Film Index
2010) Brandon T Jackson, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman. 118min. See Also released, page 49. General release from Fri 12 Feb. Perfect Moment: Instant (PG) (Thierry Donard, France, 2009) 80min. French director Donard continues to push the boundaries of action sport film with this spectacular documentary work following international skiers, surfers, skaters, free-fallers and boarders. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Pomegranates and Myrrh (Al Mor wa al Rumman) (12A) (Najwa Najjar, Palestine, 2009) Yasmine Al Massri, Ashraf Farah, Ali Suliman. 95min. Najjar’s debut feature combines a stellar cast, a set of remarkable locations within the Palestinian territories, and a powerful story of love under pressure. Part of Middle Eastern Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Ponyo (U) ●●●●● (Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, 2008) Voices of Noah Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Frankie Jonas. 101min. See review, page 47. General release from Fri 12 Feb.
✽✽ Precious: A Novel by Sapphire (15) ●●●●● (Lee Daniels, US, 2009) Gabourney Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton. 110min. The central turn from Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe as the titular protagonist – an abused black, overweight and uneducated single mother – is mesmerising and endearing. Despite being made pregnant for the second time by her own father, Gabby fantasises about fame and fortune. Unexpected and moving, the Sundance and Toronto film festivals’ top prizewinner, based on the novel Push by Sapphire, is a gem from the projects. Selected release. The Princess and the Frog (U) ●●●●● (Ron Clements/John Musker, US, 2010) Voices of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David. 97min. See Also Released, page 49. General release.
✽✽ A Prophet (18) ●●●●● (Jacques Audiard, France/Italy, 2009) Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif. 150min. Naïve youth Malik (Rahim) enters prison with a view to keeping his head down, but murderous circumstance see him aligned to the Corsican mafia who run the prison. As prison population demographics begin to shift, the cunning Malik uses all his resources to elevate his financial and hierarchical status. Plotted and executed with a slow burn complexity and rare grace, this is a wonderfully mature piece of filmmaking. Selected release. Pulp Fiction (18) ●●●●● (Quentin Tarantino, US, 1994) John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis. 150min. Much more ambitious than Reservoir Dogs, the most awaited second feature of the 90s has many scenes that crackle with Tarantino wit, and a few others that fall flat as the writer-director bravely experiments. Interlocking stories in the pulp crime manner concern hitmen, ailing boxers, gang bosses and their molls, drug fiends, and assorted riff- raff. Sloans, Glasgow.
✽✽ The Road (15) ●●●●● (John Hillcoat, US, 2009) Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Guy Pearce. 111min. In this largely faithful adaptation, Hillcoat and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe have successfully recreated the barren, grey, burnt out landscape described in Cormac McCarthy’s text. Mortensen is admirable as the man journeying with his son (Smit-Mcphee) and it’s bleak in a way that Hollywood rarely dares to be. Even with an overused voiceover however, this adaptation is at times frustratingly more about the physical rather than existential journey. General release. The Search for Shangri-la (PG) (Various, Various, Various) 90min. A selection of films from the BFI National Archive featuring images taken in Tibet from 1920–1950. Glasgow Film Theatre.
✽✽ Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (18) ●●●●● (Mat Whitecross, UK, 2010)
Andy Serkis, Olivia Williams, Naomie Harris. 115min. In this amusing biopic of Ian Drury, Whitecross sets up the story as a vaudeville act fronted by the musician in which fantasy, dreams and realism are mixed. Cameo, Edinburgh. Sherlock Holmes (12A) ●●●●● (Guy Ritchie, UK/Australia/US, 2009) Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams. 128min. Ritchie’s long-awaited, high-octane
52 THE LIST 4–18 Feb 2010
action interpretation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary hero. General release. A Single Man (12A) ●●●●● (Tom Ford, USA, 2009) Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult. 99min. See preview, page 46, and review, page 49. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Song of Sparrows (12A) ●●●●● (Majid Majidi, Iran, 2008) Reza Naji, Maryam Akbari, Kam. 96min. Iranian film about an ostrich farmer who is blamed for the escape of the birds. Fleeing to the city, the farmer’s values are transformed and he takes up a job as a motorcycle taxi driver. Part of Middle Eastern Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold (PG) (Barnaby Thompson/Oliver Parker, UK, 2009) Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Talulah Riley. 106min. More naughty girls’ adventures in this revived Ealing comedy franchise starring various members of Girls Aloud. This time the girls go in search of hidden treasure. Selected release. Star Trek (12A) ●●●●● (JJ Abrams, US/Germany, 2009) Chris Pine, Jennifer Morrison, Simon Pegg. 126min. A quirk in the space-time continuum allows both a sequel and prequel to the already vast Star Trek oeuvre, in which Lost creator Abrams surpasses his previous film efforts to reinvent the whole dynamic of the USS Enterprise. Emotional struggles from Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Vulcan Spock mix with adrenaline packed adventure to ensure that Star Trek is that rare thing, a blockbuster with humour and guts. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Toy Story 2 3D (U) ●●●●● (John Lasseter, US, 2009) Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack. 94min. Lasseter’s masterful sequel gets the silly glasses treatment. We’re just happy to see it back on the big screen – dimensionally enhanced or not. Selected release. Treeless Mountain (PG) ●●●●● (So Yong Kim, South Korea, 2008) Kim Hee- yeon, Kin Song-hee, Lee Soo-ah. 89min. Two young Korean sisters are left with their bad tempered aunt when their mother goes in search of their estranged father. But things don’t go as expected and soon they are moving again to their grandparents’ farm. Quiet, moving and thought-provoking drama from the acclaimed director of In Between Days. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (12A) ●●●●● (Chris Weitz, US, 2009) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner. 130min. A faithful reproduction of Meyer’s second book covering the middle ground of the series. The epic relationship between Bella (Stewart) and undead Edward (Pattinson) falters, leaving space for a new lupine love rival and resulting in some close brushes with vampire law-makers the Volturi. For naysayers, this is insipid teen vamp romance, but Twilight followers will enjoy the assiduous casting, convincing CGI and fantastic soundtrack. Showcase Cinema, Coatbridge, Glasgow; Showcase Cinema, Paisley. Up 2D (U) ●●●●● (Pete Docter/Bob Peterson, US, 2009) Voices of Christopher Plummer, Edward Asner, Paul Eiding. 96min. Seventy-eight–year-old curmudgeon Carl Fredericksen and eight-year-old Junior Wilderness Explorer Russell embark on the adventure of a lifetime in South America. While it unfolds on a grand scale, at its heart is a human story that will resonate with viewers of every age. Marrying sadness with triumph, Pixar have created another masterpiece. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. Up in the Air (15) ●●●●● (Jason Reitman, US, 2009) George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick. 109min. Thank You For Smoking and Juno director Reitman presents a timely and absorbing examination of our recession-hit world. Adapted from Walter Kirn’s novel, the film centres on well- groomed executive Ryan Bingham (Clooney). Flying from city-to-city, Bingham is hired to fire, but the rub comes when we learn that Bingham’s life on the road is being threatened thanks to a new scheme by a grad-school whiz. Poignant, prescient, sharp and incisive. General release. Valentine’s Day (12A) (Garry Marshall, UK, 2010) Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher,
Jessica Alba. 124min. See Also Released, page 49. General release from Fri 12 Feb. What the Snow Brings (E) (Kichitaro Neishi, Japan, 2005) Yusuke Iseya. 112min. Having recently lost his high class lifestyle and family, Manabu (Iseya) returns to his family home in Hokkaido where his brother manages a stable. This screening will be preceded by short documentary. Part of New Japanese Cinema season. Ice Drifts–In Search of Clues to Mystery. Gilmorehill G12, Glasgow. When Harry Met Sally (15) ●●●●● (Rob Reiner, US, 1989) Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher. 95min. Thoughtful sex comedy has Crystal (Harry), Ryan (Sally) and Reiner on top form, with highly entertaining results. Nora Ephron’s witty screenplay intelligently ponders the possibility of male/female friendship with or without romance, and guess which side wins. An Annie Hall for the late 1980s, with now- famous faked orgasm. Grosvenor, Glasgow. Where the Wild Things Are (PG) ●●●●● (Spike Jonze, US, 2009) Max Records, Pepita Emmerichs, Mark Ruffalo. 100min. Maurice Sendak’s nine-sentence children’s tale about a boy whose bedroom turns into a forest full of huge creatures gets the Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) treatment. Any joy here comes from the brilliant production design of the creatures – Jonze opts to use puppetry over CGI and this gives the action an ethereal quality. Unfortunately the creatures are emotional stereotypes and as such, lack dimension. Selected release.
✽✽ The White Ribbon (15) ●●●●● (Michael Haneke, Germany/Austria,
2009) Christian Friedel, Ulrich Tukur, Burghart Klaussner. 143min. Featuring the remarkable black and white cinematography of Christian Berger, Haneke’s latest film expertly paints a withering portrait of life in a pre- World War German village that is dominated by feudalism and a particularly sadistic breed of religion. An outstanding, multilayered achievement, dripping with nastiness and resonating with a sense of impending historical doom. Cameo, Edinburgh. The Wolfman (15) (Joe Johnston, UK/US, 2010) Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins. 102min. See Also Released, page 49. General release. The Yacoubian Building (Omaret Yakobean) (PG) ●●●●● (Marwan Hamed, Egypt, 2005) Adel Imam, Nour El-Sherif, Youssra. 172min. Epic adaptation of Alaa Al Aswani’s bestselling novel, which delves into the nitty gritty of modern Egyptian life and finds corruption, forbidden love, fundamentalism and the hitherto taboo subject of homosexuality. This scathing satire of modern Egyptian life is marvellously entertaining, and looks fantastic. Part of Middle Eastern Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Youth in Revolt (15) ●●●●● (Miguel Arteta, US, 2009) Michael Cera,
Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart. 90min. See review, page 49. General release.
Films are listed by city, then alphabetically by cinema. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black.
Glasgow CCA
350 Sauchiehall Street. Bookings: 0141 352 4900. Prices vary.
FRIDAY 5 FEB Electron Club DIY Cinema: Communities in Action (E) 7.00.
TUESDAY 9 FEB Malleable Spaces (18) 7.30.
THURSDAY 11 FEB
The Edge of the World (PG) 7.00.
Cineworld Parkhead
Forge Shopping Centre, 1221 Gallowgate. 0871 200 2000. Adults £6.30 (£5.70 Mon–Thu before 5pm). Children & Students £4.60 (£4.20 Mon–Thu). Seniors £4.60. Family ticket £18. Early bird (before noon): £4.20. Movies for Juniors (selected films Sat am): £1.
THURSDAY 4 FEB
All About Steve (12A) 9.10. Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel (U) 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.40, 1.50, 2.45, 4.30, 6.50. Avatar 2D (12A) 4.55, 8.15. The Book of Eli (15) noon, 5.00. Edge of Darkness (15) noon, 3.00, 6.00, 9.00. It’s Complicated (15) 11.35am, 2.35, 5.35, 8.35. Ninja Assassin (18) 2.40, 8.00. Sherlock Holmes (12A) 11.45am, 2.45, 5.45, 8.45. Up in the Air (15) 11.15am, 1.45, 4.15, 6.45, 9.15.
FRIDAY 5–THURSDAY 11 Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel (U) Daily: 11.30am, 1.45, 4.10, 6.15. Also Sat & Sun: 10.30am, 12.45. Astro Boy (PG) Daily: 11.15am, 1.35, 3.55, 6.25. Avatar 2D (12A) Daily: 1.00 (not Sat & Sun), 4.30, 8.00. Edge of Darkness (15) Daily: noon, 3.00, 6.00, 8.50. Fantastic Mr Fox (PG) Sat: 10.00am. It’s Complicated (15) Daily: 8.35. Night at the Museum 2 (PG) Sat: 10.00am. The The Princess and the Frog (U) Daily: 11.00am (not Mon, Tue & Thu), 1.30 (not Sun), 4.00, 6.30 (not Mon), 9.00.
Perfect Moment: Instant most daring and fearless sporting feats in skiing, surfing, freefalling and skating in this visually stunning film. One for adrenaline junkies everywhere. ■ Filmhouse, Edinburgh,Tue 9 Feb. Thierry Donard’s heart-stopping documentary catches some of the