Film
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[)()()l NW N [ANY SUPER SIZE ME (12A) 96min «u
. g I 1/ "442.5%, My)? t ’ #3“ fivwnfié. .
That the McDonalds Corporation has taken the unprecedented step of dropping its gross policy of ‘upsizing’ meals says a lot about the impact of Morgan Spurlock’s documentary. In it Spurlock puts himself through a golden M-only diet for 30 days, in the process causing him grievous bodily harm. On day one the 33-year-old filmmaker is given an above average bill of health by three doctors and a dietician. Less than a month later and with a week or so of grease still to go, the same doctors are stunned by their patient‘s increase in weight and deterioration in health, so much so that one of the quacks likens the damage done to his liver to that of a long-term alcoholic and warns Spurlock to dump the diet or die. A McDonalds-only diet might be an unrealistic approximation of what the average American eats, but as Spurlock points out while he ate burgers and fries for 30 days straight, Joe Public eats the same stodge around three to four times a
week for 30 years straight.
Spurlock’s is an enjoyany cheeky satirical approach to the undertaking (reminiscent of the ubiquitous Michael Moore’s campaigning antics). But beyond the playful humour and the disturbing self-abuse (one gruesome scene sees Spurlock forcing down a super-sized meal and immediately throwing up the lot onto the street), he also makes a serious inquiry into the (one would think obvious) connection between obesity and fast food, without once being fatuous. (Miles Fielder)
I Genera/ re/ease from Fri 70 Set).
COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA PARADISE IS SOMEWHERE ELSE
(PG) 77min 0..
‘I want to have my own Irfe,‘ insists Eitek War-Mohammad Damanipour), a teenage shepherd in a remote lranran Village. who dreams of emigrating to the United Arab Emirates. He finds an adolescent Afghani refugee Gol Mohammad (Jan Mohammad Tairkl to tend his flock. but when Eitek's father is killed in a construction Site aCCIdent. his plans are leopardrsed. For in local custom the son is expected to take revenge on the person responSrble for the parent's death.
A shrewdly observed tale from lranran director Abdolras0ul Golbon. this economical debut feature presents its 17-year-old protagonist wrth some profound ethical dilemmas. To what extent should familial loyalties stand in the way of hrs quest fOr independence? And should he allow his good friend Gol to got to Jail for a crime he himself committed?
Conveying an evocative sense of place. Golbon refuses to
26 THE LIST 9—23 Sep 2004
a
"on."
A shrewdly observed tale
sentimentalise the hardships of rural life. and he eIiCits eftective performances from his yOung non- profeSSional actors. While Paradise is Somewhere E/se may not offer too many narrative Surprises. it's actuallr, more emotionally direct in its ston’telling than many recent lranran films. iTom Dawsonr
I Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh from Sat 7 7 Sep to Mon .73 Sep. GFF G’asgozr from Tue 7~7 Sep to lit/ad ’5 Sea.
AE aorta kiss (15) 104mm .0
r . _:; yr". :' ' ' :3- Wearisome cross cultural romance >711 ‘ ' I ‘3 i . .ijl ' it t 1' i w " l ' :i n: v " t 3 .V‘ " ‘,. ((2.: l 41' ‘ 1' i l . DUI/(W: . ll l .t‘ 1' i into ii i ' r r I .
ROM/\NlltL lili‘Tl'i 'i t .13 WICKER PARK (12A) 114mm 0
What exactlr, happened to Paul McGuigan, lllt:S(1r)ttisli born ilrrm‘tor of (he Arjirl / (oi/so and (Err/lyre: i'~.o' s something of a unster
Mtflurgan's nex'. trln‘ is a ieiirakr; «it Gilles Miinouni's (fllllflllfsl‘, Tittllf;l\,lll.; WEN} pseudo psycho lllllllftl I,'Ap/).’ir'ternerit. which llll(:‘.'.’ an alirwrst inarried lothario into a irraelstroii‘ of mystery alter a chance etir‘r :untm .‘.’|lll an ex—love. Here (:hai'isrria bypassmi Josh Hartnett takes the Vlll(1(:lll (Lasse! irilr: .‘Jllllrr thw inrxrtr .in. . Diane Kruger agitates her ‘.‘./£l‘,' through ztllrilllw (ilrtfir «it l‘l‘t ii. v rrf, M t iii. in SUIVOS for a labyrinthine lightness of twunh a :a earl, 53',;lllr~, l) >ll.ii . Of the Condor) but creates a tortuous ii‘r:ss Paul [later I Gene/1M r'e/e.'ise from Fu 7() Sex),
A very unimpressive condominium
HORROR THE MANSON FAMILY (18) 94min 0..
A psycho-delic murderous mag/xii nr,ster, turn 7" ~ .' r", " f . v, vii. i' frlnrrnakrng at its most indefenstn, bar: ll‘li erg/Warn,- ? lJ'wiw .r 1' director Jim Van Behher rRoauA'L. Sauce? 8.3.7:" we" ,' i“ " r ' docudraina take on the €343?) late l_:iB.:"<;a ll‘ir."l‘:".~ p.e' iii-4:: 1-,- r '} messianic Charlie Manson «ti/larger) (Earner. as or; T'Zi"‘,"3'l’i "rii"r ,‘ lama: hippies into Satan ‘.‘.'()l’f3llll)l)llltl serial K :e's. Var: Reprw ‘ ' w rvu: - According to Charlie and charts; the anti h._, ' pen'erse ai‘d un'ernittn‘gr, guru 7; ilt, t‘ra'» ‘71s "'Ar'r ' gr" r,- , .2 t" staged reCrez‘rtrons ct arc‘we "Duchess; é:".“l spv'rr; ‘w '1 ' :i I, ‘ 1" . / r' , "r productions po‘.'er‘t,= stricken status rtne entrance ot’ a couple of Black Panthers .'.earrng fake Afros :s a treat. Garbied attempts to sag. something about the death cf the counterculture amount to yen: little. but Van Bebber's keen sense 6;" the nihilistrc nast "est;
underpinnhg tar-,- lyflrzlllef‘i
p'orect's rejection o" peace and can es an unexpected that no doubt guarz‘r'fee this "Gail-Wt} a ‘ootr‘ote in the annals 3‘ cm: horror cinema.
~Jamre Russe;
I Fxrnihouse. E: Fr ‘7Seo Sat
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The Gospel according to bloodbath Charlie