Carrie (15)
Carrie (15)
Dir: Kimberly Peirce
With: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore
Runtime: 100 minutes
STEPHEN King's telekinesis-wielding creation is given a reboot for the 21st century, though it is such a bland affair one wonders why anyone bothered. The 1976 adaptation had Sissy Spacek as the titular teen; this time it is Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Let Me In) with Julianne Moore as the God-fearing mother who feels no good can come of allowing her baby girl to go to the prom. Both actresses adopt the traditional Hollywood "costume" of no make up and frizzy hair to signal that they are a couple of blow dries short of normal, but it is hard to take all the wide-eyed gurning seriously. Everything has been updated to speak to today's horror movie-attending teens - video uploads, text messages and all - and the special effects are the best modern money can buy; but basic as it was, the original was far more disturbing than this mild teen soap.
Free Birds 3D (U)
Dir: Jimmy Hayward
Voices: Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson
Runtime: 91 minutes
THE distinct sound of the bottom of the ideas barrel being scraped can be heard in this bizarre animated tale of time-travelling turkeys going back to ye olde America to prevent the first Thanksgiving Day from happening. Owen Wilson tries his likeably doofus best as Reggie the wonder turkey, but between the all-American premise, the deranged story and the inability of even animated turkeys to be cute, this is one bird that just won't fly.
Young And Beautiful (18)
Dir: Francois Ozon
With: Marine Vacth, Geraldine Pailhas
Runtime: 94 minutes
AN odd one this from Glasgow Film Festival favourite Francois Ozon (In the House, Potiche). Marine Vatcth is Isabelle, the jeune et jolie Paris teenager of the title. After losing her virginity, Isabelle decides to become another Belle du Jour, hiring herself out to older men for sex. The big tease is that we never quite know why she is doing it, and the question is never sufficiently answered, leaving behind a picture that looks fabulous but is ultimately unsatisfying.
Glasgow Film Theatre, November 29-December 9
Leviathan (12A)
Dirs: Verena Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor
Runtime: 87 minutes
THIS documentary set aboard an Atlantic fishing trawler has been much admired for its spare, unflinching depiction of life on the modern high seas. Blood, guts and much else duly swishes around as giant nets, men and machines scoop fish out of the ocean on a factory-farming scale. We see the shameful waste involved and the harshness of the conditions on board. Imaginatively shot, but with little to no dialogue and not much variation in the scenes, it is a long, hard, bone-chilling haul to the finish line.
Glasgow Film Theatre, November 29-December 5
Day Of The Flowers (15)
Dir: John Roberts
With: Eva Birthistle, Carlos Acosta
Runtime: 99 minutes
CUBA is the setting for this charmer of a drama from John Roberts. Rosa and Ailie are the chalk and cheese Scottish sisters travelling to Castro's kingdom to bury their father's ashes and find out more about their mother's past. Helping them to find some answers is Tomas, played by Carlos Acosta (yes, the one and same ballet superstar). Eirene Houston's screenplay avoids the tourist cliches usually associated with Cuba in favour of a script that is funny, wise, and heartfelt.
Q&A with writer Eirene Houston, Glasgow Cineworld Renfrew Street, tomorrow [FRIDAY], after the 6.30pm screening.
Dirty Wars (15)
Dir: Richard Rowley
Runtime: 86 minutes
JEREMY Scahill is a war reporter and therefore used to piercing the fog of battle. But when he began investigating night raids by US forces in Afghanistan he soon realised this was going to be a murky story like no other. Richard Rowley's disturbing documentary charts Scahill's treks through Washington, Afghanistan and elsewhere to uncover the truth. While the "intrepid journalist goes forth" angle is overcooked, this is essential viewing nonetheless.
Cameo, Edinburgh, December 2, 8.45pm plus panel discussion with producers and Dr Ian Shaw, University of Glasgow.
How To Survive A Plague
Dir: David France
Runtime: 110 minutes
DAVID France's heartbreaking and inspirational documentary looks at the fight by New York's gay community in the 1980s and early 1990s to find a treatment for Aids. Using archive footage from the day and contemporary interviews with activists, doctors and others, France's Oscar-nominated film is a clear-eyed portrait of a movement, splits and all, whose efforts would eventually go on to save the lives of millions. Showing as part of World Aids Day on Sunday.
Cameo, Edinburgh, December 1
Pandora's Promise (12A)
Dir: Robert Stone
Runtime: 87 minutes
NUCLEAR power is a copper-bottomed bad idea, right? Wrong, according to this measured but provocative documentary from Robert Stone. Its strength lies in the fact that the arguments in favour of nuclear come from those who were once deeply opposed to it. Given the increasing demand for energy, they argue, the old assumptions cannot be allowed to remain unchallenged. An eye-opener - particularly on renewables.
Glasgow Film Theatre, December 4, 6.50pm
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article