Film reviews: Ping Pong | Swandown | A Simple Life | Flowers Of War

By Siobhan Synnot
Published on 12/08/2012 05:27

Siobhan Synnot reviews the best of the new cinema releases

Ping Pong (PG)

****

Hugh Hartford traces the progress of eight players as they fight for supremacy at the 2010 championships in China, in the over-80s category. Funny, sprightly and rather inspiring.

Cameo, Edinburgh, Thursday

Swandown (12A)

***

Another Olympic-themed offering, filmmaker Andrew Kötting and writer Iain Sinclair pedal a swan pedalo from Hastings to the Olympic Park in Hackney. Conceived as a snippy statement about London 2012, the finished film is more digressive – aimless, but not joyless.

Glasgow Film Theatre, 20-22 August

A Simple Life (PG)

***

Chinese superstar Andy Lau stars in this surprisingly simple story of a filmmaker and the amah (Deannie Yip) who has cared for him since he was born. Now he has to face a reversal of roles in this warm, delicate reflection on love and separation.

Filmhouse, Edinburgh, from Friday and Glasgow Film Theatre from 24 August

Flowers Of War (15)

**

Christian Bale stars as an American who protects a group of schoolgirls during the 1937 Japanese occupation of Nanking. Zhang Yimou directs an oddly gorgeous, clunkily scripted melodrama.

Dundee Contemporary Arts, from Friday

The Forgiveness Of Blood (12A)

***

A young man in Albania becomes the target of a blood feud after his father slays a neighbour. The conflict between past tribal traditions and modern teenage life is interesting, but when the boy is bored by imprisonment, it’s hard not to empathise.

Glasgow Film Theatre from Friday