Film Index
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (12) ●●●●● (Jon Avnet, US, 1991) Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker. 130min. After the local Ku Klux Klan threatens the busy cafe in Whistle Stop, Alabama for serving coloured customers, the female owner and her black handyman find themselves on trial for an unsolved murder. A chronicle of courage and ingenuity that avoids becoming as overwhelmingly heart- warming as you might have feared. Not the most tantalising item on the menu, but a flavoursome little dish nonetheless. Part of Gourmet Glasgow. Grosvenor, Glasgow. 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. Empire, Clydebank. Gainsbourg (15) ●●●●● (Joann Sfar, France/USA, 2010) Eric Elmosnino, Lucy Gordon, Laetitia Casta. 135min. This depiction of Serge Gainsbourg’s life is a humorous, sad and bizarre identity crisis, more enjoyable in its abstract moments than when loitering in traditional biopic territory. While Sfar excels at eccentricity, the movie occasionally falters, particularly in its portrayal of Gainsbourg’s less hedonistic times. Nonetheless, a great introduction to the French singer. Cameo, Edinburgh. Get Him to the Greek (15) ●●●●● (Nicholas Stoller, US, 2010) Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Sean Combs. 108min. Brand is matched up with Superbad’s Hill for a raunchy bromance in this LA-set music industry satire. The bearded comic’s self- parody gives way to annoying narcissism, but not before the film has hit enough targets to pass muster as a sharp lampoon of celebrity culture. Cameo, Edinburgh. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (18) ●●●●● (Niels Arden Oplev, Sweden, 2009) Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Peter Haber. 152min. When investigative journalist Mikhael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) is called upon by an ageing Swedish industrialist to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of his beloved great niece, his careful investigations get nowhere until a mysterious gothic Pippi Longstocking (Rapace) intervenes. The first of Stieg Laarson’s deservedly successful millennium thrillers receives a faithful but laborious film treatment. Cameo, Edinburgh. The Green Butchers (De Gronne Slagtere) (15) ●●●●● (Anders Thomas Jensen, Denmark, 2003) Mads Mikkelson, Nikolaj Lie Kass, Line Kruse. 96min. A black comedy about two organic butchers who find the secret of success. Be warned, this is a little unsavoury. Part of Gourmet Glasgow. Grosvenor, Glasgow. Gregory’s Girl (PG) ●●●●● (Bill Forsyth, UK, 1981) Gordon John Sinclair, Dee Hepburn, Clare Grogan. 91min. Winning comedy from Cumbernauld with Sinclair eventually finding romance after his heart is set aflame by the latest recruit to the school football team. This is a seminal piece of Scottish cinema, its universal appeal demonstrating that homegrown talent can compete with Hollywood’s finest in the entertainment stakes. Part of Great Scots season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Grown Ups (12A) ●●●●● (Dennis Dugan, USA, 2010) Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek. 102min. See Also released, page 105. General release. The Hidden Fortress (PG) ●●●●● (Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1958) Toshiro Mifune.During the civil wars of 16th century Japan, Mifune’s samurai escorts a princess and two peasants through enemy territory. Kurosawa’s classic mixes Noh theatre with elements of Shakespeare and the westerns of John Ford. Part of Kurosawa season. 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 106 THE LIST 19–26 Aug 2010
Viking teenager, befriends a dragon. Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow; Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. Hubble 3D (U) (Toni Meyers, Canada, 2010) 44min. Leonardo Di Caprio narrates the latest 3D IMAX space adventure. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow. The Human Centipede (18) ●●●●● (Tom Six, Netherlands, 2009) Dieter Laser, Ashley C. Williams, Ashlynn Yennie. 92min. See feature, page 103 and review at www.list.co.uk. Cameo, Edinburgh.
✽✽ The Illusionist (12A) ●●●●● (Sylvain Chomet, UK/France, 2010) Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin, Jean- Claude Donda. 83min. See review, page 104. Selected release. In the Wake of the Flood (12A) (Ron Mann, Canada/UK, 2010) 47min. Documenting a literary tour undertaken by Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood in 2009 using only environmentally-friendly means of transport, this film includes footage of her appearance at the opening of last year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival. Part of True to Life season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. 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. Julie & Julia (12A) ●●●●● (Nora Ephron, US, 2009) Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci. 123min. Ephron’s film balances eccentric US chef Julia Child’s awkward start in the cookery business in France with a parallel, modern narrative in which Adams plays a ditzy, self-important blogger. Ephron is an accomplished purveyor of light-as-a-souffle filmmaking, and powered by Steep’s winning portrayal as the earthy but sophisticated Child, this succeeds as a classy chick flick. Part of Gourmet Glasgow. Grosvenor, Glasgow. 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. Know Your Mushrooms (12A) (Ron Mann, USA, 2008) 74min. An informative and fascinating delve into the world of fungi, based around the Telluride Mushroom Festival and featuring original music by The Flaming Lips. Followed by Magic Myxies, a short from 1931 all about slime moulds. These screenings tie in with the current exhibition at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, From Another Kingdom: The Amazing World of Fungi. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Last Airbender 2D (PG) ●●●●● (M Night Shyamalan, USA, 2010) Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz. 103min. Visually flashy but incomprehensible and joyless action adventure in which young Avatar Aang gets caught up in a tiff between the kingdoms of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. General release. The Last Airbender 3D (PG) ●●●●● (M Night Shyamalan, USA, 2010) Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz. 103min. Visually flashy but incomprehensible and joyless action adventure in which young Avatar Aang gets caught up in a tiff between the kingdoms of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. General release. 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. Loïe Fuller and Early Cinema with Jody Sperling (tbc) (Various) 90min. As part of a series of Dance:Film screenings, Jody Sperling presents some clips of her recreations of the experimental work of dancer Loïe Fuller (1862–1928), along with slides and original Edison films from the 1890s. Part of Dance:Film10 Fringe. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG) ●●●●● (Eric Darnell, US, 2008) Voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen. 89min. Alex the lion (voiced by Stiller), Gloria the hippo (Smith), Melman the giraffe (Schwimmer) and Marty
the zebra (Rock) are put on an flight back to their zoo home, only to crash land in Africa. The going native theme is expanded, with good-time fascist lemur (Cohen) getting the best lines and the penguins the best laughs. With clever riffs and unexpected poetry, this is a welcome prospect. Empire, Clydebank. The Man with the Movie Camera (15) ●●●●● (Dziga Vertov, Soviet Union, 1929) 68min. Vertov’s unforgettable documentary is a portrait of day-to-day Muscovite life, which not only employs every device available to the cinematographer of the time, but does so with irresistible charm, humour and intelligence. Glasgow Film Theatre. Marmaduke (U) ●●●●● (Tom Dey, USA, 2010) Voices of Owen Wilson, George Lopez, William H Macy. 88min. Crude and unfunny adaptation of popular cartoon strip about the adventures of a clumsy Great Dane dog. General release.
✽✽ Mother (Madeo) (15) ●●●●● (Joon-ho Bong, South Korea, 2009)
Hye-ja Kim, Bin Won, Yoon Jae-Moon. 123min. See Also released, page 105. Cameo, Edinburgh. Mother Joan of the Angels (PG) ●●●●● (Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Poland, 1961) Lucyna Winnicka, Mieczyslaw Voit, Anna Ciepielewska. 101min. A convent of nuns is supposed possessed by demons and a priest is sent to save them in this 16th- century-set religious thriller. CCA, Glasgow. Mystic Pizza (15) (Daniel Petri, US, 1988) Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, Vincent Philiop D’Onosrio. 104min. A rather slight romance set in the Connecticut resort of Mystic, where three pizza parlour waitresses dream and drool over their customers. Over the course of one autumn their romantic troubles and dreams transport them from their teenage years and into boring adulthood. A Mills and Boon reminder of those days by the sea with a cloying tendency to present romance as the only escape from a dead end town. Part of Gourmet Glasgow. Grosvenor, Glasgow. 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. Selected release. Old Dogs (PG) ●●●●● (Walt Becker, US, 2009) John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston. 84min. Charlie (Travolta) and Dan (Williams) are friends and business partners who unexpectedly have to take care
Dance: Film10 Fringe This cheeky little second season (of the year) of films featuring and about dance is showing to coincide with the Fringe. Highlights include a tribute night
to the late great Pina Bausch, a series of films by Daniel Warren featuring Scottish Ballet (pictured) and a film about modern dance pioneer Loïe Fuller. Ticket deals available. www.dancefilmscotland.com ■ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Mon 23–Fri 27 Aug.