If you are a fan of the TV series Spaced, you will remember a scene where Tim and Daisy bond over watching skate videos. Making increasingly more audible and physical reactions as the falls and hits as people fall off their boards get more and more extreme and intense.
This was the scene in the Glasgow Film Theatre during the Opening Gala UK premiere of Jonah Hill’s Mid90s.
They were one voice reacting with uproarious laughter one minute and shock and horror the next as the lead character Stevie (played by Sunny Suljic and based only slightly autobiographically on Hill), learns to face what life throws at him, whether that be ollies, grinds, girls or punches; pick himself up and get back on the board.
It is a testament to Jonah Hill’s directorial debut that if you didn’t know, you would believe that Mid90s was made in the Mid 90s.
Shot entirely on 16mm, it has the look and feel of the skate videos that the character of Fourth Grade wants to produce.
Soundtracked by some of the period’s greatest hits (who didn’t have a copy of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged gig on at every gathering?), Hill showcases some real talent behind the camera. Particularly during a house party scene that features some Superbad use of editing and camerawork. Now that is superbad meaning good of course, as was the vernacular in the Nineties.
There is a rawness to the film that is reminiscent of Larry Clark’s Kids. Although not as extreme or exploitative, it is honest in its portrayal of what the youth culture was engaging in at the time.
Mid90s is about finding your place in this world and Jonah Hill may have found his place in the industry. Albeit a future where he is behind the camera instead of in front of it.
This week the Glasgow Film Festival announced the full line up for this year and once again they never fail to deliver the goods.
From 20 February to 3 March, the city's 15th annual celebration of cinema will feature 337 events and screenings including 7 World premieres, 102 UK premieres and 49 Scottish premieres.
The full brochure can be viewed and downloaded here but for now, here are my top ten screenings you should grab a ticket for when they go on sale at 10.00am on Monday 28th January.
Tickets for all performances can be booked here.
Alien
Every year, GFF pull out all the stops when it comes to their Special Event screenings and 2019 is no different with 20th anniversary events for The Blair Witch Project and Fight Club but as someone called Dallas, the screening for me had to be a 40th anniversary celebration of Alien that includes a scary, interactive laser tag build up to the main event.
Dragged Across Concrete
Following on from his incredible debut Bone Tomahawk and sophomore effort Brawl On Cell Block 99, can writer-director S. Craig Zahler make it three for three with his latest film?
At the very least, this tale of two police officers' descent into the criminal underworld should continue the welcome career re-Vaughn-aissance of Vince Vaughn following his revelatory turn in Brawl with another film that is as harsh and unforgiving as the concrete surface after which it is named.
Eighth Grade
As one half of The A24 Project, it is no surprise to see this film on the list. Originally released in the US in August 2018 having made its way through the festival circuit (picking up Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations along the way), UK audiences have to wait until 26th April to see Bo Burnham's stunning coming-of-age film go up against Avengers: Endgame... unless of course you are lucky enough to catch this screening complete with Q&A with Burnham!
Fighting With My Family
When it comes to cinematic tag teams, can you think of an odder but more perfect pairing than The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment and King of the Box Office Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Stephen Merchant? IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!
Produced by (and starring) The Rock, Stephen Merchant directs Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden in this comedy-drama based on the true story of how Norwich-born Saraya-Jade Bevis defied all the odds to make it to the top of the WWE as Paige, becoming a WWE Divas Champion along the way.
Mid90s
This year's Opening Gala is Jonah Hill's directorial debut and another coming-of-age story for A24, this time set in the mid 90s and revolves a 13 year old kid finding a place in the world of skateboarding and the music that defined an era.
The Sisters Brothers
The cast list alone is enough for Jacques Audiard's Western to make the list as it includes Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Riz Ahmed and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The Surprise Film
Place your bets now. Possibilities include Serenity, Us, The Kindergarten Teacher, At Eternity's Gate, Hellboy and High Life.
Under The Silver Lake
Completing the hat trick of A24 films screening in Glasgow, David Robert Mitchell's urban noir promises to subvert the genre in the same way as he did with his horror debut It Follows.
The Vanishing
What's this? A Gerard Butler film being a must see at a festival?! No, it's not a sequel to Geostorm. Butler actually has form when it comes to homegrown filmmaking, just check out Dear Frankie. In this film, he costars with Peter Mullan as part of a trio of lighthouse keepers who are assigned to a remote island but a terrifying discovery threatens to pull the trust and friendship between the men apart.
Vox Lux
Now I was lucky enough to catch this film in New York in December but I can heartily recommend this dark cousin to A Star Is Born to anyone attending the festival. My only caveat is, don't read or watch anything about this film before seeing it. It is best experienced, like revenge, cold.
Very surprised that Natalie Portman's performance in this has not made more waves on the Awards race this year and she is fantastic.
One of the great things about attending the Glasgow Film Festival every year is how inclusive it feels. There is literally something for everybody screening during the festival. That includes the opportunity to see a classic film for FREE every morning from Thursday 22nd February to Sunday 4th March as part of their Rebel Heroes strand. Rebel Heroes salutes the classic male mavericks and misfits who left an indelible impression on the movies. These include the likes of Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, James Dean and Elvis Presley.
The season began with Angels With Dirty Faces starring James Cagney as gangster Rocky Sullivan, a lifelong criminal who is asked to give up his wicked ways by his childhood friend who is a priest looking to steer the local neighbourhood children away from a life of crime.
It features a tour-de-force performance from Cagney and one of the all-time great and most debated movie endings of all time.
Just as good as the films that are selected are the introductions that accompany every screening delivered by Festival Co-Director Allan Hunter. Allan provides some history and context to the film you will watch along with some fascinating film trivia. The perfect way to start your festival day!
Here is a list of the screenings coming up during the rest of the fest. Free tickets available on the door each morning prior to the screening.
Friday 23rd February - The Grapes Of Wrath
Saturday 24th February - On The Waterfront
Sunday 25th February - Rebel Without A Cause
Monday 26th February - Jailhouse Rock
Tuesday 27th February - The Defiant Ones
Wednesday 28th February - Breathless
Thursday 1st March - Cool Hand Luke
Friday 2nd March - Bullitt
Sunday 4th March - Dog Day Afternoon
In 1492, Columbus went looking for India. He didn't find what he was originally looking for but it turned out to be a fortuitous stroke of luck that he discovered America.
In Kogonada's Columbus, two strangers are both searching for something. A way out of their current existence. Instead they find each other and even though it wasn't what they were initially seeking, it turns out they were exactly what they were looking for.
John Cho plays Jin (with an N), the son of a Korean architect who arrives in Columbus, Indiana to visit his father who has suffered a stroke. It is clear that he would rather be anywhere else but is stuck there until his father recovers or passes away.
It is here that he meets Cassandra (although everyone calls her Casey), played by Haley Lu Richardson in what should be a breakout performance. Casey works in a local library but has the potential to excel in studies outwith the small town but she remains there to look after her mother who is a recovering drug addict.
Together the two of them form a bond walking around the town admiring the modern architecture that has made Columbus a mecca for design enthusiasts whilst building the foundations of a relationship stronger than the buildings around them.
Just like these visionary structures, Columbus looks absolutely beautiful. Every single shot has been carefully designed and constructed to enhance the viewing pleasure, delivering a sense of symmetry not seen outside of a Wes Anderson film.
For Jin and Casey, each of them could be one another's guardian angel and a reading of the story could be that Columbus is Purgatory. A waiting room for lost souls. Operating on a one in, one out policy that will see tough choices and sacrifices to be made in order for one of the characters to achieve their potential.
Writer-director Kogonada has previously developed short documentaries on filmmakers such as Anderson, Ozu and Linklater and it is easy to see their influence on his debut feature but has shown enough subtlety and craftsmanship to suggest he is the architect of his own career from now on.
Wes Anderson makes a triumphant return to the Glasgow Film Festival (The Grand Budapest Hotel launched the 2014 festival) and the world of stop motion animation following 2009’s Fantastic Mr Fox, with Isle of Dogs.
Set in Megasaki City, Japan, it follows the story of a young boy Atari who travels to Trash Island to save his dog Spots who has been exiled there along with all canines following an outbreak of Dog Flu by the villainous Mayor Kobayashi, whose family has been holding a grudge against the animals ever since an amusing prologue sequence where their cat-loving ancestor was defeated in battle against the dogs.
Crash landing on the island after stealing a plane, Atari is met by a pack of dogs who will help him on his quest to be reunited with his pet. Even if one of them is resistant to the idea of helping a human, a stray called Chief (voiced by Anderson-newcomer Bryan Cranston).
With that synopsis, so far, so Pixar but that is where the comparisons end… with the exception that Trash Island, built up of cubes of rubbish, looks like it was constructed by Wall-E.
Just like his adaptation of Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox, Anderson manages to fill every frame, character and line of dialogue with his unique style and sense of whimsy, quirkiness and humour.
This is clear from the outset when the audience is told that the human characters will speak in their native tongue (Japanese with the odd piece of translation by an interpreter) but all the dogs barks have been changed to English.
This trick puts the audience firmly on the side of the dogs, who are the victims of “fake news” and propaganda from a government who is using the dog flu outbreak to push through their own personal agenda to rid the country of canines before the flu crosses over to the human population. Even to the point of covering up a cure for the disease.
This cover up brings in the second part of the story, which features a group of students investigating the corruption and leading protests against the government, which handily features a foreign exchange student from America (Greta Gerwig, whose tones prove a Great Earwig) to provide a recognisable voice in the fight.
Indeed, the story is much more grown up than Fox and it will be interesting to see what the audience will be for this film as it feels like a more adult tale told within the animation medium.
So in that respects, Anderson has chosen wisely by setting the story in Japan because Studio Ghibli has spent the last few decades making films for families that have very difficult subject matter e.g. My Neighbour Totoro is about loss of a family member, Grave Of The Fireflies is set during the Hiroshima bombing.
However the central crux of the role of man’s best friend in society, the importance of looking after them and rewarding their loyalty is matched with boundless charm and levity by the voice work of a stellar cast of Anderson regulars including Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Jeff Goldblum who is hilarious as a gossip-hungry dog whose catchphrase becomes “Did you hear the rumour about…”
Yet it is Bryan Cranston’s scrappy stray Chief who is the Best In Show, going on an arc that is as epic as Noah’s, and all of it is believable thanks to Cranston’s vocal performance.
Also, as strange as it may sound, Isle of Dogs provides what could be 2018’s most flirtatious and sexiest scene of the year… between two stop motion animation dogs as Chief is introduced to show dog Nutmeg voiced by Scarlett Johannson.
But that is just a credit to the outstanding work of the animators and puppet designers who handcrafted each animal to a level of believability that the audience forget they are watching an animation.
The detail on each individual dog is astounding and helps in providing each with its own sense of character and identity.
You know that a filmmaker has achieved the desired effect when an entire auditorium collectively “Awwwws” at the sight of five newborn puppies on screen. Yes, hundreds of people audibly reacting to a puppy made out of plasticine and fur.
The design of the characters and settings provides a Kurosawa feel to the movie, enhanced by Alexandre Desplat’s wonderful score that makes great use of Taiko drumming.
Deftly walking the tightrope of Eastern and Western influences, Anderson has bred a film of the highest pedigree that must already be the favourite to win the Best Animated Film at next year’s Oscars.
Just like the play on words in the title, even the most ardent cat person will come out of Isle Of Dogs boldly exclaiming “I love dogs!”. You would be barking mad to miss it!
Last night Glasgow Film Festival announced the full line up for this year and boy have that delivered once again.
Not only does the festival feature five of my 18 Most Anticipated Films of 2018 but over 330 events and screenings will take place in a variety of venues across the city including 13 World and European premieres, 77 UK premieres, 52 Scottish premieres and some incredibly special event screenings.
The full brochure can be viewed and downloaded here but for now, here are my top ten screenings you should grab a ticket for when they go on sale at 10.00am on Monday 29th January*
*NB - not including the Opening Gala of Isle of Dogs as it is completely sold out!
Dawn Of The Dead
Sunday 25th February
1978's Dawn Of The Dead helped to define the zombie genre as we know it, as well as being a prescient social satire on consumerism. Glasgow Film Festival pride themselves on delivering some of the very best pop-up and interactive Event Cinema experiences each year and you can enjoy a 40th anniversary screening of this horror classic after evading zombies around the city centre in an interactive treasure hunt towards the film's secret location.
Die Hard
Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th February
The greatest Christmas film ever made is so good, you can even enjoy it in an office building in Glasgow in the middle of February. Welcome to the party pal!
Ghost Stories
Thursday 1st March
Frightfest returns to GFT for another two days of heart-pounding horror on the 2nd & 3rd March but it kicks off on the Thursday with the Scottish premiere of Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson's terrifying screen adaptation of their chilling stage show Ghost Stories. Nyman & Dyson will be there to introduce the film and take part in a Q&A following the screening.
Groundhog Day
Thursday 22nd February - Saturday 3rd March
One of the most frustrating things about a festival is that a film will generally only have one or two screenings and the times may clash with something else so you will inevitably miss something you really want to see. Well #GFF18 have thought of a genius and elegant solution to seeing a classic film during the festival. Because Groundhog Day will play every day from 22nd February to 3rd March at same time in the same place!
In Person: Ben Wheatley
Sunday 4th March
GFF favourite Ben Wheatley returns to the festival where he has debuted Down Terrace, High-Rise and Free Fire. This year he doesn't have a film to premiere so instead expect a hugely entertaining interview and Q&A as he talks about his career to date.
Lucky
Sunday 25th & Monday 26th February
Star of Alien, Repo Man and Pretty In Pink, Harry Dean Stanton was one of the finest character actors to ever grace the silver screen. Lucky is his final big screen performance and a fitting swansong to his immense talents and starring with his longtime collaborator David Lynch.
Sicilian Ghost Story
Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd March
A real-life Mafia kidnapping is transformed into a gothic, supernatural fantasy with echoes of Pan's Labyrinth as a young girl Luna attempts to find out what happened to her classmate Giuseppe when he is kidnapped by the Mafia to silence his father.
Surprise Film
Wednesday 28th February
Let the speculation begin! The annual surprise film screening always has people chipping in their two cents worth of opinions over what people might see. In the past the surprises have included The Voices, Love & Friendship and The Lost City Of Z. Personally, this year I'm thinking I, Tonya or The Leisure Seeker.
The Party's Just Beginning
Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th Febuary
Between filming the huge box office blockbusters Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and Avengers: Infinity War, the incredibly busy and talented Karen Gillan has found the time to write and direct her first feature film set in her hometown of Inverness. The story of a young woman coming to terms with the loss of a friend will debut at the festival with Gillan taking to the red carpet to introduce the film.
You Were Never Really Here
Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th February
Director Lynne Ramsay will receive a hero's welcome when she returns to her home town with her hard-boiled, brutal tale of Joaquin Phoenix's avenger Joe tasked with rescuing a Senator's daughter from the sex trade... by any means necessary.
Also bonus points for calling a strand of Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian film Pure Baltic!
The 2015 Glasgow Film Festival kicked off in style last night... well, the type of style that includes pork pie hats and skinny jeans because the film chosen to open proceedings was While We're Young by Noah Baumbach.
A couple in their forties (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) are growing restless and treading water. Stiller's character is still working on a documentary project he started ten years ago. Unable (or unwilling to have children) they are losing touch with their friends who are having kids, etc. When they meet a young hipster couple at one of Stiller's lectures, they embrace their "joie de vivre" spirit and start embracing the "hipster" lifestyle but it starts to put hitherto unknown pressures on their work and relationship.
Baumbach's last film Frances Ha was centred around a group of New York hipsters and alienated a lot of viewers who just didn't particularly like or understand this "scene" and there was some initial hesitance going into this film that it would be more of the same.
However, Baumbach's screenplay is very much written from the point of view of the older characters and therefore whilst it paints an alluring picture to convince you that a world of homemade ice cream, street cookouts, pork pie hats and hip hop dance classes would appeal to a couple going through a mid-life crisis, it is not afraid to call the hipsters on the "oh aren't we cool, we use a typewriter" bullshit.
As the gloss starts to fade on their newfound "lifestyle" and friends (Adam Driver plays his role well coming across as appealing yet also a bit of a douche), Josh rallies against it. Bemoaning the fact that there are bands ironically named after adverts he saw as a kid. Or having a massive vinyl collection because it looks good in the oversized loft apartment where for Josh it was essential as a young guy as it was the only way to listen to music.
Stiller's Josh is from a generation of documentary filmmaker, inspired by his father-in-law (a nice cameo by Charles Grodin), where truth is paramount. Adam Driver's Jamie is of the generation where truth is "nice and all" but not if it gets in the way of telling a good story.
The first two thirds of the film are very funny, with a slight Nathan Barley-feel to its critique of a culture (amplified by great performances from Stiller and Watts as the fish out of water) but once an actual "plot" comes in and Stiller tries to expose his protege Jamie (who has now exceeded Josh's success) as a fraud, it feels rather weak and underwhelming.
Indeed, Josh's final rant and speech comes across as anti-climatic yet perhaps this is the point. The world is changing and people have to accept that and embrace the change... although they themselves do not have to change and instead be comfortable in their own skin.
After all, I myself am 34 years old and own a few trilbies but found myself agreeing with the viewpoint of the 44 year olds.
Perhaps Huey Lewis and the News were right and it IS hip to be square these days.
