list.co.uk/fi lm Reviews | FILM
DOCUMENTARY THE ACT OF KILLING (15) 122min ●●●●● CRIME EASY MONEY (15) 122min ●●●●●
DOCUMENTARY BLACKFISH (TBC) 82min ●●●●●
It’s estimated that the Indonesian military dictatorship in the mid-1960s was responsible for killing more than 500,000 suspected ‘communists’, following an attempted left-wing coup. Filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer’s remarkable ‘documentary of the imagination’ explores this violence, but not by traditional methods. He films former members of the Pancasila Youth death squads, in particular a petty gangster named Anwar Congo, as they re-enact their acts of killing in the manner of their favourite films. Opppenheimer’s high-risk strategy of avoiding
historical analysis and giving the film over to bragging mass murderers pays huge dividends. For in the process of his cinematic recreations, Anwar undergoes an unexpected emotional reckoning. The director has said that in making The Act of Killing he went ‘looking for evil and found ordinary human beings’. But be warned: the sounds of Anwar repeatedly dry retching in the final reel have a haunting power, while the number of anonymous names in the credits demonstrates the profound risks Indonesian citizens took when working on the film. (Tom Dawson) ■ Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 16 & Wed 17 Jul.
The question of whether it’s possible for honour to exist among thieves has been so thoroughly explored on screen that each new addition to the canon can induce a feeling of fatigue. However Swedish director Daniel Espinosa’s third film Easy Money gives the tired subject matter an overhaul, reinvigorating it with credible characterisations and dynamic direction.
Rising star Joel Kinnaman stars as JW, an impoverished business studies student with a troubled background who’s keen to impress his new rich friends. He’s making ends meet as a taxi driver, although the firm’s shifty dealings provide opportunities to make bigger bucks: that’s if he’s willing to compromise his morals.
In the passionately polemical Blackfish, a killer whale lives tragically up to its name. Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s second feature (her first as a solo director) is a riveting and accomplished story of animal cruelty, corporate irresponsibility and nature striking back. On 24 February 2010 at SeaWorld Orlando, Tilikum, a bull orca, attacked and killed Dawn Brancheau, one of the resort’s senior trainers. Cowperthwaite’s film attempts to put this shocking incident in context, illustrating that it wasn’t the first of its kind. It jumps back to trace Tilikum’s fraught history in captivity and extends further to examine the first (illegal) captures of young whales for what is now a billion dollar entertainment industry.
We’re well behind the game with this one: Easy Cowperthwaite and her contributors build a
Money (also known as Snabba Cash) was a phenomenon in Sweden in 2010 and Easy Money II has already been released in Sweden. Don’t let that deter you, though, as the first film is worth the wait. Espinosa directs with nervous energy, combining blistering action with believable, sympathetic characters. This is assured, emotionally engaging stuff. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Limited release from Fri 19 Jul. compelling case against keeping killer whales in sea parks and are highly critical of SeaWorld specifically. Most persuasive are the contributions from ex- SeaWorld trainers whose initial enthusiasm for the profession has been starkly disabused. Blackfish is illuminating and emotional and Cowperthwaite’s impressive execution ensures it grips like a thriller. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Limited release from Fri 26 Jul.
HORROR THE CONJURING (15) 112min ●●●●●
‘Based on a true story’ has become the most over-used cliché in horror cinema. The Conjuring has slightly more claim to ‘the truth’ than most, based as it is on the case files of renowned supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga).
Set in 1971, this particular case involves the Perron family, who have just moved into an old farmhouse in rural Rhode Island. As soon as they arrive it’s clear something isn’t quite right: their dog refuses to enter the house, temperatures fluctuate wildly and Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) wakes up covered in mysterious bruises. The supernatural activity quickly accelerates until Carolyn contacts the Warrens and they decamp to the house, bringing their haul of ghost-hunting equipment in an attempt to exorcise the evil spirit.
Having recently directed Insidious, it’s clear James Wan feels at home in the haunted house genre. However, The Conjuring feels a bit like a quasi-prequel rerun of Insidious, a niggle that is not helped by the fact that Wilson plays a lead role in both. A definite plus is the quality of the acting involved: Farmiga and Taylor, in particular, really commit to their roles through the dark and twisted narrative.
Modern films always reach that point where they must finally show the audience the malevolent spirit (and often the slow build is more satisfying than the final reveal). In The Conjuring the final scenes get a little frantic and it all goes a bit Evil Dead II in the closing reel. There are some deeply creepy moments, and several terrifying jump scares that will jolt the audience as intended, but overall there’s little that will linger beyond the end credits. (Henry Northmore) ■ General release from Fri 2 Aug.
11 Jul–22 Aug 2013 THE LIST 69