www list co uk/ftlm
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Paul Dale
t Indicates Listpicks entry
Adulthood ( 15) .0. (.\'oel (’larke. l'K. 2008) Noel (’larke. Adattt Deacon. Danny l)yer. 00min. [n the sequel to 2006's Kidulthood trottbled tottgltie Sam's t('larkc) London-based inner-city struggles cotttitttte on ltix release from prison. Iixxentially a vattity project for xtar/director/writer (‘larke (best known as Rose‘s boyfriend itt l)iietnr ll'ha). his attthentic portrayal of contetnporary youth attd xomc tteat visual tricks ensure he leaves an ttndettiably impressive callittg card. (it/net). Iz'dinbm'gh. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging ( l2A) .0. ((iurinder ('hadha. LS. 2008) (ieorgia (iroome. Aaron Johnson. Alan I)av iex. l00min. After tlte disappointing Bride and I’rejudit‘e. w titer/director ('hadha takes a xtep into younger territory w ttlt this adaptation of two of Louixe chnison'x books. The lilttt lacks the \ltttt'p \\ if ()f xltelx' .-\tnerican cotttediex such as ('luelevv attd .fleun (iii-ls. bttt earns points for fcatttrittg actresses. ittcludittg lead (irootne. w ho really are the age of the charactet‘x they're playing. (iettet'al release. The Apartment WU)...” (Billy Wilder. l'S. I‘lotl) Jack Lentmon. Sltirley .\lacl.aine. l‘red .\lac.\lurray. 125mm. 'l‘hix new print of Wilder'x corroxiye l‘lbf) latttpoon of corporate America tells the story of spinelexx insurance statistician (‘(' Baxter (Lemmon). Having fallen into the practice of leaxittg his aparttnent to ltis xuperiors for illicit liaisonx. Baxter ix rewarded with high-speed promotion. All of which xuitx him fine until he realises that one of the ladies being takett back ix the girl of his dreams. New digital print. (i/avgmt- l‘lllll Theatre. (ilavgntt: Bachna Ae Haseeno (t’( i) (Siddhartlt Attand. India. 2003) Ranbir Kapoor. Bipaxha Baxu. .\linixxha Lamba. l52min. Between the ages of l7-30 years old Raj (Kapoor) has relationships w itlt three wontett. ()ne frottt .\Iumbai. one frotn the Punjab attd one from Australia - but wltat does he learn frottt tltexe romancex‘.’ Bollywood cotttittg of age musical with tttttxic by popular electronica composer Vixhal-Shekhar. (‘inettm‘ld Reltlt'ett‘ Street. (i/asgntt‘: (‘inett‘nrld Edinburgh. Edinburgh. Before I Forget ( IS) (Jacques \olot. France. 2007) Jacques .\'olot. Jean-Pol l)uboix. .\farc Riottfol. 108mm. (Say gigolo Pierre (.\'olot) is left dextitttte w lten hix wealthy benefactor of 30 years diex. Suffering from poverty. loneliness attd w riter'x block. the 53-year-old xlrugglex to cope in tltis dry portrait of xelf-dixcov ery. Part of London l.cxbian& (iay l‘iltn l‘extival On Tour. I’i/mhnuve. ladinburg/t. Before the Rains ( IDA) COO (Santoxh Sivan. l‘S/lndia. 2007) Linus Roache. thltttl Hitse. Natntltlzt l)ax. 08min, Idealistic spice farmer Henry (Roache) ltax an ill-adv ixed affair with his ltouxetttaid (I)as) and when the pair are discovered. a tragic chain of events ix xet in motion. Set itt I‘Bflx southern India and anticipating the end of the Raj less than 20 years later. tltix metaphor-laden dratna uses a tale of doomed inter-racial romance to addrexx the inherent failings of British colonialism. Film/muse. Ifdinburgh.
Blithe Spirit (P( i) oooo
Lean. l'K. 19-15) Rex Harrison. (’onxtance ('ummingx. Kay llattttttond. Margaret Rutherford. ()(HIIHI. A cynical novelist and ltis ttew wife are haunted by the mischievous ghost of ltix first wife. .\'oel (‘oward'x stage play glides successfully onto the big screen ttsittg dated. bttt adequate. special effectx and wonderfully British dialogue. Part of Lean season. (ilavgotv Iii/m Theatre. (i/asgntt'.‘ I’ilmhnuse. Ifdinburgh. Breakfast with Scot ( 15) (Laurie Lyttd. ('anada. 2007) ('ameron Andell. Thomas (’ayanagh. .\'oah Bernett. 95min. Iiortner professional ice-hockey player Sam attd his lover lid run a smart. tttaclto sports-
( I )avid
lovittg houseltold. The arrival of Iid‘s recently orphaned nephew Scot. w ho has a love of flamboyant clothes and tnttsicals. turns the pairs world upside down. Part of London I.esbian& (iay Film Festival On Tour. ['illlilltlllu'. Izdinburgh.
Brief Encounter (P( i) .0. (David Lean. l'K. I‘l-IS) ('elia Johnson. 'l‘revor Howard. Stanley Holloway. 86min. Stiff upper lips and emotionally charged brushes of the hands are all that Johttsott and Howard will allow themselvex as their extra-marital ‘affair' doesn't develop much beyond unspoken longingx at a railway station. For some. the tears will still flow: for others. the ungiy ittg tnorality ix exasperating. (iiven the rigidity of tltis tinglish romance. the Rachmaninov soundtrack is unfittingly sweet. Part of Lean season. l'flllllll’llfit'. Edinburgh.
Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (P(i) .0. (Hana Makhmalbaf. lratt. 2008) .\'ibakht Norul. Abdolali Hoxenali. Abbas Alijome. Slmin. Directed by If)- year-old daughter of Irattiatt director Mar/felt .\Iakhmalbaf. this filtn chroniclex the tough life of xix-year-old Afgltan girl Bakltlay (Norul) itt w ar-ravaged Afghanistan. Bakhtay is kept ottt of school by poy erty attd tnale attitttdes towards women. attd taunted by boys posittg as Taliban fighterx. Reviewed itt fttll ttext issue. ('anteo. Iidinbia‘gh.
The Cameraman (PU) coco (lidward Sedgewick. LS. 1028) Buster Keaton. .\Iarcelitte l)ay'. Harry (iribbon. 80min. A xtruggling photographer takes the
job of a new xreel cameraman and
unexpectedly becomes a hero in one of his filtttx. Sonte lacklustre clowning iii the early xtagex xoott makes way for moments of comic master) itt tltix. one of cinema's earliest media xatirex. With live piano accompanitttent from Neil Brand. l'llllt/ltltl.\(’. ladinburgh. Cass ( IS) 0... (Jolt S Baird. l'K. 2008) .\'onxo Ano/ie. Nathalie Prexx. Leo (iregory. IOSntin. Detailing the shenanigans of West Ham‘s notorious Inter ('ity (’rew (l(‘l‘) during the 'l‘ltatclter years. ('a\\ xtandx alongside Alan ('larke'x hitherto untouchable hooligan yarn 'I‘he l‘il‘lll. at the top of the filttttttakittg table. Based on the true xlor)' of (ass Pennant. the most prominent black football hooligan to be accepted by w hite working claxx yobs as one of their owtt. (an tellx an eminently cinematic storyline. Shmreuve ('ittema. (tut/bridge. Glasgow: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (P( i) 0. (Andrew Adamxon. l'K/I'S. 2008) Liam NCCxon. Tilda Swinton. Ben Barnes. l43min. In the xecond instalment of the Narnia liltttx. the Pey ettxie children are summoned back to Narnia for a xlick. fast-paced romp through dark woods. underground caverns and fierce battlex. With a xitnplixtic plot. attd ('aspian (Barnes) reduced to a pretty face. l)ixney may have finally brought Narnia to the big xcreen. bttt for a real journey of the imagination. xtick to the books. Seleeted release. Couscous ( IS) 0000 (Amie-I Kechiche. l‘rancc. 2007) Habib Boufarex. Hafxia Her/i. l-‘arida Bettkhetaclte. lS-lmin. (if-year-old weary \faghrebi emigre Silmane (Boufarex) ix it) need of a miracle after being tirade 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 La llaine attd Dan at (ilorv. ('anteo. Ifdinburgh. Curious George (t') 00 (Matthew ()'('allaghan. LS. 2006) Will Ferrell. l'rank Welkcr. Drew Barrymore. David (‘roxs. Xbmin. l-‘eature animation based on the adventures of the hero of Margaret attd HR Rey'x popular children's book series. Parents may be able to stem any xuicidal impulses by listening to the laughter of their children at the film‘s simple slapstick atttics. (irmt'enm; (i/asgntt.
The Dark Knight ( IIA) oooo
((‘hristoplter .\'olan. l'S. 2008) (‘hrixtian Bale. lleatlt Ledger. Maggie (iyllenltaal. l52min. Nolan's revantp of the superhero franchise reaches its apotlteoxis
with this sequel to Batman Begins. a supremely well-imagined. perfectly executed filtn that cotttbines blockbuster spectacle with indie cinema cool and smarts. Psychotic. chaos-loving clown The Joker (Ledger) is introduced as the dark knight's ultimate nemesis and a thrilling battle slowly terrorises the populace of (iotham. General release.
Death Defying Acts ( 12A) 0. ((iillian Armstrong. tTK/Australia. 2007) (‘atherine Zeta-Jones. (iuy Pearce. Timothy Spall. 97min. I-"reely mixing historical fact with lictiottalised biography. this filtn turns on a fascinating premise: a battle of wits and wills between world-famous escapist attd xceptic of all things supernatural Harry Houdini (Pearce) attd a Scots con-woman posing as a psychic (Zeta-Jones). Interesting as all that sounds. though. Death Defying Arts is surprisingly dull. ('t'new-nrld Renfreu- Slt't’t'i. (ilusguu‘.
Deep Sea 30 (P(i) (Howard Hall. (‘anada/I'S. 2006) Voices of Johnny Depp. Kate Wittslet. 41min. A 3-[) digital exploration of the ocean's depths and its creatttres. IMAX Theatre. (ilasgmr: Dinosaurs Alive 3D (ti) (David (‘lark/Bayley Silleck. LS. 2007) 40min. l-‘ollow palaeotttologists as they scour the globe for some fantastic dinosaur finds. then watch the creatures burst ittto 3t) life. IMAX Theatre. (ilasgmt‘.
Dirty Dancing ( IS) 0000 (limile Ardolino. LS. 1987) Jennifer (irey. Patrick Sway/e. Jerry ()rbach. I00min. The plot '— in the summer of NM bad boy Johnny (Sway/e) meets good girl Baby ((irey) and teaches her hip grinding. eventually winning the respect of her parettts. Sure it‘s full of stereotyping. bad dialogue and a pre-teen sugar coated prttt'ience. bttt 20 years on l)irtv l)imeing still has the ability to send a generation of women all gooey. (irost'enm'. Glasgow:
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie ( 15) coco (Luis Btttiuel. I’rance. l‘)72) I’ernando Rey. Delphine Seyrig. Stephane Attdran. l05min. A group of friends find their dinner gathering interrupted by a series of Name. mostly dreamt-up events. Not as savage a satire as Butiuel's earlier work. bttt he is certainly tnore assured as he tires at his constant targets - the ehttrch. the state arid the army. Part of Talking Pictures. a season of key filtns and discussions led by List writer and filtn tutor Tony McKibbin on behalf of the Office of Lifelong Learning at the t'nivers'ity of Edinburgh. These screenings are open to all. Film/muse. Edinburgh.
Divine Intervention ( IS) 0000
(lilia Suleiman. lirattce/Morocco/ (iermany/Palestine. 2003) tilia Suleiman. .\fana| Khader. (ieorge Ibrahim. 93min. Like tnany a recent film coneeming late 20th century etltnie skirmishes. this movie tnade by the acclaimed director of (‘hrmtie/e afa l)isa/tpearant‘e looks at the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict and plays up the absurd over the politically po-faced. A Palestinian (Suleiman) livittg in Jerusalem is itt love with a beautiful young woman (Khader) from Ramallah. But their relationship is fraught with as much external tension as internal desire. With his understandably melancholy disposition. Suleiman's character is unaware that the best you can do is absorb the absurdity. feel a bit of hutnanity and try to keep the tnind attd soul intact. It's this that makes the film especially interesting. Part of Talking Pictures. a season of key films and discussions led by List writer attd film ttttor Tony .‘vchibbin on behalf of the Office of Lifelong Learning at the L'niversity of Iidinburgh. These screenings are open to all. Film/rouse. Iz'dinbutgh.
Doctor Zhivago (PG) 000 (David Lean. l'S/l'K. I965) ()mar Sharif. Julie (‘hristie. (ieraldine Chaplin. l93min. Big screen romance it) the (ione With The Wind style. rather than a genuine adaptation of the Pasternak ttovel. with Sharif and (‘hristie as lovers caught up in World War One and the Russian Revolution. Notable mainly for its lttsh. picture postcard photography. Part of Lean season. l‘ilmhouse. Edinburgh.
Name Jose Padilha
Born Rio de Janeiro. Brazil, 1968 Background Born, bred and educated in Rio, Padilha began his career writing and producing documentaries about social and economic issues including the destruction of the rainforest and rural poverty. In 2002. he made his directing debut with Bus 774. a documentary about the hijacking of a Bio public bus by a street kid and the scandalous handling of the situation by the police (all of which was caught on film by news crews and aired live to the nation). Padilha began work on a follow-up documentary. which he envisioned as the flipside to Bus 174, with its focus on the cops who police Rio's crime ridden shanty towns (favelas). When it became clear that none of the city's regular cops, nor any of its special force BOPE. would appear on camera, Padilha switched to a dramatic format. co- scripting with two former BOPE members what became the urban thriller Elite Squad. The graphic representation of BOPE's extreme methods combined with a searing indictment of Ric's corrupt cops. privileged kids and political classes has seen Padilha sued by the police and his film branded fascist. but Elite Squad hit a nerve with the Brazilian public. a staggering 11 million of whom saw it on pirate DVD before it was released in cinemas.
What’s he up to now? Currently putting the finishing touches on documentary Garapa — about three families struggling to make ends meet in Brazil — Padilha will then direct Marching Powder, a Hollywood-financed drama about a young British drug dealer who spent five years in a Bolivian prison. set to star Don Cheadle.
What he says about Bus 174 and Elite Squad ‘They are the same film in a sense. Both films ask “Why is Rio such a violent place?" Well. the state treats street kids in a very violent way, and the state is also breeding corrupt and violent cops, so it's the system that is generating these very high violence rates in the City.‘
Interesting fact The main character in Elite Squad, BOPE team leader Captain Nascimento, is named after the hijacker in Bus 174. (Miles Fielder)
I Elite Squad is out now on selected release.
14—21 Aug 2008 THE LIST 25