list.co.uk/film
Films screening in the next four weeks are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. See list.co.uk for the most up-to- date list of films screening. Film index is compiled by Paul Dale and Laura Ennor. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry Abel (15) ●●●●● (Diego Luna, Mexico, 2010) Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Karina Gidi, Geraldine Alejandra. 85min. The bizarre, but poignant story of a young boy with unexplained psychological problems, returning from hospital to his small Mexican hometown. After a period of silence, he suddenly begins to speak and is encouraged to proclaim himself head of the household. A comedy with serious undertones about parental abandonment. Macrobert, Stirling; DCA, Dundee. The Adjustment Bureau (12A) ●●●●● (George Nolfi, US, 2011) Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie. 105min. A politician’s (Damon) life is transformed by a chance meeting with a dancer (Blunt). Maybe not the greatest ever film adaptation of Philip K Dick, but thanks to the stars’ chemistry and Nolfi’s light touch, highly enjoyable. General release. The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (U) ●●●●● (Gary Halvorson, US, 2000) Mandy Patinkin, Vanessa L. Williams, Kevin Clash. 72min. Sesame Street’s Elmo loses his security blanket down Oscar the Grouch’s trashcan. Once inside, he is transported to the hellish Grouchland. Strictly for the littlest family members. Part of Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Alien (18) ●●●●● (Ridley Scott, US, 1979) Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm, John Hurt. 116min. Agatha Christie in outer space as a freighter lands on a mysterious planet and is ingeniously invaded by a ravenous intruder which proceeds to chomp its way through the cast list. Edge-of-the- seat suspense thriller with a strong cast and ghastly special effects. Glasgow Film Theatre. American Torso (Amerikai Anzix) (15) (Gábor Bódy, Hungary, 1975) Sándor Csutoros, György Cserhalmi, András Fekete. 97min. Experimental film that collages diary extracts, a text by Karl Marx and Walt Whitman poems to tell the story of three Hungarian officers serving in the American Civil War as land surveyors. Part of Hungarian Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre. Animal Kingdom (15) ●●●●● (David Michod, Australia, 2010) Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, James Frecheville. 113min. Featuring a who’s who of Australian character actors, writer/director David Michôd’s Sundance prize-winning debut is a riveting drama about a teenager (Frecheville) who becomes trapped in a life of crime with his three uncles. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Animals United (U) ●●●●● (Reinhard Klooss, Holger Tappe, Germany, 2010) Voices of Ralf Schmitz, Thomas Fritsch, Christoph Maria Herbst. 92min. Well- meaning but cliché-ridden German animation for very young children with an environmental message that we humans should respect our planet and fellow creatures more. Selected release. Another Year (12A) ●●●●● (Mike Leigh, UK, 2010) Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight. 129min. This bittersweet examination of middle-aged life gently unfolds over the seasons. Dealing with themes from death to marriage to depression and the search for happiness, the life cycle is enhanced by many fantastic performances. Macrobert, Stirling. Anuvahood (15) ●●●●● (Adam Deacon & Daniel Toland, UK, 2011) Adam Deacon, Femi Oyeniran, Ollie Barbieri. 88min. Spoof hoodie comedy about would-be gangster Kenneth. Selected release. Apocalypse Now (18) ●●●●● (Francis Coppola, US, 1980) Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper. 153min. Vietnam as ‘the ultimate trip’. We
follow US Army assassin Sheen downriver and deeper into the Heart of Darkness ruled over by Brando’s mad Colonel Kurtz. Alternately pretentious and visually overpowering (the Valkyries helicopter attack, for example), the film grandiloquent folly somehow pierces right to the bone of the conflict. Sloans, Glasgow. Apollo 18 (tbc) (Gonzalo López-Gallego, US, 2011) Horror/sci-fi take on the US space mission. General release. Armadillo (tbc) ●●●●● (Janus Metz Pedersen, Denmark, 2010) 100min. See Also Released, page 66. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Art of Puppetry and Storytelling (PG) (Various) 70min. A compilation of rare puppetry footage created by Jim Henson, including a classic episode of The Muppet Show, The Storyteller: The Heartless Giant and more. Part of Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Arthur (tbc) (Jason Winer, US, 2011) Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner. See Also Released, page 66. General release. Atlantis (PG) ●●●●● (Luc Besson, France, 1991) 76min. Ambient underwater antics from the man who brought you Nikita and The Big Blue. Besson and his small crew capture a sub-aquatic world that at times resembles documentary footage of another planet. No actors, no dialogue: just impressive photography and Eric Serra’s score to guide you through the not-so-murky depths. Part of Edinburgh International Science Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu (15) (Andrei Ujica, Romania, 2010) 180min. Made over four years and assembled from 1,000 hours of footage, this tells the extraordinary story of the Romanian President who lived the high life as his people plunged into poverty. Part of New Europe Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Ballast (15) ●●●●● (Lance Hammer, US, 2008) Micheal J Smith Sr, JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs. 96min. Clearly influenced by the films of Robert Bresson and the Dardenne Brothers, this debut feature from writer/director Hammer examines the impact of a suicide on three members of an African-American family. Beautifully shot, and featuring powerful, semi-improvised performances from a non- professional cast. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Battle of Algiers (15) ●●●●● (Gillo Pontecorvo, Algeria/Italy, 1965) Brahim Haggiag, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi. 140min. A documentary-style reconstruction of Algeria’s struggle for liberation. Brilliantly realistic – quite brutally so in the controversial torture sequences – this is a textbook example of political cinema at its most persuasive. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Battle: Los Angeles (12A) ●●●●● (Jonathan Liebesman, US, 2011) Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Ne-Yo. 116min. The saving grace here is the incredible set- pieces as ‘aliens’ invade LA. The cast, led by Eckhart, wear their boot camp training well, moving convincingly as a unit into each theatre of flying debris and (occasionally ropey) CG enemies. Their characters are so thinly drawn that it’s impossible to get attached to them, so when they’re lined up as cannon fodder, the audience is left free to enjoy the spectacle without worrying too much about who’s dying. General release. Beastly (12A) ●●●●● (Daniel Barnz, US, 2011) Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen. 86min. See Also Released, page 66. Selected release. Before the Revolution (15) ●●●●● (Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy, 1964) Francesco Barilli, Adriana Asti, Allen Midgette. 112min. Bertolucci’s restored and re- released second feature concerns a young man from a middle-class background who discovers Marxism and tries to change his life. Packed with digressions, it provides an interesting window on Europe during the 1960s. Part of Bertolucci season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre. Benda Bilili! (PG) ●●●●● (Renaud Barret/Florent de la Tullaye, Democratic Republic of the Congo/France, 2010) 85min. This heartfelt documentary follows disabled Congolese rhythm’n’blues band Staff Benda Bilili from their first studio recordings, to local and the international recognition and finally on their European tour. Selected release. Between the Folds (PG) (Vanessa Gould, US, 2008) 56min. Discover how paper-folding can enhance our understanding of the world around us. Featuring an introduction and post-screening Q&A. Part of Edinburgh International Science Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Big Blue (15) ●●●●● (Luc Besson, France, 1988) Rosanna Arquette, Jean-Marc Barr, Jean Reno. 120min. Barr and Reno, friends since they were children, are divers competing to reach the greatest depths without the aid of breathing equipment, and also rivals for the romantic attentions of Ms Arquette. A commercial smash in its native France, Besson’s film is a stunningly photographed visual experience in varying shades of blue. Even if the plot is a load of tosh, the dolphins are nice. Part of Edinburgh International Science Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (PG) ●●●●● (John Whitesell, US, 2011) Martin Lawrence, Brandon T Jackson. 107min. FBI agent Malcolm Turner and son pose as Big Momma and Charmaine to infiltrate an all-girls performing arts school. Selected release. The Big Sleep (PG) ●●●●● (Howard Hawks, US, 1946) Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers. 114min. Marlowe gets caught up in the peccadilloes of the Sternwood family as he tries to stop a spot of blackmail. Needless to say, the broad knows more than she lets on. Witty, sultry and atmospheric film noir with Bogart and Bacall doing their excellent double act. DCA, Dundee. Biutiful (15) ●●●●● (Alejandro González Iñárritu, Spain/Mexico, 2010) Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib. 147min. Having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Barcelona underworld hustler Uxbal (Bardem) has just months to put his chaotic life in order and make arrangements for his young children and unstable ex-wife (Alvarez). Sentimental but visually impressive storytelling from writer- director Iñárritu. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Black Swan (15) ●●●●● (Darren Aronofsky, US, 2010) Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis. 107min. Intense and gripping portrayal of psychological meltdown with an Oscar-winning turn from Portman as a young ballerina who is cast as the white and black swans in a lavish production of Swan Lake. Selected release. A Bout de Souffle (Breathless) (PG) ●●●●● (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1959) Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger. 90min. A chic Parisian petty criminal (Belmondo) and his American girlfriend (Seberg) drift through a world of stolen cars and aimless romance towards an inexorable downbeat finale. Godard’s debut feature provoked quite a stir in its day for its carefree arrogance with the conventions of filmic grammar, but today it stands as a casual love letter to the American B-movie crime picture. Glasgow Film Theatre. Brighton Rock (PG) ●●●●● (John Boulting, UK, 1947) Richard Attenborough, Hermione Baddeley, William Hartnell. 91min. The pre-luvvie Attenborough brings a menacing delinquincy to Pinkie, who has to sweet-talk a waitress who witnesses one of his murders. The seaside atmosphere is essentially English and somehow sordid in this fine adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel, which has lost none of its power to thrill. Sofi’s, Edinburgh. The Brood (18) ●●●●● (David Cronenberg, Canada, 1979) Samantha Eggar, Oliver Reed. 91min. Eggar’s maternal instincts run wild as she devours her own afterbirth and spawns dozens of midget clones, who turn very nasty if she’s upset. Classic early Cronenberg. Glasgow Film Theatre. Burlesque (12A) ●●●●● (Steve Antin, US, 2010) Cher, Christina Aguilera, Alan Cumming. 119min. Run-of-the-mill implausible sequin-fest featuring Aguilera as a small-town girl who quits her waitressing
INDEX Film
job to make it as a singer and is taken under the grizzled wing of former dancer (and failing burlesque club owner) Cher. Macrobert, Stirling. Burrow Me (15) (Laure Prouvost, UK, 2009) 90min. Experimental effort from artist Prouvost, in which viewers are welcomed into the underground lair of a child narrator, whose strange tales push at the boundaries of imagination. CCA, Glasgow. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (15) ●●●●● (Werner Herzog, Canada/US/ France/Germany/UK, 2010) 95min. Immersive documentary examining the Chauvet-Pont-d-’Arc caves in France’s Ardèche region that contain the oldest ever paintings created by humans, dating back 35,000 years. Despite working under strict restrictions in terms of access and lighting, Herzog’s images instill a sense of awe. Selected release. Cedar Rapids (12A) ●●●●● (Miguel Arteta, US, 2011) Ed Helms, Anne Heche, John C Reilly. 87min. See Also Released, page 66. General release. Chalet Girl (12A) ●●●●● (Phil Traill, UK/Germany/Austria, 2011) Felicity Jones, Bill Nighy, Ed Westwick. 96min. Formulaic mix of Pretty Woman and Bridget Jones set on the ski slopes of St Anton. British actress Jones (single-handedly carrying the film) plays a former skateboarding prodigy whose promising career is curtailed by tragedy. An obvious crowd-pleaser that relies too heavily on staged, sitcom style humour. General release. Chernobyl Heart (PG) (Maryann DeLeo, Belarus/US, 2003) 39min. Award- winning documentary short that takes a look at children born after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Christening (Chrzest) (15) (Marcin Wrona, Poland, 2010) Wojciech Zielinski, Natalia Rybicka, Tomasz Schuchardt. 86min. This thriller centres on Michal whose criminal past catches up with him. Part of Kinoteka Polish Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Christian Brothers (tbc) (Joshi, India, 2010) Mohanlal, Dilip, Suresh Gopi. 125min. A father’s children do not live up to his expectations, so he adopts his son-in-law Kutty as his real son. However, when Kutty is murdered and his biological son is accused, everything changes. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 2D (PG) ●●●●● (Michael Apted, US, 2010) Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Tilda Swinton. 112min. Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Keynes) Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter), where they meet up with Prince Caspian (Barnes) for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, and warriors before reaching the edge of the world. CS Lewis’ saga adaptation continues. Macrobert, Stirling. City of God (18) ●●●●● (Fernando Meirelles, Brazil, 2002) 129min. The international resurgence of Latin American cinema shows no signs of slowing down. Following Central Station, Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien and Nine Queens comes an exhilarating Brazilian drama, City of God. Based on Paulo Lins’s sprawling novel and spanning three decades, it’s an epic account of the growth of organised drug dealing in a slum housing project, the so- called City of God in Rio de Janeiro. Sloans, Glasgow. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (PG) ●●●●● (Steven Spielberg, US, 1977) Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Teri Garr. 132min. Dreyfuss plays a power company technician who investigates a mysterious blackout and finds himself facing an alien. Cameo, Edinburgh. Commercials and Experiments (PG) (Various) 60min. A collection of shorts, commercials and other experiments from the Henson vault, including excerpts from Jim Henson’s experimental television programmes The Cube and Youth 68: Everything’s Changing... Or Maybe it Isn’t. Part of Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. 31 Mar–28 Apr 2011 THE LIST 67