Film
Clifford’s Really Big Movie 1 t ')
0. (Robert (‘ Ratiiit'el. 1S. 2004) \Ulc‘c‘s of .lolttt Rlllct'. \Vay tic Brady. (it‘v‘)
l)c| .isle. Jenna lilfman. Umm. (‘liffoi'd is an cnoi'iiioiis big red dog; who's well known to under-lives everywhere tltrough the television show s. Here he embarks on at) adventure tltat even the smallest child w ill find blttnt and obv ioiis. Low grade kiddie cartoon big screen adaptation. featuring second rate voice artists. \iu' lat/iit/tttrglt ()t i'itii. l'.i/llll’lll'L’/l.
DEBSt l5) (Angela Robinson. l’S. 200-1) Sara l-ostct‘. .loi'dana Brew ster. Jill Ritchie. Meagan (iood. ‘)2mm. .\ scvy. powerful. energetic liliii charting four attractive female recruits who are attending l)liBS. a strict boot camp w hich aims to prepare the ladies for their lives as spies. 'l'y pically. there is the brainless. pretty girl; the ferocious. competitive girl; the wannabe actress and the sexy girl who is. inevitably. French. Part of London Lesbian and (lay Film Festival on tour. See picture caption. page ()0. (i/ttvgmi I't/m [Iv/It’llll't’. (i/tlsr’mi.
Deep Blue (H i) 0.. (Andy Byatt ck Alastair l‘othcrgill. l’K/(ieriiiany. 2003) 00min. Alastair l’othergill. the former head of BB( ' 'l‘elev ision‘s Natural History l'iiit. presents /)('('/’ li/llt'. a kind of big screen \\;l_\ [U t‘cpt'cscttl lltc ltcsl ltlls 0f [flue l’ltlltt‘l. Put together vs ith Iialf ati eye on worldwide coiiunercial prospects this play s far more on the emotional response to these ama/itig images of aquatic life. Michael (iambon's narration is w iser kept to a minimum as uninterrupted. While the intimacy of tlte photography and editing t'ctidei's each encounter almost personal. cv en the tiiost estreiiie feels accessible. making for an emotional and absorbing film. (ieot'ge licnton and the Berlin l’liilhariiionic's score turns this into a kinetic. evhilai'ating and genuinely unmissable espericnce bill at the end of the day this is iust non-linear bits of blown up television footage. filtered through tltc imagination of at) [MAX viewer. (i/(i'vg'ttti I‘l/Hl iii/It (Ill't. (II/(l\'\’(lll.
* The Descenti Is) O... (Neil Marshall. l'K. 2W5) \(vt’a .lilllC \(itittL‘. .'\lc\ Reid. Shauna Macdonald. ‘me. See review. page it). (ii'tit'ni/ l't'lt'tlH’.
Dig! t 15) O... t()ndi ‘l'iiiionct‘. LS. 2004) ll0mm. ()vei'loiig but interesting doctiiiientary about the rise of the rock band and the lall of their best friends the Brian .lt)llt‘\lo\v It \lttssact‘t‘. ()Ilc 0i lllL‘ lundatiiciital rt)cktiiiicntat'ics of the last few _\C.ll'\. Xt’lt't It (I lift the.
Duma I l ‘) .0. t(’at't‘ol| Ballard. LS. 2005 ) :\le\ Michaeletos. (‘ampbell Scott. Mary Makhatho. 100mm. Lassie recast as a South :\li‘icati chcctah speeding across the vcldt in this decciil. occasionally thrilling family liliii. ()(lt'llll .lI I'lit' Qtuiv. (i/ttsgmi. (IfllVJUiI .‘ \llt lat/i/i/mi'g/i. I'ft/iit/turg/i.
Evil t l5) 0.. (Mikael llalsti‘om. Sweden. 200‘) Andreas \Vilsoii. llcnrtk l.undstroiii. (iustal Skai‘sgai‘d. llJmm. Sent to Stiai'iisberg boarding school for boys fot' his constant schoolyard bi'aw ling. itivenile delinquent lirik t\\ ilsoii) is v icttmised by the older boy s w hilc the teachers turn a blind eye. Not wanting to disappoint his beloved mother vv ith yet another cspiilsion. lzt‘tk (who's also .i v ictim of art abusive step- lathci') refuses to resort to v tolcncc. and instead undertakes a caiiipaigti of ctv i| disobedience. llalsti‘oiii's adaptation of Jan (itltllotl‘s Ito\cl loctlscs ()It the theme of abuse begctting abuse and tltc breaking of cycles ol \ iolencc. Handsome. thought- provokmg drama. ('(i( ‘ [\it'Il/l't'll Street. (i/(tvuuii. (I/(lvg'ttti.
* Festival I IS) 0... (Annie (iriflin. l‘ls. 200*) Daniela \at'dim. Stephen Mangan. x\tiiclia Btiliiioi'c. Billy (‘ai'teiz Lyndsey Marshal lllamm. See leature. page l~l .tlltl t'cv tL‘vv. page 43. .St'lt't It't/ I'i'lt'ilvt'. Five Children and It (ti 0..
t_l()lttt Stephenson. LR. 2004) Kenneth Branagh. /.oc \\.inatiiakci'. l'rcddie
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on page 15
521118 LIST . ' .'
llightnore. Jessica (‘laridge. liddie luard (voice). 89min. ('harining adaptation of ii Nesbit's classic children's book. set during WWI when a bunch of city kids are bundled off to sta)‘ with their l‘iicle Albert (Branagh). Soon they discover a mysterious creature living in a sandy alcove nearby. Like Harry Potter with a heart. ('('I ('lvtlt'lmitk. ('lvtlt'lmnk: ('(‘l lz’tlt'iilitirg/t. l'ftliIt/nu'g/i.
The Goonies (PG) 00 (Richard Donner. l'S. l985) Sean Astin. Josh Brolin. Jeff (‘oheir 1 12min. Rather dire teenllick. in which seven kids go in search of buried treasure and are followed hotly by vicious villains vying for the loot. .-\ joyride which is slow to start and doesn't ever depart from well cliai'ted highways. (ilusguu' I'i/nt Thl’tlll't’. (ilrtsgmv‘.
Guerrilla - The Taking of Patty Hearst ( 12A) 0000 (Robert Stone. Its. 2004) 108mm. Great revisionist documentary which looks at the rise and fall of the Symbionese Liberation Army as highlighted by the kidnapping of a certain little inillionairess. (i/usgmi- I-‘i'lni 'I‘Iieutre. Glasgow:
* Heimat 3: A Chronicle of Endings and Beginnings IS)
0... (lidgar Reitz. (icrmany. 200-1) llenry Arnold. Salome Kammer. Jorg Altmeyer. Michael Kausch. Matthias Kniesbeck. (‘hristian Leonard. (380mm. See review. page 48. Him/muse. Edinburgh. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (PG) 0.. ((iarth Jennings. l'S/l‘K. 2005) Martin Freeman. Mos Def. Sam Rockwell. '/.ooey Deschanel. Bill \ighy. I 10min. First time feature director Jennings has moulded Adam‘s screenplay (written shortly before his premature death in 2001 ) into an incredibly good looking liltn. Arthur Dent (Freeman) escapes liatth's demolition with his alien friend l-‘ord Prefect (Def) by hitching a ride with the \‘ogons. only to be rescued by joyriding (ialactic President Xaphod Beeblebrox (Rockwell) oii dream ship the Heart of (iold. 'l‘hey head for mythical planet Magratltea. Minor iiiggles aside (mostly about cluiracterisations and new characters) don‘t detract from the fact that this film is well woith the wait. ('timm. l'fi/ttilittrglt.
House of Wax t IS) 000 (Jaimie (‘ollet-Sera. LS. 2005) lilisha (‘uthberL (‘had Michael Murray. Brian van llolt. Paris Hilton. 1 12min. A slasher movie remake of Andre l)e 'I‘oth‘s 1953 classic in nothing btit name. its setise of knowing fun places it a notch above its peers. Bickering siblings (‘arly t('uthbert) and Nick (Murray) leading a group of friends (including Hilton) on a road trip. ('ar trouble is a given and the
I iub
teens wind tip at the House of \Vav. a creepy museum filled with sculptures just a shade too life-like for comfort. Slum um" ('i/it'imt. l’tlf\/('\. “(iv/H." ('(Kilv’t'II/I‘t'n .SlI't't'L Glasgow. Glasgow.
ITVSO: Armchair Theatre (Pt 3) (led ls'otchel‘f/l’hilip Sav ille. l‘ls'. I‘)(i0/l‘)(v2) Billie \Vliitclaw. l’cter .‘vlclinery. l’etei' \Vy'itgarde. l l5inin. 'l‘wo evamples of the seriously hard hitting theatrical dramas l'l'\' tlsctl It) produce tn the “)0le l.('ll(!. U .1“ I.<'It(l and ’l‘lit' Night ('uiivpirtttnrv. Part of ['I’V50 Season. l'l/Ill/IUHH’. l-ftliit/ittrg/i. ITVSO: New Programming for Children tl‘) (\ill'ltuls. l'K) l00min. lixtracts and complete show s demonstrating the quality of l'l‘Vs children’s programming over lllL' years. Part of llVSll Season. See picture caption. l'i/Hl/IUUM’. lz‘tltitliiu'gli. ITV50: Spectacular Entertainment Shows (l') (Various. L'K) l00min. (‘lips front great early ITV variety and entertainment shows. includes The 'limv Bennett Show and Sum/(iv Night (I! the l’ll/ltlt/llllll. Part of l'l’\‘50 Season. Film/muse. Iz't/iitlrtu'glt.
ITVSO: Surreal Comedy (t’( i) (Various. l'K) l00min. A collection of weird and wonderful shows from l'l‘\'s vaults. includes work from the (iooiis and (tint/ill ('umcm. Pint of l'l'\'50 Season. It‘t'lni/inust'. Edinburgh.
In Good Companyil’G) 0.. (Paul \Vc‘lll. [-5. 200-1)'l‘opherUrace. l);ttillls Qtiaid. Scarlett Johaiisson. l0‘)min. Misjudged anti-corporate comedy about a young gun troubleshooter ((ii'ace) who gets brought into a company to get rid of an old timer boss (Quaid). That is. until the young Elvin falls for the boss' daughter
(Johaiiiisseii I. This is. how ever. a pleasingly old-fashioned romp. reminiscent of the cinema of ( ‘apra and Sturges. ()(lt’tlll. litli'iiltiirglt.
In my Father’s Den I l5) 0..
(Brad .\lc(iann. New [caland/I'K. 2004) Matthew .‘vlacl‘ayden. ('olin Moy. limin Barclay. Miranda Otto, l23miii. .-\ disillusioned war photographer returns home to rural New /.ea|and for his father's funeral atid unwittingly opens a can of worms. Impressive. slow building drama leatui'mg killer perfoi'iiianccs from Macl‘adyen and Barclay. ('(K ‘ Rt'lt/I‘t'u .Sll't'l'l. (i/(Ivgim, (i/iivgmi .' l’l/Ill/IUHH'. Ift/iitltitrg/i.
The Indian in the Cupboard ll’(i) .0. tl-i'ank ()/. l’S. NOS) llal Scai‘dino. l.itefoot. David Keith. ‘ltvmm. for his birthday. young (him is given a magic cupboard that brings to fleslt-and--bone life his plastic toy s. principally Native :\iiiei‘ican Little Bear. liscellent sl‘s bring lyiine Reid Banks' novel to life. btit aside from that. it
One of the very best films at this year’s touring lesbian and gay film festival. This is a gentle and charming Spanish movie about a successful young gay man who is forced to look after his
doesn‘t really develop. apart froin some trite moral lessons about showing respect for the lives of others. (iliisgmr I'll/II 'I’Itt'utn'. (Hawaii.
The Joke (Zert) l IBA) O... l(‘/cchoslovakta. Jurotttil Jires. lWiS) Josef Sommcr. Jana l)itclova. 80min. .\’icely realised film version of Milan Kundera's debut novel about a man who gets into trouble with the ('otiimunist authorities after he writes a silly joke on a postcard and sends it to a friend. Part of the Jaromil Jires seasoii. See picture caption. Film/muse. lit/ili/itu'glt.
Kung Fu Hustle ( IS) 0000 (Stephen (‘how. (‘hina. 2004) Stephen ('hovv. Wah Yuen. Qlll Yucit. Kwok Kuen (‘ltatr 05min. Mixing kung fu acrobatics with slapstick comedy. song and dance set-pieces and carttmn-styled violence. Kung I-‘u Hustle comes on like a crazy concoction of Jackie Chan. Buster Keaton. Fred'n'Ginger and Tom and Jerry. Writer/director/star Stephen ('how Y also pays homage to his own liastern cultural heroes. (iv/tent] release. Look at Me (Comme une Image) (12A) 0... (Agnes Jaoui. l‘rance. 2004) Marilou Berry. Agnes Jaotii. Jean-Pierre Bacri. l l lmin. Jaoui‘s impressive follow-up to The Jitv'lt' (if ()t/tt'rs (11's (It'll! (ll'.\ (tull't'x). (‘U-yk’l‘lllcn with Jean-Pierre Bacri. is a bittersweet comedy of manners set in the Parisian literary scene. exploring with humour and perception a whole range of themes. not least otir society's obsession with celebrity and body image. asking whether friendship and loyalty can have any real currency in such a shallow and hypocritical culture. Newcomer Berry plays the ironically named Lolita. a shy and overweight 20-year-old music student. who yearns to be noticed by her egotistical writer father litienne (Bacri ). liscelleiitly [wrformed by its ensemble cast. and carefully integrating its classical music score into its story line. LUNA u! .\l(’ flows with deceptive ease towards its emotionally affecting climax. See picture caption. page St). Glasgow I't/m T/tt'tllrt'. (i/(tygmv: Losers and Winners (PU) (Miroslaw l)embinski. Poland. 2003) 52min. Tales from the 2003 llomeless World ('up which took place iii (ii‘aI. .v\ustria. Showing with shorts Illi’U S/mrts It'll/l li’ijvuiit (iunilu'l and ‘Iiiriiiitg I’uiiit. Part of the Homeless World ('up Season. l’i/nt/initst'. Iii/titliitre/t.
A Lot Like Love l l2:\l ea (Nigel (‘o|e. LS. 2005) Amanda l’eet. Ashton ls'utclier. 'l’ai'yn Manning. l00min. Boy shares a mile high experience with girl and then shares a love/hate relationship with her for seven years. Anaemic Kutcher vehicle. (it’llt’l‘tl/ I'('/t'tt\t‘.
junior nephew when his sister flees to India. Only two more screenings before it possibly disappears into the
ether, so check it out now.
I GFF Glasgow (Sun 70 and Mon I I Jll/ only).