Film reviews: Once Upon A Time In Anatolia | Into The Abyss: A Tale Of Death, A Tale Of Life | Streetdance 2

Siobhan Synnot on the rest of the week’s releases...

Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (15)

****

The latest film from Turkish co-writer and director Nuri Bilge Ceylan is like an episode of CSI slowed down to almost trippy levels of poetic circuitousness. A body has been found, the murderer is in police custody trying to recollect where he did the deed. Meanwhile, dogs bark, buffalo yogurt is subjected to debate and prostate problems given a thorough examination. It’s the kind of film that seems to take its sweet time going nowhere but after 157 minutes, it finally comes together as a cumulative pleasure.

Filmhouse, Edinburgh until 8 April and Cameo, Edinburgh from 10 April

Into The Abyss: A Tale Of Death, A Tale Of Life (12A)

***

Werner Herzog authors an investigation into a 1991 triple homicide in Texas and its resulting fallout, including the execution of 28-year-old Michael Perry, one of two men convicted of the crime as a teenager. Although Herzog conducts the interviews, he doesn’t provide his usual voiceover with its extravagant editorials and theorising. It’s much missed, and what we’re left with is a community struggling to come to terms with the emotional toll of the crimes, and a documentary which feels a little overwhelmed.

Dundee Contemporary Arts and Cameo, Edinburgh, 27 March

Streetdance 2 (PG)

**

More streetwise dance-offs, this time proposing Tom Conti as the uncle of a Latin American dance sensation. During the film you might care to consider where Tom’s character is supposed to be from, since he lives in France, has a Spanish name but talks like his Greek cafe owner in Shirley Valentine. A perfunctory plot about assembling a Euroteam capable of taking on Flawless won’t distract you too much from this important issue, while the choreography has all the fun of the Sharks vs The Jets without the charm.

On general release from Friday