www.Iist.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
:lt Indicates Hitlist entry
L’Atalante lI’(il than \"igo. I"rancc. I934) ..... \IIL‘IIL‘I Simon. chttl I)axtc. l)ita l’arlo. 80min. 'I'hc onl} feature to he madc h} the brilliant Vigo hcl‘orc hix tragicail) carl} dcath. A .ximplc narratixc l'oIIou x thc tangch paxxionx of. tic“ Iywcdx I)axtc and Patio ax thc) xpcnd thcir honcymoon on a hargc trip with xL‘CtI} oId captain Simon. Ifxlluliiitlflx rich ca\'alcadc of ex cr-changing moodx and unl‘orgcttahl)‘ poctic momcntx ol' xcnxualit} makc it a uniquc claxxic to he chcrixhcd. Part of an Introduction to Iiuropcan ('incma cotirxc. I‘l/ln/lllllXU. l-[i/iiilmru/t.
The Baader Meinhof Complex
tlh‘i O... tI'Ii Iidcl. German} /I‘rancc/(‘/cch chuhlic. 3008) Morit/ BIcihtrcu. Martina (icdck. Johanna \Vokalck. l-l‘lmin. Scc intcnic“ pagc 3‘) and t‘L'\ It“. pagc 4U. St’lt't'lt't/ I‘t’lt'tl.\t'. Batman Begins 1 13A) 00. l('hrixtophcr Nolan. I'S. 2(I051(‘hrixtian Balc. Mich;th ('ainc. Liam Net-xon. Morgan I’rccman. (iary ()Idnian. Katie IIolmcx. 130mm. I)ccp|}‘ llaxtcd hut xatixl‘yingl} dark and rcalixtic adaptation ol hoth Bob Kanc'x original .xtripx and Hank Millcr'x Hui/mm: )i'itr ()llt’. I)a\‘id ll/m/i' (in) ct‘\ xcript ix prctt} a“ fill hut thix ix alxo a lairl} xuhxtandard piccc ol' \tork l'rom .\'olan ax \\ cIl. Bulimm Il’t’ums docx. Ito“ M cr. ttccd to he applaudcd I'or partly rcvitalixing an ailing lilttlcltixc. I.ll..l.\‘ 'I'llt’ull't'. (i/tlwmt: The Battle of Algiers I 151 000.0 1(iillo I’ontccorxo. .-\lgcria/Ital_\. 1065i Brahim Ilaggiag. Jcan Martin. Yaccl' Saudi. I-lllmin. .\ dtictuncntary-xt} Ic rcconxtruction ol .-\lgcria'x xtrugglc l'ot' Iihcration. Brilliantl} rcalixtic quitc brutally xo in thc controxcrxial tortut'c xcqticncc‘x thix ix a tcxthook cxantplc of political cincma at itx moxt pcrxuaxit c. :\ Monorail l'ilni ('Iuh prcxcntation. (i/usgmr I'i/m 'l’ltt'uli't'. (i/uwon; Bicycle Thieves II’( it .0000 l\'ittorio I)c Sica. Ital). 1048i I.amhcrto Maggiorani. Iin/o Staiola. I.iancl|a ('arcll. 30min. .-\n ttttcltlplo} cd Italian \\ot‘ktttan hax ltix hic} L‘IL‘ \ItllL'Il. itlttl but“) IlL'L'tI\ It I-tll‘ :t tic“ ion xo hc and hix xmall xon xcarch thc
Wavelength
hth)‘ \lrL‘L'tx UI. RUIIIL‘ for it. ‘l-llt‘ hcxt-Iotcd and moxt I'amoux Iilm to cttlct‘gc from thc Italian ttco-t'calixt mmcmcnt ix cxxcntial \‘icu in; for cincma Imcrx. I)c Sica'x maxtcrl'ul lilm ix vivid!) xkctchcd. compcllingl} natural and unhcarahly mming. Iixxcntial. .\'c\\ print. (i/uwnu I'i/m 'I‘ln'ulrt’. (i/tixgmr: l'iliii/zuttu'. lz'ilin/mru/i. Bigga Than Ben: A Russian’s Guide to Ripping Off London I I51 0. IS .\ IIaIcuood, IX. 3007) Bcn Bat'nL'x. Andrci ('hadm. ()\ idiu Malcxan. 85min. Allcgcdl) haxcd on thc diar§ of a _\oung Moxco\ itc \\ ho catttc to London in thc Iatc I‘l‘ltlx. Bigga "Hum “(’11 ix. for thc majorin oi itx rttnning tiuic. a dixtracting black comcd}. (‘ohakka tBarncxI arid Spikcr ((‘hadm'l at'c a cottplc ol' Rttxxian \\ idc ho} x \\ ho. on arrital in Britain. quickl) Icarn thc hcaut) ol' caxhhack. .xhoplil'ting and xmoking crack. httt ax thcir l‘ricndxhip hrcakx doutt. an} cmotion Iclt touardx thcxc xcll-proclaimcd racixt xctunhagx quickl} dixxolVCx. (Ill/molt [Vi/m 'Iilu’um'. (i/uxgmt. Black Jesus l 131 O... (\ttlct'io /.urlini. Ital}. 1903) Wood} Strodc. Jcan Scnaix. I‘ranco ('itti. 03min. In /.urlini'x radical intcrprctalion ol‘ thc I’axxion ol‘ (‘hrixt. Strodc pla}x l.aluhi. a mcxxianic I‘rccdom lightcr imprixoncd during the ci\ il \xar in thc Bclgian (’ongo. A Iinc and dircct cugagcmcnt \tith thc brutalit} ol' colonialixm. Part of Xurlini xcaxon. (i/uxgun' I'i/m 'I‘lit'ulrt'. (i/uxgou’. Blindness t I81 000 Il't‘l'llétlltltl Mcircllcx. ('anada/Bra/iI/Japan. 30081 Juliannc Moorc. Mark Rull'alo. I)ann} (iltl\ L‘l‘. IZIIIIIII. SCL‘ lillL‘t‘\ IL'“ and .'\lxo Rclcaxcd. pagc 43. (icin'm/ I't'lt'tlu’ from I'l'l 3/ .Vnt‘. Body of Lies I I510. IthllC} Scott. I'S. 3003i Icottat‘do I)t('apt'io. Ruxxcll ('roxt c. Mark Strong. .-\|on .-\huthu|.13t\’min. Scc rcx ictt. pagc 40. (;(’II(’I'(1/ l't’lt’tlxt‘fl‘rint l'il‘l 2/ .Vrlt‘ The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas t 12A) 0 (Mark IIcrman. I'S/I'K. 20081 \cra I‘armiga. I)a\*id 'I‘hcu lix. Rupcrt I‘ricnd. 03min. Bruno (Buttcrlicldl ix thc ninc-}car old xon of a .\'a/i (‘ommandant l'I'hcu Iixl. \thn hix lathcr ix xccondcd lo managc a conccntration camp. thc Ioncl) Bruno maka a nctx lricnd. Schmucl (Scanlonl. hc}ond tltc high \\ it‘c. Batll} acch and clumxil)‘ dircctcd. thix Iihcral- guilt-mongcr-xtxccping-cod—hixtorical- nonxcnxc ix ximpl} tIIIIIL‘L‘L‘x\;tl'_\. .S‘t'li'vli'i/ l'l'll’tl\('.
The most important film showing anywhere this fortnight is Michael Snow’s 1967 film. Arguably the
most important film to emerge from what theorist P Adams Sitney labelled the ‘structural film movement’, which used apparent fixed camera positions, off screen action, strobe effects and print repetition to create mini masterpieces of avant-garde cinema. Very rarely screened, Wavelength at first seems to be non-event of a film with a camera slowly zooming into a large empty loft space. Look closer, however, and there is plenty going on. Showing with two other Snow shorts Standard Time and One Second in Montreal, this is the first of a series of experimental film classics to be introduced by Edinburgh University’s Dr Kim Knowles.
I Film/iouse. Edinburgh, Sun 22 Nov.
Burn After Reading I 151 CO.
llithan (‘ocn/Jocl (‘octL l'S/l'K/I-‘rancc.
3008) (icorgc ('Ioonc}. John Malkovich.
Brad Pitt. 05min. I-‘oul-mouthcd ('IA anaiyxt
()xhournc IMaIkm ichl quitx hix job after
hcing dcmotcd. Acroxx to“ n at ()xhournc'x
g} in. xltm -\\ ittcd ctnplo) ccx ('had tl’ittl and
Linda t.\lcl)ot‘mandl happcn upon one of hix
dixcx. .\ xhagg). punctured t_\t'c blackmail
thrillcr ctttailx \xith thc t'cqttixitc outht'cakx tll~ \llUL‘k tactic \ ltlIL‘nL‘L‘ and ttllxtll‘tllxt plotting. (it'ltt’l'tl/ I‘t’lt'tl_\'t'..
Choke t 131... 1(‘Iark (ircgg. IS.
30081 Sam Rock“ cII. Attjclica Iquton.
Kcll} MacDonald. 93min. Scc rcx ic“. pagc
4 I. (‘iin'norli/ I’iirk/n'uil. (i/mgun';
('iin'n ni‘li/ Edinburgh. Edinburgh. Conversations with my Gardener I 12A) 0... lJcan
Bcckcr. France. 2007) Danicl .-\utcuil. Jcan-
I’icrrc Darrouxxin. Iiann} (‘ottcncon
Itlh’min. SCL‘ I'L‘\ lL‘\\. page 4 I. (i/(lwntt’ I'll/II
‘I‘ln'um'. (i/uxgun .‘ I'i/m/tnuxi'. lat/inlmrg/t.
Cool Hand Luke 1 ISI 0... (Stuart
Roxcnhcrg. [8. I967) I’auI .\'c\\tnan.
(icorgc Kcnncd)‘. II) (‘annon 127mm.
I.ucax ‘I.ukc' Jackxon INC“ man) rcxxritcx
thc t‘ulc hook in coolncxx \xhcn hc ix Iockcd
up for a pctt} crimc. Iixcn thc officcrx fall
for hix laconic charmx. but thc prcxxurc ol'
rctnaining on a pcdcxtal xoon takcx itx toll.
Rcmcmhcr. tiohod} can cat tilt} cggx.
Stlpct'h adaptation of I)onn I’carcc’x ('hrixt
allcgor} novcl. lIighl) rccommcndcd.
.S'i'nlxmun St‘l‘t’t'lllllL' Room. lit/in/uu‘g/t.
Cyberworld 3D tl’(il t\'arioux. IS. 30001
Jcnna Iill'man. Matt l‘rcncr. Wood) :\Ilcn.
44min. .Icnna Iill'man ix thc C}'lk‘l'-lltlxl \\ ho
tntroduccx ttx to \arioux unrclatcd xcgmcntx oi c} hcr animation. 'I'lic Sim/mint and :Illlf. makc 3i) apiwaranch III a xpcctacular dixpla) oI' toda} ‘x moxt imprcxxix c graphic lcchnolog}. l.\I.-I.\' 'I‘lmtm'. (iluwun.
Dance on Screen tlii lVltt‘lollsl 00min.
.\ pt‘ogt‘attitttc ol' hixtorical IiItnx cxaniining
thc rclationxhip hctxtccn dancc. mowmcnt
and thc camcra. In axxociation \\ ith thc
(ioctltc Illxllttlt (ilttxgtm. I)ilIlCL' on SL‘I‘L‘L‘I]
pI’L‘xclll Ktll’t .ltltl\\. hallct ‘Hlt' (il't't'll Ill/’/('
and a rcconxtruction oI~ ()xkar Schlctnmctfl
I‘llllx c\pct‘tmculal Bauhaux hallct. 'I'lit’
Ill'l'ut/lt’ “(II/('1. ('( 'xl. (i/ttyumt.
Dangerous Summer (Baiga
Vasara) tlil (Aigarx (irauba. I.at\ ia. 20001
I'ldix Dumpix. Iticxc (’aunc. Iiduardx
I’a\ ulx. ‘lllmin. 'l‘hix hixtorical mclodrama.
xct in I040 occupicd I.at\'ia traccx thc
pcriloux Io\ c triangle hctuccu a I’ruxxian girl. a I.at\‘ian radio journalixt and thc
Minixtcr ol I‘orcign All‘airx. Part of Latvian
I'iilm I‘cxthal. (ii/iimi‘i’liill (ill. (i/uwun.
The Dark Knight 1 mm 0.00
t('hrixtophcr .\'olan. IS. 2008) ('hrixtian
Balc. Ilcath I.cdgct‘. Maggic (3}llcnhaal.
152mm. .\'olau'x rmamp of thc xupcrhcro
I'ranchixc rcachcx itx apothcoxix u ith thix
xcqucl to Bil/Hill” Ili'giiix. a xupt‘cttlcl} ucll-
imagincd. pcrl'cctl)‘ cxccutcd film that cotnhincx hIockhuxtcr xpcctaclc \\ ith indic cincma cool and xmartx. I’x} chotic. chaox-
Io\ ing clott n Illc Jokcr ll.cdgcrl ix
introduccd ax thc dark knight'x ultimatc
ncmcxix and a thrilling hattlc xlotx'l}
tcrrorixcx thc popttlacc ot' (iotham. I.II.»I.\'
Illi'itlrr'. (i/uxumt:
scottishoperauZécrguk
Name Ari Folman
Born Haifa. Israel, 1962 Background Folman lived in London between the ages of 10 and 13 before returning to Israel and national service. He was posted in the Lebanon in 1982. After the war he began shooting military films for the Israeli government and in 1996 directed his first feature film. Saint Clara. alongside Ori Sivan. His first solo effort came in 2001 with Made in Israel. He also wrote an episode of Israeli psychiatric TV series In Treatment. which has now been Americanised with Gabriel Byrne starring as the resident psychiatrist.
What’s he up to now? Folman has made the first 'animated documentary' recounting how. during his national sewice. he was ordered to remain passive as Christian militiamen slaughtered Palestinian refugees. To do this. he interviewed some of his friends.
What he says about visiting a psychiatrist
‘When I was 40. I thought "I'm done, I can't work for the military anymore." They said that I needed to see a shrink before I could quit the military. 80 I went there and I told the shrink everything that happened to me since the very first day of my semce. When, after seven sessions. I finished talking with him, I was not irritated by the stories that I told. I was irritated by the fact that I'd never heard them. I came out of those sessions and I started speaking with my friends and I realised that I wasn't alone.‘
What he says about the 2006 invasion of Lebanon What happened two years ago was outrageous. I was sitting there watching the reports and I thought "This is deja-vu." The same villages we went through. the same roads and the kids that are being killed there. they were not even born then. No lesson has been learned.
Interesting fact Folman worked as a spons journalist and is fascinated by Liverpool FC. (Kaleem Aftab)
I Waltz with Bash/r is on release from Fri 27 Nov. See review. page 4 7.
Iii-~27 Nov 2008 THE LIST 43