5,000 Fingers of Dr T (t‘) 00. (Roy Rowland. t'S. Wit) Tommy Rettig. Ilans (‘onried. Peter l.ind Hayes. 88min. A nine-y'ear-old boy imagines his piano teacher as an authoritarian madman. On one ley‘el. the musical numbers and fantasy structure make it an acceptable kids' moy ie: on another. it's a fascinating blend of surreal dream imagery that would have had l-‘reud (inkling at the iyories. Part of Weans' World. l'i'hnhoust'. Edinburgh.
The Four Feathers (PG) 0000 (Zoltan Korda. I'K. ION) John ('Ienients. June I)upre/. Ralph Richardson. l30min. Rousing period melodrama about patriotism and cowardice in a time of colonial conquest (the Battle of ()mduran in the Sudan). This is by far the best \ersion of Ali\\' Mason's much-filmed noy el. Scotsman Screening Room. Edinburgh.
Ghost Town ( 12A) 000 (Day id Koepp. IS. 2008) Ricky (ieryais. l‘rank Kinnear. Tea l.eoni. l02inin. I-‘or this Manhattan-set interpretation of A ('hrixtnius (‘uml (ieryais plays middle-aged smock- wearing tooth jockey' (dentist) Bertram Pincus. a hateful mm of a man. After going into hospital for an endoscopy. Bertram starts to see dead people. one of whom. Frank (Kinnear). is about to change Bertram's life by introducing him to widower (iwen (l.eoni ). The results are predictably bland but not without their merits. (it'ni'ru/ I't'lt'uxi'.
Girl with a Suitcase (La Ragazza con la valigia) ( IS) 0000 (Valerio Zurlini. ltaly/l"rance. l‘)(il ) ('laudia (‘ardinale. Jacques Perrin. Luciana Aiigiolillo. l03min. Aida ((‘ardinalei heads out alone for the big city alter being dumped by her loyer. She is befriended by her ex-suitor's younger brother Loren/o (Perrin I. who eyentually becomes her new paramour. But when Aida begins a new relationship. she tries to let Loren/o down gently. Superb. highly stylised. near archetypal lightweight swinging 60s comedy drama by a filmmaker whose work became a lot darker. Part of Zurlini season. I'llnt/Iullu’. Ifdinlmrgh.
46 THE LIST 113- 27 Nov 2008
Golmaal Returns ( 12A) (Roltit Shelly. liidia. 2008) Ajay Dex-gait. Ttisshai' Kapoor. Arshad Warsi. l3tiniin. Sequel to 2000's (in/maul and a remake of An] k1 Ilium Khuhur. (titr’tt’ul'ld Rt’ltln'ii‘ SHI'K’. (i/us‘gmiz
Gomorrah ( IS) 0000 (Matteo (iarrone. Italy. 2008) Salyatore Abruuese. Simone Sacehettino. Saly'atore Rocco. 137mm. (iarione offers an intriguing account of the Napoli-based ('aniorra. adapted from the bestselling book by
journalist Roberto Say iano. This excellent
ensemble drama shows us \arious facets of Malia life. from the recruiting of young kids to the infiltration of seemingly legitimate industries such as haute couture and segues into the waste industry. A desery ing w inner of the (irand Prix at (‘annes (ii/nu). Iidi'nhurgh. High School Musical 3: Senior Year (I') 0. (Kenny Ortega. IS. 2008) [ac lifron. Vanessa Anne lludgens. Ashley Tisdale. l I lmin. This time high school seniors Troy (lifron) and (iabriella (IIudgeiis) prepare for separation before they head off to different colleges by staging an elaborate spring musical. Iiyery bit as nauseating as it sounds (unless you are a child under its shamanistic powers). HS.” .i' does. how ey er. take adyantage of the big screen format with some impressiye ensemble iiiusic and dance numbers. (ii'nerul release. The House Bunny ( 12A) 00 (Fred Wolf. IS. 2008) Anna I'iaris. (‘olin Ilanks. limma Stone. ‘V'min. Predictably pitiful comedy about a recently unemployed l’lm'hm mansion bunny (l‘arris) who goes to college. l‘orniulaic Legit/h BliHlt/t’lSIl slapstick which still manages to raise a few laughs. lint/tire (TVt/U/HIHA. (In/chunk: Shuui'uu' ('uu'lnu. I’ll/\lt'L Pius/m. Hunger ( IS) 00000 (Steye McQueen. I‘K/Ireland. 2008) Michael I‘assbender. Stuart (iraliam. llclcna Bereen. Utimin. In IUSI proyisional IRA member Bobby Sands allow ed his body to become the ultimate instrument of protest when he led the Male prison hunger strike. Directed by 'I'urner Pri/e-winning artist McQueen
Very rare scening of US children’s writer Dr Seuss and director Roy the 5000 Fingers of Dr T R
and written by Irish play wright Iinda Walsh. Hunger is the story of the last six weeks of Sands' life. A bray e and unforgettable film. tinged with thematic prescience and the politics ()I' belief. Xi'h't'lt'd I‘i'lt'uyt’. |.O.U.S.A. (Ii) (Patrick (Teadon. IS. 2008) 8-lmin. Sundance Veteran Patrick (‘readon looks at the big giant financial mess the IS. and the rest of the world. is in with the help of IS (ioyernment's .-\ccotintability ()ffice‘s ('omptroller (ieneral David Walker. ('ium'u. lidi'nhureh. I’ve Loved you So Long ( IZA) 0.. (Philippe ('laudel. Iirance. 2008) Kristin Scott ’I‘hoinas. Iilsa Xy lberstein. Serge Ila/anayicius. l l7min. In northeast lirance. l.ea (/.y lberstein) has just been released from behind bars and the story follows her re-introduction into society and gradual emotional rapprochement with her sister (Scott Thomas). ('laudel's directorial debut places cyeryone inside metaphorical prisons in this patient and sensitiyely shot family drama. (iruyi'i'nm: (ilusenw; (11mm. l-fdinhureh. Igor (PG) .0. (Anthony l.eondis. l'S/I’rance. 3003) Voices of J0htt (.llsttelx. John (’leese. Iiddie lz/ard. 8(imin. lIunchbacked lgor (voiced by ('tisack) ekes out his precarious existence as htnnble seryant to the sinister I)r (ilickenstein ((‘leese). an ex il genius set on winning the annual ey il science fair in the badass proy ince of Malaria. But Igor bray ely decides to enter the competiton himself and enters his Bride of I-‘rankenstein-sty le creation called liya (Molly Shannon). Decent but uninspired animation. (ii-Hera! I'l’lt'llH’.
Import Export ( l8) it‘lrich Seidl.
Atisti'ia. 2007) Iikatei'yna Rak. Paul llofmann. Michael Thomas. lJlmin. lin/mrl Ift/HH‘I C(iltsists ()l' t\\() seemingly unrelated stories. ()Iga (Rak) is a l'krainian nurse. who leayes behind her infant daughter and mother in search of better paid work in Vienna. l'nemploy ed Pauli (Paul lloffnian) meanwhile is making the re\ erse geographical journey. A political film. in the widest sense of the term. Import lit/ion demonstrates how in the ‘new‘ free-market
owland’s bizarre 1953 fantasy about Bart (Tommy Rettig) a boy who’s been slacking on his piano practice. His obsessed piano teacher Dr Terwilliker (Hans Conreid) has a plan to make all naughty boys play their instruments by putting them in a music academy prison camp. Surreal, vivid and a whole heap of fun, Dr Seuss (real name Theodor Geisel) was unusually collaborative on this project, not only writing the screenplay but all the songs as well. Showing as part of Weans’ World, kids get in for £2.
I Film/rouse. Edinburgh, Sun 23 8 Mon 24 Nov.
Iiurope Vulnerable individuals are appallingly exploited. (i/uyenn l'i/m Theatre. Glasgow.
The Incredible Hulk ( IZA) 00
(Louis l.eterricr. IS. 2008) Iidward Norton. I.i\ Tyler. Tim Roth. 1 12min. Pix-e years after Ang l.ee's Hulk commercially flopped. l.eterrier ditches cerebral musing for all-out action and little else. The sequel finds Dr Bruce Banner (Norton) hiding from the American military. reunited with loyer Betty Ross (Tyler) and pursued by her father. (ieiieral 'I'hunderbolt Ross (William Hurt). Disappointingly dumb. this Hulk is anything but incredible. (ilusgrm‘ I'll/In iii/lt’tlll'l'. (i/uxgmi.
Journey to The Center of The Earth (P(i) .0. (Iiric Breyig. IS. 2008) Brendan liraser. Josh lIutcherson. Anita Briem. 02min. Iinjoyably silly adyenture based on the classic Jules Verne noy'el starring Fraser ('I'hi' .lluinmr) as a science pt'nlessor whose renegade theories are held in contempt by the academic community. On an expedition in Iceland. he stumbles upon a disco\ ery that is to be the beginning of his journey deep beneath the Iiarth's surface. ('im'u-i-rld l’urlthd. (i/mguu.
Katyn ( 18) O... (Andr/ej \Vajda. Poland. 2007) Artur Xniiliew ski. Maia ()stas/ew ska. Andr/ej (‘hyra. l 18min. \Vajda adopts a inatter-of-fact approach in examining the I040 Soy iet slaughter of thousands of Polish officers and citi/ens in the Katyn I‘orest. Part of the Winter l’estiyal of ('entral and Iiast Iitiropean I’ilm. Film/muse. Edinburgh.
Knights of the Teutonic Order (PG) .... (Aleksander I'tit‘d. Poland. l‘)()0) I'rs/ula Modr/ynska. (ira/y‘na
Stanis/ew ska. Andr/ej S/alaw ski. loomin. A young nobleman returns from a war against the order of the ’I‘eutonic Knights in Lithuania. I‘alling deeply in line with a beautiful young woman. the knight pledges to bring her three trophies from his battle. Beautiful and brutal. long in erlookcd Polish epic. The scope and depth of this adaptation of .\'obel Pri/e w inner llenry'k Sienkiewicl's noyel really is something to behold. Highly recommended. Edinburgh I’ll/n (iui/d. Ifdin/mrgh.
Kung Fu Panda (PG) 000 (Mark ()sborne. John Steycnson. ISA. 2008) Voices of Jack Black. Jackie ('han. Angelina Jolie. ‘)linin. ()y erw eight panda I’U (lilaekljuins his heroes. the l-‘ierce l‘iye. in a butt-kicking adyenture when the yalley of peace is threatened with the return of bad kung fu master. Tai I.ung (McShane). This is I)reamw'orks-does-manga animation.
in erlaid with an liastern sersion of the fated place-iii-the-uniyerse style philosophy originally trademarked in The [ion Kine. Sv/(i‘li‘d I't’lt'ilyt'.
Last House on Dead End Street (18).... (Roger Watkins. IS. 1077) Roger Watkins. Ken Fisher. Bill Schlageter. 78min. An ex-con decides to take rey enge on society by making snuff films. One of the most infamous unseen films of the horror genre. with saw s and pow er-drills aplenty. Part of ()uter limits? season. (ilusunii' I'i/In 'I'lu’ulrc. (ilusgmi:
The Legend of the Suram Fortress ( IS) 0... (Sergei I’arajanoy. Georgia/Soy iet l'nion. I934) \et‘ikt) Andjaparid/e. ’I'aniari ‘I‘sitsishy ili. Dudukhana 'l”serod/e. 88min. This poetic Soy iet film utilises old (ieoi‘gian folklore about a boy who must be immured into the walls of fortress to keep it strong. as a base for a tale about the despot of Suram try mg to rebuild his kingdom. l'niquely stunning. I‘i/mhuuu'. lat/inhumh.
Let’s Talk About the Rain t 12A) ... ‘-'\2—'nes Jaoui. l-‘rance. 2008) Jean- Pierre Bacri. Jamel I)ebbou/e. Agnes Jaoui. l00min. Defying high-concept classification. this episodic. low -key romantic roundelay features feminist writer Agatlic (Jaoui ). who returns to her childhood home. partly to announce her political candidacy at an electoral rally and partly to help her sister sort throuin their late mother's affaiisfl'hc hotisekeeper‘s son (Debbou/e) and his director pal (Bacri) make a documentary about Agathe: their amateurish filming affected by romantic