Glasgow Film Festival: Best Of The Best
The Glasgow Film Festival runs from 17th to 28th February will screen a host of up and coming films from crowd pleasers to award winners. Covering everything from a 1950s film industry satire to a dystopian (and dysfunctional) tower of wealth and power, the gala films certainly rise to the occasion – Here are five that the Festival will be featuring…
Hail, Caesar!
Kick off the week with the celebrated Coen Brothers’ newest release. Set in the 1950s, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is Capitol Pictures go-to guy when it comes to protecting the image of the studio’s celebrities and fixing whatever problems they’ve caused. Hail, Caesar is set to be the studio’s largest production of the year, but problems arise when the star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), is kidnapped. To top it off, rival gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton) are on to Eddie and his prowling moves against the press. Will Eddie be able to fix the biggest problem of his career?
Miles Ahead
Miles Davis is known in the jazz world as a historical figure that shaped the development of jazz. Miles Ahead is set in the 1970s around Davis and his drug use and medical problems. Miles (Don Cheadle) is approached by journalist Dave Braden (Ewan McGregor) claiming to be a reporter for Rolling Stone. Braden wants to talk about a massive comeback from Davis, but he is completely unaware of his ‘comeback.’ The duo set out on a wild adventure that starts to stray away from the article, giving Miles Davis the momentum for the comeback that shapes his career.
Disorder
Alice Wincour’s second feature film stars Matthias Schoenaerts as Vincent, a former solider struggling with PTSD symptoms that plague him since his return from Afghanistan. Vincent receives a job offer from a Lebanese businessman, Whalid (Percy Kemp), to protect his wife Jessie (Diane Kruger) and their young son. Starting to sense a threat at the family’s estate, Vincent must come to terms with his symptoms that deter him from uncovering the truth.
Truth
James Vanderbilt’s newest film captures what many people believe to be the fall of investigative journalism. 60 Minutes was the American broadcast frontrunner for delivering truthful stories through the voice of veteran journalist Dan Rather (Robert Redford). The news show’s producer Mary Mapes (Kate Blanchett) pursued a story based around George W. Bush and alleged treatment that prevented him from having to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. A once reputable news show gets pulled apart by accusations of political bias from Bush supporters and a long battle for journalistic integrity is waged.
High-Rise
J G Ballard’s dystopian novel is re-imagined by director British director Ben Wheatley in this 1975 tale of dark breakdowns in a posh London high-rise that has all of the amenities needed to ensure its inhabitants never have to leave. Tom Hiddleston stars as the newest resident, while Jeremy Irons is the architect, watching the class chaos from a distance.
Tickets are available now: www.glasgowfilm.org/festival
Paula Hammond - Features Editor
