Film Index Journey to The Center of The Earth (PG) ●●●●● (Eric Brevig, US, 2008) Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem. 92min. Enjoyably silly adventure based on the classic Jules Verne novel starring Fraser (The Mummy) as a science professor whose renegade theories are held in contempt by the academic community. On an expedition in Iceland, he stumbles upon a discovery that is to be the beginning of his journey deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Vue Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh. Kung Fu Panda (PG) ●●●●● (Mark Osborne, John Stevenson, USA, 2008) Voices of Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie. 91min. Overweight 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 fu master, Tai Lung (McShane). This is Dreamworks-does-manga animation, overlaid with an Eastern version of the fated place-in-the-universe style philosophy originally trademarked in The Lion King. Vue Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh. Lakeview Terrace (15) ●●●●● (Neil LaBute, US, 2008) Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington. 110min. Smug young marrieds Chris (Wilson) and Lisa (Washington) move to a posh hillside suburb in LA. African-American Lisa and white boy Chris soon attract the attention of anal neighbour and cop Abel Turner (Jackson). Turner’s neighbourhood watch quickly turns into something much more sinister. LaButian issues of identity, race and gender hatred, the unreality of long term commitments and (crucially) nimbyism – are all played out here with the terse pace of a decent thriller. Selected release. Lemon Tree (PG) ●●●●● (Eran Riklis, Israel/Germany/France, 2008) Hiam Abbas, Doron Tavory, Ali Suliman. 106min. See review, page 54. Selected release. Let’s Talk About the Rain (12A) ●●●●● (Agnès Jaoui, France, 2008) Jean- Pierre Bacri, Jamel Debbouze, Agnès Jaoui.
Falkirk Town Hall Falkirk Council
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (PG) Mon 15th December 1:30pm 7:30pm Tues 16th December 11am 7:30pm
The Lavender Hill Mob (U) Wed 17th December 11:00am 7:30pm The Bishop’s Wife (U) Fri 19th December 11:00am 7:30pm
Stone of Destiny (PG) Mon 22nd December 1:30pm 7:30pm
Tickets and further information from The Steeple Box Office or on the door from FTH Cinema 01324 506850
62 THE LIST 11 Dec 2008–8 Jan 2009
100min. Defying high-concept classification, this episodic, low-key romantic roundelay features feminist writer Agathe (Jaoui), who returns to her childhood home, partly to announce her political candidacy at an electoral rally and partly to help her sister sort through their late mother’s affairs.The housekeeper’s son (Debbouze) and his director pal (Bacri) make a documentary about Agathe: their amateurish filming affected by romantic complications. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Love Letters and Live Wires (U) (Various, UK, 1936-1939) 80min. New digital prints of many films created throughout the 1930s as part of the General Post Office’s groundbreaking film production strand, including classic documentary Night Mail, avant-garde animation work Trade Tattoo and musical comedy The Fairy of the Phone. Introduced by Dr Melanie Selfe from the University of Glasgow. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG) ●●●●● (Eric Darnell, US, 2008) Voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen. 89min. Alex the lion (voiced by Stiller), Gloria the hippo (Smith), Melman the giraffe (Schwimmer) and Marty the zebra (Rock) are put on an flight back to their zoo home, only to crash land in Africa. The going native theme is expanded, with good-time fascist lemur (Cohen) getting the best lines and the penguins the best laughs. With clever riffs and unexpected poetry, this is a welcome prospect. General release. Mamma Mia! (PG) ●●●●● (Phyllida Lloyd, UK/US, 2008) Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth. 108min. 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. Faithful film adaptation of Broadway and West End ABBA song musical mega hit with all star cast. General release. March of the Penguins (U) ●●●●● (Luc Jacquet, France, 2005) 85min. Delightful if fairly routine (in a Discovery Channel kind of way) documentary which follows the Emperor Penguins’ annual attempt to bring new life into the freezing climbs of Antarctica. Morgan Freeman’s rich, cheesy voice-over makes the film. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. A Matter of Life and Death (PG) ●●●●● (Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger, UK, 1946) David Niven, Kim Hunter, Roger Livesy, Raymond Massey. 104min. Wonderful film that rises above its beginnings as a piece of wartime propaganda about goodwill between Britain and the USA. Niven is an RAF pilot who finds himself before a heavenly tribunal when he bales out of his burning plane. A witty and stylish fantasy with a fair share of on-target satire. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Max Payne (15) ●●●●● (John Moore, US, 2008) Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges. 99min. Moore’s abortive fantasy-thriller exemplifies everything that is wrong with console to big-screen crossovers. A bored-looking Wahlberg plays the haunted cop of the title, whose mourning over his dead wife and child is given focus when Max discovers corruption inside both the police force and the chemical-company where his wife worked. Cineworld Edinburgh, Edinburgh. Modern Life (PG) ●●●●● (Raymond Depardon, France, 2008) 88min. Depardon’s final installment of his eight year trilogy documenting the life of low valley farmers in France. Media-shy participants regale tales of their daily lives and frustrations with their perpetual battles with the authorities. A slow-paced and moving documentation of a dying way of life. Part of Illuminations documentary festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Mum & Dad (18) ●●●●● (Steven Sheil, UK, 2008) Olga Fedori, Ainsley Howard, Toby Alexander, Perry Benson. 85min. See review, page 53. Selected release. The Muppet Christmas Carol (U) ●●●●● (Brian Henson, US, 1992) Michael Caine, Steven MacKintosh, Meredith Braun. 86min. It’s Christmas time, and nasty old miser Scrooge (Caine) needs to be taught a lesson by three seasonal ghosts. Colourful version of Dickens’ classic tale that will please the kids and keep the adults smiling with its little irreverent spices. Part of Weans' World. Grosvenor, Glasgow.
Of Time and the City Last chance to see Terence Davies’ beautiful, strange and moving subjective
documentary about his hometown of Liverpool. Is right La. ■ Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 26-Mon 29 Dec.
My Best Friend’s Girl (15) ●●●●● (Howard Deutch, US, 2008) Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, Jason Briggs. 99min. Cook delivers a repugnant performance as Tank, a lothario who makes repulsing women his business, in this 1980s throwback rom-com. Charging other guys to take their girlfriends on abusive dates, Tank’s life gets complicated when he falls for the girlfriend of his best friend Dustin (Biggs). Lamentably short of both love and laughter. Selected release. The New Ten Commandments (15) (Various, UK, 2008) 105min. Feature documentary made collectively by Scottish filmmakers and artists, including Kenny Glenaan, Douglas Gordon, Irvine Welsh and Tilda Swinton, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. CCA, Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Ninotchka (U) ●●●●● (Ernst Lubitsch, US, 1939) Greta Garbo, Melvin Douglas, Bela Lugosi, Sig Ruman. 110min. ‘Garbo laughs!’ proclaimed the posters and indeed she does in this sparkling vintage Hollywood comedy romance, in which she plays a stern Russian diplomat worn down by Melvyn Douglas’ inestimable charm and the attractions of Paris into an eventual, grudging, touching, emotional submission. Acerbic one-liners betray the hand of the great Billy Wilder, who worked on the script. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. North Face (12) ●●●●● (Philip Stolzl, Germany, 2008) Benno Furmann, Florian Lukas, Johanna Wokalek. 121min. See Also Released, page 56. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 (PG) (Ben Niles, US, 2007) 81min. Documenting the creation of a Steinway piano, which spans 12 months and involves 12,000 parts and 450 craftsmen. Part of Illuminations documentary festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Nutcracker (U) (Russia, 2008) Irina Golub, Olga Balinskaya, Alexander Kulikov. 90min. Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, filmed on its original stage the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia. Conducted by Valery Gergiev, with choreography by Kirill Siminov. Odeon: Braehead, Renfrew; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Of Time and the City (12A) ●●●●● (Terence Davies, UK, 2008) 73min. The great but religiously under-funded British filmmaker Terence Davies returns to his Liverpool home with this fascinating subjective documentary. Refusing to ever make an easy observation the film is both a testament to a troubled life and a troubled city. The elocution of bitter A-sexuality and urban displacement has rarely been better annotated. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Orphanage (15) ●●●●● (Juan Bayona, Spain, 2007) Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep. 105min. First-time director Bayona and producer Guillermo del Toro create the best ghost story of the year so far. Laura (Rueda) was raised in an orphanage and on returning to her childhood home with her son Simon (Princep) things start to get creepy. The key to the success of this film is the edge-of- the-seat suspense, and there’s even a brilliant sting in the tale. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. OSS 117: Cairo Nest of Spies (12A) ●●●●● (Michel Hazanavicius, France, 2008) Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, Aure Atika. 99min. See Also Released, page 56. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Patti Smith: Dream of Life (PG) ●●●●● (Steven Sebring, US, 2008) Patti Smith, Jay Dee Daugherty, Flea. 109min. The singer, poet and ‘godmother of punk’ bares her soul in an intimate self-portrait. Rarely has a film been so indulgent, pretentious and moving all at once. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Penelope (U) ●●●●● (Mark Palanski, UK/US, 2006) Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara. 89min. With her moneyed background and good sense of humour Penelope (Ricci) should have been a bit of a catch. Sadly, she has a pig’s snout for a nose, and, not only do her swinish features send the boys running, they also