Bullet to the Head (15)
HH
Dir: Walter Hill
With: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang
Runtime: 91 minutes
SYLVESTER Stallone dons the tight vest of knuckle-headed heroism once more in this stupendously daft actioner. Sly plays James Bonomo, a hit man who is really a big softie at heart. When a job goes wrong, Bonomo finds himself in alliance with a Korean-American cop (Sung Kang).
Sly growls like a bear and looks like an angry lobster with muscles, while Kang does a better turn as the geeky cop frequently rolling his eyes heavenwards at the dinosaurs around him. Any similarities between this plot and Hill's previous hit, 48 Hours, are purely coincidental.
Bullhead (15)
HHHH
Dir: Michael R Roskam
With: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeanne Dandoy
Runtime: 124 minutes
IF you were impressed by Matthias Schoenaerts in Rust and Bone, here's an equally splendid drama he did earlier.
The Belgian actor stars as Jacky, a cattle farmer who is dabbling, personally and professionally, in the illegal hormone market. In the course of setting up a new deal, Jacky is reunited with a friend from the past, a friend who knows Jacky only too well.
A gripping crime story is given added heft by Schoenaerts' portrayal of a man struggling to contain his rage with the world.
Glasgow Film Theatre, February 1-7.
Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away 3D (PG)
HHH
Dir: Andrew Adamson
With: Erica Linz, Igor Zaripov
Runtime: 91 minutes
THE performing troupe brings its brand of modern circus to the screen with the help of director Andrew Adamson (The Chronicles of Narnia) and executive producer James Cameron. The plot is A to B simple: girl sees boy at circus, both fall into a mysterious world below, will they find each other, etc.
Watching the first section feels like being trapped in some hellish Marcel Marceau theme park, with white faces and grande gestures galore, and despite the performing feats and 3D it looks lifeless on the screen.
Stick around. The music gets better, with a heavy sprinkling of Beatles songs, and the swoops and tumbles become progressively more thrilling.
First Position (N/C 12+)
HHH
Dir: Bess Kargman
Runtime: 90 minutes
THE Glasgow Youth Film Festival starts this week with the animated family movie Sammy's Great Escape 3D on Sunday.
Among the other offerings, Bess Kargman's First Position is a must-see for young dancers. Set at the Youth America Grand Prix, where 5000 youngsters compete for places at elite schools and dance companies, Kargman follows a group of hopefuls from initial trials to final auditions.
She has a good eye for a story, even if the choices – American princess versus Cuban outsider, for example – are a little obvious.
Sammy's Great Escape, Glasgow Film Theatre, February 3, 4.30pm; First Position, GFT, February 5, 12.45pm and 6.15pm.
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