list.co.uk/film
Films screening in the next four weeks are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. See list.co.uk for the most up-to- date list of films screening. Film index is compiled by Paul Dale and Laura Ennor. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (PG) ●●●●● (Terry Gilliam, US, 1988) John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Robin Williams. 126min. Fabulously expensive 18th-century fantasia focuses on a besieged Turkish city entertained by the tall tales of Baron Munchausen. Gilliam’s extravagant visual sensibility guides this manic epic through its sticky patches, and there is so much to look at and enough genuine laughs that his relentless campaign against convention is more than justified. Glasgow Film Theatre. Angels of Evil (Vallanzasca – Gli Angeli del Male) (15) ●●●●● (Michele Placido, Italy/France, 2010) Kim Rossi Stuart, Filippo Timi, Moritz Bleibtreu. 125min. The story of real-life Milan mobster Renato Vallanzasca, with an international support cast including Paz Vega and Bleibtreu. But this is a messy film, lurching from bank robbery to prison stint to street-side murder with a chaos that echoes its hero’s own lifestyle on the lam. Glasgow Film Theatre; DCA, Dundee. Animals United (U) ●●●●● (Reinhard Klooss, Holger Tappe, Germany, 2010) Voices of Ralf Schmitz, Thomas Fritsch, Christoph Maria Herbst. 92min. Well- meaning but cliché-ridden German kids’ animation with an environmental message. Glasgow Film Theatre. Apocalypse Now (18) ●●●●● (Francis Coppola, US, 1980) Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper. 153min. Vietnam as ‘the ultimate trip’. Alternately pretentious and visually overpowering, the film’s grandiloquent folly somehow pierces right to the meat of the conflict. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre; DCA, Dundee. Armadillo (15) ●●●●● (Janus Metz Pedersen, Denmark, 2010) 100min. Powerful documentary following a platoon of Danish soldiers on a six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2009. Cameo, Edinburgh; DCA, Dundee. Arthur (12A) ●●●●● (Jason Winer, US, 2011) Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner. 109min. Unfunny and unwise remake of 1980s comedy. Macrobert, Stirling. Attack the Block (15) ●●●●● (Joe Cornish, UK, 2011) Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega. 88min. This directorial debut from Joe Cornish (one half of ‘Adam-and-Joe’) is rather less of a comic affair than you might expect, with proper
The Tingler
scares and a gripping sci-fi storyline in which a gang of urban teens defend their tower block from an army of bloodthirsty aliens. Some of the young cast are a little shaky, but leads Whitaker and Boyega are excellent, helping make this a confident start for Cornish. General release. Babies (U) ●●●●● (Thomas Balmès, France, 2010) 78min. Documentary about one year in the life of four babies in four very different parts of the world. Macrobert, Stirling. Bad Teacher (15) (Jake Kasdan, US, 2011) Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake. 91min. See Also Released, page 86. General release. Ballast (15) ●●●●● (Lance Hammer, US, 2008) Micheal J Smith Sr, Jim Myron Ross, Tarra Riggs. 96min. Clearly influenced by the films of Robert Bresson and the Dardenne Brothers, this debut feature from writer/director Hammer examines the impact of a suicide on three members of an African-American family. Beautifully shot, and featuring powerful, semi-improvised performances from a non- professional cast. Macrobert, Stirling. Battle: Los Angeles (12A) ●●●●● (Jonathan Liebesman, US, 2011) Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Ne-Yo. 116min. Led by Eckhart, the cast wear their boot camp training well, moving convincingly as a unit into each theatre of flying debris and (occasionally ropey) CG enemies. Macrobert, Stirling. The Battleship Potemkin (PG) ●●●●● (Sergei Eisenstein, USSR, 1925) A Antonov, Vladimir Barski, Grigori Alexandrov. 75min. Made for the 20th anniversary of the 1905 revolution, Eisenstein’s all-time classic follows the mutiny by the crew of the Prince Potemkin and the support given by the local civilian population. DCA, Dundee. The Beaver (12A) ●●●●● (Jodie Foster, US, 2011) Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin. 91min. See review, page 83. General release. Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (PG) ●●●●● (Jessica Oreck, US/Japan, 2009) 91min. This documentary focuses on Japan’s fascination with insects. Experts and authors trace the cultural history of Japan’s love affair with insects, featuring footage of the children, collectors and sellers who have taken the bugs to their hearts. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Big Picture (tbc) ●●●●● (Eric Lartigau, France, 2010) Romain Duris, Marina Foïs, Niels Arestrup. 114min. See Also Released, page 86. Selected release from Fri 24 Jun. Blitz (18) ●●●●● (Elliot Lester, US, 2011) Jason Statham, Paddy Considine, Aidan Gillen. 97min. A tough cop (Statham) is sent on the trail of a serial killer who has been targeting police officers. General release.
Special ‘Vincentenery’ screening William Castle’s entertainingly silly horror film to celebrate Vincent Price’s 100th birthday. The film will be screened with its original box of spooky extra-sensory tricks. ■ Cameo, Edinburgh, Fri 27 May.
The Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel) (PG) ●●●●● (Josef von Sternberg, Germany, 1930) Emil Jannings, Marlene Dietrich, Kurt Gerron. 108min. Berlin’s decadent cabaret era is vibrantly brought to life as Dietrich’s voluptuous singer Lola- Lola sets out to seduce and destroy a bourgeois schoolteacher. Part of The New Objectivity: Realism in Weimar Cinema season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽✽ Bridesmaids (15) ●●●●● (Paul Feig, US, 2011) Kristen Wiig, Maya
Rudolph, Rose Byrne. 125min. See review, page 84. General release from Fri 24 Jun. Budrus (E) ●●●●● (Julia Bacha, Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territory/US, 2009) 70min. Documentary about Palestinian community leader Ayed Morrar, who managed to unite Israelis and Palestinians in the fight to save his village’s olive groves from being destroyed by the Israeli Separation Fence. DCA, Dundee. But I’m a Cheerleader (15) (Jamie Babbit, US, 2001) Natasha Lyonne, Clea Duval, Mink Stole. 92min. Megan Williams is an all-American girl, a pretty cheerleader with a hunky boyfriend. But she just isn’t into boys. In fact, she’s touchy-feely with her cheerleader friends, and fills her locker with pictures of, yep, girls. Babbit has assembled a cult cast for this trashy comedy in Lyonne., the flamboyant drag queen Ru Paul and John Waters’ favourite performer, Mink Stole. A special guest of Lock Up Your Daughters will introduce this screening. Glasgow Film Theatre. Calamity Jane (U) ●●●●● (David Butler, US, 1953) Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, Philip Carey. 101min. Enjoy singing along to this classic camp musical in recognition of Doris Day’s birthday. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Captive (Cautiva) (15) ●●●●● (Gaston Biraben, Argentina, 2004) Bárbara Lombardo, Susana Campos, Hugo Arana. 115min. When Cristina discovers she was adopted as part of the fallout from Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’ her life is thrown into chaos as she delves deeper into the horrors of her country’s recent past. Glasgow Film Theatre. Carla’s Song (15) ●●●●● (Ken Loach, UK, 1996) Robert Carlyle, Oyanka Cabezas, Scott Glenn. 127min. Carlyle plays Glaswegian bus driver George, who gives up everything to help refugee Carla return to Nicaragua and find her boyfriend. The love story aspect of the first (Scottish) half of the film is its strongest point; the revelations in central America don’t hold surprises nor does the director seem totally at home with the ‘action’ elements. Carlyle, however, is excellent – mildly tough and totally charming. Macrobert, Stirling. Cedar Rapids (12A) ●●●●● (Miguel Arteta, US, 2011) Ed Helms, Anne Heche, John C Reilly. 87min. Likeable, well- written comedy about the unusual trajectory of naïve midwestern insurance agent Tim Lippe (Helms). The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. Chalet Girl (12A) ●●●●● (Phil Traill, UK/Germany/Austria, 2011) Felicity Jones, Bill Nighy, Ed Westwick. 96min. Formulaic mix of Pretty Woman and Bridget Jones set on the ski slopes of St Anton. Macrobert, Stirling. Cinenova (E) (Various, UK) A presentation of work by Cinenova, a non- profit organisation dedicated to distributing films and video made by women. Introduced by artist Emma Hedditch. Clueless (12) ●●●●● (Amy Heckerling, US, 1995) Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Britanny Murphy. 98min. All the ingredients for an unashamedly brainless smash teen comedy – including a great line in kooky dialect. Glasgow Film Theatre. Contact (PG) ●●●●● (Robert Zemeckis, US, 1997) Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods. 150min. Based on the Carl Sagan bestseller, this tells the story of man’s first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. Introduced by Professor Arjun Berera who examines how close the film is to the actual use of radio telescopes, the physics of wormholes and the possibility of travelling across the universe. A Science and Film presentation. Filmhouse,
INDEX Film
Edinburgh. Coppélia (E) (Russia, 2011) 200min. Magical ballet about a mechanical doll who comes to life and interferes with the lives of two lovers, performed by the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia in a new version by Sergei Vikharev. Glasgow Film Theatre. Corridor of Mirrors (PG) ●●●●● (Terence Young, UK, 1948) Eric Portman, Edana Romney, Barbara Mullen. 105min. A wealthy eccentric is obsessed with a woman in a Renaissance painting and believes he is the reincarnation of her lover. Part of Projecting the Archive. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Countdown to Zero (E) ●●●●● (Lucy Walker, US, 2010) Various. 91min. See Also Released, page 86. Selected release from Fri 24 Jun. Cutter’s Way (18) ●●●●● (Ivan Passer, US, 1981) Jeff Bridges, John Heard, Lisa Eichhorn. 104min. See Also Released, page 86. Selected release from Fri 10 Jun. Diary of a Lost Girl (Tagebuch Einer Verlorenen) (PG) ●●●●● (Georg Willhelm Pabst, Germany, 1929) Louise Brooks, André Roanne, Josef Rovensky. 110min. A young woman (Brooks) finds herself pregnant by an unscrupulous and mercenary character. Rejecting her family’s expectations of marriage, she is sent to a reform school, and on escaping despondently enters a brothel. The surprisingly upbeat ending reminds us that Brooks’ bad good girls are just as compelling as her good bad ones. Part of The New Objectivity: Realism in Weimar Cinema season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (U) ●●●●● (David Bowers, US, 2011) Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris. 99min. Anaemic sequel to last year’s adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s best- selling books. General release. Digital Desperados Free Screening (E) (Various, UK, 2011) 90min. Screening of short films made by women of colour on the Digital Desperadoes filmmaking course in the last two years. ACE, Edinburgh. Donor Unknown (15) ●●●●● (Jerry Rothwell, UK, 2010) 78min. See Also Released, page 86. Glasgow Film Theatre. Dreams (15) ●●●●● (Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1955) Eva Dahlbeck, Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand. 87min. A fashion editor and a model dream of reconciliation with former lovers, but things don’t go to plan. Part of Bergman season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Eagle (12A) ●●●●● (Kevin McDonald, US/UK, 2011) Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland. 113min. Adapted from Rosemary Sutcliffe’s beloved children’s novel about a Roman legion lost north of Hadrian’s Wall. Although frequently engrossing, this bird doesn’t quite soar, thanks to Jeremy Brock’s over-literal script and Tatum’s flat performance. One for older children only. Macrobert, Stirling.
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26 May–23 Jun 2011 THE LIST 87