Film
Randi Cuts
Film news to keep you amused
In“: I e
I An era of amateur filmmaking has come to an end. The factory in Lausanne, Switzerland, that processes Europe’s supplies of Kodachrome has shut its doors forever. If you want to get your Kodachrome film developed now, you are going to have to get in touch with an outfit in Kansas called Dwayne’s Photo (www.k14movies.com), and hope for the best. Farewell old friend.
I Fancy getting rural with some great Scottish movies like Local Hero and I Know Where I’m Going? Well, the crazy RBS Screen Machine Take 2 mobile cinema comes to the Cowal Peninsula between 6—1 2 October to kick off the first CowalFest. Interested? Visit www.cowalfest.org
I There’s loads of great film seasons starting over the next few weeks. ln Glasgow, the International Bike Film Festival (till 12 October) and Human Rights film festival Document 4 (13-15 Oct) take over the OFT, while at Filmhouse, Edinburgh, an Irish/Scottish film season called Reel 2006 kicks off on 28 Oct and a superb African Film Festival starts on 20 October (www.africa-in-motion.org.uk).
WIN JAKE GYllENHAll COLLECTION
Metrodome Distribution have just released a special tour DVD box set showcasing; some of the Brokehat‘k t‘owtioy's other line cinema moments. The collection contains Donn/e Oar'ko; lhe Director 's Cut. Moonlight Mile. The Good Girl and Proof plus loads of extras. Rough Cuts has three sets to give away. To he in \‘Vllll a chance of winning one. send an email marked JAKE with your name. address and daytime telephone number to promotionsxz‘listcook. no later than 19 October. Usual List rules apply.
Reviews
«03.4
4% g: '5‘; k
4
DRAMA THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (PG) 109min 0000
Long before Jimmy Choo or Louis Vuitton, the Romans knew the score on couture. Back in 1AD Roman philosopher Seneca warned of the imperilled dangers of living ‘not according to reason, but according to fashion.’ Not that anyone took any notice. A couple of millennia later nice twee wannabee journalist Andy (Anne Hathaway) finds herself employed as one of two personal secretaries to the formidable Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), an intimidating streak of steel haired malevolence, one mindedness and ultimate power in the precious world of American fashion magazines. Priestly is the editor of Runway, the New York based fashion bible along the lines of Vogue, and though she thinks Andy is the least stylish person she has ever met, she is attracted by her indifference to the multimillion dollar empire that defines her life. So Andy finds herself in the world of the ‘clackers’ (so named because of the sound of their high heeled shoes on the marble floors), and her trial by fashion, by Priestly and her journey to finding out what she really wants and who she really is begins.
Based on Lauren Weisberger's kiss-and-tell bestseller (Weisberger was Wintour‘s assistant between 1999 and 2000), The Devil Wears Prada plays like an exceptionally fine episode of Sex in The City (so it should, director David Frankel was at the helm of the pilot and many installments of that show). with killer one lines, really well rounded characterisation and excellent performances from Streep and supports Stanley Tucci and British actress Emily Blunt (last seen in My Summer of Love) in particular.
It's all pretty formulaic and pat, reminiscent of Nichols' Working Girl or Stone’s Wall Street, but The Devil Wears Prada is so slyly written, deliciously performed and energetically executed that it’s difficult not to fall for its myriad of charms.
The film is, however, not without its problems — there’s some dodgy American synth and rock on the soundtrack and the whole thing with Andy’s dull arsed ethno-chef boyfriend is yawn inspiring but in terms of decent mainstream US films this year, this enjoyably innocuous, bitchy romp, which contains the occasional truth couched with all the half baked reasoning of an old John The Breakfast Club Hughes' movie may be as good as it gets. So let us be grateful. (Paul Dale)
I General release from lliii ") ()e.’
38 THE LIST 549 Oct .3006
COMEDY ACCEPTED (12A) 90min 0.
Steve Pink the director of Accepted also wrote High School tribute movie Grosse Point Blank. adapted Nick
Hornl); 's High Fr tel/tr so there was much hope that this film would herald a second coming. Alas. Pink's riio‘rie lacks two vital ingredients essential to any high school teen flick “.‘.’()fllt its salt: heart and angst.
When Bartleliy lJustin Long) is refused entry into every college. he opens a school that has a policy of accepting life's losers. After a long introduction that covers every High School cliche imaginable. the comedy does click into gear once the university With its alternative curriculum opens. Yet. despite several hilarious moments involving oddball Classes and Crude attempts to deceive parents. it's a teen riicvie try numbers and ultimater the maths don't add up. lKaIeem Aftab)
I General release from Fri 6 Oct.
lilUUK'JMl N ran r’ BROTHERS OF THE HEAD (18) 93min 0000
“Hi; British lid/LIV 'or “v (tor. i', sorrretliirir} ot a curate}, er)“; lt purports to fell tt'r: lite (,torirr, o‘ loin and Barr, Home. a pair of coirjoirrerl turns who purere snatched troiri the obscurit, of [riglanrl'u southern inarshlan'l‘> and transforrriert ‘rrto rock stars in the l’Jr'U‘, t), a runs”, rriortul before becoming the l)l(;ll‘:‘:l', of punk rock. Despite tliif, (I’ll(,lll()ll‘, ’,’/'l(,‘:ll the film plays the Home tirother', story completel, straight. l/loreoxer. the attention to the rletail', of fleir short lived careers I‘. ctmesmre Thus. .‘Jliile there are no laughs as such. the film as a whole can or: enpyed as one big practical Joke. Filmmaker Ken Russell pops up in one scene. being