Film INDEX
The Exorcist (18) ●●●●● (William Friedkin, US, 1973) Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Jason Miller. 132min. Earnest priest Jason Miller steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Now re-released in remastered form, with a super stereo soundtrack (so you can hear those obscenities in full). Dead good, dead scary, dead priest. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Faust (2011) (tbc) ●●●●● (Aleksandr Sokurov, Russia, 2011) Johannes Zeiler, Anton Adasinsky, Isolda Dychauck. 140min. Another version of Goethe’s German legend where a dissatisfied scholar sells his soul to the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Selected release from Fri 11 May. Ferrari Ki Sawaari (tbc) (Rajesh Mapuskar, India, 2012) Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Sharman Joshi. A family film about a boy whose dream of playing cricket at Lords becomes a reality after he pursues an Indian cricket legend’s Ferrari. Selected release from Fri 11 May. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (15) ●●●●● (John Hughes, US, 1986) Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen. 103min. Characteristically Hughes teen comedy that scores with fresh dialogue and appealing characterisations, but has the drawback of some laboured farce and a misplaced desire to make meaningful statements. Sloans, Glasgow. Filarmonica Della Scala 30th Anniversary (E) (Italy, 2012) Romantic classics by Rachmaninov and Matteo Franceschini, live from La Scala in Italy. Conducted by Andrea Battistoni. Selected screenings on Mon 7 May. Filarmonica Della Scala 30th Anniversary (E) (Italy, 2012) Live broadcast to celebrate this acclaimed Italian orchestra’s anniversary, featuring symphonic classics from Beethoven and several Italian greats and conducted by Fabio Luisi. Selected screenings on Mon 14 May. The First Born (Miles Mander, UK, 1928) Miles Mander, Madeleine Carroll, John Loder. 88min. Silent movie reminiscent of early Hitchcock (and indeed co-written by Hitch’s wife), dealing with the philanderings of a passionate aristocrat and their effect on his long-suffering wife. Featuring live musical accompaniment. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Dundee Contemporary Arts; Glasgow Film Theatre.
✽✽ 48 Hour Film Project (E) (Various, UK, 2011) View the results of the recent Edinburgh leg of the 48 Hour Film Project, the world’s largest timed-film competition, and vote for your favourite. Cameo, Edinburgh, Tue 22–Thu 24 May. Four Horsemen (E) (Ross Ashcroft, UK, 2012) 97min. Twenty-three thinkers come together to brainstorm how best to turn around the state of the world and achieve global harmony. Followed by a Q&A with the director and special guests. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre. A Gang Story (Les Lyonnais) (15) (Olivier Marchal, France/Belgium, 2011) Gérard Lanvin, Tchéky Karyo, Daniel Duval. 102min. Ex-cop director Olivier Marchal’s adaptation of notorious French criminal Momon’s autobiography focuses on his sense of family and loyalty. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre. Gone (15) (Heitor Dhalia, US, 2012) Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley. 94min. Abduction/serial killer thriller as Seyfried tries to convince the police her kidnapper has returned and nabbed her sister. General release.
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70 THE LIST 26 Apr–24 May 2012
Goodbye First Love (Un amour de jeunesse) (15) ●●●●● (Mia Hansen- Løve, France/Germany, 2011) Lola Créton, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Magne-Håvard Brekke. 110min. See review, page 65. Selected release from Fri 4 May. The Good Soldier Svejk – Eps I, II, III (15) (Carl Lamac, Czechoslovakia, 1926) Karl Noll, Antonie Nedosinská, Carl Lamac. 88min. This adaptation of Jaroslav Hasek’s novel is brought to life with puppet and hand-cut animation inspired by the work of Josef Lada. Glasgow Film Theatre. La Grande Illusion (PG) (Jean Renoir, France, 1937) Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresney, Erich von Stroheim, Marcel Dalio. 117min. Renoir’s classic prison camp escape story is more than the strong anti-war statement that won it praise at the time of its release; it is also an ironic social analysis highlighting class differentiation. Dundee Contemporary Arts. Greedy Lying Bastards (E) (Craig Scott Rosebraugh, US, 2012) tbc min. This indictment of the fossil fuel industry documents its impact on climate change and health and safety. Part of the Green Film Festival UK. Glasgow Film Theatre. Hannah and Her Sisters (15) (Woody Allen, US, 1986) Mia Farrow, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey. 107min. An achingly funny, insightful and well cast celebration of some surprisingly upbeat romantic perambulations within a family circle as only Woody knows how. Dundee Contemporary Arts. Happy (E) (Roko Belic, US, 2011) 76min. Combining real life stories with talking head scientists, this film examines what it is that makes us happy. Part of the Green Film Festival UK. Glasgow Film Theatre. Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (E) (Dmitry Vasyukov/Werner Herzog, Germany, 2010) 90min. This documentary follows the villagers of Bakhtia in the Siberian Taiga. Their daily routines have changed little over the last few hundred years and they have maintained many of their traditions. Part of the Green Film Festival UK. Glasgow Film Theatre. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (tbc) (Takashi Miike, 2011) Kôji Yakusho, Naoto Takenaka, Hikari Mitsushima. 126min. Period samurai drama about revenge, honour and disgrace, from the director of 13 Assassins. Selected release from Fri 4 May. Le Havre (PG) ●●●●● (Aki Kaurismaki, Finland/France/Germany, 2011) Andre Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean- Pierre Darroussin, Jean-Pierre Leaud. 93min. In the dismal seaport of Le Havre, elderly shoe-shiner Marcel (Wilms) attempts to help a young African immigrant boy to cross the Channel to a better life. Kaurismaki’s inimitable sense of grim comedy is as sharp as ever, and the glorious Technicolor style bestows dignity on his beloved underclass. macrobert, Stirling. How I Spent My Summer Vacation (15) (Adrian Grunberg, US, 2012) Mel Gibson, Peter Stormare, Bob Gunton. 95min. Gibson plays a career criminal who is caught and put in a tough Mexican prison, surviving only with the help of a nine-year-old boy. General release from Fri 11 May. The Hunger Games (12A) ●●●●● (Gary Ross, US, 2012) Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. 142min. An adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ dystopian thriller of a novel that successfully transcends its teen-fiction origins, with excellent cast and direction. General release. Identification of a Woman (Identificazione di una donna) (18) (Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy/France, 1982) Tomas Milian, Daniela Silverio, Christine Boisson. 128min. Antonioni’s most sensual film follows an Italian filmmaker and his relationships with two women. It saw the director take a hiatus for 13 years until 1995’s Beyond the Clouds. Part of the Antonioni & Bergman season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle (Eu Cand Ureau Sa Fluier, Fluier) (tbc) (Florin Serban, Romania, 2010) George Pistereanu, Ada Condeescu, Clara Voda. 94min. Romanian drama about the fallout from an angry and vulnerable teenager’s release from juvenile detention. Selected release from Fri 18 May. Immigrant Nation!: The Battle for the Dream (E) (Esau Melendez, Mexico/US, 2010) 96min. Documentary exploring the Latino American human rights movement through the plight of one Chicago single mother and her attempts to fight deportation and stay with her American-born son. GRAMNet and BEMIS screening. CCA, Glasgow. In Darkness (U) ●●●●● (Agnieszka Holland, Poland/Canada/Germany, 2011) Robert Wieckiewicz, Bennu Fürmann. 145min. Based on the true story of Polish Catholic sewer worker Leopold Socha (Wieckiewicz), who for more than a year hid Jewish refugees in the sewers of Nazi- occupied Lvov. Similarities with Schindler’s List are inevitable but Holland is tougher and cooler-headed than Spielberg, and handles criss-crossing storylines with skill; the result has depth, wit and complexity. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. In Transition 2.0 (E) (Emma Goude, Various, 2012) 106min. Environmental and social initiatives from across the globe are drawn together in this documentary which was produced by local filmmakers in each territory, making it one of the lowest-carbon international films ever made. Part of the Green Film Festival UK. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Inbetweeners Movie (15) ●●●●● (Ben Palmer, UK, 2011) Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas. 97min. School has ended for the hapless teens, so Will, Jay, Neil and Simon take their first boys-only holiday. macrobert, Stirling. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (PG) ●●●●● (Steven Spielberg, US, 1981) Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman. 115min. Ford plays adventuring archaeologist Indiana Jones, who almost bites off more than he can chew when he turns up at the Ark of the Covenant in Nazi-infested wartime Egypt. Return to the breathless excitement of the Saturday morning serial with this rollercoaster of a movie, which is probably better than either of its sequels. Tongue held very firmly in cheek. Cameo, Edinburgh. The Iron Lady (12A) ●●●●● (Phyllida Lloyd, UK, 2011) Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant. 105min. Lloyd’s biopic features a brilliantly convincing lead performance from Streep, assisted by terrific work from the make-up and prosthetics departments, and makes some interesting observations about old age and the cost of power, but offers no significant insights on the lady of the title. Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh. Iron Sky (tbc) ●●●●● (Timo Vuorensola, Finland, Germany, Australia, 2012) Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Götz Otto, Peta Sergeant, Stephanie Paul, Udo Kier. 93min. Nazis on the moon! In Finland’s first blockbuster, a US lunar expedition discovers a hidden moonbase where Nazis have been hiding since the end of World War II. Shame that Vuorensola’s flat satire and B-movie plotting don’t live up to the inspired premise. For once, a Hollywood remake might be in order. Dundee Contemporary Arts; Cameo, Edinburgh. Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy (18) (Rob Heydon, Canada, 2011) Adam Sinclair, Kristin Kreuk, Billy Boyd. 99min. Adaptation of the story ‘The Undefeated’ from the Trainspotting author’s Ecstasy collection. A drug-dealing Edinburgh party animal meets a beguiling woman who is looking to break free from her humdrum life. Selected release. The Island President (PG) (Jon Shenk, US, 2011) 101min. Political documentary with a climate change focus as the President of the Maldives strives to keep his nation above sea level, accompanied by a soundtrack by Radiohead. Dundee Contemporary Arts. Jannat 2 (tbc) (Kunal Deshmukh, India, 2012) Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, Esha Gupta. Bollywood crime thriller and
sequel to the 2008 film Jannat about a young man whose obsession with making money fast leads him to a life of crime. Selected release from Fri 4 May. Jeff, Who Lives At Home (12A tbc) ●●●●● (Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, US, 2011) Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer. 83min. See review, page 65. Selected release from Fri 11 May. Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters (Hodejegerne) (15) ●●●●● (Morten Tydlum, Norway, 2011) Askel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund. 101min. Roger (Hennie) is a successful headhunter living beyond his means, who supplements his income with a double life as a gentleman thief, until one of his victims fights back. Tyldum’s adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s novel is somewhere between a Road Runner cartoon and a Coen Brothers thriller: breathlessly, outrageously entertaining. Selected release. Juan of the Dead (Juan de los Muertos) (18) (Alejandro Brugués, Spain/Cuba, 2011) Blanca Rosa Blanco, Elsa Camp, Alexis Díaz de Villegas. 92min. The first Cuban zombie film ever made, poking fun at Cuba’s political propaganda. Selected release from Fri 4 May. The Kid with a Bike (Le gamin au vélo) (12A) ●●●●● (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Italy, 2011) Thomas Doret, Cécile de France, Jérémie Renier. 87min. Young boy Cyril (Doret) has recently entered foster care. When his beloved red bike is sold by his absent father, local hairdresser Samantha (de France) buys it back for him and the two get to know each other. The Dardenne brothers’ latest is one of their best: incredibly simple and yet captivating. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness.
✽✽ KinoKlub (E) (Various, Russia, Various) A mini-retrospective of the
stop-motion films of Ladislas Starevich, plus short film The Making of Longbird by Will Anderson, which documents the resurrection of a Russian animated character. Followed by an informal Q&A with Anderson. Donation bar with Russian drinks available. Space very limited, please arrive early. Scotland-Russia Institute, Edinburgh. Last Call at the Oasis (E) (Jessica Yu, US, 2011) 105min. This investigation into the world’s water crisis features interviews with scientists and activists including Erin Brockovich. Part of the Green Film Festival UK. Glasgow Film Theatre. Laugh at My Pain (18) (Leslie Small, Tim Story, US, 2011) Kevin Hart, Na’im Lynn. 89min. Stand up comedian Kevin Hart broke Eddie Murphy’s record to become the first African-American comedian to reach $1.1 million ticket sales for his two-day comedy show Laugh at My Pain at in LA. This recording of the show is accompanied by behind-the-scenes documentary footage. Selected release from Fri 27 Apr. Lawrence of Belgravia (15) (Paul Kelly, UK, 2011) Lawrence. 50min. Image- conscious ‘almost’ pop star Lawrence, optimistic leader of numerous bands, is examined in this documentary. Cameo, Edinburgh. The Libertines: There Are No Innocent Bystanders (18) (Roger Sargent, UK, 2011) 86min. Documentary about the troubled indie rockers. With Q&A from director Roger Sargent and a DJ set from Libs drummer Gary Powell. Rescheduled to Fri 27 Apr. O2 Academy, Glasgow. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (U) ●●●●● (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, UK, 1943) Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook. 163min. One of the great British films, this is an ecstatic, uplifting celebration and, paradoxically, critique of the essence of Britishness. Outwitted through ‘cheating’ in a 1942 Home Guard exercise, General Clive Wynne-Candy reflects on his life, military career and love of a special woman, concluding that his gentlemanly notions of ‘fair play’ have become outmoded. Magnificent and now re-issued for a new generation to enjoy. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.