www.fist.co.uk/film
real events. Maybury's filtn is clever. funny. insightful and full of killer lines. Cameo. Edinburgh. Finn’s Girl (15) (Dominique Cardrona/Laurie Colbert. Canada. 2007) Brooke Johnson. Yanna McIntosh. Maya Ritter. 88min. When her partner dies. Finn (Johnson) must take over sole responsibility of her teenage stepdaughter Zelly (Ritter). Shattered by her lover's death. Finn throws all her energies into her work at art abortion clinic increasingly frequented by protesting ‘pro-lifers‘. Feeling neglected. young Zelly tries ever more dangerous ways of winning Finn's attention. Part of London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival On Tour. Film/rouse. Edinburgh. Firehouse Dog (PG) oo Holland. US/Canada. 2007) Josh Hutcherson. Mayte Garcia. Bruce Greenwood. I l ltnin. Rexxx. the canine star of movies such as Jur'assie Bark and Terrier at 20,000 Feet. falls into the life of schoolboy Shane (Hutcherson) when a stunt goes horribly wrong and he gains a more useful vocation as a mascot at the local fire station. Clumsy Hollywood satire. mismatched stunts and cutesy CGI place this firmly in the poop tray of modern multiplex cinema. Empire Clyde/rank. Clydebank. The Forbidden Kingdom ( IBA) 0.. (Rob Minkoff. US. 2008) Jackie Chan. Jet Li. Jackie Angarano. 104mm. Chop-socky superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li share the screen for the first time in this East-meets-West martial arts adventure in which a kung fu obsessed American teen makes a discovery that sends him on a quest to China to free the imprisoned Monkey King. 'Iliink Karate Kid crossed with Crouehing Tiger: Hidden Dragon. Full of interesting references to great Ilong Kong actioners of the past this is enjoyable and silly fun. Seleeled release.
The Good, The Bad and The
Ugly ( l5) .0... (Sergio Leone. Italy. I968) Clint Eastwood. Lee Van Cleef. lili Wallach. l80min. See review. page 25. l‘ilmhouse. Edinburgh. Hancock ( 12A) ooo (Peter Berg. US. 2008) Will Smith. Charlize Theron. Jason Baternan. 92min. Smith plays a nihilistic superhero who has fallen out of favour with the public. Due to this scenario, Haneoek dangerously flirts with the status of one-joke filtn. Amazingly. though. Hancock is then rescued (both as a character and as a filtn) by PR executive Ray limbrey (Baternan). who believes he can turn Hancock‘s public image frorn zero to hero. General release. Hardware (18) oooo (Richard Stanley. US. I990) Dylan McDermott. Stacey Travis. John Lynch. William Hootkins. 95min. When Mo (McDermott) takes a broken robot home as a present for his girlfriend Jill (Travis). he little suspects that it will rebuild itself frorn their electrical appliances and declare war on humanity. Stanley"s debut is a massively over-the-top. plagiaristic fantasy of machine versus man. but no less enjoyable or imaginative for it. Mental metal madness. Screening followed by Q&A with director Stanley. Part of Outer Limits! season. Glasgow I’ibn Theatre. Glasgow; Cameo. Edinburgh. Hellboy II: The Golden Army ( IZA) (Guillenno del Torro. US. 2008) Ron Perlrnan. John Hurt. Selma Blair. l20min. Hellboy (Perlman) leads his team of paranormal researchers against a mythical army intent on ending humanity‘s reign on earth. Previews only. Seleeted release. Hope ( l5) .0. (Stanislaw Mucha. Poland. 2008) Rafal Fudalej. Karnilla Baar. Wojiech Psoniak. l()0min. When Francis (Fudalej). an introverted young man. accidentally witnesses an art theft he begins a journey through the unscrupulous side of the art world which may just bring him redemption. Enigmatic. strange and thought-provoking Polish drama. Film/rouse. Edinburgh. Horton Hears a Who! ([3) ooo (Jimmy Hayward. Steve Martino. US. 2008) Voices of Jim Carrey. Steve Carell. 86min. Animators Blue Sky take a break frotn their ongoing lee Age franchise to colourfully realise the universe of Dr Seuss‘ text. Both
( Todd
Carrcy and Carrell are allowed full rein for their brand of vocal mugging as co-dircctors Ilayward and Martino skilfully guide llortort towards a comforting moral about size not being all that important. Gr-osrerior; Glasgow
I Drink Your Blood (18) oooo (David Ii Durston. IFS. I970) Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury. Jadine Wong. Rhonda I-‘ultz. 90min. A bunch of satanic hippies hit town and embark on a drug-fuelled killing rampage in Durston’s early Grindhousc classic. Part of Outer Limits! season. Cameo, Edinburgh
In Which We Serve (l3) oooo (David Lean and Noel Coward. CK. 1942) Noel Coward. John Mills. Bernard Miles.
I I-lmin. The experiences of a WWII destroyer and its crew are revisited after the ship has been sunk. The tale is told throuin flashbacks highlighting in particular the effects of bombardment on corntnunity spirit. Part of Lean retrospective. Glasgow l-‘ilrn Theatre. Glasgow.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ( I2A) ooo (Steven Spielberg. ITS. 2008) Harrison Ford. Cate Blanchett. Karen Allen. l22min. It‘s I957. the Soviets have replaced the Nazis as the biggest set of thugs on the planet and Jones (Ford) has returned for his most outlartdisih adventure yet. Russian baddie Spalko (Blanchett) is out to trick the hero into uncovering the secrets of a mythical crystal. a challenge which proves that the old dog still has a few new tricks. .S‘howease Cinema. l’ais/ey. Paisley.
Iron Man ( I2A) 0... (Jon I-‘avrcau. CS. 2008) Robert Downey Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow. Jeff Bridges. l25ntin. Performing a perfectly poised balancing act between taking the fantastical material seriously and treating it with a knowing sense of humour. this smart adaptation locates Tony Stark/Iron Man‘s story of professional irresponsibility and personal redemption firmly within the context of the war on terror. Kidnapped by Afghan insurgents. Iron Man promptly renounces arms manufacture and instead uses his super- powercd outfit to right his wrongs. Gt‘osvertor; Glasgow.
Journey to The Center of The Earth (PG) 000 (line Bt‘evig. ('8. 2008) Brendan Fraser. Josh Ilutcherson. Anita Briem. 92min. linjoyably silly adventure based on the classic Jules Verne novel starring Fraser (The .llurnrny) as a science professor whose renegade theories are held in contempt by the academic community. On art expedition in Iceland. he stumbles upon a discovery that is to be the beginning of his journey deep beneath the Iiarth's surface. General release.
Jules et Jim (PG) ooooo (Francois 'I‘ruffaut. France. I962) Jeanne Moreau. ()skar Werner. Henri Serre. l05min. French New Wave filtntnaker 'Ii'uffaut‘s third film. tnade in I962. was undoubtedly his tnastcrpiece and released on a lovely new print still speaks to a contemporary consciousness. Set in the l9l0s and 20s it is the story of a freewheeling love triangle between alpha female Catherine (Moreatt). Austrian Jules (Werner) and Frenchman Jim (Serre). Matinecs only. Cameo. Edinburgh. Junebug ( l5) 0... (Phil Morrison. CS. 2005) limbeth Davidtz. David Kuhn. Alessandro Nivola. Celia Weston. Scott Wilson. Amy Adams. 106mm. Having crossed the union line for the first time since his marriage to art dealer Madelaine (Davidtz) on an outsider art requisition trip. George (Nivola) takes her to his family home in North Carolina. \‘l'elcoming home the besottcd couple are his prickly family and his innocently garrulous sister in-law Ashley (Atlantis). As .‘yladelaine begins to conduct protracted negotiations with an insane local artist. Ashley and Amy find a connection. Lovely. quirky. off-beat familial drama that works as both chamber piece and cosmic meditation. ( 'arneo, Edinburgh. Kung Fu Panda (PG) ooo (Mark ()sbornc. John Stevenson. ISA. 2008) Voices of Jack Black. Jackie Chan. Angelina Jolie. 9lmin. ()vcrwcight panda Po (Black) joins his heroes. the Fierce Five. in a butt-kicking adventure when the valley of peace is threatened with the return of bad
kung in master. Tai Lung (McShane). This is I)reamworks-does-manga animation. overlaid with an Fastern version of the fated place-in-the-universe style philosophy originally trademarked in The Lion King. General release. Kuselan (12A) (P Vasu. India. 2008) Rajnikanth. Nayantara. Meena. l75min. The powerful bond of friendship formed in childhood is endangered when one of them becomes a local media star. Bi-lingual Tamil and Teluga remake of very popular Malayalam movie. Kadha I’arayurnbol. (‘irtewor'ld Rert/rett' Street. Glasgow. The Last King of Scotland ( 15) 0... (Kevin Macdonald. ITS/CK. 2006) Forest Whitaker. Gillian Anderson. James McAvoy. I23min. Macdonald's first fictional film sees McAvoy playing Nicholas Garrigan as a smooth-talking lovable rogue who accidentally ingratiates himself with l970s l'gandan president Idi Amin (Whitaker). Willi a career best performance from Whitaker and an action packed pace. it makes for a commendable action film rather than an astute political portrait. Part of Scottish film season. ()deort.’ Br‘aehead. Rertfi’eu’. Lou Reed’s Berlin (12A) 000 (Julian Schnabel. lTS/ITK. 2007) Lou Reed. Antony llegarty. Iimmanuellc Seigner. 85min. Schnabel's concert film documents Lou Reed's recent live performance of his classic album Berlin. 33 years after it was first released. Filmed at St Ann‘s Warehouse in New York. and featuring Antony llegarty (of Antony and the Johnsons). Glasgow l'ilrn Theatre. Glasgow; l'ilrnhouse. Edinburgh. The Love Guru ( 12A) 0. (Marco Schnabel. IS. 2008) Mike Myers. Jessica Alba. Justin 'Iimberlake. 86min. See review. page 23. General release. Love in the Time of Cholera (15) 0. (Mike Newell. ITS. 2007) Javier Bardetn. Benjamin Bratt. Gina Bernard Forbes. I38min. Lousy adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marque/'s literary masterpiece about one man's unquenchable passion for one woman spanning 50 years in Columbia in the late l800s and early l900s. lite: Iz'dinburgh ()t‘ean. Mamma Mia! (PG) 0 (I’hyllida Lloyd. l'K/ITS. 2008) Meryl Streep. Pierce Brosnan. Colin Firth. 108mm. A bride-to-be tries to find out the identity of her real father in the lead up to her wedding on a Greek island. Depressineg faithful film adaptation of abominable Broadway and West Iind ABBA song musical mega hit. The popularity of films like this certainly make one wonder about the rampancy of mental illness in our culture. General release.
Man on Wire (12A) 0...
(James Marsh. CK. 2008) 94min. See review. page 24 and feature. page l2. .S'elet‘led release. Matilda (PG) 0.. (Danny I)e Vito. l'S. I996) Mara Wilson. Danny De Vito. limbeth Davidtr. 98min. Capturing the delicious wickedness of Roald Dahl's writing. director I)c Vito fully exploits exaggeration and playful camera work to tell the tale of a gifted child who uses her super brain to outwit her neglectful parents. ()ffsctting the lovcable Matilda against a series of horribly inflated bad characters. the film‘s empowering message for children will appeal to the mischevious kid in everyone. (‘irtewurld I’arkhead. Glasgow. Meet Dave (P0) 00 (Brian Robbins. LS. 2008) litldic Murphy. Elizabeth Banks. Scott Caan. 90min. Iiddie Murphy plays [)ave Ming Chang. a spaceship made in the image of its miniature-sired captain (also Murphy) who has landed on [faith on a mission to save his planet. Now. one of the least eagerly anticipated reunions in cinema history - between Murphy and director Brian Robbins (Norbit) - invites tts to Meet Dave. You really shouldn't bother. General release. The Mist ( l5) 0... (Frank Darabont. CS. 2007) Thomas Jane. Marcia Gay Harden. Laurie Holden. 12(nnin. After a thunderstorm artist David (Jane) heads down to the local supermarket. only to join a stnall cross-section of the town hemmed
indoors by a mysterious mist. Strange noises are heard. gigantic fruit flies emerge. and tentacles appear. At its heart this is pure B Movie. but Darabont imbues everything with such genuine gravity that it's difficult not to be swept along. Cineworld Parkhead. Glasgow
Money Hai Toh Honey Hai (12A) (Ganesh Acharya. India. 2008) Govinda. Aftab Shivdasani. Manoj Bajpai. l30min. Bollywood musical comedy about six strangers who are informed they have Won shares in a company. ()deon At The Quay. Glasgow
Mrs Brown (PG) C... (John Madden. UK. I997) Judi Dench. Billy Connolly. Antony Sher. I03min. Queen Victoria's obsessive mourning for Prince Albert is casting gloom over the entire country. so Highland ghillie John Brown is called down frotn Balmoral to shake up the stuffy linglish court. Madden‘s film can't match the comic brio and visual panache of The Madness of King George. but his understated direction undeniably suits the story. The performances are uniformly splendid. with Dench and Connolly (both perfectly cast) giving the film a surprising emotional depth. Part of Scottish film season. ()deon.‘ Brae/read. Renfrew.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor ( 12A) (Rob Cohen. 2008) Brendan Fraser. Jet Li. Maria Bello.
I 12min. Thick necked explorer Rick ()‘Connell (Fraser) takes on Asia and the might of the freshly resurrected Han Iimperor (Li). Previews only. Reviewed next issue. General release.
Him’s Island ((1).. (Jennifer Flackett. CS. 2008) Abigail Breslin. Jodie Foster. Gerard Butler. 95min. Adapted from Wendy ()rr’s popular book about what happens when agoraphobic authoress Alexandra Ryder (Foster) is contacted by winsome brat Nim (Breslin). whose scientist father Jack (Butler) has gone missing. Breslin and Butler adapt well to the frothy postmodern adventure but Foster‘s attempts at slapstick are embarrassingly crude and obvious. lessening any emotional impact. Selet‘ted release.
Old Joy (15) 0... (Kelly Reichardt. liS. 200(1) Daniel London. Will ()ldham. 'I‘anya Smith. 73min. Two thirtysornethings. Kurt (Bonnie ‘Prince' Billy singer ()ldham) and Mark (London). head out of Portland one weekend into ()regon‘s Cascade mountains in this rueful and sensitively observed study of male friendship undermined by the passing of time. Cameo. Edinburgh.
The Page Turner (La Tourneuse de Pages) ( 15) oooo (Denis Dercourt. France. 2006) Catherine Frot. Deborah Francois. Pascal Gregory. 84min. A thriller set in the rarefied world of classical music. After Melanic’s (Francois) childhood audition is thwarted by famous pianist Ariane (Frot). she seeks payback in this cleverly understated revenge drama from French writer-director Dercourt. When the violence comes. it's all the more memorable for the lack of bloodshed. ('arneo. Edinburgh.
Falkirk Town Hall Falkirk Council
The lied Balloon (U) White Mane (U)
Double bill
Wed 6th August 7:30pm
Tickets and further information from The Steeple Box Office or on
the door from FTH Cinema
01 324 506850
31 Jul—7 Aug 2008 THE LIST 27