FILM | Index
Moulin Rouge (12) ●●●●● (Baz Luhrmann, US, 2001) Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent. 108min. Luhrmann’s follow-up to Romeo + Juliet is a wildly unrestrained, gloriously camp, lewd as hell musical love story which is by turns either nauseating, annoying or awesome depending on your tolerance for gay spectacle. Cineworld Foun- tainpark, Edinburgh, Thu 14 Feb; Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow, Thu 14 Feb; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 14 Feb. Mrs Brown (PG) (John Madden, UK, 1997) Judi Dench, Billy Con- nolly, Antony Sher. 103min. Queen Victoria’s (Dench) obsessive mourning for Prince Albert is casting gloom over the entire country, so Highland ghillie John Brown (Connolly) is called down from Balmoral to shake up the stuffy English court. Dench and Connolly (both perfectly cast) give the film a surprising emotional depth. Film- house, Edinburgh, Sat 26–Tue 29 Jan. The Muppets (U) ●●●●● (James Bobin, US, 2011) Amy Adams, Jason Segel, Chris Cooper. 103min. When Muppet fans Gary (Segel), his girlfriend Mary (Adams) and brother Walter (a puppet) learn that oil millionaire Tex Richman (Cooper) plans to demolish the Muppet theatre, it’s time to reunite the original cast. If the plot could be fresher, the well-chosen guest stars, self-refer- ential humour and old-school bonhomie should raise a smile. Eastwood Park Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 17 Feb. National Theatre Live: The Magistrate (tbc) (Timothy Sheader, UK, 2013) John Lithgow, Nancy Carroll, Joshua McGuire. 180min. Na- tional Theatre’s version of this classic Victorian farce, starring John Lithgow. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 27 Jan; Cameo, Edinburgh, Tue 5 Feb. WIN STUFF
WIN DEATH RACE: INFERNO DVDS
Paul WS Anderson’s 2008 version of Death Race paid worthy tribute to Roger Corman’s trashy 1975 original. This spirit of cult carnage lives on two sequels down the line, with a cast including Machete’s Danny Trejo and Pulp Fiction’s Ving Rhames assembled for Death Race: Inferno. The movie is released on DVD and Blu-ray on Mon 4 Feb; to win yourself one of five copies, enter at list.co.uk/offers. HOW TO ENTER
Log onto list.co.uk/offers. Closing date for competition is Wed 20 Feb. There is no cash alternative. Usual List rules apply.
68 THE LIST 24 Jan–21 Feb 2013
Oma & Bella (12A) (Alexa Karolin- ski, Germany/US, 2012) 76min. Two concentration camp survivors recount stories from their eventful lives as they prepare meals in their spotless kitchens. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 27 Jan. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (U) ●●●●● (Peter Lord/Jeff Newitt, UK/US, 2012) Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant. 88min. An inept pirate captain (Grant) attempts to win Pirate of the Year competition with the help of a young Charles Darwin (Tennant). Aard- man’s humour sometimes seems dated but Grant is pleasing, the visuals are enchanting, Staunton’s Queen Victoria is a riot and there’s much for the whole family to treasure. Filmhouse, Edin- burgh, Sat 26–Sun 27 Jan. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (tbc) (Billy Wilder, 1970) Robert Stephens, Geneviève Page, Colin Blakely, Christopher Lee. 125min. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sun 3 Feb. Providence (15) (Alain Resnais, France/Switzerland/UK, 1977) Dirk Bogarde, Ellen Burstyn, John Gielgud. 110min. Resnais’ first English-language film, Gielgud plays a novelist battling writer’s block and his family. Introduced by artist Stephen Sutcliffe. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 3 Feb. Psycho (15) ●●●●● (Alfred Hitchcock, US, 1960) Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire. 109min. Hitch’s misogynis- tic masterpiece has a young secretary take off to hicksville with a bagful of her boss’ money. Unfortunately for her, she chooses to put up at the Bates’ Motel, run by that nice Norman boy. The ironic dialogue (‘Mother’s not quite herself today’) make it a joy to catch any time around. We liked it, didn’t we mother . . . mother? Cameo, Edinburgh, Sun 17 Feb. Pulp Fiction (18) ●●●●● (Quentin Tarantino, US, 1994) John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis. 150min. Much more ambitious than Reservoir Dogs, the most awaited second feature of the 90s has many scenes that crackle with Tarantino wit, and a few others that fall flat as the writer-director bravely experiments. Interlocking stories in the pulp crime manner concern hitmen, ailing boxers, gang bosses and their molls, drug fiends, and assorted riff-raff. Film- house, Edinburgh, Tue 29 Jan. Rear Window (PG) ●●●●● (Alfred Hitchcock, US, 1954) James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr. 112min. Laid up with a broken leg, Slim Jim takes to neighbour- spotting with binoculars and camera at the ready. Before long, he’s getting hot under the collar about the dirty deeds done across the yard. Is it murder? Or just naked voyeurism? Cameo, Edin- burgh, Sun 10 Feb. Rebecca (tbc) (1940) A young woman meets a widower in Monte Carlo. They marry and return to his family home where her suspicions are raised regarding the fate of her husband’s former wife. Hitch’s classic adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novel influenced many modern tales including What Lies Beneath. Cameo, Edinburgh, Sun 27 Jan. Repulsion (15) (Roman Polanski, UK, 1965) Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry and John Fraser. 105min. Left alone when her sister goes on vacation, a young beauty finds herself besieged on all sides by the demons of her past. Part of the Roman Polanski retrospec- tive. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 30 Jan; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sun 27 Jan. Road to Morocco (U) (David But- ler, US, 1942) Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour. 82min. Hope and Crosby team up for this breezy caper about two castaways competing for the
BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Tales of extraordinary feats and spectacular landscapes abound at this mini film festival, dedicated to celebrating the thrill and wonder of the mountains. As part of a world tour there’s a chance to see a collection of short films in both Edinburgh and Glasgow that will take you across the globe from mountain biking in Utah to white water kayaking in New Zealand. Adrenaline junkies, don’t miss out. ■ The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Feb; Mitchell Library Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 30 Jan
affection of an exotic princess. Scots- man Screening Room, Edinburgh, Sun 27 Jan. Royal Opera House: Eugene Onegin (tbc) (UK, 2013) Big-screen projection of the Royal Opera House’s staging of Tchaikovsky’s melancholic and poignant opera, based on the novel by Pushkin. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Wed 20 Feb; Cameo, Edinburgh, Wed 20 Feb; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Wed 20 Feb. Royal Opera House: Rigoletto (E) (John Eliot Gardiner, UK, 2012) Dimitri Platanias, Ekaterina Siurina, Vittorio Grigolo. 133min. Verdi’s great tragic opera, in which a court jester seeks bloody revenge on his dissolute master, the Duke of Mantua, for the abduction of his daughter. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Sat 16 Feb; Cameo, Edinburgh, Tue 19 Feb. The Spirit of the Beehive (15) (Victor Erice, Spain, 1973) Fernando Fernan Gomez, Teresa Gimpera, Ana Torrent, Isabel Telleria. 98min. In rural Spain after the Civil War, the people’s apathy is thrown into contrast with the frenzied activity of bees. Meanwhile, a young girl is alone in dreaming of liberation, through the gentle giant figure of Frankenstein, who she identifies with a young but doomed soldier. Moody and haunting, Erice’s debut is a calmly moving masterpiece. Introduced by Dr David Archibald. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 29 Jan. Stem Cell Revolutions (15) (Amy Hardie, UK, 2011) 71min. Illustrated by hand-drawn animations, this docu- mentary examines the history of stem cell research and features interviews with eminent scientists and other social commentators. Introduced by director Amy Hardie and science pro- ducer Prof Clare Blackburn. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 28–Wed 30 Jan. Surviving Progress (12) (Mathieu Roy/Harold Crooks, Canada, 2011) 86min. This documentary (executive produced by Martin Scorsese) travels through our evolution from cave- dwellers to space explorers. Film- house, Edinburgh, Thu 24–Sat 26 Jan. Tess (PG) (Roman Polanski, France/ UK, 1979) Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson. 186min. Polan- ski’s adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sun 10 Feb. The Tragedy of Macbeth (15) (Roman Polanski, US/UK, 1971) Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Martin Shaw. 140min. Polanski’s version of the Shakespearean classic is a blood- soaked interpretation, undoubtedly informed by the then-recent murder of his wife and friends by the Manson Family. Part of the Roman Polanski retrospective. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 27–Tue 29 Jan. Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (PG) ●●●●● (Jay Russell, US/UK, 2007) Emily Watson, Brian Cox, Joel Tobeck. 111min. Blending monster thrills with a thoughtful paci- fist message, this adaptation of Dick King-Smith’s well-loved book tells of the friendship between Angus and the legendary creature Nessie, who he rears from an egg into a full-blown beastie. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 26 Jan; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 26 Jan. Withnail & I (15) ●●●●● (Bruce Robinson, UK, 1987) Paul McGann, Richard E Grant, Richard Griffiths. 107min. Two out-of-work actors sur- viving 1969 London giro squalor take a break in a picturesque Lake District cottage, where one of them suffers the attentions of the ageing homosexual owner. Entertaining British comedy has a second stab at glory, and it’s the bleaker end-of-the-decade elements that have lasted best. Filmhouse, Edin- burgh, Fri 25 Jan.