutls tlI tllllcl'cttl lL“.cls (if
this business. from somebody like Scan to someone like l‘.lllll \‘ lio‘s uaiye and passionate. And in belwr en the others are dealing with it. dealing with their relationships with eyei'yone else and lllcil different degrees ()lit‘gttd
‘I don‘t think they‘re all entirely unlikeable "l‘here’s something to appreciate in almost eycryone. 'l'hat‘s probably trite in life and certainly true of the film: you do care what happens to .loan arid 'l'oliiiiiy. and faith and Brother Mike. I think you'll eyeii care about Scan and Nicky [Sean Sulliyau's comedy riyal and loyer. as
characters, counters (assidy.
played by l.iicy l’riiichl. who are on the edge of
despicable. but who get so humiliated. 'l’hat‘s where the humour is. and where you identify.‘ It‘s also what makes this an adult comedy in the broadest sense. Not iiist because of the lb’ certificate brought on by Nai‘diui’s sc.\ scenes. a (possibly unintentionally) hilarious scene inyolying .‘langan and a clearly prosthetic cock. and one particularly gruesoinc incident which features take this as metaphorically as you like hand puppets and anal fisting. Brit (iriffin's film beyond a demographic of l'csliyal audiences. performers. critics and bystanders. offering an intelligent tale of faint hope that innocence wins oyer the darkest of human characteristics in the end.
also reaches
Selected release from Fri 15 Jul. See review, page 46.
Paul Dale chooses a clutch of other SUMMER MOVIES that will be worth escaping the heat wave for.
I Fantastic Four After being stuck in development troll for almost a decade. this superhero adaptation final y sees the radioactive light of day this summer. Directed by Tim Story (Taxi. Barbe/shop) and starring loan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis and Jessica Alba. it may not instantly feel like cinema gold, but hell, it could be a masterpiece. Out Fri 22 JL//.
I Dear Wendy Dogme golden couple I ar‘s yon Trier and Thomas Fasten ‘~.’interberg take 0n small town America and the pioneer spirit in this hilarious. deeply odd and stylised satire. .lainie Bell and Bill Pullman star while the sol indti‘ack is composed almost exclusively of songs by the great 60s band the Zombies. Think The Goon/es meets Butch Cass/(1y and the Sundance Kid. Out Fri 5 Aug. I Yes UK filrriniaker and aesthete Sally Orlando Potter makes films so rarely that when she does. it's worth taking notice. especially if rt stars the great Joan Ii ;_;____ Allen. This story of a passionate affair between an Irish American seientist lAllen) and a febanese surgeon (Simon Athenian). in which religious. political and sexual prejudice is confronted. could be this year's Far from “(DINO/i. O! it Fri 5 Aug. I The Island Big budget action adventure sci-ti starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett .lohansson and directed by Michael Armageddon Bay. A kind of Logan's Run for the GM foods generz—rtion. Out Fri 12 Aug.
I The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Based on Ann Brashares' young adult novel. this has got to be the chick flick of the summer. This warm- hearled tale of four friends. magical jeans and a StilttllttE-t‘ apart has already made a killing Statesrde. Out Fri 26 Aug. I Last Days Never a man to rest on his laurels. Gr is Van Sant goes to the heart of grunge mythology with this st iicide watch drama centred on a Seattle-based rrx:k'n'rotler '-
who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kurt Cobain. It stars interesting young actor Michael Pitt (lire til/age). Out Fri 2 Sep. I Goal! llllS football crazy drama from ex-pat filmmaker Danny Cannon may be one for the lads this summer. Poor boy from t A's Barrios makes good on the UK football 3 ~
pitches. Star‘s Alessandro Nivola. Anna Fuel and Sean Pertwee while Beckham, Shearer and Zidanc play tl'ieinselves. Out Fri 30 Sep.
'.l..vli‘THELIST‘7