Film INDEX PROFILE
MELISSA LEO Born 14 September, 1960, New York Background Leo is an actor whose early career was predominantly filled with small screen successes. She played Det Sgt Kay Howard on the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street for five seasons and was also a regular on All My Children. More recently, Leo has teamed up with the makers of The Wire to star in post- Katrina New Orleans’ drama Treme. Of later her movie career has sky rocketed with award winning appearances in 21 Grams and Frozen River. What’s she up to now? Leo is appearing in David O Russell’s biopic on boxer Mickey ‘Irish’ Ward. She plays the boxer’s mother who also doubles up as his manager. Leo gives a Golden Globe winning performance as the no-nonsense lady who tries to keep control of her nine adult children, seven daughters and two fighting boys. On boxing ‘I didn’t’ know too much about it. I’ve always been fascinated by the sport in some kind of way, whenever it would be on television it made me stop and watch what was going on. I think doing this film I learnt a little about why that might be: it’s an extraordinary man-to-man game that occurs today and is really rather ancient and heroic. There’s skill and strategy not just within the right but in the arrangements of fights too.’ On meeting the real Alice Ward ‘Meeting Alice herself was very important to me. I didn’t spend the kind of time with her that Christian [Bale] and certainly not the time that Mark [Wahlberg] spent with Micky, but I did have a handful of hours with Alice that were valuable to me. I felt quite distant from the role, how was I going to do this? And it was meeting her that made me feel I had something internal, with all this external hair and costumes and things going on. The internal part that I connected with is something that reminded me of my mum’s mother. Interesting Fact Aged 15 Leo went to acting school at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in Crouch End, London ■ The Fighter, general release, Fri 4 Feb. See review, page 51. 56 THE LIST 3–17 Feb 2011
Nights of Cabiria (PG) ●●●●● (Federico Fellini, Italy/France, 1957) Giulietta Masina. 117min. Cabiria (Masina, collaborator and wife to Fellini) works the wastelands on the outskirts of Rome as a spunky, if soft-hearted whore. Her naiveté leads her to being dumped on and abandoned by every man she encounters. Masina is allowed to shout a little too much when sombre pain would have been better and the whole film is as annoying and masterly as Fellini could make it. Part of An Introduction to European Cinema. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. No One Knows About Persian Cats (12A) ●●●●● (Bahman Ghobadi, Iran, 2009) Negar Shaghaghi, Ashkan Koshanejad, Hamed Behdad. 106min. Freewheeling mockumentary about the underground Iranian music scene in Tehran featuring real musicians from the director A Time For Drunken Horses and Turtles Can Fly. Moving, funny and worrying – this unique little film deserves to find an audience, plus the soundtrack is a killer. Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh.
✽✽ 127 Hours (15) ●●●●● (Danny Boyle, US, 2010) James Franco, Amber
Tamblyn, Kate Mara. 94min. Accomplished and absorbing filmmaking from the team behind Slumdog Millionaire, relating the gripping true story of mountaineer Aron Ralson (Franco), who was forced to amputate his own arm to save his life following a climbing accident. An intense study of human nature and the will to survive. General release. Of Gods and Men (15) ●●●●● (Xavier Beauvois, France, 2010) Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Roschdy Zem. 120min. Real-life inspired story of a group of Cistercian monks caught up in a civil war in an unnamed African country, who must decide whether to save themselves or sacrifice their lives by remaining faithful to their beleaguered community. Poignant, understated and masterful filmmaking from director Beauvois. Cameo, Edinburgh. On Tour (15) ●●●●● (Mathieu Amalric, France, 2010) Miranda Colclasure, Suzanne Ramsey, Angela de Lorenzo. 111min. Authentic portrayal of French traveling burlesque show and enjoyable character study of seedy impresario Joachim (writer- director Almaric) as he pulls strings to get his band of buxom American performers onto the Paris stage. Cameo, Edinburgh. Only Angels Have Wings (PG) ●●●●● (Howard Hawks, US, 1939) Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelmess. 121min. Tough businessman Grant wins the heart of Arthur as he sends pilots on dangerous journeys carrying air freight across the Andes. Despite the fact that the action plays out almost entirely indoors, the film has a terrific sense of adventure but succeeds best as a complex character study. Part of Hawks season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Paul (15) ●●●●● (Greg Mottola, Spain/France/UK/US, 2011) Seth Rogen, Simon Pegg, Jane Lynch. 103min. See review, page 52. General release. Pray the Devil Back to Hell (12) (Gini Reticker, UK, 2008) 72min. Moving documentary about the thousands of Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country in 2003. Proceeds from the screening go to Women for Women International. Brass Monkey, Edinburgh. RED (12A) ●●●●● (Robert Schwentke, US, 2010) Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren. 111min. Action romcom adapted from Warren Ellis’ graphic novel as a bunch of old duffers (Willis, Freeman, John Malkovich, 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. Vue Ocean, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Rabbit Hole (12A) ●●●●● (John Cameron Mitchell, US, 2010) Nicole
Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest. 90min. See review, page 51. Selected release. Representations of Work in Polish Post-Communist Cinema (E) (Various) Polandtalk on the work of
filmmakers in post-communist Poland, illustrated with a range of clips. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Roman Holiday (U) ●●●●● (William Wyler, US, 1953) Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert. 118min. Overrated but easy to watch fairytale romance about a fleeing princess (Hepburn) and her relationship with a journalist in 50s Italy. Scotsman Screening Room, Edinburgh. Sanctum 3D (15) ●●●●● (Alister Grierson, US/Australia, 2010) Ioan Gruffudd, Richard Roxburgh, Alice Parkinson. 108min. See review, page 52. General release. A Sense of Freedom (18) ●●●●● (John MacKenzie, UK, 1979) David Anderson, Bill Armour, Bill Barclay. 81min. Gangsters, convicts and racketeers running riot in the Gorbals form the core of this harrowing and violent film about the life of Jimmy Boyle. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Sergeant York (U) ●●●●● (Howard Hawks, US, 1941) Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie. 128min. Cooper stars as Alvin C York, a hillbilly drafted into the army in World War I, despite his claims to be a pacifist, who ends up becoming a war hero. Part of Hawks season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Shop Around The Corner (PG) ●●●●● (Ernst Lubitsch, US, 1940) James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan. 97min. A glorious romantic comedy by the great Ernst Lubitsch, teaming up Stewart and Sullavan as bickering shop assistants who gradually realise they’ve been having an anonymous romance by letter. Funny and touching, it’s an absolute classic. Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Singin’ in the Rain Sing-Along Screening (U) ●●●●● (Gene Kelly/Stanley Donen, US, 1950) Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Cyd Charisse. 102min. Classic musical set in Hollywood as it undergoes the transition from the silent era to the talkies and reputations rise and fall. Special sing-along screening as part of City of Literature’s Let’s Get Lyrical festival of lyrics and song. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Social Network (12A) ●●●●● (David Fincher, US, 2010) Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake. 120min. Dramatisation of the story behind the founding of the world’s most ubiquitous stalking vehicle, starring Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, the Harvard nerd who may or may not have backstabbed his way into becoming a billionaire. An interesting examination of the nature of modern friendship and the emotional cost of enormous financial success. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow; Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. Some Like it Hot (PG) ●●●●● (Billy Wilder, US, 1959) Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe. 120min. Two impecunious male musicians inadvertently witness the St Valentine’s Day Massacre and take refuge in Florida with Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators, an all-female band. Brilliant, brittle, crackerjack farce with all concerned at a peak in their careers. Eastwood Park Theatre, Glasgow. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (PG) ●●●●● (Jon Turteltaub, USA, 2010) Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina. 111min. From the combination that brought us Pirates of the Caribbean comes a sadly less exciting fantasy, with an uninspired ‘dweeb becomes chosen one’ plot. Too much is made of sappy romance instead of indulging in duels, the acting is dry and dusty and the film lacks the magic it promises. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. A Streetcar Named Desire (15) ●●●●● (Elia Kazan, US, 1951) Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter. 125min. Brando takes the acting honours and, with this film, sets the style for method acting for years to come. Tennessee Williams’ steamy sex romp seems a little tame by today’s standards, but the realism of the drama remains intact and the performances are to be savoured. Valvona & Crolla, Edinburgh. Tamara Drewe (15) ●●●●● (Stephen Frears, UK, 2010) Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Tamsin Greig. 111min. Lazy
reworking of Far From the Madding Crowd (allegedly), Tamara Drewe features an improbably perfect eponymous heroine (Arterton), once bullied, now successful, having returned to her home town to settle old scores. A Carry On... version of The Archers, but less funny. At least the soundtrack’s good. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow; Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh. Tangled 2D (PG) ●●●●● (Nathan Greno, US, 2010) Voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy. 96min. Disney/Pixar funk-up of the classic tale of Rapunzel that is nonetheless traditional to the core, blessed with catchy musical numbers and a plethora of scenes ripped off directly from the studio’s own back catalogue (see Aladdin, Little Mermaid et al) Funny and impressive, but lacking charm. General release. Tangled 3D (PG) ●●●●● (Nathan Greno, US, 2010) Voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy. 96min. See above. General release. Tehran Backyard (E) (Roxana Pope, Iran/UK, 2008) 28min. Documentary about a Tehran woman supporting a family of eight by working long hours as a cleaner set against the backdrop of the political demonstrations on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Screening together with shorts The Bees, My Mother’s Daughter and Red Burqa. Part of Middle Eastern Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Tehroun (15) (Nader T Homayoun, France/Iran, 2009) Ali Ebdali, Farzin Mohades, Sara Bahrami. 95min. A combination of thriller, social drama and black comedy set on the streets of Tehran amid gang masters, beggars and prostitutes. Part of Middle Eastern Film Festival. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. To Have and Have Not (PG) (Howard Hawks, US, 1945) Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan, Hoagy Carmichael. 100min. Bogart and Bacall worked together for the first time in Hawks’ Hemingway adaptation, set in the Caribbean during World War II, where Bogart’s fishing boat owner is drawn into the conflict by his (real life) love for Bacall. Part of Hawks season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Tourist (12A) ●●●●● (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, US/France, 2010) Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany. 103min. Lifeless European crime caper. There is no chemistry between the two stars and The Lives of Others director Von Donnersmarck seems completely out of his depth. Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Toy Story 3 2D (U) ●●●●● (Lee Unkrich, USA, 2010) Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack. 108min. Andy has grown up and is on the way to college, so everyone’s favourite toys are packed off to Sunnyside day-care centre. After a whirlwind of close-cut situations, the film manages to retain its good humour and pathos long enough to bring all the characters safely to a satisfying resolution. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Tron: Legacy 2D (PG) ●●●●● (Joseph Kosinski, US, 2010) Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Sheen. 127min. Long- awaited sequel to the 1982 cult fave starring Hedlund as Sam, the son of missing games designer Kevin (Bridges) who follows his father into a virtual world. Konsinski’s remake will appeal to original fans but is otherwise a gaudy, nonsensical confection with cringeworthy dialogue (if good soundtrack). Cameo, Edinburgh. Tron: Legacy 3D (IMAX) (PG) ●●●●● (Joseph Kosinski, US, 2010) Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Sheen. 127min. See above. IMAX Theatre, Glasgow.
✽✽ True Grit (15) ●●●●● (Joel Cohen/Ethan Cohen, US, 2010) Jeff
Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld. 110min. See feature, page 10 and review, page 50. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Trust Me, I Am Telling You Stories (E) (Various) 90min. A series of short animated films about relationships. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Turtles Can Fly (15) ●●●●● (Bahman Ghobadi, Iran/Iraq, 2004) Soran Ebrahim, Avaz Latif. 97min. The first feature film to emerge from Iraq since the fall of Saddam