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Anderson’s fourth film is part high seas adventure, part film industry satire, part existential meditation on the meaning of relationships. It is consistently clever and hilarious, shifting from the light-hearted to the surreal, to scenes of real depth with the kind of ease we’ve come to expect from the Texan director. Cameo, Edinburgh. LOL (12A) (Lisa Azuelos, US, 2012) Miley Cyrus, Douglas Booth, Ashley Greene. 97min. High school romcom drama for the social media age starring Cyrus as a lovestruck teen whose mother makes the mistake of reading her racy secret journal. General release from Fri 1 Jun. The Lucky One (12A) ●●●●● (Scott Hicks, US, 2012) Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner. 100min. A US Marine serving in Iraq (Efron, stretching credibility) finds a photo of an unknown blonde beauty (Schilling), credits it with bringing him luck, and after returning home, sets out to find her. The latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel is schmaltzy, contrived, unconvincing and empty. Selected release. The Man Who Fell to Earth (18) ●●●●● (Nicolas Roeg, UK, 1976) David Bowie, Rip Torn, Buck Henry. 138min. An alien searching for the water needed to save his own planet has his powers destroyed by the sinister machinations of a multinational business enterprise. A well cast Bowie gives perhaps his best performance in this dazzling, occasionally obtuse, piece of Roegian sci-fi. Cameo, Edinburgh; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Man Without a Cell Phone (Ish lelo selolari) (12A) (Sameh Zoabi, Belgium/Israel/France/Palestine, 2010) Razi Shawahdeh, Bassem Loulou, Loai Nofi. 83min. A Palestinian man enjoys chatting with potential girlfriends on his mobile phone. When his father is convinced the local Israeli phone signal tower is poisoning the locals, the two find themselves at odds. Featuring a discussion with members of the Scottish Palestinian Forum. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Manhattan (15) ●●●●● (Woody Allen, US, 1979) Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway. 96min. Woody wanders through the female jungle of New York in search of a perfect soulmate after the demise of his marriage. Sublime comic delight with a soulful Gershwin score. Cameo, Edinburgh. Marley (15) ●●●●● (Kevin Macdonald, US/UK, 2012) 144min. Kevin Macdonald’s documentary chronicles the rise of Bob Marley, the first musical superstar from a developing country to gain a global audience. With many archival treasures, the result is a comprehensive portrait but it’s overly reverential and the interviews could have delved a little deeper. macrobert, Stirling. Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (PG) (David Lloyd Jones, UK) 120min. Matthew Bourne’s contemporary all-male reinterpretation of the classic ballet. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Men in Black III (PG) (Barry Sonnenfeld, US, 2012) Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin. 105min. In a Back to the Future-style escapade, Agent J (Smith) must go back in time and stop the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) being killed by an alien criminal and altering the shape of the Agency. Earth will, of course, need to be saved in the process. General release from Thu 24 May. Mesnak (15) (Yves Sioui Durand, Canada, 2011) Victor Turgeon, Eve Ringuette. 96min. A bold adaptation of Hamlet set in an Innu community in Quebec. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Mirror Mirror (PG) ●●●●● (Tarsem Singh, US, 2012) Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer. 106min. Roberts stars as the narcissistic evil queen in this comic-fantasy twist on the Snow White story. Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow; The Hippodrome, Bo’ness.
✽✽ Moonrise Kingdom (12A) ●●●●● (Wes Anderson, US, 2012) Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Jason Schwartzman, Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman. 94min. See review,
Let the Games Begin
Perhaps unsurprisingly there’s a plethora of sports-related films coming to our screens in the next few months. Edinburgh’s Filmhouse makes the most of this with Let the Games Begin, a celebration of the Olympics on film. Included in the programme are two recent releases including Town of Runners – a documentary about a small town in Ethiopia which is the unlikely home of several champion long-distance runners – and Personal Best – filmed over five years it charts British sprinters preparing for the big games. There’s also a new restoration of UK classic Chariots of Fire. ■ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Jun–Thu 26 Jul.
page 87. General release from Fri 25 May. Moontide (PG) (Jean Gabin, Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell, US, 1942) Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Frederick Vroom. 94min. Whilst Gabin was exiled in Hollywood during the war, he attempted to reinvent himself with this American film about a gentle Frenchman living in California. Part of the Jean Gabin season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Mr Bean’s Holiday (PG) ●●●●● (Steve Bendelack, UK, 2007) Rowan Atkinson, Willem Dafoe. 89min. Wordless misfit Mr Bean (Atkinson) goes to the French Riviera and becomes ensnared in a broad European adventure. A silly, occasionally funny, mildly xenophobic slapstick feature. Jacques Tati did it so much better. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Mr Popper’s Penguins (PG) ●●●●● (Mark Waters, US, 2011) Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino. 94min. Family comedy starring Carrey as Mr Popper, a humourless businessman who inherits six penguins. The penguins turn his posh New York apartment into a winter wonderland and they change his life in ways he never imagined. This likeable adaptation of popular book was controversially filmed on a refrigerated sound stage with real Emperor Penguins. macrobert, Stirling. Mrs Brown (PG) (John Madden, UK, 1997) Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Antony Sher. 103min. Queen Victoria’s obsessive mourning for Prince Albert is casting gloom over the entire country, so Highland ghillie John Brown is called down from Balmoral to shake up the stuffy English court. Madden’s film can’t match the comic brio and visual panache of The Madness of King George, but his understated direction undeniably suits the story. The performances are uniformly splendid, with Dench and Connolly (both perfectly cast) giving the film a surprising emotional depth. The Hippodrome, Bo’ness. The Muppets (U) ●●●●● (James Bobin, US, 2011) Amy Adams, Jason Segel, Chris Cooper. 103min. When Muppet fans Gary (Segel), his girlfriend Mary (Adams) and brother Walter (a puppet) learn that oil millionaire Tex Richman (Cooper) plans to demolish the Muppet theatre, it’s time to reunite the original cast. If the plot could be fresher, the well-chosen guest stars, self- referential humour and old-school bonhomie should raise a smile. macrobert, Stirling. The Navigator (U) (Donald Crisp/Buster Keaton, US, 1924) Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Frederick Vroom. 59min. Cast adrift on a deserted ocean liner, Buster Keaton and his sweetheart must battle swordfish and cannibals in this classic silent comedy. Double bill with The General. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Negativnights Experimental film works by various artists, distorting the usual tropes of narrative and meaning, introduced by the artists themselves. Featuring Lachlann Rattray (Thu 31 May) and Erica Eyres (Thu 7 Jun). Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh. Night of the Living Dead (18) ●●●●● (George A Romero, US, 1968) Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Russell Streiner. 96min. Seminal black comedy shocker which spawned two increasingly nasty sequels and countless unauthorised imitations. A group of people barricade themselves into a farmhouse to seek refuge from the hordes of flesh-crazy undead, created by misfiring military experiments. Filmed on a shoestring in Pittsburgh, real gore was supplied by a local butcher. Though it now seems dated, the rough and grainy qualities of the film only serve to make it more horribly convincing. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. North Sea Texas (Noordzee, Texas) (15) ●●●●● (Bavo Defurne, Belgium, 2011) Eva van der Gucht, Thomas Coumans, Jelle Florizoone. 98min. In a small town on the Belgian coast, 15-year- old Pim (Florizoone) falls for floppy-haired Gino (Vergels). It’s easy on the eye and features sensitive performances, especially from Florizoone and van der Gucht as his voluptuous mother, but clichéd symbolism and a predictable story rob it of emotional impact. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. NT Live: Frankenstein (15) (Danny Boyle, 2011) Benedict Cumberbatch, Jonny Lee Miller. Mary Shelley’s classic gothic tale, written by Nick Dear and realised by Danny Boyle in his return to theatre. The roles of Dr Frankenstein and the Creature
INDEX Film
are alternated between Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller. Selected release. On the Sly (tbc) (Olivier Ringer, Belgium, 2011) Wynona Ringer. 77min. Belgian family film about a little girl who decides to disappear. Selected release from Fri 1 Jun. Opera Australia: Lakme (Roger Hodgman, Australia, 2012) 152min. Opera Australia’s finest singers perform the story of forbidden romance between a British Army soldier stationed in India during the Raj and a beautiful Hindi princess. Selected screenings from Tue 29 May. Opera de Paris: La Bayadere (John Lanchbery, France, 2012) Ballet performance of Marius Petipa’s seminal work recounting the impossible love between a dancer and a warrior. Selected screenings from Tue 29 May. Opera on Ice (Italy, 2012) Opera performed with stunning ice dance accompaniment at the Arena di Verona. Selected screenings from Tue 12 Jun. The Pact (15) ●●●●● (Nicholas McCarthy, US, 2012) Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien, Agnes Bruckner. 88min. See review, page 90. General release from Fri 8 Jun. Passport To Pimlico (U) (Henry Cornelius, UK, 1949) Stanley Holloway, Betty Warren, Barbara Murray. 84min. A London borough discovers an ancient charter and declares its independence and exemption from rationing. Wonderful wit and fun as the Ealing Studios satirise British red tape and bureaucracy. Cameo, Edinburgh; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Personal Best (12A) (Sam Blair, UK, 2012) 75min. Filmed over four years, this documentary follows British sprinters on their respective journeys to the London 2012 Olympics. Selected release from Fri 25 May. Piranha 3DD (18) (John Gulager, US, 2012) Danielle Panabaker, Ving Rhames, David Hasselhoff. Sequel to the events at Lake Victoria, in which the man-eating fish swarm into a water park full of wet ‘n’ wild (and buxom) young babes. General release. The Plague of the Zombies (12) (John Gilling, UK, 1966) Andre Morell, Diane Clare, Brook Williams. 86min. Long before Night of the Living Dead, Hammer horror made a bold move into zombie territory with this 1965 shocker. Inexplicable deaths in a Cornish village prompt a local doctor to call on his medical mentor for assistance. Professor Forbes arrives with his daughter and soon the churchyard gives up its secrets as the dead walk again at the bidding of a master with the power of voodoo at his command. Cameo, Edinburgh; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Polisse (15) ●●●●● (Maiwenn, France, 2011) Karin Viard, Joey Starr, Marina Fois. 127min. See review, page 87. Cameo, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Prometheus (15) (Ridley Scott, US, 2012) Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall- Green, Charlize Theron. Sci-fi adventure in which a team of scientists investigating alien life forms becomes stranded and has to fight a battle in which the safety of mankind is at stake. General release from Fri 1 Jun. Puss in Boots (U) ●●●●● (Chris Miller, US, 2011) Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis. 90min. Puss (Banderas) and Humpty Dumpty (Galifianakis) attempt to steal magic beans from Jack and Jill, with Hayek as feline accomplice Kitty Softpaws. Given the slackening quality of the Shrek franchise, the surprise is that this imaginative romp was one of the 2011’s best animated family films. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. Pépé le Moko (U) (Julien Duvivier, France, 1937) Jean Gabin, Gabriel Gabrio, Saturnin Fabre. 94min. This romantic crime drama starring Jean Gabin was remade twice in Hollywood. A dashing gangster falls for a glamorous moll, with tragic consequences. Part of the Jean Gabin season. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
24 May–21 Jun 2012 THE LIST 95