i Name Sergio Mz'ichado Born S} Seinember 1968. Salvador, Bahia. Brazil Background Machado began v-rorking in cinema in 1993. when he directed the award winning short film from (le Cabecas. He made several video documentaries and in 1.996 started working with director Walter Satles. He was asSistant director and did the casting for Central Station and was a sststant director and co- ‘~.-vr(te( of Behind the Sun. Machado also cowrote the award \‘Vlnflltlg film l‘viéldt‘lliit? 8a a. scriptwrote and co-drrt—zcted TV mini series Shepherds of the Night. In 2001 he directed At the [age of the [fart/i. a documentary on the life and work of filmmaker Mario Peixoto. The film won 1:3 awards at festivals in Brazil and abroad. What’s he up to now? Machado is working on a tottow-up to his interestingly sordid manage a trots erotic drama I. OWOI' City {CS/dado Baixai which he is also Curreptly helping to promote throughout Europe and the States. What he says about his unusual actor coaching methods The way me and Alice (l'lraga. niece of Sonia) t-laritdo (Doria. and Jose tDumonti worked was completely strange. They did not read the screenplay: they did not learn the lines. There was a coach. she prr-zpared some exercises. making them feel the way the characters were feeling. the scenes where Alice was stillering and going through a difficuzt moment. she would lie down on the floor. There was a strong guy in the crew. who was a llljtlSLl tighter Wl'lO would lie on her and not let her move. not even a fii'iget. and after ten minutes she would feel really bad and cried and tried to release herself and when she believed she was feeling the same way the character was leelzng. he woold release her. and we v-iouid start filming the scene With her emohon.‘ Interesting fact Brazilian writer George Armand gave Machado his first break by sending a tape of some of Machado's early work to Walter Satles. I l ower City is currently showrng at Cameo, Edinburgh and will be at GFT. Glasgow from Fri (Sell/ion 9 Jan. See review page 4 l .
46 THE LIST "lam ."
* Innocence t l5) 0... (Lucilc llad/ihalilio\ ic. Bclgium/l’rancc/l'K. 2004) '/.oc :\llc‘ltllt‘. licrangcrc llauhrugcs. Lca Bridarolli. Astrid llommc. lllmin. Six-ycat'- old lrix (.-\uclairt arriycx at a l‘ot'cst-cnc|oscd girl‘s hoarding school iii a collin. Shc hccomcx inlatuatcd with ll-ycat‘-old Bianca tllauht'ugcl w ho disappcarx cach cy citing and rcturnx in thc niorning. 'l‘hc girls spctid most of thcir day s studying hallct and arc cncouragcd hy thc my xtct'ioux tcachct‘x to lind happincxs iii ohcdicncc. l’arcnts ticycr
\ ixil. 'l-ltc world hcyond thc lorL‘sl's tyy-
Ct“ L‘l'cd \sttlls L‘\tslx Itkc xotttclhitig \\ tlhlll it drcani. ()dd. charming and crccpy lairytalc- imhttcd dratna which warrants rcpcatcd
\ icw ingx. This is dccply attd prol'oundly rccommcndcd. (i/mgnu I'i/m 'I'lti'tiln'. (i/(twmi: I‘i/nt/tutm'. l'ji/iIi/itufiu/t.
Jarhead ( l5) .0. (Sam Mcndcx. IS. 3005) Jakc (iy llcnhaal. Scott MacDonald. Jamic l‘o\\ 123mm. Scc rcy icw. pagc 40. (it'llr’l'tl/ I'('/('(I\(’.
Just Friends t 12A) t Rogct' Kumhlc. l'S. 1005i Ryan Rcynoldx. Amy Smart. Anna l-arix. 00min. Scc rc\ icw. pagc 40. (it'm'rtt/ I'('/l’ll.\('.
Just Like Heaven ll’(it .0 (Mark \Valct‘s. k5. 2005) RL‘csc \thltct'spnotl. .Mark Rullalo. l)onal l.oguc. Dina Spyhcy. 951nm. Widow cd landxcapc architch l)a\ id (Rullalot moy cs into a ticw hachclor pad. As hc xcckx solacc in hcct' and fast food. hc hccomcx awarc that hc's sharing his liy ing xpacc with thc ghostly lili/ahcth (\Vithct'xpoont. Supcrnatut'al attd xupct'licial rom coin lll thc samc \cm as (i/mst. (it'm'rul I'l‘It'tlH’.
King Kong ( l3:\t COO tl’ctct' Jackson. \cw /.caland/l 'S. 2005) Naomi Watts. Jack Black. Adricti Brody. Andy Scrkix. Jamtc llcll. lS7inin. Jackson's lay ish rcmakc oli‘oopct‘ and Schocdsack‘x 1933 classic puts thc mothcr of all monxtcrx in his own .-\ lixt show. Jackson prcxcnts his c(itnputcr-gcncratcd Kong as a xpcctaclc lttl' audtcnccx to oglc in dixhclicl. 'l‘hc lilin takcs oll during thc at‘t‘iyal at Skull Island hut in thc liiial third it rcally loscs tnotncntutn. ‘l'hc cnding is as it xhould hc. on top of thc lzmpirc Statc Building. as Kong clitnhx up lhc top to do halllc with hi-plattcs. But it all lcclx so maw kixh. .r\l'tcr thrcc hours. not to hc Ilto\ cd hy thc litialc is a pity. (it'm'm/ I'('/('tl\('.
CryWolf
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ( 15).... (Shattc Black. ('5. 2005) Rohcrl l)owttc_\‘ Jt'. Val Kilmcr. Michcllc Monaghan. ('orhin Bct‘tiscn. l02miti. Nicc guy pctty thicl' Harry l.ockhat'l tl)ownc_\ Jr) is haying a wcird cycning; somchow hc has gonc from rohhing a toy shop to a Hollywood pool party in onc casy lll()\‘L'. But his luck changcx whcn hc mccts show hilly priyatc cy c (iay l’crry (Kilmcr) and aspiring actrcss Harmony l‘aith Lanc (Monaghani. [mt/(til lli'u/mrt scrccnwritcr Black's first lilm as \thlL’t/dit‘cclot' is ultra cotlyollllcd. post tnodct'n. smatt and clcycr. It is structurcd around somcthing that yagucly rcscmhlcs ('handlcr‘s plot for I‘lit' Bic .S‘lt'r'p. and Black amusineg allows his film to hccomc littcrcd with allusions to thc w t'itct's. hooks and lilms hc clcat‘ly loycs. ('i/tt'tim'ltl I’urk/u'ttrl. (i/uxgmi‘. (ilusgmi'.
Lassie (PG) 0. ((‘harlcs Siurritlgc. l'S/lrcland. 2005i Samantha Morton. John Lynch. Stcyc l’cmhcrton. (it‘cgot' l'ishcr. (Winin. 'I‘hc implausihly rcsilicnt ('ollic holltldS hack unit) thc hi3: sct'ccn. Those familiar with thc story will find littlc to yap ahout in Sturridgc's film. ’l‘hc BAHA- winning w rilcr/dircctor sccms uncasy with lhc sourcc matcrial. turning what should hc a xtraightl‘orward childrcn's yarn into a lccturc on class and morality. (init'm/ rr'lr'uu'.
Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events ( t’( i i 000
(Brad Silhcrling. [S 200-“ Jitn ('arrcy. Mcryl Strccp. Jttdc Law. limily Browning. 103mm. I)anicl llatidlcr'x dclightl‘ully horrihlc hooks for childrcn gct thc hlockhustcr mach cr in what looks likc hccoming an intct‘csting scricx ol' lilnix. 'l‘hc thrcc Baudclairc kids loxc thcir homc and parcntx in an arson attack conductcd hy ncl'arioux ('ount ()lal' (Jim ('arrcy l. w ho‘s al'tcr thc hrals‘ inhcritancc. Burtoncsquc in its \ ixttal inycntioti I'ti/in'ltmutt’ Iii't'nli is also as Burton-csquc in its y isual inycntiycncxs as it is in its narratiy c thinncsx. Indiy idttal xccncs do how c\ cr rcally iinprcxs and ('arrcy
\ inually xtcalx thc show. (iron-cum: (i/uwmi: Lift to the Scaffold (I’( it 0... (Louis Mallc. l‘tutlc‘c‘. l‘)57t Jcannc Morcau. Mauricc Ronct. (icorgcs l’oujouly. 90min. ('onsidcrcd quitc a gripping thrillcr in its day. Mallc'x first dramatic l’caturc hingcx on a pcrl'cct critnc ol' murdcr that docs not go
When a bunch of prankster game playing seniors at an American boarding school attract the attention of a real serial killer, no one will believe them. This very ropey, clichéd and not to say
according to plan. 'l‘hc cool noir clcmcnts arc still cl‘l’cctiyc. thc Milcs Davis scorc still scts a dccadcnt tonc. and Morcau is still glowing on scrccn. Part of thc Intrtkluction to liuropcan ('incma coursc. l’i/nt/tnuxt'. Edinburgh.
Live and Become ( 12A) 000.
(Radu Mihailcanu. l-‘rancc/Bclgium/lsracl/ Italy. 2005) Yacl Ahccaxsis. Roschdy 7cm. .Moshc Aga/ai. Moshc Ahchc. l-itlmin. Bucharcst-horn filtnmakcr Mihailcanu again tclls a story of what hc calls ‘positiyc imposturc’. in this casc thc rcmarkahlc talc of a black ('ht'istian lithiopian child who is instructcd hy his mothcr to pass himscll off as a chish orphan. A pcrsuasiy c account of an itnmigrant's cxpcricnccs. conycying a strong scnsc of thc rcligious and political tcnsions and conflicts within widcr lsracli socicty. ('iltr'u'rtl‘ltl Rt'It/n'u' .S'Il'r'r'l. (ilttsgrm; (i/uyurm:
* Lower City (Cidade Baixa) ( lhl 0.. tScrgio Machado. Bra/il. 2005i Alicc Braga. llarildo l)cda. Josc Dumont. Ricardo Lucdy. ()lga Machado. 97min. Scc t‘cy icw. pagc 4 l. and prolilc in listings. (i/usgoii l-i/ni 'I'lit'um'. (i/usgoir; ('umr'o. Iz'rlittlttu'glt.
The Mack ( IS) 0000 (Mich;th ('ampus. l'S. W73) Max Julicn. l)on (iordoti. Richard Pryor. ('arol Spccd.
l lllmin. (ioldic (Julicnl rcturns at‘tcr tiyc ycars in prison to hccomc thc king of thc pimping gamc. htit trouhlc is ncycr that far away. Shanicl'ully oy'crlookcd yct hrilliant atid \ isccral hlaxploitation llick which inl‘lucnccd much that was to follow it. .\’cccssary \‘icw ing for fans of" thc gcnrc and cult lilms alikc. Part of l’sy chotronic (’tttcltttt. (i/rls’gmr I't/m 'I‘ltr'rttn'. (I‘ltlfl‘g'flll’. Mad Hot Ballroom (U 0000 (Marilyn .-\grc|o/:\my Scwcll. IS. 2005) ltlomin. 'l‘hrcc dil'l'crcnt schools compctc for a citywidc hallroom dancing compctition in .\'cw York (‘ityx Agrclo and Scwcll's wildly ctnotiyc. hcautil‘ully structurcd titk‘lllllk‘lllill‘}' is indccd succour for thc soul. This
cncrgiscd low-ti hyhrid of [loop [Mums and .S/it'll/mtuttl so t’ttlly cmhraccs thc quirky hall.
l'ormcd world of thcsc miniaturc urhanitcs that as a \‘icwcr it is \‘il‘lll;lll_\ impossihlc not to hc draggcd in or to takc sidcs. .-\ ycry xpccial documcntary. :\ Scrccnda/c prcscntation. (i/usgmi I-i/m 'I'ltr'tttrt'. (i/usgou;
appallingly acted horror film has two things to recommend it. One: it contains a few good moments of jolting horror, and two: the mighty Jon Bon Jovi plays a journalism lecturer. Attend at your peril.
I General release (from Fri 13 Jan)