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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. This year’s Best Picture winner at the Oscars. General release. 300: Rise of an Empire (15) ●●●●● (Noam Murro, US, 2014) Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Sullivan Stapleton. 102min. Greek general Themistokles (Stapleton) goes head-to- head with vampish naval commander Artemisia (Green), as those pesky Persians return for another whupping. General release. As the Palaces Burn (15) ●●●●● (Don Argott, US, 2014) 90min. Tour documentary looking at metal band Lamb of God’s fans around the world. Vue Glasgow Fort, Glasgow, Thu 20 Mar. The Book Thief (12A) ●●●●● (Brian Percival, US, 2014) Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson. 131min. Percival’s adaptation of Zusak’s best seller is at its best exploring the relationship between Liesel and her foster parents (Rush and Watson), but other elements, such as a voice-over from Death himself, are less successful. 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. Divergent (12A) (Neil Burger, US, 2014) Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet. 139min. A girl in a rigidly divided, dystopian future learns she’s ‘divergent’ and must fight to save herself and others like her. Selected release. Elton John: The Million Dollar Piano (tbc) (2014) Elton John’s Las Vegas show beamed onto the cinema screen. General release. Escape from Planet Earth (U) (Cal Brunker, Canada, 2013) Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, Jessica Alba. 89min. On the planet Baab, Scorch Supernova is admired as a national hero. When a mission goes wrong, it’s up to his scrawny brother Gary to save the day. General release. Frozen (PG) ●●●●● (Chris Buck, US, 2013) Voices of Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel. 108min. With no celebrity voice-overs or pop culture gags, just a venerable story, good songs and classic characters, this is an old- fashioned delight. Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow, Thu 20 Mar. The Grand Budapest Hotel (15) ●●●●● (Wes Anderson, US, 2014) Ralph Fiennes, Saoirse Ronan, Edward Norton. 100min. Perhaps Anderson’s most uncompromisingly eccentric and perfectly realised film to date, with an astonishing and revelatory comic performance from Fiennes. 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. Selected release. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Democracy 3D (tbc) (Kerry Asmussen, US, 2013) Axl Rose, Dizzy Reed, Tommy Stinson. Axl Rose and crew, filmed live at Hard Rock Las Vegas. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Thu 3 Apr; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 3 Apr; Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow, Thu 3 Apr. 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. Dominion, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Mar. 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. Dominion, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Mar. Ironclad: Battle for Blood (15) (Jonathan English, UK, 2014) Michelle Fairley, Roxanne McKee, Rosie Day. 108min. This sequel to 2011’s Ironclad sees a survivor of the Great Siege of Rochester Castle fight to save his clan. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 20 Mar. The Lego Movie (U) ●●●●● (Phil Lord/Christopher Miller, US/Australia, 2014) Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks. 100min. Fast, funny, blisteringly paced and hugely inventive, it’s also so layered with ironic detachment that the attempt at a sincere final act falls flat. General release. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (12A) ●●●●● (Justin Chadwick, UK/ South Africa, 2013) Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Terry Pheto. 146min. Biopic of Nelson Mandela, from childhood to inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Vue Glasgow Fort, Glasgow, Thu 20 Mar. The Monuments Men (12A) ●●●●● (George Clooney, US/ Germany, 2014) George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon. 118min. In a race against time, a crew of art historians and museum curators unite to recover renowned works of art stolen by Nazis, before Hitler destroys them. Selected release. Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records (15) (Jeff Broadway, US/UK, 2013) 94min. Documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 31 Mar; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Wed 2 Apr. Mr Peabody & Sherman (U) ●●●●● (Rob Minkoff, US, 2014) Voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert. 92min. A genius dog springs into action when his and his master’s time machine is stolen. Selected release. Need for Speed (12A) ●●●●● (Scott Waugh, US, 2014) Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots. 130min. Actioner based on the 20-strong video game series. General release. Non-Stop (12A) ●●●●● (Jaume Collet-Serra, US/France, 2014) Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong’o. 106min. Neeson continues his action film run as an air marshal who springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages that put his fellow passengers at risk. General release. Plot for Peace (tbc) (Carlos Agulló/ Mandy Jacobson, South Africa/ Congo/US/Mozambique/France/ Cuba/Angola, 2013) 84min. The untold story of apartheid’s fall, and the mysterious French businessman who was instrumental in Nelson Mandela’s release from jail. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Mon 14–Thu 17 Apr; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 28–Sun 30 Mar. Ride Along (12A) (Tim Story, US, 2014) Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter. 99min. Fast talking security guard Ben (Hart) joins cop James (Cube) on a 24 hour patrol of Atlanta in order to prove himself worthy of marrying Angela, James’ sister. General release. RoboCop (12A) ●●●●● (José Padilha, US, 2014) Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton. 121min. Well-cast remake with none of the original film’s satirical bite. Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow,
Thu 20 Mar; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 20 Mar. The Rocket (tbc) ●●●●● (Kim Mordaunt, Australia, 2013) Sitthiphon Disamoe, Loungnam Kaosainam, Thep Phongam. 96min. A boy who everyone thinks is cursed sets off on a journey with his family and two friends to find a new home in war-torn Laos. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Mon 14–Thu 17 Apr; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 20 Mar; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Tue 8 Apr. The Stag (15) ●●●●● (John Butler, Ireland, 2013) Andrew Scott, Hugh O’Conor, Peter McDonald. 94min. Meek and less than game-changing Irish comedy, depending on silly stereotypes and audience indulgence for men behaving badly. Vue Glasgow Fort, Glasgow, Thu 20 Mar; Vue Ocean, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Mar; Vue Omni Centre, Edinburgh, Thu 20 Mar. Suzanne (12) ●●●●● (Katell Quillévéré, France, 2013) Sara Forestier, François Damiens, Adèle Haenel. 90min. 25 years in the life of Suzanne, from her childhood in a motherless but loving blue-collar household to her troubled adulthood. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Tue 15 Apr. Teenage (12A) ●●●●● (Matt Wolf, US/Germany, 2013) 78min. Documentary using archive footage to tell the story of ‘teenagers’. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Tue 1–Thu 3 Apr. Tim’s Vermeer (tbc) (Teller, US, 2013) Colin Blakemore, David Hockney, Tim Jenison. 80min. Inventor Tim Jenison seeks to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 21–Mon 24 Mar. Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy (U) (Peggy Holmes, US, 2014) Voices of Tom Hiddleston, Christina Hendricks, Mae Whitman. 78min. The fifth of DisneyToon Studios’ Tinker Bell films, based on the JM Barrie character. Selected release. Under the Skin (15) ●●●●● (Jonathan Glazer, UK, 2013) Scarlett Johansson, Paul Brannigan, Robert J Goodwin. 108min. An alien in human form picks up unwary travellers in Scotland. Selected release. Unforgiven (Yurusarezaru mono) (15) (Sang-il Lee, Japan, 2013) Ken Watanabe, Jun Kunimura, Shiori Kutsuna. 135min. Japanese remake of Clint’s Oscar-winning elegy for the western. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Mon 14–Thu 17 Apr. Veronica Mars (12A) ●●●●● (Rob Thomas, US, 2014) Kristen Bell, James Franco, Gaby Hoffmann. 107min. Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to her hometown in order to help her old flame who’s embroiled in a murder mystery. Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow, Thu 20 Mar. The Wolf of Wall Street (18) ●●●●● (Martin Scorsese, US, 2013) Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey. 165min. Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. Selected release. The Zero Theorem (15) ●●●●● (Terry Gilliam, US, Romania, 2014) Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Thierry, David Thewlis. 107min. A computer hacker’s goal to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; this time, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him. Selected release.
ONE-OFFS, SEASONS AND FESTIVALS Airplane! (PG) (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, US, 1980) Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen.
Index | FILM PROFILE
JACK O’CONNELL
Born
1990, Derby, UK Background
O’Connell grew up with ambitions to be a footballer, completing trials with Derby County as a teenager. He later turned to acting, with roles in Doctors and The Bill followed by film work, including This is England, Eden Lake and Harry Brown. He’s best known for playing James Cook in TV’s Skins. What’s he up to now?
O’Connell takes the lead in Starred Up – the story of Eric Love, a volatile 19-year-old transferred to an adult prison where he’s reunited with his father (played by Ben Mendelsohn).
On working with director David Mackenzie
‘David’s approach was sympathetic and in rehearsals he encouraged me to add complexity to a character who might normally be written off. I wanted to justify how Eric behaves, to show how he’s a product of his environment and give him a level of maturity because I think it helps us empathise with him. I wanted to show him as a boy trying to be a man – in some cases succeeding and in some cases not.’ On understanding Eric
‘The part of the world I come from isn’t so different from Eric’s. I’ve known similar figures and have this understanding of what it’s like to find yourself behind bars, though thankfully I’ve never served any custodial sentences.’
On going a bit method
‘I had this process prior to recording where I’d swan about just like Eric. It’s all about keeping the character nearby.’ On co-star Ben Mendelsohn
‘He’s an amusing character and was really supportive and quite paternal with me and I’d find myself craving that. I hadn’t seen his work, so benefited from just seeing him as a father figure.’
Interesting fact
His grandfather, Ken Gutteridge, was a professional footballer and manager. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Starred Up is on general release from Fri 21 Mar.
20 Mar–17 Apr 2014 THE LIST 63