Film
Cats and Dogs (PG) 000
(Lawrence (iuterman. US. 200l ) Jeff (ioldblum. lililabeth Perkins. Miriam Margoyles. 87min. This refreshing approach to cute talking pets films is a kind of subversive l.as‘sie meets .vt’lission.‘ Impossible. These dogs don't just talk. they use surveillance equipment and have a solemn mission to protect scientist (ioldblum as he invents a cure for dog allergies. The cats are evil. hell-bent on conquering the world and their special agents have deadly ninja skills and vicious weapons. The anitnatronic effects are of a pretty high standard. but it's the animal trainers you‘re in real awe of. The occasional wander into sentimental territory and slowing up of pace can be forgiven by the madly original idea. lively action sequences and knockabout humour. Grost'eno); Glasgow.
Charlotte’s Web ([7) ooo ((iary Winick. ISA. 2006) Dakota Fanning. voices ofJulia Roberts. Sam Shepherd. Steve Buscemi. 97min. (‘hirpy tot Fern (Fanning) rescues Wilbur the pig frotn a cruel farmyard fate for lovable arachnid (‘harlotte to eventually save the day in a bittersweet finale that touches on practical matters of life and death. Somewhere between the cutesy Babe and ()rwell‘s political Animal harm it should draw in children and nostalgic adults alike. Seleeted release. Cheeni Kum (PG) (Balkrishnan. India. 2007) Amitabh Bachchan. Tabu. Paresh Rawal. 150mm. Allegedly ‘sugar-free' and even ‘sarcastic' Ilindi romantic comedy about a May December relationship. The clearly ageing. omnipresent Bachchan takes the lead again. ()(l(’()ll A! Tlte Quay. Glasgow; ()tleon For! Kinnaird. Edinburgh. The City of Violence ( )8) oo
(Ryoo Seung Wan. South Korea. 2007) Ahn Jae-Mo. Ahn KiI-Kang. Jeung Seok-Yong. 93min. Disappointineg convoluted. indulgent and cheesy Korean crime thriller- cum-martial arts actioner about a bunch of brothers who are reunited when a vicious youth gang murders one of them. Selected I't'l('(l.\i(’.
Close to Home ( 12A) ooo (Vardit Bilu/I)alia Hagar. Israel. 2005) Neama Shendar. Stnadar Sayar. lrit Suki. 90min. The rebellious Smadar (Sayar) and the conscientious Mirit (Schendar) are cute 18- year-olds serving their compulsory two-year term in the military but are tnore interested in men. clothes. haircuts and their families. This modest effort avoids sermonising to successfully provide a perceptive snapshot of everyday life in a bitterly divided city. Glasgow I’ilm Theatre. Glasgow; Filmhouse. Edinburgh.
Conversations with Other Women ()5) ... (Hans (‘anosa. I’K/IIS. 2007) Aaron Iickhart. Helena Bonham ('arter. Yury Tsykun. 84min. Intriguing. wordy. ultimately numbing two hander in which two old friends (or were they lovers?) meet at a wedding again. Presented in split screen. lickhart and Bonham (‘arter are excellent and daring as the leads. Glasgow I’ilni Theatre. Glasgow
Cyberworld 30 (PG) (Various. US. 2000) Jenna lilfman. Matt Frewer. Woody Allen. 44min. Jenna lilfman is the cyber- host who introduces us to various unrelated segments of cyber animation. The Sim/trons and Ant; make 3D appearances in a spectacular display of today‘s most impressive graphic technology. [MAX Tlteatre. Glasgow.
=l< Dans Paris ( l5) ooooo ((‘hristophe Honore. France. 2006) Romain l)uris. Louis (iarrcl. Joana Priess. (iuy Marchand. 04min. See review. page 40. Glasgow I-‘ilnt Theatre. Glasgow: Filmhouse. Edinburgh.
Deep Sea 30 (PG) (Howard Hall. ('anada/l 7S. 2006) Voices of Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet. «llmin. A 3-D digital exploration of the ocean's depths and its creatures. IMAX Theatre. Glasgtm‘.
Deja Vu (PG) oo (Tony Scott. (78. 2006) Denzel Washington. Val Kiltncr. Pattla Patton. James (‘avie/el. l28min. Washington is ATF agent Doug (‘arlin. investigating crimes in a post-Katrina New ()rleans. Through the use of time travel ideas nicked frotn Back to The Future and The Terminator he intist avert disaster before
46 THE LIST 7—21 Jun 2007
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it happens. If you can suspend your belief. l)eja Va is fairly enjoyable. but the crass Hollywood ending is appalling. Vue Edinburgh ()eean. Titlinlnojgh.
Earth ( l5) .... (Deepa Mehta. India/Canada. l998) Aamir Khan. Nandita Das. Rahul Khanna. l09min. It's taken a long time for the second part of Indo- (‘anadian Mehta's trilogy about India to reach our screens. Dealing with just as volatile subjects as the other films (Fire and Water). liarth looks at the cataclysmic partitioning of India in l9-l7. Powerful tnaterial which engages with its story of childhood friendships destroyed by national events. Part of Deepa Mehta season. Filmhouse. Edinburgh.
Edinburgh College of Art: Film and TV ( 15) (Various. I'K. 2007) 120mm. ‘Tis the season for those student showreels. Talent scouts alert? I-‘t'lmhouse. Edinburgh. El T090 ( l8) ..... (Alejandro Jodorowsky. Mexico. 1970) Alejandro Jodorowsky. Brontis Jodorowsky. Mara Loren/it). l25min. The absurdly psychedelic spaghetti western is resurrected to its late night slot on brand spanking new 35mm film. with an onslaught of naked Franciscan monks. dwarves. cult members and black- clad gunslingers. The maddest. most psychedelic western you will ever see. Miss at your perill. Glasgow I’ilm Theatre. Glasgow.
Electra Glide in Blue t IX) 0000. (James William (iuercio. ITS. l973) Robert Blake. Billy (ireen Bush. Mitchell Ryan.
I 13min. ()ne-off foray into film by fortner record producer (iuercio ((‘hieago, Blood Sweat A’- Tears) features Blake as a diminutive motorcycle cop who has fantasies of becoming a comic-strip hero. but finds around him a world of corruption and despair. This odd. existential. intriguing film is something of a minor masterpiece. and just wait till you get to the mad final sequence. Remarkable. Part of Six of the Best: They Might Be (iiants: ()ther Voices of New American (‘inema I-‘ilnthouse. lidinlnagh.
Edinburgh Bike Week Film Festival
Exiled ( l5) ... (Johnnie To. Hong Kong. 2007) Anthony Wong. ('hau-Sang. Francis Ng. l08min. See Also Released. page ~12. (‘lllt'it'tll'ltl Ren/rew Street. Glasgow A” ('ineworld Fountain/mrk. lz'dinlmrgh.
Extended Family ( IZA) ((‘has Nairn. UK. 2007) 68min. Life is like a bicycle wheel: it goes around and around. lidinburgh filmmaker .Nairn follows the best Scottish riders Fraser tvlacNeil. Danny Macakill. Mike (irimwood. Ross Armstrong and more on theirjourneys through Attstralia and 17K astride a saddle. Part of Iidinburgh Bike Week Filtn Festival. Filmhouse. Edinburgh. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surter ( PG) .. (Tim Story. [VS/Germany. 2007) loan (iruffudd. Michael (‘hiklis. Jessica Alba. l20min. See Also Released. page 42. General release. Fast Food Nation l 15) ooo
(Richard l.inklater. IS. 2006) Greg Kinnear. lithan llawke. Bruce Willis.
l l4min. Filmmaker. activist and vegetarian Linklater’s fictional interpretation of Iiric Schlosser's bestselling non-fiction book. exposing malpractice in America's fast food industry is an enjoyable and shocking freewheeling satire on consumer culture. The tone is uneven but A-list cameos raise the profile of a worthy film. Glasgow l-‘ilm Tlteatre. Glasgow.
Film Discussion Group Meet tip with film writer Iiddie Harrison and lots of other film buffs to swap opinions and perceptions of both art liouse and big blockbuster recent releases. Held on the second Wednesday of every month. Glasgow I-iln) Theatre. Glasgow. Filmhouse Movie Quiz Test your film knowledge at the phenomenally successful and unique tnonthly film quil. (irab a team of up to eight people and get there early to bag a seat. l’ilmhouse. lidinlnogh.
Fire ( IS) ... (Deepa Mehta. India/Canada. l‘)‘)6) Shabana A/mi. Nandita Das. Kulbbhttshan Kharbanda. l04min. Sensitive examination of the break
up of a New Dehli family as seen frotn the perspective of devoted wife Radha. When Radha's brother-in—law brings his liesty. new wife into her home. the ties that bind begin to unwind. Part of Deepa Mehta season. l-‘ilmhouse. Ifdinlnagh.
Flyboys ( l2A) .. (Tony Bill. France/VS. 2007) James Franco. Scott Ha/ell. Mac McDonald. l38min. Based on true stories about American pilots flying for the French Lafayette Iiscadrille in WWI. reluctant hero Blaine Rawlings (Franco) and authentically (iallic (‘aptain 'I‘henaull (Reno). take a daft romp through war movie cliches. liven some colourful .»lviator-style aerial dogfights couldn't save the film from bombing in the IS General release.
Fool and Final ( IZA) O. (Ahtned Khan. India. 2007) Sunny Deol. Shahid Kapoor. Vivek ()beroi. l-l-lmin. Bollywood diamond-heist-and-dancing-girls movie loosely based on (iuy Ritchie‘s Snatch. ('lttett'nl'ld ReIt/rett' Street. Glasgott'; ('inett'orld Edinburgh. l-ftlinhurgh.
The Fountain ( l5) .... (Darren Aronofsky. I7S. 2006) Hugh Jackman. Rachel WeisI. Marcello Be/ina. 96min. This scaled down second incarnation of Aronofsky's film is a spiritual meditation on love and death about a man named 'I'omasl'l’ommy (Jackman) who loves a woman named Isabel/l/Ii (Weisl) through three millennia. A beautifully crafted piece of cerebral science fiction. it is reminiscent of genre classics such as 200]: A .S‘paee Odyssey and Solaris. ()deon A! The Quav. Glasgmv.‘ ()deon For! Kinnaird. lz‘din/iurgh.
Fracture ( IS) ... ((iregory Iloblit. I’S. 2007) Anthony Hopkins. Ryan Gosling. David Strathairn. ()()min. A hamstrung legal chiller which pits (iosling's eager young attorney against Hopkins‘ scene stealing murder rap beating structural engineer. A pleasing cross between Joseph I. Mankewicl's Sleuth and Mark Pellington's underrated Arlington Road. Seleeted release.
Four wheels bad, two wheels good. This popular season of films, programmed to celebrate the capital’s Bike Week,
returns for its second year with some impressive films. 1986 documentary Robert Millar: The High Life, about the Scottish cyclist’s preparation for that year’s Tour de France, is given another airing to coincide with the release of Millar’s biography. Fascinating 2005 documentary B.I.K.E follows two filmmakers as they infiltrate a hardcore anti-consumerist underground bicycle club. There are also welcome bicycle-related screenings of Wang Xiaoshuai’s Beijing Bicycle, Jacques Tati’s Jour De Fete and forthcoming biopic The Flying Scotsman (pictured), based on Graeme Obree autobiography of the same name. Bringing things up to date is Chris Nairn’s celebration of world bike trials talent - Extended Family and You Never Walk Alone, a celebration of the international Critical Mass movement, of which cyclists play a huge part. Chain your bike to the railings now.
www.bicyclefilmfestival.info
I Filmhouse. Edinburgh from Fri 75 Jun.