Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Paul Dale
After the Wedding (Efter Bryllupet) (15) O... (Susanne Bier. Denmark. 2006) Mads Mikkelscn. Sidse Babett Knudsen. Rolf Lassgard. l22min. Charity worker Jacob (Mikkelsen) is coerced into attending a wedding by multi millionaire businessman Jorgen (Lassgard) in return for funding. What Jacob discovers at the wedding about his own past affects his life and that of his hosts in a most unimaginable way. in this highly watchable low budget familial drama. Film/muse. Edinburgh.
Alpha Dog (IS) 00. (Nick (‘assavetes. US. 2006) Emile Hirsch. Justin Timberlake. Anton Yelchin. l 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. Shmrease Cinema. Cambridge. Glasgow: Andrei Rublev (12) 000” (Andrei 'I‘arkovsky. USSR. I966) Anatoly Solonitsyn. Ivan Lapikov. Nikolai Grinko. 185mm. New print of Andrei Tarkovsky quite brilliant. brutal take on the life of a 15th century icon painter. Tarkovsky and screenwriter Andrei Koncbalovsky turn Rublev into a Christ-like figure who suffers the pains of a divided Russia under the vicious Tartars. A true epic told in visually stunning set pieces. this isa poetic masterpiece that exhibits an uplifting sense of the strength of the human spirit.
A C ‘E. Edinburgh.
Arthur and the lnvlsibles (U)
.0. (Luc Besson. France. 2007) Voices of Freddie Ilightnore. Mia Farrow. Ron Crawford. 93min. In an adaptation of his own children‘s book. Besson mixes live- actiou and (‘GI animation with patchy results. Arthur (Ilightnore) 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. ('inewnrld Par/(head. Glasgow: (‘ineii'arld Edinburgh. Edinburgh.
Away from Her ( 12A) 0000 (Sarah Polley. Canada. 2006) Julie Christie. (iordon Pinsent. ()lympia Dukakis. l l0min. Polley‘s first feature film as director stars screen legend Christie as a woman whose long and happy marriage is threatened by Alzheimer’s. leading to confusion. rccriminations and revenge among two elderly couples. Not afraid of tackling hard- hitting subjects or injecting the odd bit of humour. this is a beautifully low-key. intelligent debut. (ilasgmv Film Theatre. (ilas‘gmv.
Bamako (PG) 0... (Abderrahmane Sissako. Mali/US/France. 2005) Aissa Maiga. Maimouna Helene Diarra. Balla Ilabib Dembele. 1 15min. This African political drama follows a mock trial in the Malian city of Bamako between African civil society and Western financial institutions. Avoiding dour didacticism by contrasting the proceedings with snapshots of everyday life. this is more than an exercise in the iniquities of globalization. (amen. Edinburgh.
Battle of Algiers ( )5) 000.0 (Gillo Pontecorvo. Algeria/Italy. I965) Brahim Ilaggiag. Jean Manin. Yacef Saadi. l40min. See Profile. page 38. Filmhause. Edinburgh.
Because I Said So ( I2A) 0
(Michael Lehmann. US. 2007) Diane Keaton. Mandy Moore. Gabriel Macht. l02min. Daphne Wilder (Keaton) is the proud. overbearing mother of three daughters including insecure Milly (Moore) who doesn‘t have much luck with men. so Daphne decides to set her up with the perfect man. Wackiness and confusion ensue in this absolutely abysmal. unfunny family comedy. ('inewarld l’arkhead. (ilas'gmv.
The
Last chance to catch Mira Nair’s outstanding adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel about the generation gap between first and second generation Indian/American
immigrants. Genuinely moving and full of delicate insight, this film deserves a larger audience than it has received so far. Indian actor lrfan Khan gives one of the finest performances of the year as Gogol-loving father Ashoke Ganguli alongside Tabu and Kal Penn. Recommended. I Fi'lmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 25—Thu 31 May.
Black Snake Moan (IS) 00.
(Craig Brewer. US. 2006) Samuel L Jackson. Christina Ricci. Justin Timberlake. 1 15min. Rae (Ricci) ditches her military boyfriend (Timberlake) for her drug dealer (David Banner) and a drunken spree until Lazarus (Jackson) tries to save her from herself using a guitar. three chords and the truth. An unusually riveting dissection of race. religion and redemption through the blues. . . until the preposterous narrative begins to break down. (Yneworld Renfrew Street. Glasgow"; (,‘ineivarld Edinburgh. Edinburgh.
Blades of Glory (12A) 00. Gordon/Will Speck. US. 2007) Will Ferrell. Jon Heder. Will Arnett. 93min. Rival figure skaters Chan. Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) must 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 enjoyable piece of tomfoolery. Selected release.
Blithe Spirit (PG) .000 (David Lean. UK. I945) Rex Harrison. Constance Cummings. Kay Hammond. Margaret Rutherford. 96min. A cynical novelist and his new wife are haunted by the mischievous ghost of his first wife. Noel Coward’s stage play glides successfully onto the big screen using dated. but adequate. special effects and wonderfully British dialogue. Scotsman Screening Room. Edinburgh.
Bridge to Terabithia (PG) 000 (Gabor Csupo. US. 2007) Josh Hutcherson. Annasophia Robb. Zooey Deschanel. 95min. Artistic kid Jess (Hutcherson) is getting bullied at school and at home until outsider Leslie (Robb) moves in next door and the two begin to build an imaginary world in a nearby wood. This faithful adaptation of Katherine Paterson‘s coming of age children‘s book is worth a look for adults and kids alike. General release.
Catch a Fire (IZA) 00. (Phillip Noyce. UK/South Africa/US. 2006) Derek Luke. Tim Robbins. Bonnie Henna. l01min. In l980s apartheid South Africa. Patrick Chamusso (Luke). under harassment from racist police detective Nick Vos (Robbins). enters a game of cat and mouse as he prepares an act of terrorism. A worthy. occasionally compelling dramatic thriller with its heart in the right place. Canter). Edinburgh.
(Josh
The Chances of the World Changing (12A) 000 (Eric Daniel Metzgar. US. 2006) 99min. Serious documentary about Richard ()gust. who compulsiver rescues turtles to the point where he shares his flat with 1200 of the amphibious beasts. Pan of the Sheffield
lntemational Documentary Festival on Tour.
Film/muse. Edinburgh.
*CtheCkout the
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MAY- JUNE 2007
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24 May—7 Jun 2007 THE LIST 41