Film HITLIST THE BEST FILM RELEASES
list.co.uk/film
Passenger Side Sly, old-fashioned Los Angeles- set road-movie comedy from independent cinema also-ran Matt Bissonnette (Looking for Leonard, Who Loves the Sun). See profile, right and review, page 64. Grosvenor, Glasgow from Fri 1 April.
Meek’s Cutoff Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy writer/director Kelly Reichardt’s elemental and beautiful re-imagining of the classic western. See review, page 64. GFT, Glasgow and Filmhouse Edinburgh, Fri 15–Thu 21 Apr. Pina Filmmaker Wim Wenders pays homage to his friend – dancer Pina Bausch – in visually resplendent performance documentary. See review, opposite. GFT, Glasgow, Fri 22–Thu 28 Apr; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 22 Apr–Thu 5 May.
Oranges and Sunshine Jim Loach’s feature debut is an unfussy tale of social injustice and broken family dynamics. See review, page 64. GFT, Glasgow, Fri 1–Thu 14 April; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 1–Thu 21 Apr. Essential Killing Visceral, pared- down man-on-the-run thriller from filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski. See interview, opposite. GFT, Glasgow, Fri 1– Sat 9 Apr; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 29 Apr–Thu 5 May.
Man of Aran Robert Flaherty’s seminal documentary portrait of hardship at the edge of the world. Digitally restored. See Also Released, page 66. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 1-Thu 7 Apr.
The Portuguese Nun Strange, slow, opaque and wilfully obscure drama about one woman’s identification with an old book of letters by a nun. See Also Released, page 66. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Mon 11– Thu 14 Apr.
The Last Picture Show Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 adaptation of Larry McMurty’s novel of Texan small-town boredom and hedonism. Digitally restored. See Also Released, page 66. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 15–Thu 21 Apr.
Farewell Le Carré-esque Cold War end-game era thriller based on the actions of high-ranking KGB offical turned spy. Starring Emir Kusterica and Guillaume Canet. See review, page 65. Selected released from Fri 29 Apr.
Submarine Lovely, old-fashioned British coming of age comedy set in Swansea from comic actor turned writer/director Richard Ayoade, with music by the Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner. Out now on general release.
62 THE LIST 31 Mar–28 Apr 2011
Profile
MATT BISSONETTE Born Montreal, Quebec, November 2 1965.
Background Bissonnette studied English and film at Concordia University and read law at Queen’s University. His career thus far has featured a series of independent films that have made him a film festival favourite. The fact that he is not a household name is more a comment on the failing status of independent cinema around the globe than his inimitable and appealing style. He is also the author of the novel Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, which was released in 2008. What’s he up to now? His new film Passenger Side is a follow-up to his excellent first two movies, Looking for Leonard and Who Loves the Sun, and continues his interest in sibling rivalry (his brother Joel stars in it). It’s a road movie that takes place in LA, where Bissonnette now lives. He has also completed the first two instalments of his video project Your Home Movies, entitled Nowhere Man and Long May You Run.
On sibling rivalry ‘It didn’t work out so well for Cain and Abel, though, Noel and Liam [from Passenger Side] seem to have had slightly better luck.’ On road trips ‘I love them – my dream is to one day drive a bitchin’ Camaro from LA to the Bahamas. I mostly drive around with my four-year-old son these days, and he will only listen to Stiff Little Fingers, Big Country and Fucked Up, which can get a bit tired the 4000th time round, but certainly beats Raffi or Gaga.’
Interesting Fact Bissonnette has claimed that, in literature, Tropic of Cancer has been the biggest single influence on his life, while musically, his touchstone is The Band’s Music From Big Pink. (Kaleem Aftab) ■ Passenger Side, Grosvenor, Glasgow from Fri 1 Apr.