www.list.co.uk/film wow-factor, but such moments of poetry are fleeting and the majority of this film insanely focuses on the uninteresting plight of three houseflies who stowaway onboard. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow. Four Lions (15) ●●●●● (Christopher Morris, UK, 2010) Benedict Cumberbatch, Alex MacQueen, Julia Davis. 101min. Post- 9/11 worthiness put aside, Morris hits the right note as he pokes fun at prejudices with some hapless British Muslims who want to blow themselves up as part of a misconstrued notion of Jihad. Selected release. 4.3.2.1 (15) ●●●●● (Noel Clarke, UK, 2010) Emma Roberts, Tamsin Egerton, Ophelia Lovibond. 116min. With this second film about four girls who have the weekend from hell, Clarke pushes against British drama traditions, telling interconnected stories with a cast of oddball characters. But while the resulting mash-up is entertaining, 4.3.2.1 is ultimately less than the sum of its parts. Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow; Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. Furry Vengeance (PG) ●●●●● (Roger Kumble, US/United Arab Emirates, 2010) Brendan Fraser, Brooke Shields, Ken Jeong. 91min. A band of angry animals teaches an ambitious real estate developer (Fraser) a lesson when his housing development encroaches on their wilderness habitat in this likeably silly, family comedy with a welcome ecological message. Selected release. Future Shorts: Eyjafjallajokull (E) (Various) 90min. Aiming to develop a wider audience for short film, Future Shorts returns, with another excellent international programme. Featuring Malaysian short Rojak, Swedish film Stig, Croatian short Tulum and MIA’s music video Born Free. Roxy Art House, Edinburgh. Garfield (PG) ●●●●● (Peter Hewitt, US, 2004) Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Stephen Tobolowsky, Bill Murray (voice). 81min. Dopey dumb ass version of
the popular strip and TV cartoon. Not half as bad as you may suspect, though Murray is wasted. Grosvenor, Glasgow. Get Him to the Greek (15) ●●●●● (Nicholas Stoller, US, 2010) Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Sean Combs. 108min. See review, page 46. General release. Good Hair (12A) ●●●●● (Jeff Stilson, US, 2009) 95min. See review, page 46. Selected release from Fri 25 Jun. Gran Torino (15) ●●●●● (Clint Eastwood, US/Australia, 2008) Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang. 116min. Eastwood attempts a light-hearted reproach to some of the more reactionary values of his previous films in this, his acting swansong. Old-fashioned patriot Walt’s (Eastwood) nonchalant relationship towards the Hmong family who live next door changes when he catches shy young Thao (Bee Vang) trying to steal his car. A film rich in allusion, pride and warm comedy. Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Greenberg (15) ●●●●● (Noah Baumbach, US, 2010) Ben Stiller,
Rhys Ifans. 107min. Turning again to the withering, unacceptable and downright unpleasant face of educated America, Baumbach profiles Greenberg – an obnoxious and self-absorbed 40-year-old who has returned to Los Angeles after years away. Post Woody Allen’s comic acting heyday this is the most (squirming) fun you will ever have with a neurotic. Selected release. The Happiest Girl in the World (15) ●●●●● (Radu Jade, Romania/Netherlands, 2009) Andreea Bosneag, Vasile Muraru, Violeta Haret. 100min. This debut feature from Romanian filmmaker Jude, about teenager Delia (Bosneag) who must travel to Bucharest to record a television commercial after winning a car in a competition, makes for a sympathetic study of the generational tensions within a family struggling to prosper in a consumer-driven society. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Heartbreaker (L’Arnacoeur) (15) ●●●●● (Pascal Chaumeil, France/Monaco, 2010) Romain Duris, Vanessa Paradis, Julie Ferrier. 104min. See feature, page 24 and review, page 45. Selected release. Hierro (12A) ●●●●● (Gabe Ibáñez, Spain, 2009) Elena Anaya, Jon Ariño, Hugo Arbues. 88min. See review, page 44. Cameo, Edinburgh. Horror/Cult Film Discussion Group Meet up with other genre fans at this relaxed and friendly discussion group. Glasgow Film Theatre. How to Train Your Dragon 2D (PG) ●●●●● (Dean DeBlois/Chris Sanders, US, 2010) Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera. 97min. Commendable new DreamWorks animation set in the mythical world of Vikings and dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell. Hiccup, a Viking teenager, befriends a dragon. Vue Ocean, Edinburgh. Hubble 3D (U) (Toni Meyers, Canada, 2010) 44min. Leonardo Di Caprio narrates the latest 3D IMAX space adventure. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow. I Am Love (15) ●●●●● (Luca Guadagnino, Italy, 2009) Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini. 120min. An announcement made at the birthday celebration of an ageing Italian industrialist triggers a series of events that will impact the family’s lives forever in this film of rare formal grace. It is at this party that central protagonist Emma (Swinton) meets Antonio (Gabbriellini), a gifted chef, with whom she begins an illicit love affair which gives rise to new passions, emotions and a desire for liberation. Inspired and accomplished filmmaking with a confident aesthetic. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Iron Man 2 (12A) ●●●●● (Jon Favreau, US, 2010) Robert Downey Jr, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow. 124min. Favreau returns to direct Downey Jr as the man in the metal suit. As expected, the action is big, bold and brash, the first
Index Film appearance of Rourke in his Whiplash guise at the Monaco Grand Prix is a masterpiece of flying debris and crackling electricity. But it is Downey Jr who steals the show, playing Tony Stark as Bruce Wayne minus the guilt, revelling in his wealth and the public’s adoration of his Iron Man persona. Lovingly made multiplex action fodder with street smarts, it won’t change the world but it’ll keep you giddily entertained for two hours. Showcase Cinema, Coatbridge, Glasgow; Showcase Cinema, Paisley. The Italian Job (PG) ●●●●● (Peter Collinson, UK, 1969) Michael Caine, Benny Hill, Noel Coward, Raf Vallone. 99min. Seminal 60s caper heist movie. Jailbird Caine takes his self-preservation society of criminals to Rome to rob the place silly. Altogether now: ‘You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!’ Great action, great tunes, a classic (kind of). Late night screening. Grosvenor, Glasgow. Jean De Florette (PG) ●●●●● (Claude Berri, France, 1986) Gerard Depardieu, Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil. 121min. Provence, during the 1920s. Depardieu’s indomitable hunchback struggles against impossible odds to make a success of his inherited farmland, unaware that his neighbours are plotting to drive him from his land. Beautifully photographed, with flawless performances, this is a towering tribute to the highest aspirations of French storytelling. Part of 25 Years of Filmhouse. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Kick-Ass (15) ●●●●● (Matthew Vaughn, US/UK, 2010) Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz. 117min. Big screen adaptation of Mark Millar’s massively popular comic in which a bunch of misfit teens don superhero costumes and get stuck into some stylised vigilante action. Successfully celebrating a teen boys’ idea of ‘cool’, Vaughn has a feeling for characters and story arcs that his Lock, Stock . . . collaborator Guy Ritchie has long since forgotten. Quite frankly, Vaughn kicks ass. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
24 Jun–8 Jul 2010 THE LIST 49