FILM | Index
school reunion – in order to help her old flame who’s embroiled in a murder mystery. General release from Fri 14 Mar. We Are What We Are (18) (Jim Mickle, US, 2013) Kelly McGillis, Ambyr Childers, Odeya Rush. 105min. Remake of the Mexican film of the same name, about a family of cannibals. Limited release from Fri 28 Feb. Winter’s Tale (12A) (Akiva Goldsman, USA, 2014) Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe. 118min. A burglar finds out he has the power of reincarnation and sets out to save the heiress he fell in love with. See review at list.co.uk General release from Fri 21 Feb. The Zero Theorem (15) ●●●●● (Terry Gilliam, US, Romania, 2014) Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Thierry, David Thewlis. 107min. See review, page 56. Limited release from Fri 14 Mar.
STILL SHOWING 12 Years a Slave (15) ●●●●● (Steve McQueen, US, 2013) Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender. 133min. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. McQueen’s third feature (and follow-up to Shame) features a stellar cast. General release. All Is Lost (12A) ●●●●● (JC Chandor, US, 2013) Robert Redford. 106min. After a sea-based collision, a sailor finds himself confronting his own mortality. Vue Glasgow Fort, Glasgow, Thu 20 Feb. American Hustle (15) ●●●●● (David O. Russell, US, 2013) Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams. 138min. The Fighter director O Russell reteams with Bale for this drama about a con
artist forced to work with a federal agent. General release. August: Osage County (15) ●●●●● (John Wells, US, 2013) Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, Julia Roberts. 130min. A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. Dominion, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Feb; Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Thu 20 Feb. Bastards (18) ●●●●● (Claire Denis, France/Germany, 2013) Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni, Michel Sabor. 100min. Marco (Lindon) is a seaman who comes ashore to unravel his family’s messy involvement with a sexually depraved tycoon (Sabor), only to embark on an affair with the man’s partner (Mastroianni). Despite committed performances and moments of visual beauty, the enigmatic approach and chopped-up narrative make for a confusing and empty effect. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 20 Feb. Cuban Fury (15) ●●●●● (James Griffiths, UK, 2014) Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd. 98min. A former salsa prodigy attempts a comeback years after his career was ruined. General release. Dallas Buyers Club (15) ●●●●● (Jean-Marc Vallée, US, 2013) Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto. 117min. True story about an electrician who battles the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies after being diagnosed HIV- positive in 1986. General release. Endless Love (12A) ●●●●● (Shana Feste, US, 2014) Alex Pettyfer, Gabriella Wilde, Bruce Greenwood. 103min. Ill- starred romance between a charismatic but angry young man and a girl from a privileged background. General release. Frozen (PG) ●●●●● (Chris Buck,
US, 2013) Voices of Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel. 108min. Princess Anna (Bell) is disturbed to find that her sister Elsa (Menzel) can create ice and snow, but when Elsa goes into exile the kingdom freezes, and Anna and friends must find her. With no celebrity voice-overs or pop culture gags, just a venerable story, good songs and classic characters, it’s an old-fashioned delight. General release. Gravity (12A) ●●●●● (Alfonso Cuarón, US/UK, 2013) Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Eric Michels. 90min. A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space. Limited release. Her (15) ●●●●● (Spike Jonze, US, 2013) Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara. 126min. A sultry-voiced operating system (voice of Johansson) and a lonely writer (Phoenix) develop an unlikely relationship. General release. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (12A) ●●●●● (Francis Lawrence, US, 2013) Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. 146min. Katniss (Lawrence) and Peeta (Hutcherson) are forced to enter a special 75th anniversary games featuring contestants who’ve previously won. This sequel maintains the high standards of its predecessor, with a credible script, plenty of visual and narrative variety and superb performances. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Feb; Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow, Thu 20 Feb; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 20 Feb. Inside Llewyn Davis (15) ●●●●● (Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, US/France, 2013) Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake. 105min. Coen Brothers film charting a 1960s singer- songwriter navigating New York’s folk scene. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 21 Feb–Thu 6 Mar; Dominion, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Feb. The Invisible Woman (12A) ●●●●● (Ralph Fiennes, UK, 2014) Felicity Jones, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Fairley. 111 min. Ralph Fiennes directorial return examines the relationship between Charles Dickens and his secret lover. Limited release. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (12A) ●●●●● (Kenneth Branagh, US, 2013) Chris Pine, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Costner. 105min. The origin story of Tom Clancy’s spy hero Jack Ryan (Pine), showing his journey from wounded Afghanistan veteran to CIA rookie. Director Branagh deftly handles the moral and ethical complexities, but the script lacks surprises and gets bogged down in a tepid romance, and Ryan is too wholesome to be truly interesting. Limited release. Kiss the Water (PG) ●●●●● (Eric Steel, US / UK, 2013) 80min. Documentary on the life and work of Megan Boyd, legendary Scots maker of salmon flies. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 20–Mon 24 Feb. Last Vegas (12A) ●●●●● (Jon Turteltaub, US, 2013) Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman. 105min. Billy (Douglas) is having a Vegas stag party with old friends Sam (Kline), Archie (Freeman) and Paddy (De Niro), but the mission of getting wasted is hampered by their differing emotional baggage. Fogelman’s script is predictable, but there’s a certain amount of pleasure in seeing four princes of 80s cinema act like teenagers. Vue Glasgow Fort, Glasgow, Thu 20 Feb; Vue Omni Centre, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Feb; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 20 Feb. The Lego Movie (U) ●●●●● (Phil Lord/Christopher Miller, US/Australia, 2014) Voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks. 100min. Emmett (Pratt), a regular Lego construction worker, finds himself acclaimed as the ‘Special’, who will save the Lego
BLACK ANGEL + Q&A WITH ROGER CHRISTIAN Unseen since 1980, Black Angel was believed to be lost until it was rediscovered in Los Angeles in 2011. Funded by George Lucas as a small feature before The Empire Strikes Back, the 25-minute film features eerily stunning cinematography shot at Eilean Donan castle in the Scottish Highlands. The story pivots on a knight’s return from the crusades and his mythical quest to liberate a classically beautiful damsel from a Tolkien-inspired demonic sorcerer. The plot of the film and the quest to find it have together fused into one legendary tale. The screening is followed by a chance to pose your questions to the director, Academy Award-winning Roger Christian, celebrated for his design work on the Star Wars trilogy and Alien. (Megan McEachern) ■ Glasgow Film Theatre, Thu 27 Feb; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 2 Mar.
58 THE LIST 20 Feb–20 Mar 2014