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REVENGE TALE KATALIN VARGA (15) 82min ●●●●● FANTASY THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR PARNASSUS (12A) 122min ●●●●●
ANIMATED FANTASY UP (U) 96min ●●●●●
You almost tire of saying it but Pixar have created another masterpiece with Up. As uplifting as it is heartbreaking, Pete Docter and Bob Peterson’s film is a magical adventure that takes an odd couple relationship and turns it into one of the most rewarding movies of the year.
The film follows the fortunes of 78-year-old curmudgeon Carl
Fredericksen (voiced by Ed Asner) and eight-year-old junior wilderness explorer Russell (Jordan Nagai) as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime in South America. We’re first introduced to Carl as a wide-eyed child captivated by the exploits of maverick explorer Charles Muntz, an adoration mirrored by fellow would-be adventurer Ellie, with whom Carl becomes smitten and pledges to take travelling. Marriage ensues, whereby viewers are whisked off on one of the most
exquisite montages in recent history, as Carl and Ellie’s life unfolds through triumph and tragedy right up until Ellie’s death. The montage is a defining moment in underlining Pixar’s persistent brilliance in animation. In less than five minutes it contains more emotion than most real-time movies and is virtually guaranteed to reduce you to tears as the trials of life overtake Carl and Ellie’s dreams.
Thereafter, Carl vows to honour Ellie’s memory and, faced with eviction, heads off to South America by tying thousands of balloons to his house . . . with hapless Russell in tow.
Their adventure takes in over-sized birds, talking attack dogs and a
meeting with childhood hero Muntz, as well as much bonding between grumpy old man and plucky scout. While it unfolds on a grand scale, Up, at its heart, is a human story that resonates with viewers of every age. Children will warm to the Looney Tunes-esque mayhem of the action, while adults will resonate with its themes of lost love, lapsed ambition and life’s struggle. It’s this ability to marry sadness with triumph that consistently sets Pixar ahead of the rest, as well as the arresting beauty of its 3D visuals. It’s an experience to savour. (Rob Carnevale) ■ General release from Fri 9 Oct.
Filmed in two weeks on a micro budget, Katalin Varga is proof of just how good independent filmmaking can be in the hands of a committed and intelligent filmmaker, in this case, first time director Peter Strickland. While a tale of revenge set in
Transylvania might sound like the perfect recipe for a hackneyed cinematic disaster, Strickland manages to sidestep all the potential pitfalls with consummate ease. The film’s slowly unfolding narrative follows the titular heroine, Varga, as a violent secret from her past leads her on a dangerous odyssey. Retribution and justice are the themes that propel this journey along, to which the director assumes a thoroughly non-didactic approach. Within a setting that seems both
ambiguous and transcendent (it is set in the present, though it is someway through the film before this becomes apparent) Strickland presents multiple points of view that test easily formed assumptions about the nature of good and evil and, uniquely, allow the viewer to sympathise with all the characters regardless of their significant flaws.
A blistering central performance from Hilda Péter as Katalin Varga and an extraordinary use of sound design also contribute to this utterly breathtaking film. Strickland is certainly a rare and promising talent and it will be exciting to see what he does next. (Anna Rogers) ■ Filmhouse, Edinburgh and GFT, Glasgow from Friday 9 Oct.
Terry Gilliam has pulled a rabbit from his mad hat with his latest, a lively if flawed fantasy that looks set to reward him with one of his biggest hits. Notorious for having been interrupted by the death of Heath Ledger, the film only saw the light of day once the late actor’s friends Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law stepped in. What could have been a mess now stands as a fascinating tribute to both its late star and the director’s determination to honour his memory. The story is utterly Gilliam-esque,
focusing on immortal carnival owner Dr Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) as he enters a wager with the devil to save the life of his daughter before her soul is collected as payment for his eternal life. Ledger plays Tony, a charity owner of dubious character who has been saved from the hangman’s noose, and who may offer Parnassus the unlikeliest of aids. Given the trauma surrounding its
creation, Gilliam’s film offers an enthralling morality tale that’s full of the director’s trademark visual panache as well as strong performances. It unravels towards the end but is generally a return to the type of form the director showed with Brazil and The Fisher King. (Rob Carnevale) ■ General release from Fri 16 Oct.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER PONTYPOOL (15) 96min ●●●●●
Semiotics forms the unlikely basis for this highly imaginative and wholly original take on the zombie horror movie, directed by Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald from a script by writer Tony Burgess, based on his book Pontypool Changes Everything.
A small town is overrun by what appears to be the undead and the nightmarish events are reported as a breaking news story by local radio shock jock Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie). As the increasingly horrific story unfolds, Mazzy and his producer (Lisa Houle) work desperately to make sense of what seems to be a plague somehow transmitted through language.
All of the action takes place within the confines of a radio station located in the basement of a deconsecrated church. McDonald’s apparently non-cinematic decision to tell rather than show what’s happening in the titular town is actually a very smart one that gives the fantastic events a degree of believability and at the same time maintains the mystery and ratchets up the tension. Meanwhile, a charismatic turn from Watchmen’s McHattie and a committed one from his real- life wife Houle keep things lively and dramatic. And beyond the very effective chills and thrills, there’s some clever socio-political commentary on the use and abuse of language. (Miles Fielder) ■ General release from Fri 16 Oct.