EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
(the latter of which opened a similarly rejuvenated Edinburgh International Film Festival). From there, he went on to make hay with roles like existentially tortured ‘tec Rust Cohle in TV’s True Detective, homophobic cowboy Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club and the eponymous man on the lam in Mud.
It’s Mud’s passing similarity to David Gordon Green’s Joe that gives us hope for another of Hollywood’s most mercurial talents – Nicolas Cage. Like the character Mud, Cage’s Joe is a man with a violent past who lives on the margins of the Deep South; who abides by his own moral code that sets him somewhat apart from society; and who forms a paternal relationship with a local youngster (heck, it’s even the same youngster – The Tree of Life’s Tye Sheridan). However, satisfying as it would be to
suggest that Cage could be heading for his own McConaissance – a Niconnaissance, if you will – it’s a much less clear cut case. For starters, Cage hasn’t suffered a consistently bad patch: Nicophiles may point to his 2009 tax evasion charges as ample motive for appearances in dreck like Trespass and The Frozen Ground, but this was also a period when he delivered stellar turns in Bad Lieutenant and Kick-Ass.
With an upcoming slate that includes a third in the dire National Treasure franchise, our advice would be to enjoy the good Cage performances as they come – just don’t expect them with any regularity. ■ Joe is screening at Edinburgh International Film Festival, Filmhouse, Wed 25 & Sat 28 Jun.
WITNESS NICOLAS CAGE BACK ON FORM
Nicolas Cage presents a triumphant turn in David Gordon Green’s Southern tale Matthew McConaughey, eh? Who saw that coming? One minute, he’s headlining forgettable romcom dross like Failure to Launch and Fool’s Gold; the next, he’s stealing scenes in intriguing indie projects. A look at his resumé shows a clear line in the sand: after 2009’s risible Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, he took a two-year hiatus before hitting a triple whammy with 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie and Killer Joe
The timely work of political playwright John McGrath is given a festival retrospective
John McGrath was one of Britain’s most prolii c writers, directors and producers. Born in 1935, he was a passionate socialist theatremaker. He’s particularly noted for setting up theatre company 7:84 in 1971, which became known around Scotland and England for its left-wing, agit-prop productions.
Why 7:84? It was named after an article in The Economist, which stated that seven percent people in Britain owned 84 percent of its wealth. Think of it as being like the Occupy movement . . . but on stage. of
(1968), adapted from one of his own plays, and spy thriller Billion Dollar Brain (1967), which is loosely based on a Len Deighton novel, directed by Ken Russell and starring Michael Caine. That last one sounds like The Ipcress File Yes it does, and for good reason – in it, Caine plays Harry Palmer, the same intelligence agent he portrayed in The Ipcress File (1965) and Funeral in Berlin (1966). Billion Dollar Brain wasn’t as big a hit, but it’s since gained a cult following.
SEE THE WORK OF A SCOTTISH THEATRE LEGEND ON THE BIG SCREEN
Wait, isn’t this a i lm festival? Yep – McGrath wanted his radical ideas to reach as wide an audience as possible, so he started writing for TV and cinema in the 1960s too. He even wrote episodes of the BBC’s landmark police show Z Cars, an episode of which will be screened at the festival.
So why are the festival looking at his work now? Many of McGrath’s works tackled the question of Scottish independence, so timely occasion to revisit his i lms, plays and TV shows. Sadly, he died of leukaemia in 2002, but his inl uence continues to be widely felt. (Yasmin Sulaiman) it’s
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What else is at the festival? A few screenings of his major theatre works, including 7:84 classic, The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black, Black Oil. Also showing are two of his major i lms: The Bofors Gun Border Warfare: John McGrath’s Work in Television, Theatre and Film is part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 20–Sun 29 Jun.
12 Jun–10 Jul 2014 THE LIST 19