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 Laura Ennor. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Act of Valour (12A) (Mike McCoy/Scott Waugh, US, 2012) Alex Veadov, Roselyn Sanchez, Nestor Serrano. 101min. See Also Released, page 70. General release from Fri 23 Mar. The Adopted (15) ●●●●● (Melanie Laurent, France, 2011) Marie Denarnaud, Denis Menochet, Melanie Laurent, Clementine Celarie. 100min. Sisters in Lyon whose relationship is disrupted when restaurant critic Max (Menochet) sweeps Marie off her feet. Director Laurent aims for a fable-like atmosphere but the film hammers home its message and the most interesting character (Celarie) is underused. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Airplane! (PG) (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, US, 1980) Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty. 87min. Ted Striker endeavours to overcome his problems and fly again when the pilots Rodger and Under flake out on him in this hilarious spoof of every old cliché in every old disaster movie ever made. Part of Glasgow Comedy Festival. Vespbar, Glasgow. Alien (18) (Ridley Scott, US, 1979) Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Harry Dean Stanton. 116min. Think 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. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ All Night Horror Madness (18) (Various) Horror feast through the wee small hours with back-to-back screenings of I Drink Your Blood, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Nights of Terror and The Return of the Living Dead (and one extra surprise movie at the Cameo). Plus vintage horror trailers and a free raffle! Cameo, Edinburgh; Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow. Angèle and Tony (tbc) (Alix Delaporte, France, 2010) Clotilde Hesme, Grégory Gadebois, Evelyne Didi. 87min. Upon her arrival in a small, Normandy port, troubled Angèle is befriended by fisherman Tony and they begin to form an unusual relationship. Eden Court Theatre, Inverness.
✽✽ Another Fine Mess with Laurel and Hardy (U) (Various, UK, 1928/29) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy. 70min. Triple bill of Wrong Again, The Finishing Touch and Two Tars from the accident prone pair. With live piano accompaniment from Stephen Horne. Part of the Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness.
✽✽ Arabian Nights (PG) (John Rawlins, US, 1942) Jon Hall, Maria Montez, Sabu. 86min. This reworking of the classic tale won Oscars for Best Colour Art Direction and Best Colour Cinematography. Part of Fashion in Film: Birds of Paradise. Glasgow Film Theatre. Arena: Dickens on Film (U) (Anthony Wall, UK, 2011) 60min. This history of Dickens on film and TV examines adaptations from as far back as 1898. Part of the Dickens on Screen season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Artist (PG) ●●●●● (Michel Hazanavicius, France, 2011) Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo. 100min. This joyous, impeccably crafted crowdpleaser about the advent of the talkies melds the tried and tested plot of A Star Is Born to the comic exuberance of Singin’ In The Rain, with the result that it is almost impossible not to fall for its charms. General release. Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (PG) (Alain Chabat, France/Germany, 2002) Gérard Depardieu, Christian Clavier, Jamel Debbouze. 107min. The duo from Gaul build a palace for the Egyptian queen. Glasgow Film Theatre.
At the Very Last Moment – Nuit de la Glisse (U) 80min. Featuring downhill mountain biking, street skateboarding, wingsuiting and surfing, this 3D exploration of adventure also features Scotland’s Danny MacAskill. Glasgow Film Theatre. Beginners (15) ●●●●● (Mike Mills, US, 2010) Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic. McGregor is Oliver, whose father Hal (Plummer) has recently died from cancer, having at the age of 75 come out as gay and enthusiastically embraced the life he had long denied himself. Whimsicality runs through every frame and incurable romantics will clutch it to their hearts. Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh. Bel Ami (15) ●●●●● (Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod, UK, 2011) Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas. 102min. See review, page 67. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (12) ●●●●● (John Madden, UK, 2011) Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson. 118min. Despite an irresistible army of pension-age talent, this story about a group of unconnected British retirees who come to the titular hotel in Jaipur feels too calculated to offer anything more than disposable entertainment at best, and cheaply manipulative emotional kicks at worst. General release. Big Miracle (PG) (Ken Kwapis, US, 2012) Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell. 107min. Romantic drama ‘inspired by the incredible true story’ of a new reporter (John Krasinski) and his efforts to save a family of whales in Alaska. Selected release. The Big Sleep (PG) ●●●●● (Howard Hawks, US, 1946) Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Dorothy Malone. 114min. Witty, sultry and atmospheric film noir with Bogart and Bacall doing their excellent double act. Scotsman Screening Room, Edinburgh. Bitter Seeds (15) (Micha X Peled, India, 2011) 88min. This documentary focuses on the plight of Indian farmers caused by the agricultural biotech industry. Featuring a discussion in association with Oxfam Scotland. Screening presented by Take One Action Film Festival and followed by a discussion with guest speakers. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre. Black Gold (12) ●●●●● (Jean-Jacques Annaud, France/Italy/Qatar, 2011) Tahar Rahim, Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong. 130min. This action-adventure is set at the turn of the 20th century as oil is being discovered in the desert. Annaud falls short in directing the action and, ironically, can’t avoid stereotypes of the Arab World. Selected release.
✽✽ The Black Pirate (U) (Albert Parker, US, 1926) Douglas Fairbanks,
Billie Dove, Anders Randolf. 88min. Fairbanks Sr stars in this swashbuckling actioner. With live musical accompaniment by Hazel Morrison and Jane Gardner. Part of the Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad) (12A) (Nidal al Dibs, Syria, 2006) 62min. This Syrian documentary focuses on the travails of a group of children who search for scrap metal to eke out a living on the fringe of Damascus. Followed by a panel discussion. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Blank City (15) (Celine Danhier, US, 2010) 94min. See Also Released, page 70. Selected release from Fri 2 Mar. Blazing Saddles (15) ●●●●● (Mel Brooks, US, 1974) Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise. 93min. More banal schoolboy humour from Brooks and a clutch of other writers as a railway company is thwarted in its plans by a motley crew of western folk. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Blood in the Mobile (15) ●●●●● (Frank Piasecki Poulsen, Denmark/Germany, 2010) 86min. Director Poulsen examines the impact of the trade in mobile phone parts on Congo’s civil war. Poulsen uncovers child labourers in
appalling conditions before confronting his mobile phone company. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Bolshoi Ballet Live: Le Corsaire (tbc) (2012) Loosely based on Byron’s poem, this romantic tale tells of the rescue of a beautiful slave from her master by a handsome pirate. Featuring music by Adolphe Adam and Leo Delibes. Selected screenings on Sun 11 Mar. Bombay Beach (tbc) ●●●●● (Alma Har’el, US, 2011) 80min. Documentary about Bombay Beach in southern California, once a vacation spot for the rich but now occupied by the poor. Director Har’el seeks to empathise with her subjects, happily fictionalising and fantasising in this dream-like film with crepuscular lighting Terrence Malick would envy. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Booked Out (12) (Bryan O’Neil, UK, 2012) Sylvia Syms, Mirren Burke, Rollo Weeks. 83min. See Also Released, page 70. Selected release.
✽✽ Carancho (15) ●●●●● (Pablo Trapero, Argentina, 2010) Ricardo
Darín, Martina Gusmán. 107min. See review, page 67. Selected release from Fri 2 Mar. Carnage (15) ●●●●● (Roman Polanski, France/Germany/Poland/Spain, 2011) Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C Reilly. 79min. A playground spat between two boys causes their parents to try to settle their differences. Plays out at a blistering pace and boasts exuberant performances. Fast, funny and filthy. macrobert, Stirling; The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Casablanca (PG) ●●●●● (Michael Curtiz, US, 1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid. 102min. You must remember this . . . Bogart being impossibly noble, Bergman torn between two lovers, Claude Rains playing both ends against the middle, devious Nazis, a fogbound airport, a piano-player tinkling that tune. A wonderful hill of beans. macrobert, Stirling. Chasing Legends (E) ●●●●● (Jason Berry, US, 2009) 94min. Gripping documentary following the HTC-Columbia Team through the gruelling 2009 Tour De France. macrobert, Stirling. Chronicle (12A) ●●●●● (Josh Trank, US, 2012) Michael B Jordan, Michael Kelly, Alex Russell. 83min. Three high school friends develop superhuman powers after a discovery in a mysterious crater. However, their lives spiral out of control when one of them decides to test his dark side. Selected release. Cleanskin (15) (Hadi Hajaig, UK, 2012) Sean Bean, Abhin Galeya, Charlotte Rampling. 108min. See Also Released, page 70. Selected release from Fri 9 Mar. Contraband (15) ●●●●● (Baltasar Kormakur, US, 2012) Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi. 109min. See review, page 68. General release from Fri 16 Mar. Consequences of Love (15) ●●●●● (Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, 2004) Toni Servillo, Olivia Magnani, Adriano Giannini, Gianna Paola Scaffidi, Raffaele Pisu. 100min. Ultra self-consciously directed, loosely existential Italian thriller. Titta (Servillo), lives anonymously in a hotel, playing cards, watching others and taking delivery of suitcases containing millions of dollars. Efficient but minor. Double bill with Il Divo. Cameo, Edinburgh. Cool Hand Luke (15) ●●●●● (Stuart Rosenberg, US, 1967) Paul Newman. 127min. Lucas ‘Luke’ Jackson (Newman) rewrites the rule book in coolness when he is locked up for a petty crime. Even the officers fall for his laconic charms, but the pressure of remaining on a pedestal soon takes its toll. Superb adaptation of Donn Pearce’s Christ allegory novel. St Bride’s Centre, Edinburgh. Coriolanus (15) ●●●●● (Ralph Fiennes, UK, 2011) Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox, Jessica Chastain, Paul Jesson. 123min. Fiennes, debuting as director, creates a modern day, war-torn Rome using Serbian locations, restless cinematography and an excellent cast, making this a powerful and resonant reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
INDEX INDEX Film
✽✽ A Cottage on Dartmoor (PG) (Anthony Asquith, Sweden/UK, 1929) Norah Baring, Uno Henning, Hans Adalbert Schlettow. 88min. Dark thriller about a barber, his frightening obsession with the local manicurist, and the murderous consequences when she rejects him. With live piano accompaniment by Stephen Horne. Part of the Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness.
✽✽ Courage (Wymyk) (15) (Greg Zglinski, Poland, 2011) Robert
Wieckiewicz, Lukasz Simlat, Gabriela Muskala. 85min. Zglinski’s film examines cowardice and guilt as two brothers witness a girl being mugged on a train and only one of them goes to her aid. Part of the touring KINOTEKA Polish Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. A Dangerous Method (15) ●●●●● (David Cronenberg, UK/Germany/Canada/Switzerland, 2011) Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Vincent Cassel. 99min. Cronenberg’s investigation of psychoanalysis, seen through the relationship between the two main proponents, Freud (Mortensen) and Jung (Fassbender) makes for a fascinating insight into a moment in history. Selected release. The Dark Crystal (PG) (Jim Henson, Frank Oz, 1982) Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz. 93min. Unoriginal children’s fantasy from the Muppet men surrounding the quest for a missing shard from the all-powerful dark crystal which must be retrieved to prevent evil consuming the known world. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Dark Harbour (Futoko) (12A) (Takatsugu Naitô, Japan, 2009) Kazuki Hiro’oka, Shinya Kote, Akaji Maro. 101min. Deadpan comedy about a lonely fisherman who only notices a woman and her son hiding in his wardrobe when watching back a video he’s made for a dating service. Part of the Contemporary Japanese Auteurs season. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Dark Knight (12A) ●●●●● (Christopher Nolan, US, 2008) Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman. 152min. Supremely well-imagined, perfectly executed film that combines blockbuster spectacle with indie cinema cool and smarts. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. David Copperfield (U) (George Cukor, US, 1935) Freddie Bartholomew, Frank Lawton, Edna May Oliver. 130min. This was the first of MGM’s 1930s Dickens adaptations. A young man learns the hard lessons in life as he overcomes a series of tragedies. Part of the Dickens on Screen season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. A Day at the Races (PG) (Sam Wood, US, 1937) Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx. 111min. The Marx Brothers’ classic follows the attempts of a bunch of misfits trying to keep a farm open by winning a horse race. Double bill with A Night at the Opera. Glasgow Film Theatre. Dead by Dawn (18) A series of horror showcases. Many filmmakers attend to introduce their films, and there’s also a ‘Shit Film Amnesty’ where attendees can offload the dross clogging up their DVD collections onto willing victims in exchange for more of the same. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 29 Mar–Sun 1 Apr. Dear Doctor (PG) (Miwa Nishikawa, Japan, 2009) Tsurube Shôfukutei, Eita, Teruyuki Kagawa. 127min. A doctor moves to a remote village with an elderly population. When a woman asks him to conceal her cancer from her distant daughter, he agrees. Part of the Contemporary Japanese Auteurs season. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Decoy Bride (12A) ●●●●● (Sheree Folkson, UK, 2011) Kelly Macdonald, David Tennant, Alice Eve. 90min. See review, page 70. Selected release from Fri 9 Mar. Delicacy (La Délicatesse) (12A) (David Foenkinos/Stéphane Foenkinos, France, 2011) Audrey Tautou, François Damiens, Bruno Todeschini. 108min. A
1–29 Mar 2012 THE LIST 71