Film Index
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Paul Dale ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (tbc) (Rajkumar Santoshi, India, 2009) Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif.Bollywood rom com. Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow. Amelia (PG) ●●●●● (Mira Nair, US, 2009) Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor. 111min. Biopic of legendary aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart starring Swank as the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Nair goes for a low-key approach to this extraordinary life, which occasionally grates but is for the most part quite measured. See profile, page 54. Selected release. Another Man (Un autre homme) (18) (Lionel Baier, Switzerland, 2008) Robin Harsch, Natacha Koutchoumov, Elodie Weber. 89min. A provincial journalist is charged with writing the film reviews for the local paper and, knowing nothing about cinema, starts to copy them from a specialised Parisian journal. He travels to Lausanne for press screenings, and there meets Rosa, another critic, and begins a kinky relationship with her, until his cheating is revealed. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. L’Argent Fait le Bonheur (E) (Robert Guediguian, France, 1993) 90min. In a twist to the classic Robin Hood story, a priest takes the role of the people’s champion. He steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Meanwhile, continuing the literary vein, two rival clans in the city of Marseilles break their ceasefire and subsequently the peace of the town. Part of French Film Festival. Institut Français d’Ecosse, Edinburgh. Bandslam (PG) ●●●●● (Todd Graff, US, 2009) Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Lisa Kudrow. 110min. Tweeny pop, high school adventure chronicling budding impresario Will Burton (Connell) and his rock’n’roll band’s desperate attempts to win a battle-of-the-bands competition. Selected release. The Beautiful Person (La Belle Person) (15) ●●●●● (Christophe Honoré, France, 2008) Louis Garrel, Léa Seydoux, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet. 90min. Honoré’s fantastic high school drama/musical transplants the 17th century novel la Princesse de Cleves from a royal court to a modern-day urban school. This screening will be followed by Claudine Bourigot’s short film The Baker’s Daughter. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre. Bedtime Stories (PG) ●●●●● (Adam Shankman, US, 2008) Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Courteney Cox. 90min. Family fantasy about a man who can make bedtime stories come to life. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. Bellamy (15) (Claude Chabrol, France, 2009) Gérard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac,
52 THE LIST 19 Nov–3 Dec 2009
Jacques Gamblin. 110min. Depardieu plays well-known Parisian detective Bellamy who becomes embroiled in a suspicious case whilst holidaying in Nimes. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Bev Shorts Showcase (E) (Various) 90min. Birds Eye View present a selection of shorts from around the globe including Sam Taylor Wood’s Love You More, and August 15th, an award-winning morality tale from China. The showcase will lead into a Q&A with critically acclaimed writer and director Annie Griffin, and following the event will be a networking session co- hosted by DigiCult. CCA, Glasgow. Bonjour Tristesse (PG) ●●●●● (Otto Preminger, US, 1957) David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Jean Seberg. 93min. A teenage girl attempts to break up the romance between her philandering widowed father and his mistress. Heavy-handed adaptation of Francoise Sagan’s bestseller. A glossy, well acted soap opera that occasionally permits a flavour of Sagan to trickle through. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Bonnie Scotland (U) ●●●●● (James Horne, US, 1935) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Daphne Pollard. 80min. Stan and Ollie head north of the border to collect an inheritance, but end up in a Scottish regiment fighting in India. Not a touch on L and H’s shorts – there’s an unnecessary romantic subplot – but features enough of the slapstick stupidity to make it worth watching. St Bride’s Centre, Edinburgh. Bored in Brno (Nuda v Brne) (15) (Vladimir Moravek, Czech Republic, 2002) Ketrina Holanova, Jan Budar, Miroslav Donutil. 103min. An amateurish arty farty TV film crew try to make an experimental drama about the sex lives of the people of the city of Brno in the Czech Republic. Multilayered comedy that follows three intertwined romantic stories. Part of Czech Cinema Season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Bright Star (PG) ●●●●● (Jane Campion, France/Australia/UK, 2009) Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider. 118min. This fictionalised account of poet John Keats’ love affair with Fanny Brawne is a disappointingly bland effort from Jane Campion, whose beautiful imagery and deference to the work of her subject cannot hide a lack of substance and the non-existence of any jot of chemistry between the two lead actors. Selected release. Bunny and the Bull (15) ●●●●● (Paul King, UK, 2009) Edward Hogg, Simon Farnaby, Verónica Echegui. 101min. Inventive imaginary road trip from the Mighty Boosh team. See feature, page 14 and Also Released, page 50. Selected release from Fri 27 Nov. A Christmas Carol 2D (PG) (Robert Zemeckis, US, 2009) Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman. 95min. Computer animated version of Dickens classic. General release. A Christmas Carol 3D (PG) ●●●●● (Robert Zemeckis, US, 2009) Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman. 95min. See above. Selected release. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (PG) (Paul Weitz, US, 2009) John C Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia. 108min. Mildly diverting comedy horror about a 14-year-old boy (Massoglia) who breaks an ancient truce between two warring factions of vampires and sees a host of sideshow freaks come to his aid. Selected release.
✽✽ Cold Souls (12A) ●●●●● (Sophie Barthes, US/France, 2009) Paul
Giamatti, Dina Korzun, Emily Watson. 101min. A mind-bending premise revolving around the trading of souls reveals a marvellously sardonic commentary on the vapid nature of contemporary American society in Barthes’ highly promising debut feature. The central conceit has led some to compare the film with Being John Malkovich and the comparison is a favourable one for this clever existential comedy. Selected release. Confessions of a Shopaholic (PG) ●●●●● (PJ Hogan, US, 2009) Isla Fisher,
Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter. 104min. Vacuous consumer-porn adaptation of Sophie Kinsella’s book about a New York journo with a pesky plastic habit, flawed by misguided product placement, borderline racist portrayals of comedy foreigners and forced slapstick scenes. Empire, Clydebank. Confidential Report (PG) ●●●●● (Orson Welles, France/Spain/Switzerland, 1955) Orson Welles, Robert Arden, Michael Redgrave. 102min. Welles’ noir centres on young criminal Guy (Arden) who, just out of prison, has started working for mysterious Arkadin (Welles). An amnesiac, Arkadin has hired Guy in a bid to find out everything he can about his past life, but when all those around Arkadin start dropping off, Guy begins to question his purpose. Part of O For Orson season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Cosi Fan Tutte (12A) (Claus Guth, Austria, 2009) Miah Persson, Isabel Leonard, Bo Skovhus. 300min. Production of Mozart’s classic, filmed live at the Salzburg Festival in August 2009. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Couples Retreat (15) ●●●●● (Peter Billingsley, US, 2009) Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau. 110min. Favreau and Vaughn buddy it up as a part of four couples who hit their 40s and end up mistakenly entering into a compulsory couples therapy retreat on a luxury island resort. Cue lots of daft slapstick and a smearing of schmaltz. Selected release.
✽✽ Crime Is Our Business (15) (Pascal Thomas, France, 2008)
Catherine Frot, André Dussollier, Claude Rich. 109min. Thomas’ Agatha Christie adaptation sees the crime hungry Beresfords – Prudence (Frot) and Bélisaire (Dussollier) – try to smoke out a killer from a throng of nasty siblings visiting their snowy Christmas chateau. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Dead Man Running (15) ●●●●● (Alex De Rakoff, UK, 2009) Danny Dyer, 50 Cent, Brenda Blethyn. 91min. A loan shark gives an ex-con 24 hours to pay his debt. Disappointing thriller from the writer/director of appalling 2004 boxing comedy The Calcium Kid. Showcase Cinema, Coatbridge, Glasgow; Showcase Cinema, Paisley. A Christmas Carol (PG) ●●●●● (Robert Zemeckis, US, 2009) Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman. 95min. Computer animated version of Dickens’ classic with visuals maxed out in IMAX and 3D. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow.
✽✽ A Dirty Story (18) ●●●●● (Jean Eustache, France, 1977) Michael
Lonsdale, Douchka, Laurie Zimmer. 50min. Eustache’s diptych blends fiction with documentary as he tells the story of a man relating his obsession with looking through a peephole into a cafe ladies room. Part of French Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. District 9 (15) ●●●●● (Neill Blomkamp, South Africa/New Zealand, 2009) Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt. 112min. District 9 takes place on an alternate-reality earth where an alien race known as ‘prawns’ have arrived only to find themselves decanted by the sinister Multi National United agency into shanty-towns on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Stark, political messages and sci-fi splatter action are comfortably balanced, with the result managing to be at once a moving paean to the importance of human rights and a crowd-pleasing rollercoaster ride. Glasgow Film Theatre. Eating Raoul (18) ●●●●● (Paul Bartel, US, 1982) Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, Robert Beltran. 83min. Excellent, deadpan black comedy, incorporating a wide range of themes to do with materialism, sex and bourgeois fastidiousness, as ordinary Paul and Mary Bland (Bartel and Wornonov) are distracted from their plans to escape L.A.’s madness by a scheme which combines catering with homicide. A Monorail Film Club presentation. Glasgow Film Theatre.
✽✽ An Education (12A) ●●●●● (Lone Scherfig, UK, 2009) Peter
Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson, Alfred Molina. 99min. Sarsgaard is on top form as
seductive cad David, the older man responsible for educating bright but confused schoolgirl Jenny (Mulligan) in matters of love and life in swinging sixties London. With only a few tired stereotypes to detract from a superbly managed depiction of the central relationship, director Scherfig here combines romantic drama and the coming-of-age tale to wholly enjoyable effect. Selected release. Eldorado (15) (Bouli Lanners, Belgium/France, 2008) Bouli Lanners, Fabrice Adde, Phillipe Nahon. 85min. Catching a scrawny young thief in the act, stroppy Belgian car dealer Yvan takes pity on the felon and instead of calling the cops, drives the youth home to his parent’s house near the French border. A picturesque journey allows for encounters of a humorous nature. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre; Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Fantastic Mr Fox (PG) ●●●●● (Wes Anderson, USA, 2009) Voices of
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Adrien Brody. 88min. Anderson’s inspired choice of stop-motion animation pays off in this beautiful and idiosyncratic adaptation of the well-loved children’s tale. While kids may enjoy it, Anderson’s typically arch humour is aimed more at their parents, who will also be impressed by the star-studded voice cast – Bill Murray as a badger lawyer anyone?. General release. The Father of my Children (15) (Mia Hansen-Love, France/Germany, 2009) Chiara Caselli, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Alice de Lencquesaing. 110min. Based on a true story, Love’s quietly affecting drama depicts the tragic story of a much-admired movie-business figure who keeps his stresses and diminishing fortune under wraps. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre. First Star (15) (Lucien Jean-Baptiste, France, 2008) Firmine Richard, Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Anne Consigny. 90min. Jean- Michel takes his West African family on an expensive skiing holiday to prove that he’s committed to his marriage and children. Out on the slopes, however, things don’t go to plan. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Fourth Kind (15) (Olatunde Osunsanmi, US, 2009) Milla Jovovich, Carey Johnson, Daphne Alexander. 97min. Alien hokum set in Alaska and based on real-life reports. General release. A French Gigolo (18) ●●●●● (Josiane Balasko, France, 2008) Nathalie Baye, Eric Caravaca, Isabelle Carré. 104min. Striking an intriguing balance between drama and comedy, Balasko’s film sees Baye give a classy performance as a successful divorced woman who pays young male escorts for sex. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre. Gattaca (15) ●●●●● (Andrew Niccol, US, 1997) Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law. 106min. In the future, discrimination isn’t based on the colour of a man’s skin, but his genetic make-up. ‘Naturally’ born Vincent (Hawke) forms a pact with crippled Jerome (Law) to use his genetic identity in an attempt to become an astronaut. The photography is washed by coloured filters and the retro-future design is as distinctive as Blade Runner. Bold ideas develop at their own pace and, despite the intrusive ‘Hollywood’ moments, Gattaca emerges as a true individual in an industry of clones. Part of Eugenics season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Girl from Monaco (La Fille de Monaco) (15) (Anne Fontaine, France, 2008) Fabrice Luchini, Louise Bourgoin, Roschdy Zem. 95min. Anne Coco Before Chanel Fontaine presents a comic thriller about a middle-aged defence lawyer’s entangled love affair with his body guard’s ex. Part of French Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre.
✽✽ Glorious 39 (12A) ●●●●● (Stephen Poliakoff, UK, 2009)
Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Eddie Redmayne. 125min. See feature, page 48 and review, page 49. Selected release from Fri 20 Nov. See feature. The Godfather: Part II (18) ●●●●● (Francis Coppola, US, 1974) Al Pacino,