www.list.co.uk/film
Aisling (Mooney). Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Sex, Okra and Salted Butter (15) (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France/Chad, 2008) Marius Yelolo, Mata Gabin, Manuel Blanc. 80min. A 40-year-old nurse from the Ivory Coast runs away with her French lover, leaving her husband to care for their children alone. Part of Africa in Motion Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Shaft (15) ●●●●● (Gordon Parks, US, 1971) Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi. 100min. Male model Roundtree is the eponymous hero, whose job it is to find and rescue the daughter of black Mafia boss Bumpy Jonas (Gunn). It may look dated, but it captured a moment in time and did so with style. 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 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. Vue Ocean, Edinburgh. Sky Blue (15) ●●●●● (Moon-saeng Kim/Park Sunmin, South Korea/US, 2003) Marc Worden, Cathy Cavadini, Joon-ho Chung. 86min. Civilization has been destroyed by war and pollution, but the survivors have built the last city of Ecoban. Stunning to look at but rather unfulfilled futuristic drama. A Science & Film presentation. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ The Social Network (12A) ●●●●● (David Fincher, US, 2010) Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake. 120min. See review, page 53. General release. Sportsfreund Lötzsch (Teammate Lötzsch) (U) (Sandra Prechtel/Sascha Hilpert, Germany, 2007) 80min. The true story of Wolfgang Lötzsch, a top cyclist living in East Germany, whose chances at a major international career were scuppered by the over-suspicious state officials of the GDR. CCA, Glasgow. Step Up 2 the Streets (PG) ●●●●● (Jon M Chu, US, 2008) Robert Hoffman, Briana Evigan, Will Kemp. 97min. Stupid sequel to 2006’s dance romancer Step Up. Vue Omni, Edinburgh. Step Up 3 3D (12A) ●●●●● (Jon Chu, US, 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, the 3D certainly adds to the fun. Vue Ocean, Edinburgh. Summer Wars (PG) (Mamoru Hosoda, Japan, 2009) 114min. A teenage maths prodigy gets his dream job for the summer – posing as his secret crush’s girlfriend at a weekend birthday celebration. But just as things in the real world are going right, his mathematical prowess gains him entry to a digital world where everything is very, very wrong. Part of Scotland Loves Anime season. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. 22 Bullets (L’Immortel) (18) ●●●●● (Richard Berry, France, 2010) Jean Reno, Kad Merad, Gabriella Wright. 117min. A retired gangster (Reno) is shot 22 times and, having (improbably) survived, seeks some good old-fashioned cold-blooded revenge on his assassins. A few jarring shifts from syrupy drama to sadistic violence are a little hard to stomach, but the pace is maintained and Reno is eminently watchable in this glossy crime thriller. Cameo, Edinburgh. Takers (12A) ●●●●● (John Luessenhop, US, 2010) Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen, Matt Dillon, Idris Elba. 106min. Basic heist movie containing all the standard ingredients – frenetic action, a headache-inducing score, minimal characterisation and a napkin-sized plot. Five LA thieves conspire to take down an armoured car worth $25 million dollars. But with a cop on their tail, things probably won’t go according to plan. Selected release.
Tamara Drewe (15) ●●●●● (Stephen Frears, UK, 2010) Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Tamsin Greig. 111min. Lazy reworking of Far From the Madding Crowd (allegedly), Tamara Drewe features an improbably perfect eponymous heroine (Arterton), once bullied, now successful, having returned to her home town to settle old scores. A Carry On... version of The Archers, but less funny. At least the soundtrack’s good. Selected release. This Sporting Life (12A) ●●●●● (Lindsay Anderson, UK, 1963) Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel, William Hartnell. 133min. Based on David Storey’s powerful novel (which Storey himself adapted for the screen), This Sporting Life tells the dyspeptic, bitterly pessimistic tale of Frank Machin (Harris), a mean, tough, ambitious rugby player who wreaks havoc and bad humour in his small northern town. A stunning debut by anyone’s standards, the film made stars out of then young Welsh actors Harris and Roberts, she in particular never surpassing the work she did here. Part of The Film of The Book. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Town (15) ●●●●● (Ben Affleck, US, 2010) Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm. 124min. Affleck takes on another Boston crime novel for his second feature, in which he plays criminal gang leader Doug MacRay whose friendship with volatile sidekick Jem (Jeremy Renner) is tested to the limit when MacRay falls for an employee of the bank they’ve robbed. Conventional plotting and a clichéd ending pull down a decent directorial effort. General release. A Town Called Panic (PG) ●●●●● (Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Belgium/Luxembourg/France, 2009) Voices of Stéphane Aubier, Jeanne Balibar, Bruce Ellison. 75min. See review, page 51. Glasgow Film Theatre; Cameo, Edinburgh. Toy Story 3 (U) ●●●●● (Lee Unkrich, US, 2010) Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack. 108min. Andy has grown up and is on the way to college, so everyone’s favourite toys are packed off to Sunnyside day-care centre. After a whirlwind of close-cut situations, the film manages to retain its good humour and pathos long enough to bring all the characters safely to a satisfying resolution. General release. Trigun: Badlands Rumble (12A) (Satoshi Nishimura, Japan, 2010) 90min. Outlaw tale set on the mean streets of Macca City in this anime adventure. Part of Scotland Loves Anime season. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. UWS/Scottish Production Archive: Paddy Higson (E) (Various, UK) 80min. A celebration of Paddy Higson, prolific film producer and founder of Parkhead’s Black Cat studios, a starting point for many local cinematic talents. An interview, conducted by David Bruce, Chair of the UWS/Scottish Production Archive, will be illustrated with examples of her work. Glasgow Film Theatre. Under the Sea 3D (U) (Howard Hall, UK, 2009) Jim Carrey. 65min. Carrey narrates an underwater 3D look at the impact of global warming upon the diverse coastal regions of Southern Australia, New Guinea and the Indo-Pacific areas. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow. The Unloved (15) ●●●●● (Samantha Morton, UK, 2009) Molly Windsor, Lauren Socha, Robert Carlyle. 103min. Actress Morton examines the British care system in her dramatic directorial debut with commendable results. Great performances especially from Carlyle. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Up (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. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Vampires Suck (12A) ●●●●● (Jason Friedberg/Aaron Seltzer, US, 2010) Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Chris Riggi. 82min. See Also Released, page 53. General release from Fri 15 Oct.
✽✽ Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (12A) ●●●●● (Oliver
Stone, US, 2010) Shia LaBeouf, Michael Douglas, Carey Mulligan. 132min. Oliver Stone’s sequel to the iconic original has all the fancy moves and polish of a classic Hollywood melodrama. Gordon Gekko (Douglas) is released from prison into a world where ‘greed is good’ has become a generation’s way of life, and becomes the voice crying in the wilderness against the doom-laden folly of the American financial system. But has the wily old leopard changed his spots?. General release. Waltz with Bashir (18) ●●●●● (Ari Folman, Israel/Germany/France, 2008) Voices of Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ari Folman. 90min. This animated feature about war, selective amnesia and the hideous genocide committed by Christian militiamen on Palestinian refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila during the 1982 Lebanese War is more optimistic than it sounds. Eliciting rare and painful truths, Folman’s illustrated memoir makes for a brave, damning and riveting piece of cinema. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Went The Day Well? (PG) ●●●●● (Alberto Cavalcanti, UK, 1942) Leslie Banks, Elizabeth Allan, Frank Lawton. 92min. The original intention might have been to make a propaganda thriller to warn the British public about German infiltrators, but superior filmmaking qualities mean that Went the Day Well? has stood the test of time. A German paratroop regiment invade a remote UK village, but the locals fight back with uncompromising measures. A touch of realism gives the film its edge. Glasgow Film Theatre. 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. Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow; Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. 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. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Winter’s Bone (15) ●●●●● (Debra Granik, US, 2010) Jennifer
Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan. 100min. Adapted from Daniel Woodrell’s novel, the film follows Ree whose drug-addicted father has used their house as bail bond and subsequently done a runner. Striving to find him within a week brings secrets, lies and a grisly closure to this unsettling and memorable affair. Selected release. A Woman’s Way (tbc) (Panos H Koutras, Greece, 2009) Mina Orfanou, Yannis Kokiasmenos, Minos Theoharis. 111min. Just released from prison, Yiorgos, who looks like a tough nut but dreams of squirrels, is searching for his long lost son. He meets Strella, a big-hearted trans prostitute who sings like Maria Callas in cabaret bars. Part of Glasgay! Glasgow Film Theatre.
LISTINGS Film
Films are listed by city, then alphabetically by cinema. Listings are compiled by Laura Ennor.
GLASGOW CCA
350 Sauchiehall Street. Bookings: 0141 352 4900. Prices vary (free–£3).
THURSDAY 14 OCT Nazarin (18) 7.00.
FRIDAY 15 OCT Incident at Loch Ness (12A) 7.00. TUESDAY 19 OCT Assume Nothing (tbc) 7.45.
WEDNESDAY 20 OCT Sportsfreund Lötzsch (Teammate Lötzsch) (U) 7.00.
THURSDAY 21 OCT Autoconstrucción (E) 7.00. Cineworld Parkhead
Forge Shopping Centre, 1221 Gallowgate. 0871 200 2000. Adults £6.50 (£5.90 Mon–Thu before 5pm). Under 14s / Students £4.80 (£4.40 Mon–Thu). Seniors £4.80. Family ticket £18.80. Movies for Juniors (selected films Sat am) £1. 3D Supplement: Adult £2.10; Under 14s / Students / Seniors £1.50; Family Ticket £5.60. Glasses 80p per pair. THURSDAY 7 OCT Back to The Future 25th Anniversary Re- Issue (PG) 6.25, 9.00. Buried (15) noon, 2.15, 4.30, 6.55, 9.10. Eat Pray Love (PG) 11.50am, 2.50, 5.50, 8.50. The Hole 3D (12A) 11.45am, 2.00, 4.15, 6.30, 8.45. Inception (12A) 5.30, 8.40. Marmaduke (U) 12.30, 2.45. The Other Guys (12A) 11.10am, 1.40, 4.20, 6.45, 9.10. Toy Story 3 3D (U) 11.00am, 1.30, 4.00. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (12A) 11.30am, 2.25, 5.20, 8.15.
FRIDAY 8–THURSDAY 14 Back to The Future 25th Anniversary Re- Issue (PG) Fri–Sun: 6.25, 9.00. Buried (15) Fri–Sun: 5.15, 8.20. The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud (12A) Daily: noon (not Sat), 2.15, 4.30, 6.45, 9.00. Despicable Me 2D (U) Mon–Thu: 12.15, 2.40, 5.10, 7.30. Despicable Me 3D (U) Mon–Thu: 10.20am, 11.15am, 1.40, 2.45, 5.30, 6.30, 8.00, 9.00. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (PG) Fri–Sun: 10.00am. The Hole 3D (12A) Fri–Sun: 11.45am, 2.00, 4.15, 6.30, 8.45. Mon–Thu: 12.30. Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (U) Sat: 11.30am. Life as we Know It (12A) Daily: 10.20am (not Sat), 1.00, 3.30, 6.00, 8.40. Marmaduke (U) Daily: 10.30am, 12.50, 3.00. The Other Guys (12A) Daily: 5.30, 8.30. Also Fri–Sun & Wed: noon, 2.45. The Social Network (12A) Sun & Wed: 5.30, 8.00 (not Sun). Tooth Fairy (PG) Sat: 10.00am. Toy Story 3 3D (U) Fri–Sun: 11.00am, 1.30, 4.00. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (12A) Daily: 11.50am, 2.40 (not Sun), 5.40 (not Mon), 8.35. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Subtitled) (12A) Sun: 2.40. Mon: 5.40. Where the Wild Things Are (PG) Sat: 10.00am. 7–21 Oct 2010 THE LIST 57