Neil Young's Film Lounge

E D I N B U R G H : 2 0 0 5

A-Z list of films seen

Antibodies   [6/10]   C.Alvart, Germany   seen Sat 27 Aug
The Beat That My Heart Skipped   [7/10]   J.Audiard, France   Thu 18 Aug
The Dark   [3/10]   J.Fawcett, UK   Wed 24 Aug
Dominion – Prequel to the Exorcist   [7/10]   P.Schrader, USA   Wed 24 Aug
Fingers   [8/10]   J.Toback, USA (1978)  Thu 25 Aug
Ghosts   [7/10]   C.Petzold, Germany   Sat 20 Aug
The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael   [7/10]   T.Clay, UK   Fri 26 Aug
Gunner Palace   [6/10]   M.Tucker/P.Epperlein, USA (docu)   Fri 19 Aug
Land of the Dead   [7/10]   G.A.Romero, USA   Thu 18 Aug
Mars   [5/10]   A.Melikian, Russia   Wed 17 Aug
Mirrormask   [7/10]   D.McKean, UK   Thu 25 Aug
The Moustache   [5/10]   E.Carrere, France   Sun 21 Aug
Murk   [8/10]   J.Johansen, Den/UK   Tue 23 Aug
Nordeste   [6/10]   J.Solanas, international   Fri 26 Aug
Now and Then   [5/10]   J.Lvoff, France   Tue 23 Aug
One Long Winter Without Fire   [7/10]   G.Zglinski, Swi/Bel   Thu 18 Aug
One Nite in Mongkok   [6/10]   D.Yee, China (Hong Kong)   Fri 26 Aug
Our Brand is Crisis   [6/10]   R.Boynton, USA   Sat 20 Aug
P   [6/10]   P.Spurrier, Thai/UK   Wed 17 Aug
Police Beat   [7+/10]   R.Devor, USA   Wed 24 Aug
Popular Music   [5?/10]   R.Bagher, Sweden      Sat 20 Aug (walkout: 60mins)
Radiant   [6/10]   S.Mahone, USA      Sat 20 Aug
Saraband   [6/10]   I.Bergman, Sweden   Thu 18 Aug
Screaming Masterpiece   [5/10]   A.Alexander, Iceland (docu)   Wed 17 Aug
Serenity   [7/10]   J.Whedon, USA   Sun 21 Aug
Snuff-Movie   [6/10]   B.Rose, UK/Rom   Fri 26 Aug
Stoned   [6/10]   S.Woolley, UK   Wed 24 Aug
Tour de Force   [7/10]   Prum/Kremer, Luxembourg (docu)   Fri 26 Aug
Up and Down   [6/10]   J.Hrebejk, Czech Rep   Tue 23 Aug
Weekdays   [6/10]   C.Gebhardt, Germany   Tue 23 Aug
When Will I Be Loved   [6/10]   J.Toback, USA   Sat 20 Aug
Les yeux clairs   [5/10]   J.Bonnell   Thu 18 Aug

I also walked out of The President's Last Bang after one reel (20mins)

Top ten (final)
1. Murk [8/10]
2. Fingers (1978) [8/10]
3. Police Beat [7+/10]
4. The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael [7/10]
5. Mirrormask [7/10]
6. Ghosts [7/10]
7. Tour de Force [7/10]
8. Dominion – Prequel to the Exorcist [7/10]
9. Serenity [7/10]
10. The Beat That My Heart Skipped [7/10]

Most noteworthy performances (pick = *)
Borje Ahlstedt, Saraband
Carole Bouquet, Nordeste
* Nicolas Bro, Murk
Romain Duris, The Beat That My Heart Skipped
Harvey Keitel, Fingers (1977)
Jiri Macacek, Up and Down
* Wotan Wilke Mohring, Antibodies
Linh-Dam Pham, The Beat That My Heart Skipped
* Aurelien Recoing, One Long Winter Without Fire
Aymara Rovera, Nordeste
* Stellan Skarsgard, Dominion – Prequel to the Exorcist
Jewel Staite, Serenity
Sabine Timoteo, Ghosts
Matthew Tompkins, Radiant

Showing at Edinburgh '05 but already seen and reviewed on Jigsaw Lounge:
RECOMMENDED -
[9/10] : The Intruder [aka L'intrus; seen at Rotterdam]
[8/10] : The Wedding [aka Wesele; seen at Crossing Europe, Linz]
[7/10] : The Devil's Miner [Rotterdam]
NOT RECOMMENDED -
[2?/10] : 4 [Rotterdam]

Second opinions on Edinburgh '05:
Richard Brunton           Matthew Turner

THE WORD ON LOTHIAN ROAD…
I'm seeing as much as I can at Edinburgh '05, but obviously it isn't possible to catch everything, and scheduling often means you have to choose between two (or three, or sometimes four) films you want to watch. But I have heard reports of most of the titles, and can pass on the following:
SUPPOSEDLY OUTSTANDING (*****) The Aristocrats, Tsotsi
SUPPOSEDLY VERY GOOD (****) Grizzly Man, Gypo, Junebug, Pucker Up, Rag Tale,
                                                    Thumbsucker
SUPPOSEDLY SO-SO (***) Green Street, Kinky Boots, On A Clear Day, Wah-Wah
SUPPOSEDLY POOR (**) Asylum, The Business, Guy X
SUPPOSEDLY AWFUL (*) Battle In Heaven
    [nb "linked" titles are those reviewed after the end of EIFF '05]

If you're visiting Edinburgh, Jigsaw Lounge recommends :
Highfield Guest House (Mayfield Rd)
Biketrax bike-hire, equipment & sales (Lochrin Pl, next to Cameo cinema)
Blue Blazer pub (Spittal St / Bread St, opposite Point Hotel)
Rialto budget Italian restaurant (Home St, opposite Cameo cinema)
Bar Italia mid-price Italian restaurant (Lothian Rd, next to Filmhouse)
     often frequented by EIFF delegates and staff (but not Shane D)
La Garrigue upmarket French restaurant (Jeffrey St, nr Waverley Station)
Jasmine Chinese restaurant (Grindlay St, nr Filmhouse)
Wired internet cafe (Lothian Rd, nr Tollcross) - where most of 
      these reports were written.