Glasgow Film Festival Cine Skinny - 22 February 2010

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THE CINESKINNY

THE OFFICIAL

DAILY GUIDE MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY

WHAT’S INSIDE? 1>> FEATURE:

DEPARTURES

We recommend the best up

and coming films from Japan.

3>> REVIEWS Dogtooth With One Voice The Girl with the DragonTattoo

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4>> LISTINGS Comprehensive guide to what’s going on at the Festival.

4>> PRIZES Win 2 tickets to Wake in Fright, described by Nick Cave as “the best and most terrifying film about Australia in existence”.

Ran

THE CINESKINNY Produced by The Skinny magazine in association with the Glasgow Film Festival.

TEXT: MICHAEL GILLESPIE DO YOU find girls with hair so long you can’t see their faces somewhat unsettling? Does a water leak irrationally gives you nightmares? Do you ever cut your finger and wonder why a huge geyser of blood doesn’t spray forth? Do you think that roller blades, day glo shades, pop socks, backpacks and little plastic animals with enormous eyes are cool?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then it’s likely you’re a fan of the cinema of Japan.

Then again, with the influence of Japanese movies and pop culture spreading further this decade than ever before, perhaps you simply haven’t yet recognised the origins of your appreciation. It seems fitting then, as Glasgow Film Festival continues its growth, that it should dedicate its Departures strand to

SPONSORS

the Land of the Rising Sun’s rising stars.

The influence of Japan was never more prominent than in the noughties. The decade began with the releases of Battle Royale, Ringu and Audition. Battle Royale is Quentin Tarantino’s favourite film of the last 20 years, while the other two were, alongside The Blair Witch Project, the most important and influential horror films of the period. Japan developed a reputation for pushing boundaries when it came to screen depictions of fear and violence, inspiring the “torture porn” craze (Audition director Takashi Miike even makes a cameo in Hostel) and, in response to the American contributions to the genre, produced Koji Shiraishi’s Grotesque - a film considered so extreme it was banned by the BBFC Continued overleaf...

EDITOR Gail Tolley EDITORIAL Becky Bartlett ASSISTANT DESIGNER Emma Faulkner

GFF BOX OFFICE Order tickets from the box office at www.glasgowfilmfestival.org.uk or call 0141 332 6535 or visit Glasgow Film Theatre 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB info@glasgowfilmfestival.org.uk

Kakera in 2009.

Tarantino, of course, created some of the most iconic images of the decade with Kill Bill, a film (or films) steeped in the cinematic lore of Japan. While it may have been mostly superficial, its appropriation of the style, form and themes of Seijun Suzuki, Kinji Fukasaku and the samurai adventures of Sonny Chiba (to name a few) brought a rich cinematic heritage to a mainstream audience.

Much of this heritage was continued by Japanese directors throughout the noughties. The J-Video trained Miike (straight-to-video movies don’t have the stigma in Japan they do here) would continue his wild experiments in horror and the Yakuza genre, while dishing out the odd subversive masterpiece (Visitor Q brutally satirises the Japanese ideal of family); Takeshi Kitano would cement his reputation as one of the world’s forefront auteurs (the National Theatre of Scotland even adapted one of his works); Hayao Miyazaki dared to make cell animation for kids and ended up winning an Oscar and joining forces with Disney; Jun Ichikawa took the notion of adaptation to new levels with the sublime Tony Takitani; while Yoji Yamada grounded the samurai film in reality with a beautiful series of period dramas.

Moving abroad, Tarantino wasn’t the only westerner turning Japanese. Tom Cruise went east for The Last Samurai, a Kurosawa inspired actioner which made supporting player Ken Watanabe the most prominent Asian star in western movies. Watanabe went on to appear in Clint Eastwood’s Letters

From Iwo Jima, a Hollywood studio film with an almost exclusively Japanese cast speaking in their native tongue. Moving away from swords and blood, we had Sofia Coppola’s hip Lost In Translation, a love story which took in hyperactive Tokyo city life and the country’s unique relationship with the natural world.

With this east-meets-west cinematic integration already happening, it shouldn’t be too hard for Glaswegian audience to appreciate the films on show at this year’s GFF. Island of Dreams, for example, is a retro-styled thriller borrowing from the kind of post-war genre cinema that inspired Kill Bill; the Hitchcockian Zero Focus is the second screen adaptation of a revered novel; Miike provides anime-inspired pop art spectacle with Yatterman; Kakera mixes western rock with eastern cool; Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo is a poetic documentary that sounds like a monster movie; while local history, social dilemmas and modern relationships are explored in All Around Us, Vacation, and Bare Essence of Life. There’s also the chance to catch two classics on the big screen: Kurosawa’s Ran and Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira.

Introducing his legendary study Japanese Cinema, Donald Richie pointed out “the peculiar Japanese genius is that of assimilation and incorporation. Any influence in Japan, be it gagaku or rock, is assimilated, digested, and turned into something sometimes rich, often strange, and always Japanese”. You can be guaranteed of seeing something rich, strange and even genius at this year’s Departures.

First to know what’s on 2 22 FEBRUARY 2 THE THECINESKINNY CINESKINNYMONDAY MONDAY 20 FEBRUARY

Bare Essence of Life

Yatterman

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Reviews DOGTOOTH

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Starring: Christos Stergioglou, Aggeliki Papoulia, Michele Valley

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IN YORGOS Lanthimos’ Dogtooth, the outside world is a terrifying place; at least, that’s the fiction two parents have concocted for their three grown-up children, who have never dared leave the house as a result. For a while, it’s hard to know what to make of this absurd set-up, but the absolute conviction of Lanthimos and his amazing cast ensure it is mesmerising viewing nonetheless. The film gradually develops into a brilliant satire that is both hilarious and disturbing – often at the same time – and Lanthimos maintains a flawless control of the film’s tone, while capturing the

weird onscreen events in a series of stunning compositions. As outside elements are introduced into the home, causing the family’s carefully constructed world to unravel, Dogtooth grows increasingly compelling and features a couple of genuinely shocking violent outbursts, before the director caps his film with a perfect final shot.

Dogtooth is a unique and remarkable achievement, containing countless moments that will remain lodged in your memory for months afterwards. [Philip Concannon]

Cineworld, Mon 22 Feb, 18:00

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

WITH ONE VOICE

Director: Niels Arden Oplev Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre

Director: Xavier de Lauzanne

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WHEN ERSTWHILE French rocker Jean-Yves Labat de Rossi decided to bring together musicians from Israel and Palestine, both Jews and Muslims, to form the choir With One Voice (from which the film takes its title), things were never going to be simple. Unable to cross the border between their countries, the group assembled for a tour of France, captured here by documentary filmmaker Xavier de Lauzanne.

Both sides desperately want to avoid discussing politics during the tour, though tensions inevitably arise, but more than anything, this is a film about sound. The intricate

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rhythms of Arab and Jewish music, both modern and traditional, are captured beautifully, while the sound of bombs dropping on Gaza at twilight provides a stark example of everyday reality for these performers. Lauzanne’s film is deeply engaging, often very funny, and never slides into polemics. Stunning music and poignant reminders of the human cost of the conflict make With One Voice a moving, timely and extremely important film. [Jenny Munro]

GFT, Tues 23, 11:30

IN CASE this particular publishing phenomenon has passed you by, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first book in The Millennium Trilogy – a collection of crime novels

by Steig Larsson that explore the corruption ingrained in the higher echelons of Swedish society. The books have topped international bestseller lists in recent years, fuelled in part by the tragic story that Larsson died before they were published, something which has served to give his work a certain mythical status. The film adaptation of the first book tells the story of disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist who is

hired by a wealthy industrialist to explore the disappearance of his niece. As with many translations to screen the film tries to fit a lot into its already lengthy two and a half hours. Despite this it’s an exhilarating ride – well paced, gripping and with an intelligently crafted narrative, meaning it will without doubt have appeal beyond its already established fan base. [Gail Tolley]

GFT, Tues 23, 16:00

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MONDAY FEBRUARY THE THECINESKINNY CINESKINNY 3 3 MONDAY 2022 FEBRUARY

Comprehensive film and event listings for each day of the festival MON 22 FEB HIS GIRL FRIDAY @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 11:00AM UNTIL 12:45PM

PACHAMAMA @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 11:30AM UNTIL 01:15PM

NORTH BY NORTHWEST @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 01:00PM UNTIL 03:20PM

ROOM AND A HALF @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 01:30PM UNTIL 03:45PM

LOVE & RAGE @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 01:45PM UNTIL 03:15PM

KICKING IT @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 01:45PM UNTIL 03:25PM

TRUCKER @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 03:30PM UNTIL 05:00PM

ADRIFT @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 04:00PM UNTIL 05:45PM

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 04:00PM UNTIL 06:45PM CHOPIN: DESIRE FOR LOVE @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 05:45PM UNTIL 08:45PM

DOGTOOTH @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 06:00PM UNTIL 07:45PM YATTERMAN @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 06:00PM UNTIL 08:00PM

THAT EVENING SUN @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 06:15PM UNTIL 08:15PM

AROUND A SMALL MOUNTAIN @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 06:30PM UNTIL 08:00PM

THE GOOD SON @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 07:00PM UNTIL 08:30PM

STRIGOI @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 08:15PM UNTIL 10:00PM

AGAINST THE CURRENT @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 08:30PM UNTIL 10:10PM

VACATION @ GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 08:45PM UNTIL 10:45PM GUILIA DOESN’T DATE AT NIGHT @ CINEWORLD (RENFREW STREET) 09:00PM UNTIL 10:40PM

WHITE STRIPES UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS @ GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 09:00PM UNTIL 10:45PM

COMPETITION If Nick Cave says something is terrifying, it must truly be so. And with his seal of approval, Wake in Fright (Cineworld, Tues 23 Feb, 20.45) is definitely one to watch. A 1971 Donald Pleasence starrer, this tale of alcohol and self-destruction in the Australian outback is considered a lost classic – and here’s your chance to discover it.

All you have to do to win two tickets is tell us:

Nick Cave wrote the screenplay (and music) for what 2005 film?

Email your details with the answer as subject line to: gail@theskinny.co.uk by 10am Tuesday.

Zombie Zombie perform their musical tribute to John Carpenter to a packed audience in Mono.

First to know what’s on 4 22 FEBRUARY 4 THE THECINESKINNY CINESKINNYMONDAY MONDAY 20 FEBRUARY

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