Film
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Paul Dale
Alien Adventure 30 (U) 0000 (Ben Strassen. Japan. 2001) Voice ofJohn Boyle. Bouli Lanners. 37min. An alien race looking for a planet to colonise find earth and unfortunately enter a theme park where they cause much amusing mayhem. IMAX Theatre. Glasgow:
Alpha Dog (15) 000 (Nick Cassavetes. 2006) Emile Hirsch. Justin Timberlake. Anton Yelchin. 1 17min. Timberlake the trousersnake acquits himself surprisingly well as the reluctant witness in a youth~gone-wild melodrama based on the real-life murder of teen Nick Markowitz in 2000. Arch directorial tricks and bloated cameos from Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone only distract from the bleak. nihilistic core. (ienera/ release.
Amazing Grace (PG) .0 (Michael Apted. tiK/l7S. 2006) loan (iruffudd. Romola (iarai. Yotissou N‘Dour. l lein. To mark the 200-year celebrations of the abolition of slavery. this solid biopic details how William Wilberforce ((iruffudd) persuaded the House of Commons to end the slave trade. The film is however derailed by an irrelevant love interest ((iarai). staid dialogue and the presence of only one black character (N’DUUF). Seleefed release. Arthur and the Invisibles (ti)
.0. (Luc Besson. France. 2007) Voices of Freddie Highmore. Mia Farrow. Ron Crawford. 93min. In an adaptation of his own children's book. Besson mixes live- action and C(jl animation with patchy results. Arthur (Highmore) embarks on a quest to save grandmother‘s (Farrow) house. complete with troll-like Minemoys. an evil wizard and saucy princess. Most entertaining in its live-action sequences. it’s heavy on style but light on originality. (Iravi'enm: Glasgow.
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(Sarah Polley. Canada. 2006) Julie Christie. (iordon Pinsent. ()lympia Dukakis. 1 10min. See review. page 37 and interview. page 38. Film/muse. Edinburgh.
The Axe (Le Couperet) ( l5) .0. fCosta-(iavras. France/Belgiurn/Spain. 2005) Jose Garcia. Karin Viard. (ieordy Monfils. l22min. The great (ireek filmmaker Costa-(iavras (Z. Amen) adapts
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40 THE LIST 26 Apr—10 May 2007
Donald E Westlake's satirical novel about unemployment among the middle classes and their murderous attempts to get back in the corporate game that they believe defines them. The Ave is never as funny or clever as one would hope but it certainly has a few inspired moments. Pan of French Film Festival. film/muse. Edinburgh.
Babel ( l5) .0. (Alejandro (ion/ale].- lnarritu. l'S/Mcxico. 2006) Cate Blanchett. Brad Pitt. (iael (iarcia Bernal. 143mm. Screenwriter Ciuillermo Arriaga and director lriarritu (both Antares Perms. 2] Grams) tum out another fragmented story with a deeply ‘profound' message. Despite the A- list megastars. the sections about a Japanese girl and Moroccan kids fare the best. The rest is cliched nonsense. ()dean A! The Quay. Glasgow.
Beat Kings: The History of Hip Hop ( 15) 0.. (Mathematics. (S. 2007) 66min. A comprehensive history of hip hop from the top names: DJ Premier. Prince Paul. Kanye West and RZA. Part of Triptych. (i/asgaii' I'll/n Theatre. (ilasgmr; Flint/muse. Edinburgh.
Becoming Jane (PG) 00 (Julian Jarrold. th/L'S. 2007) Anne Hathaway. James McAvoy. Julie Walters. James Cromwell. Maggie Smith. l20min. A biography of Jane Austen (played beautifully by Hathaway) which cites a relationship with cad. hedonist and lawyer Tom Lefroy (.‘vlc.»\voy) as the reason behind her success. Despite excellent performances and a very generous smattering of Atisten‘s best lines. this is sadly as dreary as period dramas get. Dominion. Iz'dinburg/i.
Blades of Glory ( 12A) 000 (Josh (iordon/Will Speck. l'S. 2007) Will Ferrell. Jon lleder. Will Arnett. 93min. Rival figure skaters Chan. Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy Maclilroy (lleder) niust skate together. in pairs' figure skating. but will they be able to put their differences behind them‘.’ Spoof movie machine Ferrell finds another obscure sport to riff in this
Women of the Dunes
enjoyable piece of tomf'oolery. (ienera/ I'('/('U.\'('.
The Boy from Mercury (l’(i) 0000 (Martin Duffy. t'K/France. 1096) James Hickey. Rita 'l‘ushingham. 'I'om Courtney. 87min. liight-year-old Harry (Hickey) believes he has special powers granted him through his birthplace being Mercury rather than Dublin a belief boosted by visits to the Saturday morning film club and his lack of a father figure. An irresistible tale of memory. loss and the search for a better future. If you manage to sit through this without wilting intojelly at Hickey‘s painfully innocent performance. then you have the heart of a tyrant. (ilusgmi' I-‘ilin 'I'lrealre. (ilasgmi‘.
Breaking and Entering ( l5) 0.. (Anthony Minghella. l'K/l‘S. 2006) Jude Law. Juliette Binoche. Robin Wright Penn. 1 18min. A young Bosnian-tingliin thief. Miro ((iavron). takes pan in the robbery of an architects' office in King‘s Cross. unwittingly bringing together architect Will (Law) and the boy‘s mother. Amira (Binoche ). An uneasy romance provides the emotional sustenance that Will craves. l'ue l-fdinburgh ()eean. Edinburgh.
The Breed ( IS) .0 (Nick Mastandrea. (S. 2006) Michelle Rodrigucl. liric Lively. ()Iiver Hudson. 90min. See review. page 38. .S‘e/eefed release.
Bridge to Terabithia (l’( i) 0.0 ((iabor (‘supo. l'S. 2007) Josh Hutcherson. :‘snnasophia Robb. Zooey Deschanel. ()Smin. See Also Released. page 3‘). General release.
Bugsy Malone (t') 0000 (Alan Parker. l'K. 1976) Scott Baio. Jodie Foster. Martin Lev. 93min. Musical spoof of Prohibition-era gangster films. with an all-child cast. Family entertaimnenl pure and simple. and a true o'riginal with it. ('aineu. lz'din/nujgh.
is: The Caiman (II Caimano) ( l5) 0... (Narmi Moretti. Italy/France. 2006) Silvio ()rlando. Margherita Buy. Jasmine 'l‘rinca. Michele Placido. 105mm.
Italian auteur Moretti returns with this multi-layered work set in contemporary Rome. which is simultaneously the study of an anxious producer's failing marriage. a comic examination of low-budget filmmaking. and a scathing critique of Silvio Berlusconi‘s assault on democracy. (i/asgmr I‘ll/II Theatre. (ilasgiiii:
Camcorder Guerillas: Swarm (t') (Vai'ious. t'K/l'S. Vai'iotis) l20min. Glasgow-based voluntary collective Camcorder (iuerillas presents an evening of short films. interactive performances and discussion on the topic of ‘mobility‘. The programme starts with a bike ride from (icorge Square at 5.30pm. ('(‘A. (ilusgmv. Cari - My Childhood Symphony( l2) .0. (lirik (‘lausen. Denmark. 199-1) Nikolai Lie Kaas. Frits llelmuth. Jesper Milsted. l25min. Poignant portrait of the early life of Carl Nielsen. one of the late Nd] and early 20th century's foremost Danish composers. Part of Carl Nielsen season. I-‘ilnihause. Edinburgh.
Cars (PG) 0.. (John Lasseter. l'S. 2006) Voices of Owen Wilson. Paul Newman. Bonnie Hunt. Larry The Cable (iuy. l2lmin. Racecar Lightning McQueen loses his way en route to the final race of the season and finds himself marooned in the sleepy town of Radiator Springs. which is populated by an array of misfit cars. Despite the many positives. Cars doesn't quite make the highest grade mainly because it's the least original Pixar film yet. limp/"re
('ly debunk. Clyde/tank.
Casino Royale ( 12A) 0. (Martin Campbell. l'S/l'K/C/ech Republic. 2006) Daniel Craig. liva (ireen. Mads Mikkelsen. l-l-lmin. The prequel to the other Bond films time warps back to the enduring action hero becoming a 00 licensed to kill. The latest Bond (Craig) proves to be a strong leading man. but the film is let down by trying to do too much. Willi a weak villain and Bond girl to boot. it doesn't really feel like a Bond film at all. Selet‘lr’d release.
One of the strangest and most memorable Japanese films of the 20th Century is Hiroshi Teshigahara's bonkers adaptation of Kébé Abe’s erotic thriller about
the forced captivity of a young etymologist in an escape-proof sandpit by an inarticulate woman. The film’s star Kyoko Kishida, who recently died at the age of 76 of a brain tumour, was one of Japan’s finest actors, and these commemoration screenings remember her.
I Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 2 8. Thu 3 May only.