FILM | Index
5 REASONS TO WATCH THE FILMS OF . . .
CHANTAL AKERMAN
1 In 1968, as an 18-year-old film school dropout, she funded her first short film by selling shares on the Antwerp diamond exchange. 2 She then relocated to New York City to immerse herself in the avant-garde scene, gaining particular inspiration from the structuralist film movement exemplified by the work of Stan Brakhage, Michael Snow and Andy Warhol. But long slow takes aren’t all she’s up for: her body of work also takes in romantic comedy, documentaries, literary adaptations and a musical.
3 Her most famed feature film was listed as of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, made in 1975, is an account of the domestic life of a housewife with a prostitution sideline starring Delphine Seyrig. It was hailed as the ‘first masterpiece of the feminine in the history of the cinema’ by The New York Times.
4 But wait! She isn’t easily categorisable. Akerman refutes the label ‘feminist filmmaker’, saying, ‘It so happens I’m a woman and aware of certain problems, but that isn’t my main concern in making movies . . . I’m not making women’s films. I’m making Chantal Akerman’s films.’ She once refused to have her films shown in a gay and lesbian film festival, regarding such separatism as ghettoising and negative.
5 She’s an irreverent iconoclast to whom the backslapping, money- grubbing and tactful reputation- guarding of the mainstream film industry mean little – so for aficionados and new converts alike, the opportunity to see her present her own work is one not to be missed. (Hannah McGill) ■ A retrospective of Chantal Akerman’s films will screen as part of the French Film Festival, various venues, Fri 16 Nov–Sun 2 Dec. See will appear in person for a Q&A after the screening of Almayer’s Folly, Fri 16 Nov, Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Sun 18 Nov, GFT, Glasgow.
70 THE LIST 15 Nov–13 Dec 2012
NT Live: Timon of Athens (tbc) (Nicholas Hytner, 2012) Martin Chamberlain, Jason Cheater, Stavros Demetraki. Simon Russell Beale plays the titular bon viveur in Shakespeare’s tale of consumption, debt and ruin. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 18 Nov; Cameo, Edinburgh, Thu 22–Tue 27 Nov. Pierrot Le Fou (15) ●●●●● (Jean- Luc Godard, France/Italy, 1965) Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina, Dirk Sanders, Raymond Devos, Samuel Fuller. 110min. Godard’s delightful 1965 lovers on the run pastiche reissued on a new digital print. Featuring introduction and Q&A with Vic Godard of Subway Sect. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 2 Dec. The Pillow Book (18) (Peter Greenaway, France/UK/Netherlands/ Luxembourg, 1996) Vivian Wu, Ewan McGregor, Yoshi Oida. 126min. Greenaway’s sexual odyssey stars a young McGregor and is loosely based on the tenth century writings of the imperial court observer, Sei Shonagon. Atmosphere screening. Booking essential. Inspace, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Nov. Pina (U) ●●●●● (Wim Wenders, Germany/UK/France, 2011) 103min. Excerpts from four of Bausch’s productions are interspersed with theatrical performance footage and interviews. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Tue 27 Nov. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (15) (John Hughes, US, 1987) Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robbins. 92min. Predictable and sentimental ‘odd couple’ road movie which is nonetheless genuinely funny. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 16 Nov. Podaa Podi (tbc) (Vignesh Shiva, India, 2012) TR Silambarasan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Shobana. Romantic comedy following a couple through three stages in their lives. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 15 Nov. Private Peaceful (12A) ●●●●● (Pat O’Connor, UK, 2012) George MacKay, Jack O’Connell, Alexandra Roach. 100min. Tommo and Charlie Peaceful are two brothers who make the fateful decision to sign up to the British Army during WWI. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sat 1 Dec. The Ring (U) (Alfred Hitchcock, UK, 1927) Carl Brisson, Lillian Hall-Davis, Ian Hunter. 116min. Two boxers fight over a woman in this, one of Hitchcock’s best silent films. See preview, page 67. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 23–Thu 29 Nov. Rent-a-Cat (Rentaneko) (tbc) (Naoko Ogigami, Japan, 2012) Mikako Ichikawa, Reiko Kusamura, Ken Mitsuishi, Maho Yamada, Kei Tanaka, Katsuya Kobayashi. 110min. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 5–Thu 6 Dec. The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker (U) (UK, 2009) 120min. The classic ballet about young Clara’s adventures in the play room on Christmas night, filmed live at the Royal Ballet and presented in digital on the big screen. Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 13 Dec. Royal Opera House: Les Troyens (E) (David McVicar, 2012) 330min. An enormous production of an enormous opera, running the gamut from military marches to tender love duets. Staged at the Royal Opera House in 2012. Vue Ocean, Edinburgh, Sun 18 Nov; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Sun 18 Nov. Royal Opera House: The Nutcracker (E) (UK, 2012) Performance of the festive favourite, filmed live at the Royal Opera House. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Thu 13 Dec; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 13 Dec; Cameo, Edinburgh, Thu 13 Dec. Royal Opera House: Un Ballo In Maschera (E) (Spain, 2008) 130min. Verdi’s Masked Ball hosts an all-star cast led by renowned Spanish conductor Jesus Lopez Cobos. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Sat 8 Dec. Samurai Cop (18+) (Amir Shervan, US, 1989) Robert Z’Dar, Matt Hannon, Jannis Farley. 96min. One of the worst films of the 80s, now a bona fide cult classic. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 27 Nov. Shortbus (18) ●●●●● (John Cameron Mitchell, US, 2006) Raphael Barker, Lindsey Beamish, Justin Bond. 101min. A love-letter to New York, this story of three relationships features explicit, unsimulated sex. Introduced by Tranny and Roseannah following their Frock-On-Frock-Off Live festival. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 18 Nov. The Singing Ringing Tree (U) (Francesco Stefani, East Germany, 1957) Christel Bodenstein, Charles Hans Vogt, Eckart Dux. 74min. East German children’s fairytale, formerly serialised by the BBC. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness, Sat 1 Dec.
Some Like It Hot (PG) ●●●●● (Billy Wilder, US, 1959) Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe. 120min. Two impecunious male musicians inadvertently witness the St Valentine’s Day Massacre and take refuge in Florida with Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators, an all-female band. Followed by a burlesque performance put on by Club Noir. Ghillie Dhu, Edinburgh, Sun 25 Nov. Son of Sardaar (tbc) (Ashwni Dhir, India, 2012) Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, Juhi Chawla, Mukul Dev, Vindu Dara Singh. Returning to his parents’ village, a man becomes the latest target in a long-standing family feud. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Thu 15 Nov; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 15 Nov; Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Thu 15 Nov. Sound It Out (E) (Jeanie Finlay, UK, 2011) 75min. This documentary examines the very last independent record shop on Teeside. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 28 Nov. Team America (15) (Trey Parker, US, 2004) Voices of Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kristen Miller, Maurice LaMarche, Daran Norris. 98min. The South Park team’s riotous satire of US jingoism. Cameo, Edinburgh, Sat 17 Nov. Trading Places (15) ●●●●● (John Landis, US, 1983) Dan Aykroyd, Don Ameche, Eddie Murphy. 116min. A ‘Prince and the Pauper’ lifestyle-swapping comedy sparked by the dynamic presence of Murphy. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 7 Dec. True Grit (15) ●●●●● (Joel & Ethan Coen, US, 2010) Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld. 110min. The Coen brothers’ version of Charles Portis’ novel takes an expansive, detailed view of a corrupt, bygone society. Cameo, Edinburgh, Thu 29 Nov. Twilight (12A) ●●●●● (Catherine Hardwicke, US, 2008) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner. 121min. Stephanie Meyer’s vampire-romance novel turned box office behemoth. Featuring the first four films of the series. Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow, Thu 15 Nov. 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. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Fri 16–Sun 18 Nov. Une vie meilleure (A Better Life) (15) (Cédric Kahn, France, 2011) Guillaume Canet, Leïla Bekhti, Slimane Khettabi. 110min. An unemployed chef begins a relationship with a beautiful woman and her young son. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sun 25 Nov; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 20 Nov.
✽ Valtari Film Experiment (15+) 85min. Created by a dozen filmmakers
and inspired by the music of Sigur Rós, this collection of music videos shows the results of that creative freedom. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 9 Dec. Warren Miller’s Flow State (tbc) (Max Bervy, US, 2012) 90min. The 63rd annual Warren Miller snowsports film, full of incredible snowboarding and skiing shots. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness, Thu 29 Nov; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Fri 30 Nov; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 3 Dec. Wayne’s World (PG) (Penelope Spheeris, US, 1991) Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere. 95min. Two heavy metal dorks hit the big time when their public access cable show is snapped up by a greedy TV exec. Cameo, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Nov. What’s in a Name (Le prénom) (12) (Alexandre de La Patellière/Matthieu Delaporte, France/Belgium, 2012) Patrick Bruel, Valérie Benguigui, Charles Berling. 109min. A group of 40-something friends find their dinner party turns into a nightmare as events descend into farce. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sat 17 Nov.
MONSTER DAY If you haven’t been to Bo’ness’ beautiful Hippodrome cinema, now’s your chance. As part of their centenary celebrations, they present a day dedicated to all things creature-like. There’s a classic screening of King Kong, with a Fay Wray-inspired scream competition (she was, after all, one of the first scream queens) and a free banana giveaway. Later in the day is a preview of festival- hit Grabbers (not in cinemas until the end of December), with an appearance by screenwriter Kevin Lehane. And proceedings are rounded off with one of the most unsettling of horror films ever made, The Wicker Man. ■ Hippodrome, Bo’ness, Sat 17 Nov.