Film Index
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (U) ●●●●● (Carlos Saldanha/ Mike Thurmeier, US, 2009) Voices of Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, John Leguizamo. 93min. Life is changing for Scrat, Manny, Ellie and co in many different ways in this the latest installment of popular animated series. Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow.
✽✽ Inception (12A) ●●●●● (Christopher Nolan, US, 2010)
Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page. 147min. DiCaprio stars as Don Cobb, a thief who is the master of the art of extraction, stealing secrets from the minds of the unconscious. The business is risky and has resulted the loss of everything he once held dear. Now he is being offered a chance of redemption, but at a cost, and up against a dangerous enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. General release. The Karate Kid (PG) ●●●●● (Harald Zwart, USA/China, 2010) Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson. 139min. The remake of the 1984 hit in which a bullied boy becomes a karate master delivers a half- decent punch, despite Smith’s lazy performance. The training scenes and a downbeat performance from Jackie Chan playing Mr Han lend the film unmerited but welcome pizzazz and charm. General release. Knight and Day (12A) ●●●●● (James Mangold, USA, 2010) Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard. 109min. Cruise’s turn as madcap assassin Roy Miller is sadly nothing more than a reprise of his Mission Impossible persona, while his kidnapee, Diaz, flusters her way through the film. This pumped-up spy thriller is a mix of fake CGI and faker romance, allowing neither star to shine. General release. Labyrinth (U) ●●●●● (Sheri Weiser, US, 1986) Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie. 101min. Inventive 80s fantasy. Cameo, Edinburgh. The Last Airbender 2D (PG) ●●●●● (M Night Shyamalan, USA, 2010) Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz. 103min. See feature, page 112 and Also Released, page 113. General release. The Last Airbender 3D (PG) ●●●●● (M Night Shyamalan, USA, 2010) Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz. 103min. See above. General release. Leaving (15) ●●●●● (Catherine Corsini, France, 2009) Kristin Scott Thomas, Sergi López, Yvan Attal. 86min. Bored housewife (Scott) pursues a builder as a way out of her ennui and away from her controlling husband (unlikely romantic lead Lopez). Corsini tries to take an even-handed approach to each character by showing how confusion leads to selfishness, but nothing new is added to this predictable genre. Cameo, Edinburgh. London River (15) ●●●●● (Rachid Bouchareb, UK, 2009) Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyaté, Marc Baylis. 87min. This clash of cultures tale depicts two separate parents who travel to London after their children go missing in the wake of the 7/7 bombings. While the conclusion is full of pathos and drama, the lack of discussion on
Dorian Gray Whatever Works (12A) (15) Mon 16 Aug 19:30 Wed 4th Oct Wed 18 Aug 11:00 11am, 2pm, (cuppa), 19:30 7:30pm 116 THE LIST 12–19 Aug 2010
terrorism is a fatal flaw. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Love with the Proper Stranger (18) ●●●●● (Robert Mulligan, US, 1963) Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, Edie Adams. 100min. Macy’s shop assistant Angie (Wood) discovers that she’s pregnant from a fling with musician Rocky (McQueen) and tracks him down to help her pay for an abortion – but once they meet again things don’t seem quite so certain. Part of McQueen season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Lymelife (15) ●●●●● (Derick Martini, US, 2008) Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon, Kieran Culkin. 94min. Martini has used Robert Redford’s 1980 familial tragedy drama Ordinary People as his template in this tale set on the outskirts of New York in 1979, taking the deep-seated malaise that runs through American suburban life as his subject. Whilst of interest, this suffers from an inability to escape the clichés of the genre. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Marmaduke (U) ●●●●● (Tom Dey, USA, 2010) Voices of Owen Wilson, George Lopez, William H Macy. 88min. See Also Released, page 113. General release. Mugabe and the White African (12A) ●●●●● (Lucy Bailey/Andrew Thompson, UK, 2009) 90min. Documentary about Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s aggressive land reform programme and the effect it has had on white-owned farms and their inhabitants. The film follows the brave fight of farmer Michael Campbell to hold on to his farm and live peacefully. Part of Beyond Borders season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang (U) ●●●●● (Susanna White, US, 2010) Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Gyllenhaal. 109min. Sequel to the popular 2005 family film. This time Gyllenhaal is single mum Isabel Green (hubbie is off to fight the Hun in WW2) with three out of control nippers to contend with and two insufferably posh evacuee cousins about to arrive on their farm. Empire, Clydebank; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Papillon (18) ●●●●● (Franklin J. Schaffner, US/France, 1973) Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman. 151min. Brutal prison drama based on best-selling novel. Part of McQueen season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Plan B (15) (Marco Berger, Argentina, 2009) Manuel Vignau, Lucas Ferraro, Mercedes Quinteros. 103min. Bruno’s efforts to win back his ex take an unexpected turn when he falls for her gorgeous new boyfriend. Part of the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival On Tour. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
Predators (15) ●●●●● (Nimród Antal, USA, 2010) Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne. 106min. Mysterious monstrous alien creatures hunt a tribe of elite warriors. Vue Omni, Edinburgh. Prince of Persia – The Sands of Time (12A) ●●●●● (Mike Newell, US, 2010) Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley. 115min. This video game adaptation sees Gyllenhaal star as a prince who must keep a powerful, mythical object called the Sands of Time out of the hands of villains. Tedious, zero chemistry big budget adventure. Vue Ocean, Edinburgh. The Rebound (15) ●●●●● (Bart Freundlich, USA, 2009) Catherine Zeta- Jones, Justin Bartha, Kelly Gould. 95min. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a newly separated woman in her forties who takes up with seemingly perfect younger man Aram (Justin Bartha) for a bit of fun. It’s cute, schmaltzy and slick, with a bizarre cameo from Art Garfunkel as Aram’s dad. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow; Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh.
✽✽ The Refuge (Le Refuge) (15) ●●●●● (
François Ozon, France, 2009) Isabelle Carré, Louis-Ronan Choisy, Melvil Poupaud. 88min. See review, page 113. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Salt (12A) (Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, US, 2010) Phillip Noyce. 100min. Twisty, turny, spy thriller. Is Evelyn Salt (Jolie) working for the US or the Ruskies? Previews only. General release. Sandy Bull: No Deposit, No Return Blues (E) (KC Bull) 45min. Films made by KC Bull, daughter of the late musician Sandy Bull, about her father’s fascinating life as a musician and precursor of Ry Cooder and Richard Thompson. Event includes live music from Alastair Roberts and Two Wings. CCA, Glasgow.
✽✽ The Secret in their Eyes (El Secreto De Sus Ojos) (18)
●●●●● (Juan José Campanella, Argentina/Spain, 2009) Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago. 129min. See review, page 113. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Seperado! (15) ●●●●● (Dyl 'Goch' Jones, UK, 2009). 84min. Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys’ fascinating and funny documentary in which he attempts to trace the South American strand of his family. See below. Cameo, Edinburgh. Shrek Forever After 2D (PG) ●●●●● (Mike Mitchell, US, 2010) Voices: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz. 93min. A fourth and final instalment, rebooting the flagging franchise with a new alternate-reality twist which sees Shrek
Seperado! We didn’t have room to mention it in our review pages but also out this week is Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys’
fascinating and funny documentary in which he attempts to trace the South American strand of his family and in the process discover a Welsh diaspora who have their own musical legacy. Highly recommended. ■ Cameo, Edinburgh from Fri 13 Aug.
escape fatherhood for a one-day return to his bachelor years. A warmed-over sequel that lazily re-configures familiar elements to mildly pleasing effect. Selected release. Shrek Forever After 3D (PG) (Mike Mitchell, US, 2010) Voices: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz. 93min. See above. Selected release. Skeletons (15) ●●●●● (Nick Whitfield, UK, 2010) Will Adamsdale, Andrew Buckley, Paul Dallison. 96min. Award- winning black comedy about unusual tradesmen. Cameo, Edinburgh. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (PG) ●●●●● (Jon Turteltaub, USA, 2010) Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina. 111min. From the combination that brought us Pirates of the Caribbean comes a sadly less exciting fantasy, with an uninspired ‘dweeb becomes chosen one’ plot. Too much is made of sappy romance instead of indulging in duels, the acting is dry and dusty and the film lacks the magic it promises. General release. Space Chimps 2 – Zartog Strikes Back 2D (U) ●●●●● (John H Williams, US, 2010) Voices: Laura Bailey, Zack Shada. 75min. Those box office-busting chimps are back for more family fun. Grosvenor, Glasgow. Step Up 3 2D (12A) ●●●●● (Jon Chu, USA, 2010) Alyson Stoner, Sharni Vinson, Rick Malambri. 107min. A group of underground street dancers from New York City team up with freshman Moose (Adam G Sevani) and find themselves pitted against the world’s best hip hop dancers in a life- changing showdown. Silly but euphoric and enjoyable street dance flick. If you like this kind of thing. General release. Step Up 3 3D (12A) ●●●●● (Jon Chu, USA, 2010) Alyson Stoner, Sharni Vinson, Rick Malambri. 107min. See above. General release. Stray Dog (15) ●●●●● (Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1949) Toshiro Mifune, Takasha Shimura, Keiko Awaji. 122min. Classic police thriller in which Kurosawa describes a storm brewing in the Tokyo underworld. Part of Kurosawa season. Glasgow Film Theatre. StreetDance 2D (PG) ●●●●● (Max Giwa/Dania Pasquini, UK, 2010) Nichola Burley, Charlotte Rampling, George Sampson. 98min. Carly (Burley) and her crew attempt to triumph at the UK Street Dance Championships with the unlikely help of some ballet students. Cultures clash, romance is found and the kids find new ways to express themselves – a conventional story, which brings absolutely nothing new to the genre. Vue Ocean, Edinburgh. Supervolcano (12) ●●●●● (Tony Mitchell, UK/Germany/Italy/Japan/USA, 2005) Michael Riley, Gary Lewis, Shaun Johnston. 120min. America’s vast Yellowstone National Park is in fact the world’s biggest super volcano. This factual drama explores the potential consequences of an eruption. Part of Science and Film season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Surprise Film (tbc) Composer Neil Brand accompanies live a surprise silent film. Cameo, Edinburgh. Throne of Blood (PG) ●●●●● (Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1957) Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki. 110min. It’s Shakespeare’s Scottish play, Japanese-style, as samurai Mifune is spurred on by his wife and the spirits to murder his best friend and then his master. Although the barest plot and striking images remain from the original, Kurosawa’s atmospheric settings in mist-shrouded forests give the film a brooding power. Part of Kurosawa season. Glasgow Film Theatre. Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (U) ●●●●● (Bradley Raymond, USA, 2010) Voices of Michael Sheen, Lucy Liu, Mae Whitman. 76min. See Also Released, page 113. General release. Tooth Fairy (PG) ●●●●● (Michael Lembeck, US, 2010) Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd. 101min. Leaden fantasy in which The Rock plays a a cynical ice- hockey player who is whisked to Fairyland when he cruelly disabuses a toddler of the notion that the tooth fairy exists, and is sentenced to a punishment of two weeks hard graft as a fairy. Selected release.