www.list.co.uk/film Festival Focus
REVIEWS Film
FAMILY RAMONA AND BEEZUS (U) 104min ●●●●● ALSO RELEASED
DOCUMENT 8 AND AFRICA IN MOTION Paul Gallagher previews two spirited local film festivals
The term ‘human rights cinema’ may sound too much like hard work for the average cinemagoer. But for the last seven years Document, the Glasgow-based International Human Rights Film Festival, has been demonstrating that films about human rights simply means films about people like you and me. Begun in 2003 with a focus on the lives of Glasgow asylum-seekers, Document’s reach has widened with each successive year. This year’s opening film is Aisheen: Still Alive in Gaza (pictured), a
gently powerful portrait of contemporary life in post-invasion Gaza. The film shows how precarious life is amidst the devastation. But Aisheen is no angry polemic; Swiss filmmaker Nicolas Wadimoff observes, mainly through focusing on young people, how life continues in a community where basic human rights have been denied.
Another key film in this year’s programme is Bloody Sunday: A Derry Diary, a remarkable first-hand account that follows the almost 40-year journey from the Derry massacre in 1972 to the long-delayed conclusion of the Bloody Sunday Enquiry earlier this year. Filmmaker Margo Harkin, who was an eyewitness to the devastating events and gave evidence in the tribunal, has assembled a film of incredible power that, through the measured accounts of each contributor, not only delivers a defiant shout in the face of injustice, but also offers a message of hope. While Document is happening in Glasgow, the Africa in Motion Film Festival will be celebrating its fifth anniversary in Edinburgh, showing over 70 films drawn from 28 African countries. This year the theme of the festival is ‘celebrations’. Festival director Lizelle Bisschoff says, ‘first and foremost it’s an arts festival, celebrating brilliant African films, and that’s more important to us than any issue-based or worthy approaches to representing Africa.’ That approach is borne out by the programme, with highlights including the opening film, Sex, Okra and Salted Butter, from Cannes award-winner Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, a selection of music and dance-themed documentaries from across the continent and a special children’s workshop with Kenyan animator Alfred Muchilwa, lead animator on CBeebies’ Tinga Tinga Tales. ■ Document 8 Human Rights Film Festival, CCA, Glasgow Tue 26–Sun 31 Oct. Africa in Motion Film Festival, Filmhouse, Edinburgh Thurs 21 Oct–Fri 5 Nov.
Adapted from Beverly Cleary’s popular children’s books, Ramona Quimby is a highly imaginative nine-year-old girl with a penchant for getting into mischief.
In Elizabeth Allen’s feature, Ramona (Joey King) has to deal with that most current of family problems, redundancy, as her father (John Corbett) loses his job in Portland, Oregon. Under the despairing eye of her sister Beezus (Selena Gomez), Ramona sets about helping her family through the financial crisis, leading to the kind of slapstick complications that used to befall Paddington Bear. As with her previous feature,
Aquamarine, Allen displays a gift for creating elaborate fantasy sequences, and she brings Ramona’s daydreams to vivid, colourful life. The central performers are charming, ably supported by an overqualified adult cast including Bridget Moynahan, Josh Duhamel and Sandra Oh. But the depiction of the minutia of Ramona’s family’s life seems too insubstantial for a big-screen venture, and with Ramona and Beezus clocking in at a soul-destroying 104 minutes, it’ll tax the patience of all but the book’s most devoted followers. (Eddie Harrison) ■ General release, from Fri 22 Oct.
Burke and Hare (15) 100min A darkly comic retelling of the tale of Edinburgh’s most notorious murderous residents, Williams Burke (Simon Pegg) and Hare (Andy Serkis), and their quest to supply doctors with fresh bodies for their experiments, from director John Landis who proved he had a deft touch with horror comedy in An American Werewolf in London. Unable to review at time of going to press, will be reviewed at www.list.co.uk. General release, Wed 27 Oct. Chasing Legends 94min ●●●●● Gripping documentary following the HTC-Columbia Team through the grueling 2009 Tour De France. Odeon Braehead; Showcase Paisley, Glasgow, 21 Oct. Paranormal Activity 2 (15) 91min Hasty sequel to the ‘found footage’ horror phenomenon of 2009. This time a family set up surveillance equipment after what appears to be a series of break-ins, but soon realise something far nastier is lurking in the shadows. Unable to review at time of going to press, will be reviewed at www.list.co.uk. General release, Thu 21 Oct. RED (12A) 111min ●●●●● Action romcom adapted from Warren Ellis' graphic novel as a bunch of old duffers (Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Brian Cox) are called back from retirement (RED stands for Retired Extremely Dangerous) for one last mission. The first-rate cast lends this hodgepodge of clichés more class than it deserves. General release, Fri 22 Oct. Saw 3D (18) min tbc The seventh and supposedly final instalment of the series that defined ‘torture porn’. Expect blood, guts and more intricate terror traps as Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) reeks his final revenge from beyond the grave in goretastic 3D. Unable to review at time of going to press, will be reviewed at www.list.co.uk. General release, Thu 28 Oct.
FAMILY LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLE (PG) 90min ●●●●●
Recommended to anyone keen to see a bunch of cartoon owls knocking lumps out of each other, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole marks the animated debut of Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen). Combining a talent better known for violent, visceral vision with a popular series of children’s books, the result is beautifully animated, but laughably inept as storytelling.
Young owls Soren (Jim Sturgess) and his brother Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) are kidnapped from their peaceful tree and taken to St Aggies’, a training academy for owl soldiers in the service of the nefarious Metalbeak (Joel Edgerton). While Kludd stays behind, Soren and his new friend Gylfie (Emile Barclay) set off on a perilous mission to find the guardian owls on the island of Ga’hoole and join forces for a final showdown with Metalbeak.
Not since the Ewoks spin-offs has there been such an off-kilter project, as Snyder somehow attempts to command a full range of emotions from an all-owl cast who look like Wombles with nose-jobs. Sporting unintentionally amusing lines like, ‘My head says one thing but my gizzard says another’, Legend of the Guardians never finds a tone to match its sweeping animated style. (Eddie Harrison) ■ General release, from Fri 22 Oct.
21 Oct–4 Nov 2010 THE LIST 47