Film index

Let’s Talk t l5t tRani Madhyani. India. 3002) Bornan Irani. .\laia Katrak. .»\nahita ()beroi. 98min. A woman married for ten years has an extra-marital affair and gets pregnant. She debates on whether she shotild tell her husband and imagines yat'ious scenarios in her mind about how he will react to her confession. Small. simple drama/fantasy that has drawn plaudits from yarious international anti-domestic abuse lobbies. (il’li (iltty‘gnnl

List of Adulteresses 1 fit tJer/y Sttthr. Poland. lWSi Jer/y Stuhr. Preben ()sterfelt. Jan Pes/ek. 70min. (iustaw is an academic at the Jagiellonian l'niyersity 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. Hint/muse. Edinburgh.

The Lord of the Rings: The No Towers (Special Edition) I 12m 0... tl’etet‘ Jackson. l'S/.\'ew Zealand.

3002) lilijah Wood. \‘iggo .\loi‘tensen. l.i\ 'l‘yler. l7‘)min. The second part of Jackson's ambitious three-part adaptation of JRR 'I'olkien's epic fantasy ady enture might lack the storytelling yerye of the first film. bill in

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terms of spectacle it takes blockbuster filmmaking to the next leyel. ('ontinuing where The fellowship oft/1e Ring left off. without any recap of the story so far. The Two 'Iimers follows three separate plotlines: l-"rodo's trek to .\lodor to destroy the ring. his fellow llobbits' meeting with the lints iwalking. talking trees) and the human/elf/ dwarf combo :\ragon. l.egolas and (iimili‘s part in the siege of the human stronghold llelm's Deep by the eyil wi/ard Sauraman‘s lt),()()()-strong army. The latter proyides the hour-long climax to the film. and it's an awesome thing to behold. But l‘rodo's meeting with the rings previous owner. (iollum. also impresses here's a ftilly computer animated character that generates as

much emotion as any of the li\ ing performers.

The film suffers from being the second act of 'l'olkien's tale. btit for Jackson's three hour film \ ision. there's no way around that. .St’lt't‘lt’tl I't’lt‘ttyt'.

O Lord of the Rings: Return of the King t IlAi .0... (Peter Jackson. l‘S/NZ.

2mm liliiah wma. Billy Boyd. Ian McKellan.

('ate Blanchett. Orlando Bloom. \‘iggo Mortensen. (‘hristopher Lee. 2 lttmin. :\ remarkable end to a remarkable series of films. the journey of l‘rodo. Sam and (iollum is the piece de resistance of the trilogy. The tension filled journey forces both (iolltttti and Sam to show their true colours as l‘rodo suffers under the burden of the ring. The Return oft/1e King is some kind of beautiful. some kind of masterpiece. l'nmissable. See Big Picture. page S and reyiew. page 3-1. (lettt’t'ttl H'lt'tlH’.

Jude Lw, Nicole Kidman and Donald-sutherland stroll through civil wartime in Cold Mountain

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring tP(ii 0.... (Peter Jackson. .\'ew Zealand/l'S. 200] t Ian McKellen. lilijah Wood. l.iy Tyler. ('ate Blanchett. Viggo Mortensen. I7Stnin. .-\t long last. a sword and sorcery adyenture that really deliyers the goods. JRR 'l‘olkien's great achieyement was to create an linglish mythology. located in a fantastical yet belieyable world. Jackson‘s great achieyement is to bring the author‘s lt)()() page tome to life. not merely realising the fantastic elements with special effects spectacle tthotigh they are very spectactilart. btit through storytelling flare and maryellous performances from his cast. Visceral and breathtakingly dramatic. The fellowship of the Ring is an inspired labour of loye and a monumental achieyement. ('(i(' Reutreu- .Stt‘et't. (ilusgnw': (til. [1.(lI-Ill7lll'g'll.

Love Actually I lSi 000 (Richard ('urtis. l'K. 2003) Bill Nighy. (iregor l'isher. lltigh (irant. (‘olin l-‘irth. Martine .\lc('utcheon. Liam Neeson. limma ’l‘hompson. l lthnin. (’urtis sets out to proy'c the fairly anodyne point that line is actually all around us in all its many forms. but to do this he indulges a huge cast and sey‘eral different story strands. So we see a new Prime Minister bachelor ((irantt fall in loye with a Number If) tea girl t.\lc(’utcheoni. And then there is the story of the broken-hearted writer t('olin l‘irthi who falls for his liastern liuropean cleaner. On top of this limma 'lltottipsttn. Alan Rickman. Keira Knightley. Andrew Lincoln. l.iam .\'eeson and Laura Linney all pop up to play out their roles as either object of. or giy er of. the sweet gift of

love. Lightweight and enjoyable if a little oyer-populated romantic comedy. This is actually fairly impressiye considering it is writer ('urtis‘s first time in the director's seat. (;(’ll('l'(ll release.

Love Stories 1 lfii tJer/y Stuhr. Poland. l‘)‘)7i Jer/y Stuhr. Katar/yna l‘igura. l)ominka ()stalow ska. Irini .-\lfiorowa. Karolina ()stro/na. Jer/y .\'owak. 127mm. .-\ film made up of four simultaneous episodes. all sharing the theme of loye. liach film has a 45-year- old man as its focus iall play ed 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. (ii-"II (i/usgow:

The Man who Sued God f 15» 00 (Mark Joffe. Australia. 2001i Billy ('onnolly. Judy Dayis. ('olin l'TiCls. Wendy lltighes. Bille Brown. 102mm. Billy ('onnolly plays Steye .\ly‘ers. a lawyer w ho has opted out and become a fisherman. When his boat is struck by lightning and destroyed he is denied insurance money because it was 'an act of (iod'. So he dtists down his law books and sues the insurance company and the church under the guise of ( iod defending himself. :\ll\lrilliitlt lialing-esque comedy. ()ileun a! the Quay. (ilrtygtm.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World t l2.-\i C... iPeter Weir. 1S. 2003) Russell ('row e. Paul Bettany. James D'Arcy. lidward Woodall. (‘hris I.arkin. IRSmin. Ship Surgeon Stephen .\laturin tBettany t and .\'a\'y ('apt. Jack Aubrey t(’rowei get caught up in a battle of wits with a lirench .\'ayal destroyer during the Napoleonic Wars. Weir's first film as director since The Iranian Show in [908. Based on the high seas adyenture lioyels of Patrick O'Brian. this a rare and stirring treat which boasts great performances and some truly awe inspiring action sequences. (it’ttel'ul I'(’[('(1.\'(’.

The Masterworks ttbc) t()skar l'ischinget'. l'S/(iermany. 1927 47) tbcmin. A selection of late animated works by one of the truly great animators in cinema history. ()skar l-‘ischinger. This selection represents his best known works. made in the [S the was originally based in (iermanyi. This programme of new prints includes the superb (‘om/imitiun in Blue and Allegretto. (fl-"l: (ilusgim.

Matchstick Men 1 12m 0000 Scott. PS. 2003) Nicolas (’age. Sam Rockwell. Alison I.ohman. llomin. Scott‘s distinctly e addition to the con men genre infuses a fast-paced plot with genuine emotional depth. Roy t('agei is a \eteran. proud to be passing down his know ledge to partner and protege. Frank tRockwell i. Btit Roy‘s personal life's a deathly yoid. turning him into an obsessiye compulsiy e. chairi- smoking wreck. Still smarting from the failure of his marriage 14 years earlier. Roy discoyers he's got a teenage daughter. Angela il.ohmani. who wants to know all about what Daddy does for a liying. ('age brings great \ulnerability to the role. while I.ohman deliyers a remarkably polished performance as the troublesome teen. Slick but ney er superticial. .Uttlt‘lt.\lltl\' .llen succeeds in warming the cool waters of the confidence flick. (i157: (ilttygim.

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