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
at: Indicates Listpicks entry
Advise and Consent ( 12) cos. (()tto l’reminger. l'S. No.3) Don Murray. (‘harles Laughton. Henry Fonda. l30min. ()ne of l’reminger's best. and a key political film of the (ills. The [S President's decision to appoint an unpopular secretary of state leads to blackmail and scandal. At times melmlramatic. it's crammed vvith brilliant performances from an all-star cast. vv ith Laughton at his slimy best. Part of Mr President . . . season. Film/muse. Ifrlinlnu‘gli. Amandla! A Revolution In Four Part Harmony ( tlAi oooo (Lee llirs'ch. l'S. 2003) 103mm. Avvard vvinning documentary Amundlu.’ tells the story of black South African freedom nuisic and the pivotal role it played in the battle against apartheid across the decades. featuring interviews vvith Hugh Masekela. Abdullah lbrahim and Sibongile Khumalo. Part of Take One: Action? festival. Film/muse. Ifdinhurg/i.
The Anniversary ( t8» .0. (Roy Ward Baker. l'K. I967) Bette Davis. Sheila Hancock. Jack lledley. 95min. More over- the-top comic melodrama from the Hammer stable. with Davis on Bubv June form as a one-eyed vvoman keeping a terrifying hold over her three sons. linjoyably' camp. a must for Davis fans.See feature. page l8. (Hus-gun l-‘i/m Theatre.
Approximately Infinite Universe: Film Programme (til (Finland) 90min. Finnish musician. film-maker and curator Sami Sanpakkila presents a series of his short films alongside vvorks by l’asi ‘Sleeping' Myllymiiki and Jonna ls'aranka. ('( 'xl. (ilus‘gou:
Babylon AD ( DA» 00 (Mathieu Kassov’itz. l'S/l’rance. 2008i Vin Diesel.
TheExperiment
48 THE LlST 18 Sop—2 Oct 2008
Michelle Yeoh. Melanie 'l‘hierry. 00min. l’ost apocalyptic thriller vvith l)iesel as Rtissian mercenary Toorop vv ho is escorting a very special vvoman (Yeohi to ('liina. This vvoman carries inside her the possibility of a spiritual future for all mankind. Silly. derivative and clearly hacked up by the studios. this potentially interesting sci-ti is a frustrating. occasionally interesting affair. The [trim/Hugh ()eetm. lit/inlnu'g/i. Bamako (l’(i) O... (Abderralunane Sissako. Mali/l'S/l’rance. loom Aissa Ma'i'ga. Maimouna llelene Diarra. Balla llabib Dembele. l l7min. African political drama f'ollovv ing a mock trial in the .Maliaii city of Bamako betvveen African civil society and Western financial institutions. Avoiding dour didacticism by contrasting the proceedings vv ith snapshots of everyday life. this is more than ati exercise in the iniquities of globali/ation. Part of Take One: Action? festival. I‘ll/nirvana lir/in/mreli.
Bangkok Dangerous ( 18) oo
(Oxide Pang ('hun. IS. 3008) Nicholas (‘age. Shalikrit Yamnarn. (‘harlie Yeung. 08min. (‘(}l embellished but much less gritty remake of the l’ang Brothers l‘N‘) feature of the same name. ('age once again gets to vvear ridictilotis clothes and a terrible vv eav e and turn on the laconic charm in this sanitised. tourist friendly remake. .Sr'lt’t‘li'rl I'('/('(I.\(’.
Barnyard (PG) 00 (Steve ()cdekerk. ['S. 2006) voices of Kevin James. (‘ourteney ('ox. Sam lilliott. 80min. (‘omputer—generated animation feature centered on the single unfunny premise that farmyard animals do mad things vvhen no one is vvalching. With the cast and vvritcrs involved this should be half decent. btit it's actually very poor. More manure for minors. (imvi'enm; (i/uvgmi:
Bee Movie (l'i ooo (Steve llickner/Simtm J Smith. [S 2007) Jerry Seinfeld. Renee ’/.ellvveger. Matthevv Broderick. 00min. Barry B Benson graduates from college to find that he still
only has one possible career: making honey. l)isillttsionctl. he moves to Manhattan vvhere he discovers that humans steal and eat honey and resolves to file a lavvsuit against the honey giant. Big Money. An oddly conceived vehicle for a reluctant star. lfee .llot‘fe deserves a B-minus for effort. ('inevmrlrl I’urk/ieml. (i/useniv; ('i/ieu'urltl [Jilin/Hugh. lat/inlmrg/i.
Ben X ( l5) 0.. (Nic Baltha/ar. Netherlands/Belgitun. 2007i (ireg 'l'immermans. Laura \'erlinden. Marijke l’inoy. 03min. This mock-documentary introduces its to teen Asperger's sufferer Ben. Moving backvvards and forvvards betvveen his so~called life of bullying atid high school torture and his escape into online role playing games. the film delivers a doom laden narrative. Baltlia/ar's debut feature cleverly dodges and ducks vs here you vvould otliet‘vv ise expect it to run straight. ('umeu. [filth/Hugh.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (l2Al 0 (Mark Herman. l'S/I'K. 3003i Vera l‘armiga. David Thevvlis. Rupert liriend. 03min. Bruno (Butterfieldl is the nine-year old son of a Na/i ('ommandant (Thevv list. When his father is seconded to manage a concentration camp. the lonely Bruno makes a nevv friend. Schmuel (Scanlonl. beyond the high vv ire. Badly acted and clumsily directed. this liberal- guilt-monger-svveeping-cod-historical— nonsense is simply unnecessary. Se/eeletl I‘('/(’ll.\l'.
Brideshead Revisited ( 12A) (Julian
Jarrold. l'ls'. 2008i Matthevv (ioode. Hayley
Atvv ell. limma 'l‘hompson. 132mm. Jarrold's nevv adaptation of the livelyn Waugh novel aims to put its ovvn stamp on the classic tale of social ambition. desire and the vveight of religious conviction. l’rev ievvs only. revievved next issue. (i/usemv [Vi/m Theatre.
The Camden 28 ( llAl (Anthony (iiacchino. 1S. 2007) 83min. Documentary exploring hovv a number of American priests intentionally risked imprisonment
vvhile protesting the vvar in Vietnam. featuring archive footage from the period. Part of Take One: Action! festival. I-‘il/rilmuxe. Edinburgh.
Caramel (l’(i) 0... (Nadine fabaki. l’rance/l.cbanon. 3007) Nadine Labaki. Jasmine Al Masri. ()Smin. (harming. bitter~ svveet debut feature from vvtiter-director I.abaki that centres upon the ‘Si Belle‘ beauty parlour in the Lebanese capital and the dramas of the female clientele. The film is impressively acted by a mostly non- professional cast. While there are no references to the on-going strife in Lebanon. this is still apolitical film. and a tender tribute to female solidarity. ()(leun .le 'l'lie Quay". (ilusguu:
Carla’s Song ( 15) oooo (Ken l.oach. l'K. WW») Robert (‘arlyle. ()yanka ('abe/as'. Scott (ilenn. 137mm. A more commercially viable outing for l.oacli. vvithout a loss of political commitment. (’arly le play s (ilasvvegian btis driver (ieorge. vvho gives up everything to help refugee (‘arla return to Nicaragua and find her boyfriend. The love story aspect of the first (Scottish) half of the film is its strongest point; the revelations iii central America don't hold surprises nor does the director seem totally at home vvith the ‘action' elements. ('arlyle. hovv ever. is excellent mildly tough and totally charming. Part of Take One: Action? festival. Film/muse. Iz'ilIIi/mrje/i.
Cass ( 18) 0000 (Jon S Baird. t'K. 3008) Nonso Alto/.ie. Nathalie l’ress. l.eo (iregory. ltlb’min. Detailing the shenanigans of West llam's notorious Inter ('ity ('revv (l(’l‘l during the 'I'hatcher years. ('uvs stands alongside Alan ('larke's hitherto untouchable hooligan yarn The Firm. at the top of the filmmaking table. Based on the true stor)’ of (‘ass Pennant. the most prominent black football hooligan to be accepted by vvhite vvorking class yobs as one of their ovvn. (’uvv tells an eminently cinematic storyline. Matinee only. ('umeo. Iii/inluuje/i.
Another chance to see Oliver Downfall Hirschbiegel’s 2001 psychodrama based on the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment in which 20 men are hired to play prisoners and guards in a filmed research unit prison. The Experiment is being shown to coincide with the release of Dennis Gansel’s thematically similar new film The Wave (see profile and review, page 45). Matinees only.
I Cameo, Edinburgh from Fri 26 Step-Thu 2 Oct. ).