www.list.co.uk/film
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Paul Dale
alt Indicates Listpicks entry
Adulthood ( 15) 0.. (Noel Clarke. L'K. 2008) Noel (‘larke. Adam I)eacon. Danny Dyer. 99min. In the sequel to 2000's Kidulllioud troubled toughie Sam‘s ((‘1arkel London-based inner-city struggles continue on his release from prison. Iissentially a vanity project for star/director/writer (‘larke (best known as Rose's boyfriend in Doemr Who). his authentic portrayal of contemporary youth and sortie neat visual tricks ensure he leaves an undeniably impressive calling card. Seleeled release. The Aerial (La Antena) (PG) ooo (Iisteban Sapir. Argentina. 2005) Alejandro L'rdapilleta. Valeria Bertuccelli. Julieta (‘ardinali. 90min. Sapir utilises the syntax of classic silent cinema to winning effect in this amusing and inventive futuristic adventure. Set in some Orwellian-style future city. where words and language have died and television is Used as a way of controlling the masses. one family discovers they have the key to unlocking the hypnotic state into which the populous has fallen. Film/muse. lz‘dinbm'gh.
Air Buddies ([7) (Robert \‘ince. t'S. 2008) Voices of: Abigail Breslin. Michael (‘larke Duncan. Molly Shannon. 80min. Live action Disney sequel to .-iir Bud. about a family of talking golden retrievers. (imsvenm; (ilusgmt‘.
All my Friends are Leaving Brisbane ( 15) .00 (Louise Alston. Australia. 2007) (‘harlotte (iregg. .Matt Zeremes. Ryan Johnson. 7bmin. (iraduate Anthea ((iregg) is single. bored and hates herjob. But change is around the corner. Breezy. award-winning romantic comedy. Part of the London Atistralian I-‘ilm I‘estival on Tour. Film/louse. lz'dinbiugh.
Alvin and the Chipmunks (t')
0.. (Tim Hill. LS. 2007) Jason Lee. David (‘ross. (‘ameron Richardson. 91min. Likeable pre-school comedy featuring a bunch of pint sized chipmunk pop stars and their long-suffering human guardian (Lee). ('ineworld l’urkheud. (ilusgmv.
54 THE LIST 3—-1 7 Jul 2008
London Lesbian a Gay Film Festival
Apache (l') (Robert Aldrich. t'S. 1954) Burt Lancaster. Jean Peters. Monte Blue. 91min. Aldrich's 188(v-set Western opens with a bold uprising from brave Massai (Lancaster). following the surrender of his leader (ieronimo (Blue). ('aptured. Massai is detailed to be sent to a reserve in Florida. but with different designs for his future he escapes and wages a one-man war on the cavalry. Part of Burt Lancaster season. l'ilmlmuse. lz'dinbuigh.
The Apartment (PG) 0000.
(Billy Wilder. LS. 1960) Jack Lemmon. Shirley MacLaine. l-‘red MacMurray. 125mm. See review. page 52. l’ilmhouse. lz'dinbiugh. Arna’s Children ( (2A) (Danniel I)anniel. Juliano Mer Khamis. Israel. 2003) 85min. Heartwarming documentary about filmmaker Khamis' mother. Arna. an activist against the Israeli occupation who founded an alternative education system for Palestinian children. A( '15. Ifdinburgh. Azur and Asmar: The Princes’ Guest (1') 0... (Michel ()celot. Spain/ltaly/Belgium/l-‘rance. 2006) (‘y'ril Mourali. Karim M'Riba. Hiam Abbass. 99min. ('hildhood buddies Ann and Asmar become rivals and enemies in a medieval Maghreb. With the action taking place in North African Islamic architecture and over- populated bazaars. the colourful palette of the animation and Arabian .VighIs-style storyline is a welcome throwback to the days before I’ixar tore tip the rtllebook. A compassionate and mature film based on classic legends rather than popular culture. l-ilmhouse. lidinlnirgh. Before I Forget ( 18) (Jacques .\'oloi. lirance. 2007) Jacques .\'o1ot. Jean-Pol 1)ubois. Marc Rioufol. 108mm. (iay' gigolo l’ierre (.\'o1ot) is left destitute when his wealthy benefactor of 30 years dies. Suffering from poverty. loneliness and writer's block. the 58-year-old struggles to cope itl lllis dry portrait of self-discovery. Part of the Lesbian and (iay l-ilm Festival. (i/usgmv I'i/In lheulre. (i/(lsgmv:
Before Sunrise ( 15) .0. (Richard
Linklater. LS. 1995) Julie I)elpy. Iithan Havvke. Andrea Iickert. 101mm. American Inter-Railer Haw kc and French student I)elpy are the strangers on a train who strike up a chalice conversation and spend a night wandering around Vienna. The actors give
career best performances while director I.iilklatei‘ veers into Iiric Rohmer territory with a funny. sweet and fundamentally wise movie. ('iuneo. Edinburgh.
Before Sunset ( IS) 0000. (Richard I.ink|ater. IS. 2004) Iithan Ilawke. Julie I)elpy. 80min. .\'ine years after lie/ore Sunrise and Jesse (Hawke) is in Paris on the filial leg of a book tour promoting his debut novel. The book‘s plot concerns that night in Vienna hanging out with ('eline (Julie I)elpy) and the attendant press corps asks what fans of director Richard I.itiklater‘s 1995 film have wanted to know for nigh on a decade. Did the couple meet six months later as arranged? Did they copulate under the stars'.’ And what ever did happen to these two'.’
lie/ore Sunset is proof that practice can make perfect. Linklater not only tackles the loose ends of the original with imaginative aplomb but he also works hard to make the movie work as a standalone essay on how adolescent hope inevitably gives way to disappointment with the encroaching realisation that life may just be a big pile of shite. I.iiiklatet“s sucker punch. however. is the killer ending. (timer). Iz'din/nu'gh. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (the) (Walter Ruttman. (iermany. I927) 77min. A beautifully haunting documentary celebrating the rhythm of life over a one- day period in 1927 Berlin. Studying a cross section of the populace that inhabit this lively city. the film conveys an appreciation of the joys and atmosphere of city life. This screening will be followed by short ('rlmn (iv-psies by Moholy-Nagy. Part of the Modernity and 'li'adition season. I'i/mhuuve. Iz'dinbm‘gh.
The Blue Light (Das Blaue Licht) (I’(i) (Leni Riefenstahl. (iermany. 1932) Leni Riefenstahl. Mathias Wieman. Beni I‘tihrer. 72min. Riefenslahl indulges her twin interests. nature and the occult. in this somewhat cliched drama. She plays a woman who. shunned by the locals as a witch. spends her time in a grotto communing with the Blue Light of purity. faith. blah. blah. Part of the Modernity and 'l‘radition season. I'ilmhouse. Iidin/nirgh. The British Grand Prix: Live on the Big Screen (the) (2007) 200mm. \Vell over four hours of live motor racing on the big screen. ()denn.‘ Brae/lead. Renlrew.
The 22nd edition of the LLAGFF arrives in Glasgow with highlights including the cool lesbian romance from China, Spider Lilies; Before I Forget, a study of ageing as seen through the eyes of a 58-year-old man with HIV; and artist Isaac Julien’s film about the late, great Derek Jarman, simply entitled Derek.
I GFT, Glasgow, from Thu 3 Jul.
Brute Force ( (5) (Jules [)assin. tiS. 1947) Burt Lancaster. Hume ('ronyn. ('harles Bickford. 98min. See review. page 51. Part of Burt Lancaster season. l-‘ibnhouv‘e. lidinbiugh.
California Dreamin’ ( l5)
0... ((‘ristianNemescu. Romania. 2007) Armand Assante. Jamie Iilman. Ra/van Vasilescu. lS-lmin. Set in the summer of 1999. while lighting is underway in Kosovo, a corrupt stationmaster stops a .\'.-\'1‘() train in its tracks and the community eagerly fiock to meet the newcomers. This darkly ironic. consistently amusing and ultimately tragic tale is easily and eloquently elevated above being simply another Balkan farce. ('umeu. Izdin/nugh. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (l’( i) oo (Andrew Adamson. I'K/I'S. 2008) I.iam .\'eeson. Tilda Swinton. Ben Barnes. l-Umin. In the second instalment of the Narnia films. the l’evensie children are summoned back to Narnia for a slick. fast-paced romp through dark woods. underground caverns and fierce battles. With a simplistic plot. and ('aspian (Barnes) reduced to a pretty face. Disney may have finally brought Narnia to the big screen. but for a real journey of the imagination. stick to the books. (ienel‘ul release. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1’0) 0 (Andrew Adamson. LS. 2005) (ieorgie Henley. William Moseley. Skandar Keynes. James McAvoy. Ray Winstone. Dawn French. Tilda Swinton. 125mm. This. the first of seven proposed children fantasy blockbtisters based on (‘S Lewis' much loved allegorical novels. is an absolute stinker. and one made all the more unpalatable by the fact that the very unchristian greed of its producers is so utterly palpable over its seemingly endless rtnming time. Proof that great books can make truly appalling films. (imyv'enm: (i/usgmv: City Shorts (l’(i) (('/echoslovakia) . 57min. 'I‘hree early shorts present the urban environment in diverse documentary and avant garde styles. lieaturing Innermann's 1928 Prague u! .\'iglu. 1lackenschmied’s I930 Aim/em lliills and Vavra's 1934 Living in Prague. Part of the Modernity and 'Ii‘adition season. film/muse. Edinburgh.
A Complete History of my
Sexual Failures ( 18) O... ((‘hris Waitt. l'K. 2008) Alexandra Boyarskaya. Danielle McLeoad. ()livia 'Ii‘ench. 93min. Documentary filmmaker Waitt sets out to contact all of his ex- girlfriends. to discover what makes him such a rubbish boyfriend. leading to a trip to lidinburgh. A brisk pace. a desire to bare all (literally) and (‘hris' very ordinary btlt anxious humanity makes this slightly insular premise engaging viewing. (’umeu. Iidinbiugh. Couscous ( IS) oooo (Al)ch Kechiche. France. 2007) llabib Boufares. liafisia Her/i. l'arida Benkhetache. 154mm. (ii -year-o1d weary Maghrebi emigre Silmane (Boufares) is in need of a miracle after being made redundant. (‘hoosing to open a North African restaurant rather than retire. the action revolves around Sunday dinner for his extended family. where the depiction of Arab family life rivals that of 111 llrlllli' and Days ultilm‘v. (ilusgnvv I'ilnl 'I'lieulre. (ilusgmr: Criss Cross (PU) (Robert Siodmak. LS. 19-19) Burt Lancaster. Yvonne 1)e ('arlo. Dan Duryea. 88min. The second collaboration between Lancaster and Siodmak. a fine example of 1940s film noir. sees Steve 'I'hompson (Lancaster) return to town after a drowsy period of mourning for a failed relationship. He eventually falls back into the arms of his ex. Anna (l)e (’arlo). and the pair hatch a plan to dupe her new gangster husband and skip town. Part of Burt Lancaster season. Film/muse. Ink/in/nu'gh. Deep Sea 30 (l’(i) (Howard Hall. ('anada/l 'S. 21100) Voices of Johnny I)epp, Kate Winslet. 41min. A 3-!) digital exploration of the ocean's depths and its creatures. I.ilxiX 'Illeillr'e. (ililsgmv.