BOOKS | Highlights I T L I S T
H EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2016
Here are some highlights from EIFF 2016, as chosen by our editor Yasmin Sulaiman. Read more about the festival on page 15. For full listings go to list.co.uk
TOMMY’S HONOUR BOOKS HIGHLIGHTS
debut from Philip John (who directed episodes of Downton Abbey and Outlander), this anarchic tale makes the very best of some stunning Scottish locations.
US ‘nerds obsessed with sex’ teen comedy, with director Qaushiq Mukherjee (who directs under the name ‘Q’) charting the antics of a group of sex-starved quiz-happy geeks against a backdrop of 1980s Bangalore.
Festival Theatre, Wed 15 Jun, 8.55pm A captivating period drama about a strained relationship between father and son, Jason Connery’s enthralling film is set against the Events are listed by city, then date. fascinating backdrop of the early days Submit listings for your event at of professional golf. See feature, page list.co.uk/add 19.
KIM CATTRALL: IN PERSON Filmhouse, Thu 16 Jun, 6pm Perhaps best known as the sexually adventurous Samantha in Sex and the City, and for her appearances in the 1980s classics Big Trouble in Little China and Mannequin, Kim also enjoys an illustrious theatre career.
THE ACTOR Filmhouse, Thu 16 Jun, 6.05pm; Sat 18 Jun, 6pm A thoughtful and clever comedy drama about a jaded actor finally finding love. A delightful lead performance by acclaimed Japanese actor Ken Yasuda gives The Actor its striking and often unconventional heart.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING Cineworld, Thu 16 Jun, 6.10pm; Filmhouse, Sat 18 Jun, 6.30pm Paul Rudd consolidates his ‘nicest man in film’ credentials in this thoroughly charming and uplifting comedy-drama, starring as a newly licensed caregiver whose first job is working with isolated but amusingly sarcastic young Brit Trevor (Craig Roberts) who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
A FLAG WITHOUT A COUNTRY Cineworld, Thu 16 Jun, 6.15pm; Sat 18 Jun, 3.50pm A pilot and a pop star do their bit in Iraqi Kurdistan. Acclaimed director Bahman Ghobadi blends documentary with drama (in a similar fashion to his 2009 film Nobody Knows About Persian Cats).
MOON DOGS
BRAKES Cineworld, Fri 17 Jun, 8.55pm; Filmhouse, Sun 19 Jun, 6.10pm Break-ups and burgeoning romance shape this clever indie film. This delightfully cast debut from Mercedes Grower is literally a film of two halves, tracing the emotionally heightened points at the endings (in the first half of the film) and beginnings (the second) of relationships.
FINDING DORY Festival Theatre, Sat 18 Jun, 2pm A much-anticipated follow-up to Pixar’s delightful 2003 hit Finding Nemo, this beautifully rendered sequel will enthrall, with fans young and old keen to catch up with the adventures of Dory and her undersea friends.
HIGHLANDER 30TH ANNIVERSARY
Cineworld, Sat 18 Jun, 7.30pm One of the great action-fantasy romps of the 1980s, this freewheeling film was a modest success on its initial release, but has since developed into a cult favourite packed with quotable lines, punctuated with stylish sword- fighting moments and with a series of memorable songs from Queen.
MAGGIE’S PLAN Filmhouse, Sat 18 Jun, 8.55pm; Cineworld, Sun 19 Jun, 8.35pm A sophisticated and witty New York-set rom-com. Director Rebecca Miller’s film is a real pleasure, with the love triangle between Greta Gerwig (Maggie), Ethan Hawke (a would-be novelist) and Julianne Moore (terrific as the intellectually intimidating Dane) wonderfully drawn out as they engage in witty banter and hilarious rants.
Cineworld, Fri 17 Jun, 8.50pm; Sat 18 Jun, 3.40pm A stylish and sexy Scottish coming-of-age story. A wonderfully sustained feature
BRAHMAN NAMAN Cineworld, Mon 20 Jun, 6.15pm; Filmhouse, Tue 21 Jun, 8.30pm A lusty and funny take on the clichéd
74 THE LIST 4 Jun–3 Sept 2015 74 THE LIST 2 Jun–1 Sep 2016
REGROUPING Filmhouse, Thu 23 Jun, 6.10pm; Fri 24 Jun, 8.30pm First screened at EIFF in 1976, Borden’s multi-layered film within a film is the highlight of this year’s retrospective focus on the 1970s. It follows the activities of a women’s group, whose political ideals are questioned throughout the process of collaboration.
HOLIDAYS Filmhouse, Thu 23 Jun, 11.20pm; Sat 25 Jun, 8.45pm A chilling horror anthology dwelling on frightening festivities. A sparkling band of genre- minded directors –including Kevin Smith, Gary Shore and Nicholas McCarthy – each take inspiration from a different holiday to craft a grim and scary tale.
FIVE ANIMATED YEARS OF WILL ANDERSON AND AINSLIE
HENDERSON
Filmhouse, Fri 24 Jun, 3.45pm Scotland’s most dynamic animation double act. Graduates from Edinburgh College of Art’s animation degree course, Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson’s worldwide reputation has a bulging awards cabinet, including a McLaren Award each for Best British Animation.
THE COMMUNE Filmhouse, Fri 24 Jun, 8.50pm; Cineworld, Sat 25 Jun, 3.35pm Dark comedy about life in a 1970s Danish collective. Director Thomas Vinterberg sublimely pilfers from his own childhood for this wonderfully constructed story of the ups and downs of family strains.
WHISKY GALORE! Festival Theatre, Sun 26 Jun, 5.15pm; Filmhouse, Sun 26 Jun, 8.45pm The warmth, whimsy and, of course, the whisky which made Whisky Galore! such a success in both the source novel and Alexander Mackendrick’s 1949 film adaptation are alive and well in this version of a much-loved and highly treasured favourite. See feature, page 18.
ZERO DAYS Cineworld, Tue 21 Jun, 6.10pm; Sat 25 Jun, 3.10pm Welcome to the cyber apocalypse. Taking his cue from the pioneering investigation of David Sanger of the New York Times and documents ‘leaked’ by Edward Snowden, the prolific Alex Gibney’s latest film brings his beady inquisitor’s eye to the murky world of state- sponsored cyber terrorism.
KIDS IN LOVE Cineworld, Wed 22 Jun, 6.10pm; Fri 24 Jun, 6.10pm A dreamy, sumptuous British coming-of-age drama. When Jack meets Evelyn, he is catapulted towards the bohemian pleasures that London has to offer.
KEVIN SMITH: IN PERSON Traverse, Wed 22 Jun, 8.30pm From the seminal Clerks, through the quirky offbeat humour of Mallrats, to the controversial religious satire of Dogma, Kevin Smith has been pushing cinematic boundaries since 1994.
FAMILIES Cineworld, Wed 22 Jun, 8.30pm; Sat 25 Jun, 3.30pm Family secrets are revealed when relatives fight over a country house. Veteran director Jean-Paul Rappeneau concocts a lush and elegant melodrama, with a strong French cast.
BECOMING ZLATAN Cineworld, Thu 23 Jun, 8.40pm; Odeon, Fri 24 Jun, 8.35pm An insight into what it is to be Swedish football icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic. One of the most complex and gifted footballers playing today, this fascinating documentary draws on rare archival footage focusing on the young Zlatan.