Amour Fou (12A)

three stars

Dir: Jessica Hausner

With: Christian Friedel, Birte Schnoeink

Runtime: 94 minutes

AUSTRIAN director Jessica Hausner (Lourdes) makes slow, painstakingly assembled dramas that should be as entertaining as watching paint dry, yet somehow prove riveting. She manages the same miracle here with the story of Heinrich von Kleist, a 19th century romantic poet who can think of no finer way to express the pain of living and loving than to kill himself. That's romantic poets for you. He does not want to die alone, however, which is where Henriette, a wife and mother, comes in. Hausner constructs every scene like a oil painting, complete with dogs for decoration. Icily restrained, but there are fireworks here too.

Glasgow Film Theatre, February 13-17

Shaun the Sheep Movie (U)

four stars

Dirs: Richard Starzack, Mark Burton

Voices: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes

Runtime: 85 minutes

THE woolly star of the small screen and previous Aardmans is given a whole movie to himself, and eeh baa gum does he bring home the laughs. As usual, not a decipherable word is spoken as Shaun hatches an idea to take a day off from the same old farm stuff, only to see his best laid plans go seriously agley when the farmer comes a cropper in the big city. Gloriously silly from start to finish, with plenty of jokes, slapstick and otherwise, for all ages. Give that sheep a hoof print on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Grease Sing-A-Long (PG)

four stars

Dir: Randal Kleiser

With: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John

Runtime: 110 minutes

HERE is something a touch different for Valentine's Day if you don't fancy the crush to see 50 Shades of Grey (speaking of which, due to an absence of press previews - make of that what you will - the adaptation of EL James's erotic novel will be reviewed in The Herald on Saturday). What could be finer than taking a drive down memory lane, all the way back to 1978, and singing out of tune to some of the finest popular classics committed to film? All together now: "Summer dreams, ripped at the seams, but OH those summer ni-hi-gh-t-s..."

Cineworlds, February 14 only.