Film INDEX
Robocop (18) ●●●●● (Paul Verhoeven, US, 1987) 103min. Slick and stomach- churningly violent futuristic thriller blending elements of Dirty Harry, Frankenstein and The Six Million Dollar Man. When diligent policeman Weller is shot to pieces by vicious hoods, his remains are mechanically reconstructed into a hi-tech law enforcement officer, but the human desire for revenge still beats beneath his mechanical exterior. Part of the Psychotronic Cinema season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Rockstar (PG) (Imtiaz Ali, India, 2011) Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor. 159min. A young man harbours dreams of being a rock star like his hero Jim Morrison, but his privileged and peacefully happy life provides no material, so in order to rectify that, he sets out to have his heart broken by the college diva. Selected release. Romantics Anonymous (Les émotifs anonymes) (12A) ●●●●● (Jean-Pierre Améris, France/Belgium, 2010) Benoît Poelvoorde, Isabelle Carré, Lorella Cravotta. 80min. See review, page 70. Part of the French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. The Royal Ballet Live: The Sleeping Beauty (E) (UK, 2011) 135min. The Royal Ballet performs its signature work, the classic fairytale of Aurora and her prince, in a version revitalised by Monica Mason and Christopher Newton in 2006 for the company’s 75th anniversary, and since reworked further by top choreographers. Selected screenings, Thu 15 Dec. The Rum Diary (15) ●●●●● (Bruce Robinson, US, 2011) Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart. 119min. Depp leads as a bored young journalist in this slightly flat adaptation of Hunter S Thompson’s hedonistic novel. See review at list.co.uk. General release. Santa vs the Snowman (PG) (John A Davis, US, 2002) Voices of Jonathan Winters, Ben Stein, Victoria Jackson. 32min. IMAX big screen presentation telling the story of a lonely snowman who is swept away by the magical wonders of Santa’s village. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow. Scotland Celebrates Christmas (U) (UK) 90min. This collection of amateur films made between the 1930s and the 1960s follows children as they prepare for the arrival of Father Christmas. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Scrooged (PG) (Richard Donner, US, 1988) Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Robert Mitchum, John Forsythe. 101min. Umpteenth screen version of Dickens’ Christmas Carol, with Murray as a miserly television exec determined to exploit the yuletide schedules for all they are worth. Sloans, Glasgow. Serious Drugs (15) (Jim Burns, UK, 2011) 90min. First-time filmmaker Jim Burns broke out of his depression when he discovered Scottish band BMX Bandits. This portrait follows the band over four years. Presented by Glasgow Music & Film Festival & Glasgow Popfest. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Service Entrance (Les femmes du 6ème étage) (12A) (Philippe Le Guay, France, 2010) Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, Natalia Verbeke. 106min. A man’s unexciting married life is turned upside down when a flock of lively Spanish maids moves into the sixth floor of his building. Part of the French Film Festival. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Shoeshine (12) ●●●●● (Vittorio De Sica, Italy, 1947) 93min. One of the benchmark films of Italy’s post war neo- realist film movement. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Shooting Dogs (15) ●●●●● (Michael Caton-Jones, UK, Germany, 2005) John Hurt, Hugh Dancy, Dominique Horwitz. 115min. Admirable BBC-funded drama set during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Screening with short The Way We Played, set during the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s. Part of What is Human Dignity?: A Biomedical Ethics Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Singing Street (E) (Nigel McIsaac/Raymond Townsend/James T Richie, Scotland, 1951) Footage from 1951 80 THE LIST 17 Nov–15 Dec 2011
of children playing traditional games in the backstreets of Edinburgh and Leith, accompanied by children’s songs. Part of Previously . . . Scotland’s History Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Smurfs (U) ●●●●● (Raja Gosnell, US, 2011) Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry. 103min. Those blue French/Belgian woodland creatures make their first 3D trip to the big screen in this hybrid live-action and animated family comedy. General release. Snowtown (18) (Justin Kurzel, Australia, 2011) Lucas Pittaway, Bob Adriaens, Louise Harris. 119min. Based on a true story, 16- year-old James hooks up with John Bunting, his mum’s boyfriend, on a violent murder spree waged against Australian ‘scum’. Selected release from Fri 18 Nov. Some Like It Hot (PG) ●●●●● (Billy Wilder, US, 1959) Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe. 120min. Brilliant, brittle, crackerjack farce with all concerned at a peak in their careers. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Sons of Cuba (12A) ●●●●● (Andrew Lang, UK, 2009) 88min. Largely avoiding tough questions about the regime, Lang’s documentary on the Havana Boxing Academy follows a group of talented 10- year-olds as they prepare for the Cuban National championships in 2006. CCA, Glasgow. Spanish Short Film Festival Three showcases of short films, including one session focusing on animation, completing Cinema Attic’s mini-festival of contemporary Spanish cinema. Inspace, The Third Door & El Bar, Edinburgh. Special Flight (Vol spécial) (15) (Fernand Melgar, Switzerland, 2011) 103min. Due to a recent Swiss law, illegal asylum seekers can be held without legal representation for up to two years before being sent home. Fernand Melgar follows a group of hapless men as they face deportation. Part of the French Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Straw Dogs (18) ●●●●● (Rod Lurie, US, 2011) James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård. 110min. Lurie remakes Sam Peckinpah’s 1971 thriller with the action moved to the Deep South of America. Selected release. Tabloid (15) (Errol Morris, US, 2010) 87min. Morris’ fascinating film about Miss Wyoming Joyce McKinney, the tabloid queen of a previous age whose intelligence and single-minded devotion to the man of her dreams leads her across the globe, into jail, and onto the front page. Selected Release. Take Shelter (15) (Jeff Nichols, US, 2011) Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham. 120min. A family man begins to suffer visions of a coming apocalypse prompting the question: are these the products of a decaying mind, or a terrifying insight into what’s to come? See Michael Shannon profile, page 69. Selected release from Fri 25 Nov. Take Three Girls: The Dolly Mixture Story (15) (Paul Kelly, UK) 40min. This documentary focuses on the 1970s/80s all-female pop group whose music bridged the gap between the 60s and the 90s. Monorail Film Club screening, double bill with Lawrence of Belgravia. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Tenebrae (18) (Dario Argento, Italy, 1982) Anthony Franciosa, Giuliano Gemma, Christian Borromeo. 110min. An Argento slasher/thriller that has great set-pieces and a coherent plot. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. The Thing (15) ●●●●● (Matthijs van Heijningen Jr, US/Canada, 2011) Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen. 102min. See review, page 74. General release from Fri 2 Dec. This Our Still Life (U) (Andrew Kötting, UK, 2011) 57min. Kötting directs the follow up to his 1996 doc Gallivant, taking up once again with his grandmother and daughter, who has learning difficulties. Selected release from Fri 18 Nov. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (15) ●●●●● (Tomas Alfredson, UK/France, 2011) Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt. 127min. New adaptation of John Le Carré’s Cold War thriller about a recently retired spy (Oldman) redrafted to investigate the truth behind fears that MI6 has been infiltrated by a Soviet double agent. Selected release. Titeuf, le film (PG) (Zep, France, 2011) Donald Reignoux, Mélanie Bernier, Zabou Breitman. 87min. Titeuf fails to get an invite to his best friend’s birthday party in this adaptation of the French comic, directed by its creator, Swiss artist Zep. Part of the French Film Festival. Selected release. Top Floor, Left Wing (15) (Angelo Cianci, France/Luxembourg, 2010) Hippolyte Girardot, Mohamed Fellag, Aymen Saïdi. 110min. This comedy drama follows the fall-out from a hostage-taking gone wrong. Part of the French Film Festival. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Tower Heist (12A) (Brett Ratner, US, 2011) Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck. 104min. The victims of a moneymaking scam conspire to rob the man who stole from them by breaking into his high-rise residence. General release. Trespass (15) ●●●●● (Joel Schumacher, US, 2011) Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage, Ben Mendelsohn. 90min. Kidnap thriller starring Kidman and Cage as a privileged husband and wife held to ransom. See review on list.co.uk. General release. 12 Angry Lebanese: The Documentary (15) (Zeina Daccache, Lebanon, 2009) 78min. In 2008, drama therapist Zeina Daccache staged a production of 12 Angry Men in one of Lebanon’s toughest prisons, performed by a mixture of murderers, rapists and drug dealers. This documentary follows their individual and collaborative development. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (12A) (Bill Condon, US, 2011) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Nikki Reed. 115min. Domestic bliss remains elusive for Bella Swan and Edward Cullen as a wolf pack and a vampire coven close in on their unborn child. General release. Twilight Twiathlon (US, Various) Cinemas around the country are offering back-to-back screenings of the first three films in the lusty teen fantasy series, prior to the very first screenings of the latest installment, Breaking Dawn Part 1. Selected screenings on Thu 17 Nov. Tyrannosaur (18) ●●●●● (Paddy Considine, UK, 2011) Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan. Unemployed widower, drunk and all-round angry old man Joseph (Mullan) stumbles into the council estate charity shop minded by good Samaritan volunteer Hannah (Colman), and friendship follows initial hostility. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Under the Sea (U) (Howard Hall, UK, 2009) Jim Carrey. 65min. Carrey narrates an underwater 3D look at the impact of global warming. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow. Unforgivable (Impardonnables) (15) (André Téchiné, France, 2011) André Dussollier, Carole Bouquet, Mélanie Thierry. 111min. Adaptation of the novel by Philippe Djian about a novelist who seeks peace and quiet in Venice, only to find love and heartbreak. Part of the French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (18) (Todd Strauss-Schulson, US, 2011) Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris. 90min. It’s been six years since their escapades in Guantanamo Bay. Now the titular stoners cause Christmas chaos by accidentally burning Harold’s father-in-law’s prize tree. General release from Fri 9 Dec. Violent Streets (aka Thief) (18) (Michael Mann, US, 1981) James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson. 122min. Mann’s debut feature follows Caan as a jewel thief trying to get by on the mean streets of Chicago. Part of the Psychotronic Cinema season. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Warp and Woof (E) (Various, 1934–66) A programme of film and audio selected by Anna Barham and Bea McMahon as influential on their exhibition of the same name. Includes Paul Sharits’ Word Movie and Ray Gun Virus, Gertrude Stein’s The Making of Americans, Parts 1 & 2, and John
Latham’s Speak. CCA, Glasgow. Warren Miller’s . . . Like There’s No Tomorrow (E) (Max Bervy, US, 2011) 90min. This documentary shows the world’s best skiers and snowboarders battling against the elements. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow; The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. The Way to the Stars (U) (Anthony Asquith, UK, 1945) John Mills, Trevor Howard, Michael Redgrave. 109min. Terence Rattigan’s salute to the RAF focuses on a group of pilots being put through their paces during WWII. Stiff upper lips maintained all round. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Weekend (18) ●●●●● (Andrew Haigh, UK, 2011) Tom Culllen, Chris New. 97min. A random pick-up at a gay club becomes much more than just a one night stand in this tender psychological drama from the director of Greek Pete. Selected release. The Well Digger’s Daughter (La fille du puisatier) (12A) ●●●●● (Daniel Auteuil, France, 2011) Daniel Auteuil, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Nicolas Duvauchelle. 107min. See review, p 70. Selected release from Fri 9 Dec. We Have a Pope (tbc) ●●●●● (Nanni Moretti, Italy/France, 2011) Michel Piccoli, Jerzy Stuhr, Renato Scarpa. 102min. See review, page 70. Selected release from Fri 2 Dec. We Need to Talk About Kevin ●●●●● (15) (Lynne Ramsay, UK/US, 2011) Tilda Swinton, John C Reilly, Ezra Miller. The mother of a teenage boy who went on a school killing spree deals with the guilt she feels by writing to her estranged husband. Selected release. We Were Here (12) (David Weissman/Bill Weber, US, 2011) 103min. Documentary reflecting on the effects of AIDS on the San Francisco gay community when it descended like a so-called ‘gay plague’ 30 years ago. Selected release from Fri 25 Nov. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (15) ●●●●● (Robert Aldrich, US, 1962) Joan Crawford, Bette Davis. 133min. The catty rivalry between two former screen stars (and of course, resemblance may be intended to persons living or dead) leads to suspicion after a mysterious accident confines La Crawford to a wheelchair in Aldrich’s clever but ultimately unsatisfying mystery thriller. Presented by Lock Up Your Daughters. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. White Christmas (U) ●●●●● (Michael Curtiz, US, 1954) Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen. 120min. Christmas staple starring Crosby and Kaye as a song-and-dance troupe who become involved with a sister act. Sloans, Glasgow; Dominion, Edinburgh. Winnie the Pooh (U) ●●●●● (Stephen J Anderson/Don Hall, US, 2011) Voices: Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson, John Cleese. Disney returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with pleasing results. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Withnail & I (15) (Bruce Robinson, UK, 1987) Paul McGann, Richard E Grant, Richard Griffiths. 107min. Entertaining British comedy has a second stab at glory, and it’s the bleaker end-of-the-decade elements that have lasted best. GFT Late Night Classics screening. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. World of Plenty (E) (Paul Rotha, UK, 1947) 50min. Ambitious and entertaining documentary offering an international survey of food production and distribution before, during and immediately after World War II. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Wuthering Heights (15) ●●●●● (Andrea Arnold, UK, 2011) Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Nichola Burley. 129min. The director of Red Road and Fish Tank is seemingly more concerned with paying homage to Robert Bresson and the Dardenne Brothers here than with telling a winning story, and while her big, bold move is to make Heathcliff black, she fails to do anything interesting with it. General release. You’ve Been Trumped (E) ●●●●● (Anthony Baxter, UK, 2011) Documentary charting Donald Trump’s moves to build an enormous golf and residential development on land in the north east of Scotland. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.