Alive Inside (12A)
four stars
Dir: Michael Rossato-Bennett
Runtime: 77 minutes
MICHAEL Rossato-Bennett’s documentary look at the near miraculous power of music to improve the lives of people with dementia is equal parts exhilarating and heartbreaking. While the focus is America, the lessons about how we treat the elderly hold good for many a society. It is just a pity the film, winner of the audience award at Sundance last year, only has one screening in Scotland so far.
Cameo, Edinburgh, August 4, 18.00
Beyond the Reach (12A)
two stars
Dir: Jean-Baptiste Leonetti
With: Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine
Runtime: 91 minutes
MICHAEL Douglas goes into full Gordon Gekko mode to play an obnoxious LA financier paying big bucks to young tracker Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) to hunt big game in the Mojave desert. Such are the two dimensional characters it is as plain as the sun high in the sky how this tale is going to pan out, even if one cannot quite foresee the ridiculous lengths to which director Jean-Baptiste Leonetti will go to keep his contrived show on the road.
Natural Resistance (12A)
three stars
Dir: Jonathan Nossiter
Runtime: 82 minutes
RUNNING a vineyard in Italy, all rolling hills and luxury villas nearby, might seem like the dream life but not, it appears, if one is a winemaker wanting to go back to a simpler way of life. Then, as Jonathan Nossiter’s documentary shows, it’s hassles with bureaucracy all the way. Beautifully shot and nicely studded with archive footage, Nossiter’s picture is a slight but beguiling watch.
Glasgow Film Theatre, August 5-6
Southpaw (15)
two stars
Dir: Antoine Fuqua
With: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams
Runtime: 124 minutes
ANTOINE “Training Day” Fuqua can usually be relied upon to put a novel spin on familiar genres, but this boxing movie is about as fresh as a pair of old trainers. Jake Gyllenhaal is Billy Hope, the scrapper whose beloved wife (Rachel McAdams) wants him out of the fight game while he still has his health. If only fate, cursed fate, was on their side. A fine performance from Forest Whitaker as Hope’s trainer is still not enough to relieve the barrage of fight film cliches.
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