Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Paul Dale
Absolute Power ( IS) .0 ((‘lini liastwood. 17S. l‘)‘)7) ('lint liastwood. (iene llackman. lid Harris. l2linin. During a tight and gripping opening 20 minutes of cdge-of—the-seat cinema. art thief Luther Whitney (liastwoml) witnesses a compromising bonk-fest while burglarising a mansion one night. then finds himself implicated in a scandal that goes to the top of society. Those spellbinding initial moments. along with performances from Scott (ilenn and Judi Davis. really are the fittest parts of the movie. The rest is something of a let down. ()ilemt at the Quay. Glasgow, (ilasgow.
The Agronomist (PG) 0000 (Jonathan Demme. IS. 2003) 90min. The true story of Jean Dominique. a llaitian radio journalist and human rights activist. Brilliant and disturbing documentary from the great Demme. (TA. Glasgow.
Anansi ( l5) (l'Tlll Baumann. (iermany. 2002) (ieorge Quaye. .\'aomie Harris. Jimmy Akingbola. Maynard liziashi. (‘hrys Koomson. Danny Sapani. 15min. Follow a group of people from (ihana on their perilous journey from west Africa to liurope as they take on the characteristics of the mythical Anansi to survive. I‘llnt/toltse. lit/inlnugli.
Around the World in 80 Days (PU) (l-‘rank ('oraci. (SA. 2004) Jackie (‘han. Steve (‘oogan. Jim Broadbent. 90min. Slapstick. comic update of Jules V'erne‘s classic adventure story with an all star British cast and one Mr (‘han. Reviewed next issue. General release.
Artists’ Films (Beck’s Futures 2004 Prize for Music 8. Video) (tbc) (Various. (K. 2003) 105mm. Artists and their films show its why they got shortlisted. (( ‘xl. (iltts'goii‘.
Asa Nu Mann Watna Da (tbc) (.vlanmohan Singh. lndia/('anada. 2004) llarbajan Mann. Arshvir Bajvva. Kirandeep Kimmi. Punjabi language romantic musical drama that depicts what happens to those who return to their homeland after a prolonged absence abroad. Beautifully shot in India and ('anada. this features almost ()0 new tunes that will have you laughing. crying and getting all emotional. ('(‘I
( 'lyilehank. ( 'lyrleltank.
Bad Education (La Mala Educacion) ( IS) 00000 (Pedro Almodovar. Spain. 2004) (iael (iarcia Bernal. l‘ele Martinez. Daniel (iimene/ ('acho. l.luis llomar. 105mm. A successful young movie director linrique (Martinez) receives an unexpected visitor someone claiming to be his childhood friend and lover Ignacio (Bernal). who now prefers to
Falkirk Town. Hall
Sun 27th June
Aileen: Life & Death
of a Serial Killer (15) 3:00pm The Missing (15) 5:00pm Sun 78th July
The Station Agent (15) 3:00pm The Passion of the Christ (18) 5:00pm
Tickets and further information from The Steeple Box office
(Tel: 01324 506850)
or on the day from the hall
30 THE LIST 24 Jon—8 Jul 2004
be called Angel. He shows linrique a short story The l'isit about a transsexual singer Zahara (also Bernal) who sleeps with a married admirer called linrique and who attempts to blackmail the priest l’ather Manolo ((‘acho) who abused her schoolboy self. But who exactly is Angel and why is he carrying around lganacio‘s work'.’ And what is the connection abetvveen Manolo and the mysterious Berenguer (llomar)'.’ Possibly the finest ‘Almodrama' to date. this .si/lles with llitchcockian verve and Riplcyesque menace. An absolute delight. Almodovar is undoubtedly one of the finest filmmakers working in Europe today. (’aineo. lirlt'nlnaglt.
Big Fish (P(i) 0.. (Tim Burton. IS. 2003) liwan Mc(iregor. Albert liinney. Billy (‘rudup. Jessica Lange. Alison l.ohman.
l l0min. lidward Bloom (l’inney) is much loved. but his compulsive yarn-spinning has alienated him from his journalist son Will ((‘rudup). whose weddiag day lidward upstaged with a typically scene-stealing speech. listranged since then. lidward and Will are reunited when the father falls ill and the son returns from Paris. together with his l-‘rench wife. Josephine (Marion (‘otillard) who soon falls for lidward's entertaining mendacity. Will. on the other hand. is determined to find the truth behind his father's slippery fictions. ('ue gentle giants. utopian villages full of happy-shiny people. exotic circus performers. cabaret- performing conjoined twins and poetry- spouting bank robbers. l'nfortunately. the film's big moral message is mawkish and disappointingly conventional. but Burton country is always worth venturing into for a hit. (Ilrtsgoti' I'ilm 'l-ltettll'e. (ilitsgoti'; lirunton Theatre. Iz'rlt'nlnirg/i.
Bitter Moon ( IX) 0... (Roman Polanski. l'K/l-‘rance. l‘)‘)2) Peter (‘oyote. llugh (irant. limmanuelle Scigner. l34min. A wheelchair-bound novelist ((‘oy-ote) entraps a young linglishman ((irant) with his tale of ltist and perversion while on board a luxury liner. Polanski‘s dissection of the darker side of desire may not be to everyone's taste. bill it certainly has its moments of outrageously black comedy. I’ilnt/ioiise. lit/in/nug/i.
Blind Flight ( 15) 0... (John l-‘urse. l'K. 2003) Ian llart. l.inus Roache. 97min. This dramatisation of the kidnapping of Brian Keenan and John Mc(‘arthy confines itself to the four and a half years the Irish teacher and the linglish journalist spent in captivity in the Lebanon in the I‘JSIIs. Roache and Hart give the performances of
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their respective careers and praise. too. must go to writer-director John l‘urse. who spent time with Keenan and Mc('arthy. getting to know them after their separate releases. This low budget film effectively employs a single dramatic location (a series of cells. with chilly Belfast and (ilasgow warehouses doubling for the roasting Lebanon locations) and is a riveting piece of drama. Brutal. tender and powerful sttiff. I’l'lnt/touse. [filin/nrrgli.
Bugs 3D or Space Station 3D (tbc) School groups take priority at this early showing of either Bugs .i’l) or Spar-e Station .ll). [WAX 'I'Iteatre. (ilttsgmi'.
Capturing the Friedmans ( IS) (Andrew Jarecki. ISA. 2002) l07min. Paedophilia is proving itself to be feitile ground for great movies. What Happiness did for fiction. (‘a/itiu'tltg t/Ie liter/mans does for documentaries. The liriedmans are the archetypal dysfunctional American family. who were way ahead of their time when they used video cameras in the 80s to lilm their personal response to police allegations that two members of the family. the father and youngest child. were sodomising children. The material they produced is often hilarious despite the torrid subject matter and director Andrew Jarccki cleverly ties together this archival footage to ensure that the boundaries between fact and fiction are stillied like bed sheets after an orgy. It might be sick. but it's also a brilliant look at media-led hysteria and the vagaries of human relationships. I-‘i/mliouse. lit/in/nirg/i.
Caravaggio ( Its’) 0000 (Derek Jarman. l'K. 1030) Nigel 'l‘erry. Sean Bean. Tilda Swinton. 90min. Jarman‘s biographical study of the brilliant Italian Renaissance painter centres on the artist's triangular relationship with a low -lifc gambler and his prostitute lover. a passion that is to result in murder. Ambitious and accessible work that finds a delicate. cinematic equivalent for the subtle shadings in ('aravaggio's bi'ushwork. Part of the London Lesbian and (lay l-‘ilm l‘estival on Tour. I'llntlmttse. lit/inlnrrg/i.
The Cat in the Hat (I’(;) 0. (Bo Welch. 1S. 2003) Mike Myers. Alec Baldwin. Kelly Preston. Dakota l-"anning. Spencer Breslin. 82min. American classic. perverted and robbed of any charm. Mike Myers' golden touch may have jtist come to an end. Mind you this did pretty well in the states. bttl there is. of course. no accountng for public taste. I’ilm/iouse. Iz'rlin/ntrg/i.
own with the local nudists in Eurotrip
The Cat’s Meow l 12A) 000 (Peter Bogdanovich. IS. 2002) Kirsten Dunst. liddie l/zard. l 14min. See rev iew. page 27. (ilasgmi' I'll/n Theatre. (ilrtsgoii‘. Chinatown I l5) 0.... (Roman Polanski. l'S. l974) Jack Nicholson. Faye Dunaway. John lltiston. l31min. Private eye Jake (iittes takes on a routine case in l‘)37 LA and ends tip uncovering more than he bargained for. Splendid conspiracy thriller with a handsome period look and a quite superlative cast. Despite rumours spread by Nicholson and Polanski. though. the nose- slitting scene was faked. Part of the Polanski season. I‘llltlllullw’. lit/inlnu'g/i. Club Dread I IS) 00 (Jay ('handrasekhar. 1S. 2004) Kevin llel'fernan. Steve Lemme. Paul Soter. lirik Stolhanske l03min. See review. page 37. .S'elei‘letl release.
The Company I 12A) .00 Altman. l‘S/(iermany. 2003) New Campbell. Malcolm McDowell. James l‘raneo. Barbara Robertson. William Dick.
1 l2min. A drama about the lives and loves. hopes and fears and successes and failures of a ballet company. filtered through the vision of Hollywood maverick Altman. lischewing the melodrama and histrionics associated with film forays into the world of stage showbil. this instead constructs a detailed portrait of the ballet world. A distinctly .-\ltmancsque lilin.l'/ie ('ornpanv is. in fact. the brainchild of ('ampbell. Once a student at the National School of Ballet in Canada. she gets a story-writing and producing credit alongside her star billing and gives an impressively naturalistic performance. much of which involves dance. lt's McDowell as the paternal tyrant ‘Mr A'. however. who gets the lion's share of the film's juicy dialogue and grand speeches. (imsvenoiz (i/asgoii;
Connie and Carla Do LA I IZA)
.0 (Michael l.embeck. IS. 2004) Toni (‘ollette. .\'ia \ardalos. l)7min. After a botched drug deal in ('hicago airport. frustrated entertainers (‘onnie (\‘ardalos) and ('arla ((‘ollettel head for l..-\. reinventing themselves as male drag queens to escape mob attention. Really rubbish take on Some like it Hot. w rittcn by \‘ardalos. the lady who gave the world the equally exct‘eable .llv litg I'al (iI‘ee/v Her/(ling. A few good show tunes Iltotlgli. St'lt’t'lt’tf release. The Cooler ( IS) .0. (Wayne Kramer. l'S. 2003) William ll Macy. Alec Baldwin. Maria Bello. Shawn llatosy. Ron Livingston. Paul Sonino. llllmin. Bernie l.ool/ (Macy) is all out of luck. Which is
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