Film index

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ( 12A) 0 (Stephen Norrington. l,'S/(iermany/(‘zech Republic/l‘K. 2003) Sean ('onnery‘. Naseeruddin Shah. Peta Wilson. Tony ('urran. Stuart 'I'ownsend. Shane West. I 10min. Diabolical version of Alan Moore's great graphic novel. (ieltet'ul releuxe.

Left Out (the) (Various. Scotland. 3003) tbctnin. Left Out is an exciting new video competition for young Scottiin filmmakers. launched by the (‘astlemilk Youth (‘omplex and supported by acclaimed film makers Ken Loach and Paul Laverty. Screening includes Road 2 Darkness. the winning entry by young people from the Ravenstone Project: .llu/vine My Movie. an anitnation by Lochend Community High School. (ilasgow and Bis: Boy: Don 't ('rv. a hard hitting filtn about life on the street by the lidinburgh group Street llitl‘k. ('(i'l. Glasgow:

Lemonade Joe (the) (()Idrich Lipsky‘. (‘lechoslovakitL I961) Karel I’iala. Milos Kopecki. Kveta I'ialovti. ()Iga Schoberova. Karel Iiffa. Waldetnar Matuska. 99min. (’Iech Soviet era satire about a clean living gunfighter who drinks only Koca-l.oca lemonade and takes on a town full of bourbon bad guys. This musical comedy parodying the old silent westerns and American consumerism (naturally) was a huge success in its home country. Ilenry I-‘onda is said to have been among its international admirers. Part of the Red Westerns season. I'll/Ithouxe. Ifdt'nlmrgh.

List of Adulteresses l (5) (Jerry Stuhr. Poland. I995) Jer/y Stuhr. Preben ()sterfelt. Jan Peszek. 70min. (iustaw is an academic at the Jagiellonian l'niversity in Krakow and is instructed by his Dean to show a visiting Swedish professor around the city. Since the guest wants to enjoy some female company. things can only go wrong. (fl-"II (i/usgou: The Lizzie McGuire Movie it')

0. (Jim I’all. LS. 2003) Hilary Duff. Adatn Lamberg. IIaIlie Todd. Robert ('arradine. Jake 'I‘homas. Ashlie Brillault.

9-fmin. l‘ilm version of popular Disney children's programme. Nice Lizzie goes to Italy and meets a dirty pasta-muncher boy but it‘s ()K because a wholesome Yank is around to protect her. For soft-brained youngsters only. ('('I. Edinburgh: I '('I. ('lvdehunk. Love Actually ( IS) 000 (Richard (‘urtis. I‘K. 2003) Bill Nighy'. (iregor I‘isher. Ilugh (irant. (‘olin I-‘irth. Martine .\Ic(‘utcheon. Liam Neeson. limma 'I‘hompson. 1 10min. (‘urtis sets out to prove the fairly anody'ne point that love is actually all around us in all its many forms. but to do this he indulges a huge cast and several different story strands. So we see a new Prime Minister bachelor ((irant) fall Ill love with a Number l0 tea girl (.‘\Ic('ulcheon). And then there is the story of the broken-hearted writer ((‘olin I‘irth) who falls for his Iiastern Iiuropean cleaner. ()n top of this Iimma 'I‘hompson. Alan Rickman. Keira Knightley‘. Andrew Lincoln. Liam Neeson and Laura Linney all pop up to play out their roles as either object of. or giver of. the sweet gift of love. Lightweight and enjoyable if a little over-populated romantic comedy. This is actually fairly impressive considering it is writer (‘urtis's first time in the director's seat. (ieltel‘ul release.

Love Stories ( I5) (Jer/y' Stuhr. Poland. I997) Jer/y Stuhr. Katar/yna I‘igura. Dominka ()stalowska. lrini Alliorowa. Karolina ()stro/na. Jer/y Nowak. 127mm. A film made tip of four simultaneous episodes. all sharing the theme of love. Iiach film has a 45-year-old man as its focus (all played by the great Polish actor/director Stuhr himself). and this looks at the relationships that men form with women of different ages. Part of the films of Jer/y Stuhr season. (il’l: (iluseow; l-i'ltnhouse. lit/inhttreli.

Man of the Year l 15).. (Jose Iinrique lionseca. Bra/il. 2003) Murilo Benico. 1 12min. Ilaving shot dead a much despised local critninal. unemployed salesman Maiquel (Murilo Benicio) becomes the toast of his neighbourhood. The bleached-blond

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42 THE LIST 27 Nov 1 1 Doc 22003

hero is showered with gifts (including a piglet) frotn shopkeepers. and finds himself juggling two women: his hairdresser (‘ledir ((‘laudia Abreu) and Iirica (Natalia Lagc). the [5-year-old girlfriend of his victim. Although he accepts the offer of free treatment frotn his dentist ('arvalho (Jorge Doria) in exchange for carrying out a hit on a rapist. Maiquel hasn't yet abandoned his hopes of a ‘normal‘ life of work. marriage and kids. Inferior Latin American thriller that is clearly basking in the reflected commercial glory of Fernando Meirelles' ('t'tv of(iod. See review.I-"il/nhouxe. Iidt’nlntrgh.

0 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World ( 12A) 0000 (Peter Weir. LS. 2003) Russell (‘rowe. Paul Bettany'. James D'Arcy. Iidward Woodall. ('hris Larkin. 13>;an. Ship Surgeon Stephen Maturin (Bettany) and Navy (’apt. Jack Aubrey ((’rowe) get caught up in a battle of wits with a French Naval destroyer captain during the Napoleonic Wars. Weir's first filtn as director since The Truman Show in 1998. Based on the hiin seas adventure novels of Patrick ()‘Brian. this is a rare and stirring treat which boasts great performances and some truly awe inspiring action sequences. See review. (ienerul release.

Matrix Revolutions ( 15) 000 (Andy Wachowski. Larry Wachowski. LS. 2003) Kcanu Reeves. Laurence I-ishburnc. Hugo Weaving. ('arrie Anne Moss. Monica Belluci. I32min. The trilogy concludes as war breaks out on the scorched liarth as the machines invade '/.ion. (‘omatose at the end of Reloaded. Neo (Reeves) is now stranded in limbo between the human and machine worlds: although not jacked-in. he is somehow able to access both dimensions simultaneously. More dangerously. renegade computer program. Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). has assumed human form. broken free from the machines which once controlled him. and is now pursuing a private. nihilislic agenda of his own. There are just 12 hours to save humanity from complete annihilation. The conclusion to the trilogy. it reminds us what we loved about the original. The ainbigtiotis/enigmatic/ confusing ending provides ample fodder for post-tilm arguments about the meaning of Neo's messianic quest. the ultimate fate of his arch nemesis. Smith. and the bizarrer unreliable predictions of The Oracle. (ienet'ul release. The Medallion (PG) 0 ((iordon ('han. Ilong Kong/LS. 2003) Jackie (‘han. Lee Iivans. (‘laire I-"orlani. Julian Sands. John Rhys-Davies. (St-Inuit. In The .lledullion. a formulaic follow-up to The Tuxedo. (’han plays a IIong Kong police detective who joins tip with Iivans' Interpol agent in Dublin to track a gangster (Sands) who‘s snaflled the medallion of the title an ancient Iiastern relic that bestows superpowers on the wearer. After being granted the Use of its magic. Jackie becomes a medallion man who‘s able to fly through the air and leap tall buildings in a single bound. Fans of martial arts movies will doubtless be excited by the presence of Samtno Ilttng as light choreographer and (iordon (‘han (Betty! ('opx) in the director's chair. Yet the disappointment for anyone old enough to remember as far back as (’han‘s groundbreaking Drunken Master is a bitter one. Selet‘led release.

Meet me in St Louis (1') 0000 (Vincente Minnelli. I'S. I944) Judy (iarland. Margaret O'Brien. Mary Astor. l I3min. Released during wartime. this musical was an

optimistic attempt to emphasise family values.

but Minnelli never wallows in nostalgia. Instead he combats it with spat‘ky' and sarky' family dynamics. Set in I903. the put-upon father wants to move his family from St Louis to New York btit faces resistance from his gaggle of girls who have romances to get on with. and the fast-approaching World I-‘air to enjoy. Perfect casting and performances. along with songs like ‘Ilave Yourself A Merry Little ('hristinas' add to the warm glow. ('(I-l. Glasgow.

Minority Report ( l2) .0. (Steven Spielberg. LS. 2002) Tom (‘ruise. Samantha Morton. Max von Sydow. l-l-lmin. Submerged beneath Spielberg's patented layer of sentimental schmaltr. and another vigorously self-indulgent performance from ('ruise. is a half decent futuristic thriller. The

scribes get the credit for this: screenwriter Scott I‘rank and the late writer Philip K Dick. In the year 2054 the murder rate in America's crime capital (Washington D(') has been reduced to zero through the introduction of the controversial pre-crime police division. Psychics predict murders before they happen. ('ruise's Detective John Anderton arrests felons for crimes they will (or rather. won't) commit. But when Morton‘s ‘pre-cog‘ predicts a murder committed by Anderton himself. the detective goes on the run. I'i/mhouxe. Ifdinhtu'gh.

The Mother ( IS) 0000 (Roger Mitchell. I'K. 2003) Anna Reid. ('athry'n Bradshaw. Steven Mackintosh. Daniel Craig. Peter Vaughan. 72min. When her husband dies May (Anna Reid) starts shagging her daughter's boyfriend. Darren (Daniel ('raig). Not. you‘d think. a nice thing fora mother to do. but the affair turns out to be mutually beneficial to both parties. As astuter scripted by Hanif Kurcishi and carefully directed by Roger Michell (who previously collaborated on The Buddha ofSu/n‘urliut). 'I'he .llother takes a taboo subject and makes a compelling. compassionate. thouin never cliched drama out of a crisis. The union of May and Darren really convinces. Initially. she‘s curious about him and he's sympathetic towards her. She begs him for sex and he obliges. but the extent of Darren's emotional problems soon becomes clear. :\ w ell-judged. perfectly played. fully absorbing drama. Selet'ted release.

The Muppet Christmas Carol tt‘) 0... (Brian Henson. l'S. I992) Michael ('ainc. Steven MacKintosh. Meredith Braun. 86min. It's ('hristmas time. and nasty old miser Scrooge ((‘aine) needs to be taught a lesson by three seasonal ghosts. ('olourful version of Dickens' classic tale that will please the kids and keep the adults smiling with its little irreverent spices. North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Ifdinltureh.

My Life without Me l 15) ooo

(Isabel (’oixct. Spain/('anada. 2003) Sarah Polley. Scott Speedman. Deborah Harry. Mark Ruffalo. Leonor Watling. l02min. Trailer mom Ann (Polley) works nights doing a cleaning job at the local university. and has to put up with her crotchety mother (Harry) and diet-obsessed friend Laurie (Plummer). But despite all (his. her life with husband Don (Speedman) and her two young daughters is a happy one. After suddenly collapsing. her doctor reveals she has incurable cancer and has only two months to live. Rather than telling people. she instead keeps it to herself and starts planning what she wants to do in the time she has left. both for herself and those she w ill leave behind. 'I'\' mov ie-sty le w eepie that never really catches alight despite the fine cast. It has. however. been a huge hit in the LS. Spain and ('anada. No accounting for taste. is there'.’ ('umeo. Izilt'nhureh. Mystic River ( l5) ooo ((‘lint Iiastwood. LS. 2003) Sean Penn. Tim Robbins. Kevin Bacon. Laurence I-ishburne. l37min. Three boys from a small suburb in Boston see things in their childhood they maybe shouldn't. Years later the past comes back to bite them on the arse. Seamless slightly worthy version of Dennis Lehane's bestseller. but as usual Iiastwood delivers something that is both timeless and issue led. Selet‘letl release.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (P(i) 0.... (Henry Selick. I'S. I993) With the voices of (fins Sarandon. Danny Iilfman. (‘atherine O'Hara. 76min. Jack Skellington. the skinny trickster king of lltlllt’ll't't'IIIUH'II. is restless with success and needs a new challenge. so he hatches a plot to kidnap Santa and creates a mixed-up Yuletide which isn't quite what the kids of the world expected. Produced and based on a story and characters by Tim Burton. this is a real imaginative treat deliciously dark stop- tnotion animation on the big screen. .Vot'lh [xi/inhura'h Arts Centre. lidtnlmrv’h.

Noi the Albino (Noi Albinoi) ( IS) (Dagu Kari. Iceland. 2003) Tomas Lemarquis. 'I‘hrostur Leo (iunnarsson. Iilin Ilansdottir. 95min. Set in the fro/en north of Iceland. Noi (Lemarquis) is an albino teenager whose favourite pastimes seem to be winding up his school teachers and stealing from fruit machines so that he can afford a bottles of