FILM | Index PROFILE
SCOTT GRAHAM
Born Aberdeen, Scotland, 1974 Background Scott Graham was inspired by American films of the 1970s for his melancholic first feature. Shell is a portrait of a girl living in a remote petrol station in the north of Scotland, whose life is marked by fleeting visits from travellers who stop by. Sensitively shot by cinematographer Yoliswa Gärtig, Graham’s impressive and atmospheric debut is adapted from a short film he made in 2007. It stars newcomer Chloe Pirrie and memorable cameos from Tam Dean Burn, Kate Dickie and Michael Smiley.
On his decision to re-make his short film ‘I think what I wanted to return to was that sense of place, the isola- tion and beauty of the Highlands and about someone tied to a place like that.’
On the inspiration of the film
‘In Vanishing Point there’s a great scene where he stops for petrol then he drives away and the cam- era holds on this character, who doesn’t say anything - the girl that comes out and fills up with petrol - just holds on her for a moment. And you never see her again, but just the look on her face really stayed with me.’
On the ambiguous relation- ship between the two main characters ‘I wanted people to see a man and a woman living together and sort of know something is about, before they knew what the nature of their relationship was. Because that sort of is the nature of their relationship, they seem to exist as cohabitants and as father and daughter, and almost as lovers.’
On whether incest is the main theme of the film
‘I don’t mind it being described in that way but it’s not what I sat down to write. I think my intention is to connect with an audience, and to have them connect with characters that are doing things that are perhaps difficult to under- stand. It should provide some kind of comfort, rather than shocking people, or making people look away, or pass judgement. That was definitely not my intention.’ (Gail Tolley) ■ Shell is on limited release from Fri 15 Mar. See review, page 59.
64 THE LIST 21 Feb–21 Mar 2013
happened is almost academic in a film that takes a precious moment in time and transforms it into a witty, civilised country-house drama. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Feb; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Thu 21 Feb. I Give It a Year (15) ●●●●● (Dan Mazer, UK, 2013) Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall, Anna Faris, Simon Baker. 97min. Wearyingly unpleasant attempt at a Richard Curtis-style comedy, except that the characters are charmless, selfish and dull and the jokes aren’t funny. General release. The Impossible (12A) ●●●●● (JA Bayona, Spain, 2013) Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland. 114min. Bravura filmmaking from Orphanage director Bayona: McGregor has seldom been better, Holland is terrific and Watts invests her character with selfless heroism. A major film. General release. Les Misérables (12A) ●●●●● (Tom Hooper, UK, 2012) Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway. 158min. It all depends on your tolerance for people bursting into song; easy to mock, perhaps, but fun while it’s on, and the sincere performances (especially Hathaway’s) aid the immersion. General release. Life of Pi (PG) ●●●●● (Ang Lee, US, 2012) Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall. 127min. A beautiful and faithfully-adapted adventure story, demonstrating that Lee hasn’t lost his knack for turning literary subjects into cinematic gold. Limited release. Lincoln (12A) ●●●●● (Steven Spielberg, US, 2012) Daniel Day- Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn. 150min. The epic focussing on the final four months of the titular President’s life largely eschews the sentimentality that is considered a Spielberg trademark, resulting in a film as absorbing and unassuming as the central character. General release.
Monsters, Inc. (U) (Pete Docter, US, 2001) John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi. 92min. The 3D version of one of Pixar’s best-loved CGI animations, starring monsters more afraid of children than they are of them. Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 28 Feb; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sat 16 Mar. No (15) ●●●●● (Pablo Larraín, Chile/ France/US, 2012) Gael Garcia Bernal, Antonia Zegers, Alfredo Castro. 118min. Fact-based Chilean drama about an advertising exec asked to author the ‘No’ campaign against Pinochet. Director Larrain clearly wishes neither to sentimentalise the past, nor excoriate it with cynical satire; but this trepidation leaves his film feeling indecisive. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Fri 22–Thu 28 Feb; Cameo, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Feb. Quartet (12A) ●●●●● (Dustin Hoffman, UK, 2012) Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly, Pauline
FIRE IN THE BLOOD A Sundance-nominated documentary following a group fighting against the restriction of AIDS medicines to developing countries. Fire in the Blood explores how Western governments and pharmaceutical companies restricted access to low-cost ARV drugs, leading to the deaths of millions of people unable to afford the medicines. The film includes contributions from Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu. Followed by a discussion hosted by Professor Gerard Porter, Lecturer in Medical Law and Ethics. ■ Cameo, Edinburgh, Mon 25 Feb.