list.co.uk/fi lm grows up in real-time. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug. The Congress (15) ●●●●● (Ari Folman, Israel/Germany/Poland/ Luxembourg/France/Belgium, 2013) Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm. 122min. Robin Wright (as herself) is an aging actress, offered a deal by the industry: if she lets them map her likeness onto a computer, they can make movies starring her but minus her presence. Folman’s bewildering but memorable film builds startlingly on the animation techniques of Waltz with Bashir, asking profound questions about performance and identity. Selected release. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (12A) ●●●●● (Matt Reeves, US, 2014) Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis. 130min. Ten years after the events of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, simian leader Caesar (Serkis) must work with human leader Malcolm (Clarke) to forge an alliance between apes and men. Thought-provoking and exciting, with fine performances from Serkis, Clarke, Oldman and Kebbell, it’s a blockbuster for grown-ups. General release. Dinosaur 13 (PG) ●●●●● (Todd Douglas Miller, US, 2014) Peter L Larson, Neal L Larson, Susan Hendrickson. 105min. Riveting documentary about the legal battle over the bones of a dinosaur. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Tue 2 Sep. Earth to Echo (PG) ●●●●● (Dave Green, US, 2014) Teo Halm, Astro, Reese Hartwig. 89min. Kids’ drama, in which Tuck (Bradley), Alex (Halm) and Munch (Hartwig) find an alien stranded in the desert, and attempt to get him back to his spaceship. A shameless copy of Super 8; those who think they could make a better herky-jerky found-footage movie may well, in this instance, be correct. Selected release. The Expendables 3 (12A) ●●●●● (Patrick Hughes, US, 2014) Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas. 126min. Mercenary Barney Ross (Stallone) goes up against colleague-gone-rogue Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), a ruthless arms dealer. The action is fine, and the interplay between the somewhat ageing stars remains the film’s biggest asset, but a lazy script, watered-down violence and general lack of risk-taking make for predictable viewing. General release. The Fault in Our Stars (12A) ●●●●● (Josh Boone, US, 2014) Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff. 125min. Big screen take on John Green’s best-selling book following the romance of Hazel and Gus – two teenagers who have in common an acerbic wit and terminal illness. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Vue Omni Centre, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug. God’s Pocket (15) ●●●●● (John Slattery, US, 2014) Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks. 88min. Mickey (Hoffman) gets into hot water when he attempts to cover up the accidental death of his stepson. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug. Guardians of the Galaxy (12A) ●●●●● (James Gunn, US, 2014) Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro. 122min. Space adventurer Peter Quill (Pratt) joins forces with assassin Gamora (Saldana), genetically-modified bounty-hunting raccoon Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and other crims to face power- hungry evildoer Ronan (Pace). With a gag-stuffed script, lively direction and outstanding performances, this adaptation of an obscure Marvel comic is enormous fun. General release. Hector and the Search for Happiness (15) ●●●●● (Peter Chelsom, Germany/Canada, 2014) Rosamund Pike, Simon Pegg, Toni
Collette. 120min. Hector (Pegg) is a mildly depressed psychiatrist who goes on a trip around the globe to find the secret of happiness. Whether or not you enjoy it depends on whether or not you fancy spending two hours watching the normally likeable Pegg play a self- indulgent navel-gazer with an impossibly good-looking girlfriend (Pike). General release. Hercules (12A) ●●●●● (Brett Ratner, US, 2014) Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane. 98min. Hercules (Johnson) is used to relying on mercenaries, trickery and suggestion to enhance his reputation, but when he’s called to defend Thrace from a warlord and his supernatural army, he’s put to a proper test. Ratner keeps things light, with knowing humour papering over the lack of emotional depth. Daft but watchable. General release. Hide Your Smiling Faces (15) ●●●●● (Daniel Patrick Carbone, US, 2013) Ryan Jones, Nathan Varnson, Colm O’Leary. 81min. Brooding and spare debut feature from writer-director Carbone, helped by strikingly naturalistic performances from his young cast. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 22–Thu 28 Aug. The House of Magic (U) ●●●●● (Jeremy Degruson/Ben Stassen, Belgium, 2013) Cinda Adams, Edward Asner, Emily Blunt. 85min. An abandoned young cat seeking shelter from a storm, stumbles into the strangest house imaginable, owned by an old magician. The 3D animation and character design are pleasing on the eye, but the script is flat and sadly humourless. Empire Clydebank, Clydebank, Thu 21 Aug; Vue Ocean, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (PG) ●●●●● (Dean DeBlois, US, 2014) Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig. 102min. Sequel to the 2010 hit fantasy film with the original cast returning. General release. The Inbetweeners 2 (15) ●●●●● (Damon Beesley, Iain Morris, UK, 2014) Simon Bird, James Buckley, Joe Thomas, Blake Harrison. 96min. Eternal teenagers Will, Simon, Neil and Jay head to Australia in pursuit of Jay’s lovely ex, Jane (Bewley). Heaving with bad-taste humour, it manages to feel less tired than the first film thanks to energetic direction, honed performances and some truly spectacular stupidity. General release. Jersey Boys (15) ●●●●● (Clint Eastwood, US, 2014) Christopher Walken, Francesca Eastwood, Freya Tingley. 134min. Clint Eastwood directs a workmanlike film version of the hit Broadway musical, which traces the career of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug. Lilting (15) ●●●●● (Hong Khaou, UK, 2014) Ben Whishaw, Morven Christie, Leila Wong. 86min. Striking culture clash drama with a rather uninspired score, lifted by fine performances from Whishaw and Leung. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 29 Aug–Thu 4 Sep; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug. Maleficent (PG) (Robert Stromberg, US, 2014) Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley. 97min. Hollywood’s preoccupation with revamping fairy tales continues with this star-spangled adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 23 Aug. Mood Indigo (L’écume des jours) (12A) ●●●●● (Michel Gondry, France/ Belgium, 2013) Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh. 125min. A woman suffers from an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs. A chaotic mess of whimsy and quirk from surrealist auteur Gondry, adapted from a novel by Boris Vian. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug; Dominion, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug. Planes: Fire & Rescue (U) ●●●●● (Roberts Gannaway, US, 2014) Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen. 83min. When perky aeroplane Dusty (Cook) is forced to give up racing, he decides to retrain as a firefighter under crusty-but- fair Blade Ranger (Harris). Gannaway’s sequel is better than the dismal original, but even as simple-minded entertainment the sexual and racial stereotyping and broad, male-orientated humour disappoint. General release. Pudsey the Dog: The Movie (PG) (Nick Moore, UK, 2014) Olivia Colman, David Walliams, Izzy Meikle-Small. 87min. Heartwarming film about a cheeky stray dog. Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 21 Aug. The Purge: Anarchy (15) ●●●●● (James DeMonaco, US/France, 2014) Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford. 103min. Engagingly blunt action-horror sequel. It’s patchy but proficient, and an intelligent expansion of the franchise. Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Vue Omni Centre, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug. The Rover (15) ●●●●● (David Michôd, US, 2014) Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy. 103min. In the Australian outback, after the collapse of the global economy, lone wolf Eric (Pearce) hunts the thieves who stole his car, picking up the brother of one of them (Pattinson) along the way. Bleak, striking and unapologetically brutal, it features powerful performances and the occasional moment of welcome humour. Selected release. Step Up: All In (PG) ●●●●● (Trish Sie, US, 2014) Alyson Stoner, Briana Evigan, Ryan Guzman. 112min. In the fifth of the franchise, the crew enters a TV dance competition in the hope of landing a deal, but must resist the temptations of Las Vegas. Never mind the undercooked romance and the thin supporting stories – the dancing is as brilliant as ever. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 21 Aug. The Nut Job (PG) ●●●●● (Peter Lepeniotis, US, 2014) Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson. 100min. An incorrigibly self-serving exiled squirrel finds himself helping his former park brethren raid a nut store to survive, that is also the front for a human gang’s bank robbery. A bluntly animated and over-complicated adventure. General release. Transformers: Age of Extinction (12A) ●●●●● (Michael Bay, US, 2014) Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor. 165min. More explosions and metal- on-metal battling from Michael Bay. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Glasgow, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 21 Aug. The Unbeatables (Metegol) (U) ●●●●● (Juan José Campanella, Argentina/Spain/India/US, 2013) Rupert Grint, Anthony Head, Peter Serafinowicz. 97min. Amadeo (Grint) is a whiz at table football but unlucky at everything else, forced to square off against the bullying Flash (Head) in an attempt to save his village. Cheekily inventive 3D animation from Argentinean director Campanella, standing out from other animated family fare by its quirky characterisation and dry wit. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Aug; Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Paisley, Thu 21 Aug. We Gotta Get Out of This Place (15) ●●●●● (Simon Hawkins/Zeke Hawkins, US, 2013) Ashley Adams, Mackenzie Davis, William Devane. 90min. Three Texas teens hope to make a break for it and escape their dead-end existence in a cotton-mill town but get sucked into the seedy underbelly of organized crime when one of them steals from the wrong man. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 21 Aug.
Index | FILM
PROFILE KELLY REICHARDT Born 1964, Miami, Florida. Background Reichardt is one of the most celebrated directors working in indie cinema today, having directed Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy and Meek’s Cutoff. Her work has received nominations for both Academy and Independent Spirit Awards. She also teaches filmmaking at Bard College. What’s next? Her latest film Night Moves examines the repercussions of an act of eco- terrorism on a group of outsiders. Featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard, the film explores the nature of political action and offers a complex portrait of a corrosive mental state. On working with Jesse Eisenberg ‘Jesse came and lived on the farm, worked on the farm, and rehearsed,’ Reichardt recently told Indiewire. ‘I would do script changes after rehearsing with him, and he would want to change the way some scenes were done. Some things we tried and didn’t work, and some things we tried – that were his ideas – and they did work and made the script better.’ On her longstanding collaborator, Michelle Williams In an interview with Vulture, Reichardt said: ‘[Williams is] a master of her craft. She’s been working for so long, she can just make the smallest adjustments, and she’s capable of being really still and letting a lot come through that.’ On independent filmmaking Reichardt told Gus Van Sant in a BOMB magazine interview that ‘there’s something great about having privacy when you’re making a film . . . you can just edit in your apartment and take your time because that part of the process doesn’t cost anything.’ (Anna Rogers) ■ Night Moves is on general release from Fri 29 Aug – see review, page 60. 21 Aug–18 Sep 2014 THE LIST 63