All articles by Allan Hunter – Page 66
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Reviews
The Quiet American
Director: Phillip Noyce. US-UK. 2002. 101minsThe fatal global consequences of blundering American naivety are brought into sharp focus by Phillip Noyce's elegantly understated adaptation of the Graham Greene novel. First published in 1955, Greene's spare, prophetic fiction told of America's misguided adventures in the politics of Indo-China through a love ...
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Reviews
The Magdalene Sisters
Dir: Peter Mullan. UK-Ireland. 2002. 118minsShocking true events are transformed into a powerful and moving human drama in The Magdalene Sisters. The second feature from writer-director Peter Mullan, the film is an angry cry from the heart rendered all the more effective by its restraint and burning sense of injustice ...
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News
Scottish Screen appoints new Chair
Ray McFarlane has been appointed as the new Chair of Scottish Screen.Currently senior director of business banking at the Bank Of Scotland, she replaces James Lee whose four year term of office ended in May. McFarlane has been a member of the Scottish Screen Board since its inception in 1997 ...
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Reviews
The Last Great Wilderness
Dir: David Mackenzie. UK. 2002. 90minsAn idiosyncratic combination of stalled road movie and psychological drama, The Last Great Wilderness marks a promising feature debut from director David Mackenzie. The dry, dark wit and unpredictable nature of the narrative reveal it to have more in common with the sensibility of early ...
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News
UK documentary scheme emerges from Edinburgh
A proposed pilot scheme to boost UK theatrical audiences for documentaries was unveiled at Edinburgh during the closing weekend of the Film Festival.Inspired by the Docuzone initiative in the Nederlands and growing figures for the Sheffield Touring Festival, the scheme, titled Docuspace, is ultimately intended to devise a dedicated exhibition ...
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Reviews
Volcano High (Whasango)
Dir: Kim Tae-gyun. Korea. 2001. 99minsA manic, manga-style mixture of frenzied fight sequences and hysterical comedy, Volcano High makes Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon seem like a sedate stroll in the park by comparison. Downplaying narrative cohesion in favour of spectacular martial arts moves, it should find an eager audience among ...
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News
Edinburgh: Out Of Control wins best British film award
Dominic Savage's Out Of Control received the Michael Powell Award for Best British Film at the 56th Edinburgh International Film Festival which closed on Sunday with the British premiere of Christopher Nolan's thriller Insomnia. Savage's improvised drama, that tells of a teenage boy whose life is made a living hell ...
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News
Edinburgh: UK creative talent back on song
What a difference a year makes. Last year at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, there was much talk of a British section that was considered lightweight and lacking in quality. Inevitably, it was seen as a reflection on the whole industry.This year, Morvern Callar, All Or Nothing, Heartlands and My ...
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Reviews
Heartlands
Director: Damien O'Donnell. UK. 2002. 98minsAnswering the question of how you follow an international success like East Is East (1999), director Damien O'Donnell's second feature Heartlands is a slow-burning delight that will steal audience hearts just as effectively as his broader, more obviously crowd-pleasing debut. A gentle road movie filled ...
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Reviews
Out Of Control
Director: Dominic Savage. UK. 2002. 90 minsAn angry, nihilistic drama told with gut-renching conviction, Out Of Control confirms writer-director Dominic Savage as the standard bearer for the raw, social realist traditions established and refined by Ken Loach and the late Alan Clarke. A largely improvised story intended for transmission on ...
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Reviews
The Eye (Oko)
Directors: Oxide and Danny Pang. Hong Kong-Thailand. 2002. 98minsAn atmospheric blend of psychological thriller and eerie ghost story, The Eye sees director brothers Danny and Oxide Pang follow the highly stylised, hitman thriller Bangkok Dangerous (which won the FIPRESCI prize at Toronto two years ago) with a successful foray into ...
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Reviews
The Guru
Dir: Daisy von Scherler Mayer. UK-US. 2002. 94minsFeatherweight, feel good escapism, The Guru grafts a modish Bollywood sensibility on to a tried and tested fish-out-of-water comedy scenario. The end result is technically polished candy floss that tries desperately hard to please, with a cartoonish approach and casual disregard for basic ...
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News
Tomorrow La Scala withdrawn from Edinburgh
Francesa Joseph's debut feature Tomorrow, La Scala! has been withdrawn from its UK premiere slot at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival (Aug 14-25).Well received at Cannes, the film centres on small operetta company's staging of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in a maximum-security prison. It is understood an unresolved copyright ...
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Reviews
My Little Eye
Dir: Marc Evans. UK-US-Fr. 2002. 95mins.Ratings-hungry reality television meets The Blair Witch Project in My Little Eye, an effective, low-budget chiller that leaves its distinctive imprint on the scary movie tradition. Manoeuvring skilfully within genre requirements, director Marc Evans achieves an impressive balance between atmospheric, slow-burning suspense and the kind ...
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News
Edinburgh unveils full festival line-up
The 56th Edinburgh International Film Festival (August 14 - 25) will open with the UK premiere of Lynne Ramsay's acclaimed Morvern Callar and close with Christopher Nolan's hit thriller Insomnia.Gala screenings joining previously the announced titles: Tadpole, The Guru, Rabbit Proof Fence, 8 Femmes and Changing Lanes include Mark ...
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News
Edinburgh unveils impressive festival line-up
The 56th Edinburgh International Film Festival (August 14 - 25) will open with the UK premiere of Lynne Ramsey's acclaimed Morvern Callar and close with Christopher Nolan's hit thriller Insomnia.Gala screenings joining previously the announced titles: Tadpole, The Guru, Rabbit Proof Fence, 8 Femmes and Changing Lanes include Mark ...
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Reviews
Tomorrow La Scala
Director: Francesca Joseph. UK. 2002. 108 mins. Funny, stylish and deeply moving, Tomorrow La Scala! is a little gem of a first feature from award-winning documentary filmmaker Francesca Joseph. Inspired by the director's own experiences and partially improvised over three weeks of workshops, it finds real depth and feeling in ...
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Reviews
Une Pure Coincidence
Dir: Romain Goupil. France. 2002. 92mins.Friends for more than 30 years, a group of radicals rediscover their passion for direct action in Une Pure Coincidence. The result is a timely, entertaining documentary notable for its warm spirit and light humour. Lacking a professional polish or great visual appeal, it is ...
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Reviews
Le Pays Du Chien Qui Chante
Dir: Yann Dedet. France. 2002. 95 mins. A quirky, unassuming first feature from highly respected editor Yann Dedet, Le Pays Du Chien Qui Chante displays a number of agreeable qualities without every blossoming into compelling viewing. Possessed of a gentle nature and a quiet humour, it may charm a few ...
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Reviews
17 Fois Cecile Cassard
Dir: Christophe Honore. France. 2002. 105mins. A patchily promising first feature from writer turned director Christophe Honore, 17 Fois Cecile Cassard charts a woman's agonising struggle to rebuild her life after the devastating death of her husband. Told in 17 snapshots of moments that define her journey from abject misery ...