list.co.uk/fi lm Collins. 90min. Hoffman’s debut film as a director is polished entertainment and nicely cast with fine performances, but it’s odd that a leading light of New Hollywood should make something so safe, formulaic and British. Odeon Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Feb. Sammy’s Great Escape (U) ●●●●● (Vincent Kesteloot/Ben Stassen, Belgium, 2012) Voices of Wesley Johnny, Isabelle Fuhrman, Billy Unger. 92min. This charmless sequel to 2010’s forgettable A Turtle’s Tale would be better titled Sammy’s Painfully Long Incarceration. General release. The Sessions (15) ●●●●● (Ben Lewin, US, 2012) John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H Macy. 95min. Mark (Hawkes, remarkable) is a paralysed polio survivor who hires a sexual surrogate (Hunt) to relieve him of his virginity. Based on a true story, it deftly avoids mawkishness and is pleasingly frank, funny and moving. Limited release. Silver Linings Playbook (15) ●●●●● (David O. Russell, US, 2012) Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro. 122min. Golden boy Cooper teams up with rising star Lawrence in O’Russell’s tale about a man who loses everything before teaming up with a stranger to get his life back on track. Cameo, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Feb. Smashed (15) ●●●●● (James Ponsoldt, US, 2012) Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer. 85min. A married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of alcohol gets their relationship put to the test when the wife decides to get sober. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Feb. This Is 40 (15) ●●●●● (Judd Apatow, US, 2012) Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow. 134min. Apatow’s reign as the modern king of comedy comes to an abrupt end with the bland miscalculation of this ‘sort-of sequel’ to Knocked
Up. This is 40 is simply dull. General release. Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings (U) ●●●●● (Roberts Gannaway, Peggy Holmes, US, 2012) Voices of Timothy Dalton, Lucy Hale and Megan Hilty. 92min. The latest adventures of the mischievous fairy. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Sun 3 Mar. Warm Bodies (12A) ●●●●● (Jonathan Levine, US, 2013) Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich. 97min. Levine’s zombified take on Romeo and Juliet starts out smart and engaging but soon settles into generic post-Twilight storytelling, and although Hoult and Palmer keep things watchable, it’s unconvincing. General release. The Wee Man (tbc) ●●●●● (Ray Burdis, UK, 2012) Patrick Bergin, Hannah Blamires, Martin Compston. 90min. The true-life story of Paul Ferris, an ordinary young kid brought up in the notorious area of Blackhill, Glasgow, in the 60s, and his journey through his teenage years to manhood and gangsterdom. Limited release. Wreck-It Ralph (PG) ●●●●● (Rich Moore, US, 2012) Voices of John C Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch. 108min. This cleverly-targeted family romp set in the world of videogames marks a step up for the non-Pixar side of Disney animation. The script is brilliantly witty; the visuals sweep, swoop and sparkle; and the message about flawed individuals finding their own way to be heroes is a kindly one, intelligently expressed. General release. Zero Dark Thirty (15) ●●●●● (Kathryn Bigelow, US, 2012) Jessica Chastain, Chris Pratt, Kyle Chandler. 157min. Action thriller following a team of CIA operatives in their decade-long effort to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. A gripping, authentic-feeling account of the dark side of the war on terror. General release.
FESTIVALS, SEASONS AND ONE-OFFS The 14th Season of Contemporary Japanese Films Japan Desk Scotland and The Japan Federation present their latest selection of contemporary Japanese films, including Dancing Gold and The Chef of South Polar. Gilmorehill Centre, Glasgow, Fri 22 Feb. All Night Horror Madness (18) All Night Horror with back-to-back screenings of The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, Braindead, Hospital Massacre, The Beyond and They Live. Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow, Sat 16 Mar; Cameo, Edinburgh, Sat 9 Mar. LIVE SCREENING Andrea Bocelli’s Passione (With Love From Portofino) (tbc) (David Horn, 2013) 107min. The popular tenor live from the Piazzetta in Portofino, at sunset. Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Sun 10 Mar. The Bootleg Film Festival This celebration of independent films focuses on community building and networking. Featuring short film screenings, features, masterclasses and live music. Ages 18+. The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh, Fri 22–Sun 24 Feb. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (15) ●●●●● (Blake Edwards, US, 1961) Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney. 115Min. The iconic Hepburn has never made neurosis look so good. Scotsman Screening Room, Edinburgh, Sun 10 Mar. Dead by Dawn: The Prelude The Filmhouse can’t contain its excitement for April’s Dead by Dawn Horror Film Festival (which turns 20 this year), so they’re screening the Elvis-meets- mummy flick Bubba Ho-Tep and
Index | FILM supernatural thriller Dead Birds to help tide them (and you) over. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 24 Feb and Sun 10 Mar. Doctor Zhivago (PG) ●●●●● (David Lean, US/UK, 1965) Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin. 193min. Big screen romance in the Gone With The Wind style, rather than a genuine adaptation of the Pasternak novel, notable mainly for its lush, picture- postcard photography. Eastwood Park Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 11 Mar. Enter The Dragon (18) (Robert Clouse, US/HK, 1973) Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Shih Kien, Jim Kelly. 98min. First in a spate of kung-fu films that were to spawn playground imitators throughout the 70s. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 28 Feb. Ever to Excel (8●) (Murray Grigor, US, 2012) Sean Connery, Louise Richardson, Alastair Reid. 80min. This documentary, narrated by Connery, examines the history of St Andrews University, whose graduates have included key poets of the Scottish Renaissance and three signatories of the American Declaration of Independence. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Feb. LIVE SCREENING Falstaff: Live from the Opera de Paris (tbc) Verdi’s final masterpiece, presented live from the Opera National de Paris. Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 12 Mar. Fire in the Blood (PG) (Dylan Mohan Gray, India, 2012) 84min. Sundance- nominated documentary from first-time filmmaker Mohan Gray about the role Western pharmaceutical companies played in blocking low-cost AIDS drugs from reaching countries in need. Cameo, Edinburgh, Mon 25 Feb. Found Footage Festival 90min. Based on an idea founded in New York City in 2004, this is a unique collection of videos from charity shops and
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