FILM | Reviews 94 THE LIST 13 Dec 2012–24 Jan 2013
CRIME DRAMA THE WEE MAN (18) 106min ●●●●●
Based on the memoirs of Glasgow gangland figure Paul Ferris, this chronicle of a bloody underworld feud runs from the early 1970s, when a young Ferris and his friends are menaced by the ruthless Welsh family, to the 80s, when Ferris is married and expecting a child, but still engaging in increasingly high-stakes tit- for-tat attacks with his old nemeses. Oh, and getting into the odd sticky situat ion while working as a debt collector for a notorious crime boss. The film makes impressive work of its shifts through time, with
diligent production design and authentically heinous 70s and 80s fashions and interiors creating a highly persuasive physical environment. It starts well, with exceptional work from child actor Daniel Kerr as the young Ferris and Denis Lawson as the father who tries to guide him into the understanding that their world has real-life 'monsters' in it. However, the tale of Ferris’ ensuing adult struggle against these bad elements is told with scant recourse to subtlety, and with a partiality that leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth. While the crimes of the Welshes – which escalate from dog abuse to child rape to old lady murder – are shored up relentlessly enough for us to conclude that they are indeed as close as people come to being the fairytale monsters of Ferris Sr’s construction, Paul himself as played by Martin Compston is persistently painted as a good guy in a bad situation, and his eye-for-an-eye approach to justice as simply the only route available.
It’s of course the filmmakers’ prerogative to paint Ferris’s life story as they choose, and the performers here all share a commitment to their work that elevates the whole – but the script’s struggle to flatter its unprepossessing vigilante protagonist (he’s prone to coming out with poetic self-justifying speeches, too) is unconvincing, if not arguably irresponsible. (Hannah McGill) ■ Selected release from Fri 18 Jan.
THRILLER FALSE TRAIL (15) 129min ●●●●●
The popularity of Nordic noir shows little signs of abating and although False Trail is slightly more Lynda La Plante than Dragon Tattoo it is also a briskly efficient, smoothly executed murder mystery. Entitled Jagarna 2 in Sweden, False Trail marks a satisfying reunion of director Kjell Sundvall
and lead actor Rolf Wallander Lassgard fifteen years after their collaboration on, you've guessed it, Jagarna (The Hunters). Lassgard's dogged policeman Erik Backstrom reluctantly returns from Stockholm to the small rural community in the north of Sweden where he grew up. A woman's car has been found missing. There are traces of blood and fears of the worst. In the eyes of local policeman Torsten (Peter Stormare) it is a simple matter of arresting a bothersome psycho whose fingerprints are all over the car. Naturally, it isn't that straightforward and Sundvall points the finger of suspicion in some intriguing directions. This is a community built on shifty glances, half truths and the guilty secrets of a misbegotten past. Familiarity with the earlier Jagarna film might add more emotional resonance to the sequel but
False Trail is well-paced and strongly acted with the piercing sunlight and beautiful landscapes contrasting nicely with the monstrous acts that unfold in them. Fans of The Killing will not be disappointed. (Allan Hunter) ■ Selected release from Fri 21 Dec.
DOCUMENTARY CHASING ICE (12A) 76min ●●●●●
For all the talk of climate change and its impact on the planet, actually visualising how our planet is changing is often a challenge. With his project, the Extreme Ice Survey, National Geographic photographer James Balog aims to put the very real impact of climate change into a visual context.
Setting up cameras in Greenland, Alaska and Iceland, Balog and his team have created time lapse videos showing the astonishing retreat of these frozen rivers. Most spectacular of all is his breathtaking footage of glaciers ‘calving’ – huge sections of ice (some the size of Manhattan) breaking off into the ocean.
Balog’s love of photographing ice is apparent and Chasing Ice is filled with beautiful frozen landscapes and images of ice contorted into sublime abstract sculptures. But there is also an important environmental message underlying these images: the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are unprecedented and the planet is dramatically approaching an environmental tipping point.
Director Jeff Orlowski doesn’t preach to his audience though and successfully balances a
sense of urgency with this fascinating subject matter. It’s an absorbing and vital watch. (Gail Tolley) ■ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 27–Mon 31 Dec.