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 Hitlist entry
Age of Stupid ( llAi CO. (l-‘ranny Armstrong. l'K. 3009) Pete l’ostlethwaite. Piers (itiy. Jamila Bay'y‘oud. t)(lmin. Marrying Britain‘s honourable tradition of dystopian sci-ti with the eco documentary form. Armstrong's liliii is an aesthetically pragmatic. ethically dogmatic attempt to save the world. More or less a documentary study telling six stories from four continents. the film‘s strength lies in their variety. and the compelling use of sci-ti as a framing device. with l’ostlethwaite playing a character looking after the (ilobal Archive in the future. Brimimi ‘I‘limin'. Iz'ili'ii/mrg/i. Aladdin (1') 0.. (John .\tusker/Roii Clements. t‘S. l‘NZi Voices of Robin Williams. Scott \Veinger. Linda l.arkin. ()lmin. lt's panto time. Disney style. as streetwise thief Aladdin woos Princess Jasmine with the help of the (ieiiie of the Lamp and hindrance of the evil Jafar. Colourful. entertaining stuff for kids of all ages. Williams's whirling derv ish of a (ienie inevitably steals the show. ()(lt'U/l. lz‘tliIi/iiujigli.
All the President’s Men ( 15)
0... (Alan J l’aktila. l'S. l‘)7(i) Dustin Hoffman. Robert Redford. Jack Warden. 138mm. Released in 19% during the ('aner-Ford presidential campaign. l’akula‘s political thriller traces the real-life story of journalists Bob Woodward (Redford) and ('arl Bernstein (Hoffman) as they uncover an attempted crime in Washington l)(".s Watergate (‘omplex that led to the
Watergate Scandal and Nixon's resignation. A Classic of the Hillel] abused c‘t‘tlstltlct'
journalist genre. Smisniun .S'i‘n't'iii'ng erlil.
I'.}li'iiliiii(eli.
An American Tail (ti .0. (Don Bluth. l'S. 108m Voices of Dom l)el.tiise. Madeline Kahii. ('hristopher l’ltiminer. 80min. In the late Nth century. the .\lousekewit/ family makes its way from trouble-torn Russia to a new life in America. bill they find the streets of New York are not all paved with gold. A wealth of background detail displays Bltitli's admirably painstaking approach to animation. bill the foreground narrative. often agreeably perilous. does occasionally reek of sentimentality. (i/ilsgmi' I'i/ni 'I‘lit’um:
Angels & Demons ( l3:\t .0
(Ron Howard. t'S. 3000i Tom Hanks. tiw an .\lc(ircgor. Stellan Skarsgard. 138mm. Ron Howard's sequel to The [hi lillt'f ('m/t'. Although a great improvement on its
w rctchcd 3(l()(i precursor. with more action and a clearer plot. it‘s still full of cock portentous theological babble. alarmist politics and terrible acting. (;('IIt'I'(l/ i‘t'lt'itu'. Australia ( mm .0. (Ba/ l.uhrmann. Australia/1S. 2008i Nicole Kidman. llugh Jackmaii. Brandon Walters. leiniii. l’rissy liiiglish woman l.ady Sarah Ashley (ls'idiiiani heads to Atistralia thinking she‘s going to catch her husband cheating on her. only to find a country run by bigots. l.uhrmann soon takes l.ady Sarah w alkabotit. delivering a seriously damning verdict on his country 's past. lirimmn 'I'lic’uii'e. lat/iii/iiufig/i.
Baby Love ( l5) (\‘iiiceiit (iareiiq. l‘i'aiice. 2008i l.aiiibert Wilson. l’ilar Lopez dc Ayala. l’ascal lilbe. 08min. A wealthy Parisian gay couple split tip when one of them decides he wants to raise a child. A
comedy of errors ensues. and the film's fatherly protagonist embarks on a surprising
journey. Part of the London Lesbian & (iay
Film Festival On Tour. I'iliii/iuim'. Ifrliiiliiugli.
Bedtime Stories (I’m 00 (Adam Shankmaii. IS. 2008) Adam Sandler. Keri Rtissell. (‘ourteney (‘o.\. 90min. Family fantasy about a man who can make bedtime stories come to life. St'i't'i‘lt't/ I'('/('(1.\t'.
Before Stonewall ( lSi COO
((it'ettt Schiller/Robert Rosenberg. t'S. I‘JS-l) 87min. lii ION) the patrons of the Stonewall Inn in New York fought back against a police raid with three nights of rioting. This film examines the historical background to this burst of poltical energy. moving from the early 20s onwards tisiiig a wealth of archive material and interviews. ('unir'n. I'ji/iiilim'uli.
Blood: The Last Vampire ( IS)
0. ((‘hris Nahon. llong Kong/Argentiiia/l"rance/Japan. Zoom (iiaiiiia Jun. Allison Miller. l.iaiii (‘uniiinghanr Ulmin. See Also Released. page ~15 and profile in listings. (ii'm'm/ I't'lt'ilH’.
Blue Eyelids ( 15) .0. (lii'nesto Contreras. .\le\lco. 2003i (‘Cc‘llitt Sttttt‘el. linrique Arreola. Ana ()felia .\ltirgia. 08min. l.o\e. naively and loneliness in a modern Mexican iiiegalopolis are essay ed in this charming and quirky bittersweet comedy. \Vheii factory worker Marina (Suare/i wins an all espenses paid trip for two from her eiiiploy‘er she realises that. because of her solitude. she has Ito one to take with her. As the holiday deadline approaches she decides to take a chalice on a stranger. (iluigmr [Vi/m 'I‘lic'uirt'.‘ I'i'Ini/iuiist'. l-frli'iI/mre/i.
The Blues Brothers ( ISi coo
(John l.andis. t‘S. 1980i John Belushi. l)aii Aykro) d. (‘arrie l-‘isher. 130mm. l’un. if overlong and anarchic (‘hicago-based comedy with the two stars on a mission from (iod to salvage the imperiled fortunes of an orphanage. Lots of guest stars. musical numbers and automotive destruction in a typical product of over- emphatic contemporary American humour. (if/It'll‘til'ltl Rt’ltfl‘t'ii' SHIT]. (i/uxgmr.
Bolt ( l’(il 0... (Byron lloward/ ('ltris \thltatits. [8. 2009) Voices of Miley' (‘y'rus. John 'l‘ravolta. Susie lissman. 103mm. Heart-tugging Disney animation about child actress l’enny (voiced by ('y'rusi and dog Bolt ('l‘ravoltai who star in a hit TV series. ('iiir'imrltl lir/iii/mije/i. Ifilili/iiugli.
Cars (l’(il .O. (John l.ussetel‘. IS. 3006) Voices of ()wcti \Vilson. Paul Newman. Bonnie Hunt. Larry The ('able (iuy. lllmin. Racecar lightning McQueen loses his way en route to the final race of the season and finds himself marooned iii the sleepy town of Radiator Springs. which is populated by an array of misfit cars. ('iiit'ii'rii'lil I’ui'klit'uil. (ilusemr; (’iiir'wm'lil Iz't/i'ii/imfie/i. Ifrliii/mre/i.
Coraline 20 (l’(it oooo (llcnry Selicls. IS. 3000) Voices of Dakota Fanning. 'l'eri llatcher. John llodgmaii. ltltlmin. After her family mov es to Pink Mansions. ('oraline (voiced by liaiiningi quickly becomes bored with the large dusty house. and in particular with her hardworking parents (llatcher and llodgiiiani. The fantasy kicks into top gear when she discov ers a secret door that leads her into an alternate version of her home. A lush. visually imaginative and freshly entertaining stop-iiiotion adaptation of Neil (iaiman's children's novel. ('iiiewnrli/ I’ui'k/it'ml. (i/usgmr; lini/iirt' (‘lvi/t'limik. (Yule/Mink.
3 , . s."
Joseph Losey Eleven film retrospective of the films of arguably the greatest of all post-war American filmmakers, whose influence on British
cinema of the 19605 (he resettled here after falling victim to the House of Un-American Activities Committee) is huge. Highlights include early British noir feature Time Without Pity, overlooked crime flick The Criminal starring mighty Scot Stanley Baker, a new print of his second collaboration with Harold Pinter - Accident starring Dirk Bogarde and much more. One of the seasons of the year, without a doubt.
Ticket deals available.
I Fi/m/iouse. Edinburgh from Wed I Jul.
46 THE LIST 2:") Jtiii- S) Jul 2005)