FILM | Reviews
DRAMA WADJDA (TBC) 98min ●●●●●
Wadjda holds a unique place in world cinema as the first Saudi Arabian feature shot entirely within the kingdom and directed by a woman, Haifaa Al-Mansour. The novelty value alone is enough to make it of interest but even more noteworthy is the fact that this is such a charming and winning tale.
Newcomer Waad Mohammed’s performance as ten-year- old tomboy Wadjda is a large part of the film’s appeal. She effortlessly takes centre stage as an irrepressible blithe spirit. Her best friend is Abdullah (Abdullrahman Al Gohani) and she harbours a dream to race through the streets of Riyadh alongside him. Unfortunately, girls are not allowed to ride bikes in Saudi
Arabia in the same way that women are not permitted to drive cars, but Wadjda is a determined child. She has her eye on a green bike and a Koran competition with the kind of prize money that could make her dream come true. Wadjda is a classic underdog tale given a gently subversive edge by the insight it affords into daily life in Saudi Arabia and the trials faced by any woman of an independent nature. The film also boasts a crisp, polished craftsmanship that makes it a pleasure to watch. If you are looking to introduce a younger generation to international cinema then this could be the place to start. (Allan Hunter) ■ Limited release from Fri 19 Jul.
ROMCOM PARIS-MANHATTAN (12A) 77min ●●●●●
By his own high standards, Woody Allen may only have made one great film (Midnight in Paris) this century, but his cinematic and literary output is well worth celebrating. That said, there’s something almost creepy about the slavish devotion to Allen demonstrated in writer/director Sophie Lellouche’s debut feature. Lovelorn pharmacist Alice (Alice Taglioni) can’t seem to find the right man, partly through the domineering influence of her sister (Marine Delterme) and also through her devotion to the films, philosophy and wit of Woody Allen. At a party, Alice meets security-alarm installer Victor (Patrick Bruel), and a tentative romance ensues. Will Alice be able to let go of her obsession with the funnyman whose portrait adorns her wall?
In Paris-Manhattan, Alice imagines romantic resolution through dialogue with Allen, but her problems don’t seem too difficult to surmount, and much of the film’s running time is given over to irrelevant sub-plots. The film never begins to capture Allen's wit but Lellouche’s cast is game, the locations look great, and the whole enterprise has an agreeably frothy touch. It doesn't approach the heights of its inspiration but Paris-Manhattan is an enjoyable piece of fluff for lovers of lighthearted French cinema. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Out now on limited release.
DOCUMENTARY WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS (15) 130min ●●●●●
Extremely skilfully assembled by the Oscar-winning (for Taxi to the Dark Side) American documentarian Alex Gibney, this study of the activities and impact of Julian Assange’s legendary whistle-blowing website presents no straightforward heroes or villains. Rather, it portrays a seething nest of highly volatile personalities whose motivations are fraught with ambiguities and contradictions, and a chain of actions and reactions the full impact of which has yet to be measured.
As so often with accounts of history-making events, what’s striking is the primacy of personal feelings – loneliness, vulnerability, narcissism, sexuality – to decisions that changed the world. Also heavily underlined is the fact that blind belief – whether in a US president or a hacker-messiah, blanket secrecy or untrammelled openness – tends to involve a lot of self-deception. Complicated stuff? Hacking-into-the-Pentagon complicated; but Gibney’s film, using frank, pertinent and often gripping interviews with figures possessed of various perspectives on events, gives an informed and confident overview, with plentiful space for debate. And while this is not a tricksy film, it does play with our assumptions in a manner that reminds us just how steadfastly matters of human morality refuse to be simple. Here’s one interesting detail: the phrase ‘we steal secrets’ doesn’t come from a WikiLeaker, but from a former director of the CIA.
And if an interview with Assange himself is conspicuous by its absence, that’s because, as Gibney explains, the champion of openness and free information wanted $1m for his time, or for Gibney to pass him information from his other interviews. Both as a study of some seriously impactful decisions, and a sensitive investigation into what might have driven the individuals involved to make them, this is provocative, illuminating stuff. (Hannah McGill) ■ Limited release from Fri 12 Jul.
THRILLER CALL GIRL (TBC) 140min ●●●●● Swedish director Mikael Marcimain’s début is a consuming thriller set amidst his country’s late 1970s general election, when police uncovered an under-aged prostitution ring used by high-ranking politicians. Marcimain’s involvement as second unit director on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is apparent in the secretive meetings between members of the investigation. However, Call Girl chooses to focus primarily on the disturbing path followed by Iris (Sofia Karemyr) and Sonja (Josefin Asplund) taking them into the arms of the notorious madam Dagmar.
The film reconstructs the 1970s in every little detail, from the platform shoes to bell-bottom flares, and its disco tunes to hippie hits, creating a sense of nostalgia even for those who weren’t there. Amidst all the corruption and lust, John Sandberg (Simon J Berger) is the only beacon of justice. We follow his investigation in the last third of this hefty thriller and no matter how hard he tries, we just know his efforts will be squashed by the elite. Based on true events, Call Girl underlines the hypocrisy of a society which boasted of promoting women’s liberation whilst abusing its weakest members. (Robin Ford-Coron) ■ GFT, Glasgow, Fri 16–Thu 29 Aug.
68 THE LIST 11 Jul–22 Aug 2013