FILM | Index
Film Theatre, Fri 19 Dec; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Wed 17 Dec. Eastern Boys (18) ●●●●● (Robin Campillo, France, 2014) Olivier Rabourdin, Kirill Emelyanov, Daniil Vorobyov. 128min. Daniel (Rabourdin) solicits young Latvian immigrant Marek (Emelyanov) for sex, but soon becomes concerned for his safety as it becomes clear that Marek is involved with the criminal underworld. It’s too long, but the performances are first- class and overall it’s an elegant and complex if only sporadically gripping thriller. Glasgow Film Theatre, Thu 11 Dec. Elf (PG) ●●●●● (Jon Favreau, US, 2003) Will Ferrell, James Caan, Edward Asner. 96min. Buddy (Ferrell) is a big Elf who, though accepted in his Elvish community at the North Pole, manages to wreak havoc on a daily basis. Fed up and confused by his charge, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) sends him to the US in search of his true identity. Hilarious and puerile Yuletide comedy from the star of Swingers. Selected release. Fantastic Voyage (U) (Richard Fleischer, US, 1966) Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Edmond O’Brien. 100min. A top Russian scientist is critically wounded after defecting to the West. The only hope of saving him lies in miniaturising a surgical team and injecting them into his bloodstream to operate on his blood clot. A classic of Sixties pop cinema. Glasgow Film Theatre, Sat 20–Mon 22 Dec. Frozen (PG) ●●●●● (Chris Buck, US, 2013) Voices of Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel. 108min. Princess Anna (Bell) is disturbed to find that her sister Elsa (Menzel) can create ice and snow, but when Elsa goes into exile the kingdom freezes, and Anna and friends must find her. With no celebrity voice-overs or pop culture gags, just a venerable story, good songs and classic characters, it’s an old-fashioned delight. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sun 21 Dec; Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Sat 13–Wed 24 Dec. Frozen Sing-a-long (PG) (Chris Buck/Jennifer Lee, US, 2013) Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff. 102min. Sing ‘Let It Go’ at the top of your lungs without getting into fisticuffs. Selected release. Girl With A Pearl Earring & Other Treasures (tbc) (2015) 85min. A new documentary examining the mystery behind Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. This film features a look into the historical exhibition at Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands, which has just completed renovations. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Tue 13 Jan. The Glitterball (U) (Harley Cokeliss, UK, 1977) Ben Buckton, Keith Jayne, Ron Pember. 56min. Two teenage boys try to help a tiny spherical alien get back to its mothership, while the army and a devious petty crook pursue the creature for its wonderful powers. Glasgow Film Theatre, Sat 13 Dec. The Gruffalo’s Child (U) (Uwe Heidschötter, Johannes Weiland, UK/ Germany, 2011) Helena Bonham Carter, Shirley Henderson, Robbie Coltrane. 27min. Star-studded follow-up. A young Gruffalo goes in search of the Big Bad Mouse, despite warnings from her father. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Mon 15 Dec. Hidden Universe (tbc) (Russell Scott, Australia, 2013) Narrator: Miranda Richardson. Explore deep space with high-resolution 3D images of the earliest galaxies. Cineworld IMAX, Glasgow, Thu 11 Dec. The Hobbit Parts One and Two (tbc) (Peter Jackson) Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen. The first two installments in The Hobbit series, so you can brush up on Bilbo’s adventures before you see the third. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Thu 11 Dec; Odeon Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, Thu 11 Dec; Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Thu 11 Dec. 88 THE LIST 11 Dec 2014–5 Feb 2015
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (12) ●●●●● (Peter Jackson, US/ New Zealand, 2012) Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage. 169min. Prequel to Jackson’s epic adaptations of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Showcase Cinema, Glasgow, Thu 11 Dec; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Thu 11 Dec. The Hobbit Trilogy (tbc) (Peter Jackson, US/New Zealand, 2012/2013/2014) Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage. The Hobbit trilogy shown all in one go. First up is An Unexpected Journey, followed by Desolation of Smaug and finally, the latest release, Battle of the Five Armies. You need an ocean of popcorn for this. General release. Hockney (15) ●●●●● (Randall Wright, UK, 2014) 112min. Intimate and affectionate portrait of Britain’s most enduringly popular modern artist, with ample footage of him at work in his studio on LA. Friends provide entertaining anecdotes but Hockney’s account of the losses that AIDS has inflicted on his life is deeply moving. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Thu 11 Dec. Home Alone (PG) ●●●●● (Chris Columbus, US, 1990) Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern. 103min. Peter and Kate McCallister (Heard and O’Hara) have an eight-year-old brat and wisely – albeit accidentally – leave him behind in Chicago when they go on holiday to Paris. Left to his own devices young Kevin (Culkin) has to deal with two bungling burglars (Pesci and Stern) who threaten to invade his peaceful haven. Jolly, if sadistic, scare-comedy antics produced by teen flick veteran John Hughes. Glasgow Film Theatre, Sat 20 Dec; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Mon 22 Dec. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (PG) ●●●●● (Dean DeBlois, US, 2014) Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig. 102min. Sequel to the 2010 hit film with the original cast returning. Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Sat 20–Wed 24 Dec. I am an Old Communist Hag (tbc) (Stere Gulea, Romania, 2013) 94min. Adaptation of Dan Lungu’s 2007 novel where chaos ensues when an estranged family is reunited. Followed by a Q&A with the director. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Tue 16 Dec. Indiana Jones Trilogy (tbc) (Steven Spielberg, US, 1981/1984/1989) Harrison Ford. Triple bill of Harrison Ford as he stars in Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Tue 23 Dec. It’s A Wonderful Life (PG) ●●●●● (Frank Capra, US, 1946) James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers. 129min. Small-town boy Stewart runs into financial difficulties and is on the brink of suicide when an elderly angel descends to earth to show him all the good his life has done for those around him. Archetypal Capra sentimentality with a superbly detailed fantasy framework and one of Stewart’s most lovable performances. One to warm even the most glacial heart. Selected release. Jacuqes Tati A celebration of the iconic French comedian and filmmaker. With screenings of Jour De Fete, Mon Oncle and Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 26–Wed 31 Dec, filmhousecinema.com/seasons/ jacques-tati-dec14. Kajaki (15) ●●●●● (Paul Katis, UK, 2014) Mark Stanley, Malachi Kirby, David Elliot. 108min. True-life story about a group of British soldiers who entered an abandoned Afghani minefield in 2006 and sustained multiple casualties. Shot documentary-style, it combines realism (soldiers engaging in good-natured piss-taking even when horribly injured) with unbearable tension. Suspenseful and deeply moving, but those with weak stomachs have been warned. Vue Glasgow Fort, Glasgow, Thu 11 Dec; Vue Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh, Thu 11 Dec; Vue Omni Centre, Edinburgh, Thu 11 Dec. The Lego Movie (U) ●●●●● (Phil Lord/Christopher Miller, US/Australia, 2014) Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks. 100min. Emmett (Pratt), a regular Lego construction worker, finds himself acclaimed as the ‘Special’, who will save the Lego universe from evil Lord Business. Fast, funny, blisteringly paced and hugely inventive, it’s also so layered with ironic detachment that the attempt at a sincere final act falls flat; still, good fun for adults and kids. Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow, Wed 17 Dec. Life Itself (15) ●●●●● (Steve James, US, 2014) Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert. 120min. Warm-hearted and artful documentary about the late Roger Ebert, perhaps the most famous cinema critic of his age. Despite meeting Ebert only five months before the latter’s death, James captures his subject’s good humour, acumen and verve, and the scenes showing his worsening condition are intimate without being intrusive. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 17–Thu 18 Dec. Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noël) (12A) (Christian Carion, France/ Germany/UK, 2005) Diane Kruger, Benno Fumann, Guillaume Canet. 115min. On Christmas Eve 1914 opposing troops in the trenches made a truce and found some common ground – literally – as they played football on the muddy soil of No Man’s Land. A quietly moving film that reveals just how helpless the German, British and French troops actually were. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 24 Dec. The Metropolitan Opera: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (tbc) (US, 2014) Richard Wagner’s lengthy three-act opera about the 16th century guild of Master Singers, performed live in New York City. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sat 13–Tue 16 Dec. Metropolitan Opera: Die Walkure (tbc) (UK, 2011) Bryn Terfel, Deborah Voigt. The second in the quartet of operas making up Wagner’s Ring cycle. Conducted by James Levine. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Sat 13 Dec. Metropolitan Opera: The Merry Widow (tbc) (Susan Stroman, US, 2014) Renée Fleming stars as Lehár’s femme fatale in this live production from the Met in NYC. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sat 17–Tue 20 Jan; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Sat 17 Jan. Miracle on 34th Street (PG) ●●●●● (Les Mayfield, US, 1994) Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott. 110min. Kriss Kringle (Attenborough) is a department store Santa who goes one better and claims he’s the genuine article. Only by winning a court case – and convincing one cynical little girl (Mara Wilson) can he put the joy and magic back into the festive period. A fairly unnecessary remake, but this secular fable still sparkles with charm. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sun 14 Dec. The Muppet Christmas Carol (U) ●●●●● (Brian Henson, US, 1992) Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire. 85min. It’s Christmas time, and nasty old miser Scrooge (Caine) needs to be taught a lesson by three seasonal ghosts. Colourful version of Dickens’ classic tale that will please the kids and keep the adults smiling with its little irreverent spices. Selected release. My Old Lady (tbc) ●●●●● (Israel Horovitz, GB/US, 2014) Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott-Thomas. 104min. Mathias (Kline), a penniless New Yorker, travels to Paris to claim the apartment bequeathed to him by his father, except that 92-year-old Mathilde (Smith) and her daughter Chloe (Scott Thomas) already live there. The directorial debut of 75-year-old playwright Horovitz is an enjoyable, soft-centred tale of guilty secrets, perhaps too neatly resolved but a sophisticated delight. Vue Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh, Thu 11 Dec.
National Theatre Live: Treasure Island (tbc) (UK, 2014) The National Theatre present their adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of murder, money and mutiny. General release. The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG) ●●●●● (Henry Selick, US, 1993) Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara. 76min. Jack Skellington, the skinny trickster king of Halloweentown, is restless with success and needs a new challenge, so he hatches a plot to kidnap Santa and creates a mixed-up Yuletide which isn’t quite what the kids expected. Produced and based on a story and characters by Tim Burton. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sat 13 Dec. Nordic Film Festival A trio of films celebrating emmerging filmmaking talent from the Nordic region. This year’s theme is ‘horizons’. With screenings of Days of Gray, Hotell and Paris of the North. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 11–Thu 18 Dec, filmhousecinema.com/seasons/nordic- film-festival-dec14. Open Bethlehem (tbc) 90min. The journey of film director Leila Sansour as she returns to her home town of Bethlehem. Glasgow Film Theatre, Fri 12–Sun 14 Dec; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 11 Dec. P.K (tbc) (Rajkumar Hirani, India, 2014) Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma. P.K arrives in a new city and innocently asks the questions no one has asked before. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Fri 19–Tue 23 Dec; Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Fri 19–Wed 24 Dec. Portobello Film Club (tbc) Film screening followed by a discussion. Plus – free popcorn. Children’s Christmas Triple Bill. The Skylark, Edinburgh, Sun 14 Dec–Wed 7 Jan. Raymond Briggs Trilogy (U) (Various, UK, 1982-98) 78min. Three short animations based on Raymond Briggs’ charming stories: The Bear, Father Christmas and The Snowman. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Tue 23–Wed 24 Dec. Rise of the Guardians (PG) ●●●●● (Peter Ramsey, US, 2012) Voices of Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher. 97min. A set of childhood heroes (including Jack Frost, Easter Bunny and Santa Claus) unite to combat Pitch the Bogeyman in this adaptation of William Joyce’s novel The Guardians of Childhood. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 14 Dec. Royal Opera House: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (tbc) (Christopher Wheeldon, UK, 2014) The Royal Ballet presents Christopher Wheeldon’s entrancing ballet. All all the zany characters are there, including the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter and, of course, the questionably affected Alice herself. General release. Royal Opera House: Andrea Chenier (tbc) (David McVicar, UK, 2015) Live screening of David McVicar’s new production of the French Revolution drama. Starring Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek conducted by Antonio Pappano. General release. Scotland Galore! A season of Scottish-set films screening as part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival. Including From Scotland with Love, Sunshine on Leith, Whisky Galore! and many more. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 27 Dec–Sun 4 Jan, filmhousecinema.com/seasons/ scotland-galore-dec14. Silent Running (U) (Douglas Trumbull, US, 1971) Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin. 89min. Pioneering effects boffin Trumbull (he supervised 001’s elaborate set pieces) came up trumps with this warmly affecting debut sci-fi feature. Dern stars as the scientist in charge of a spacecraft experiment that’s literally another Garden of Eden and is apparently intended to renourish