No Scottish films among the greats? We Begbie to differ!

As the Italian Job is voted Britain's greatest ever film, Ray Philp asks eminent Edinburgh movie critic Mark Cousins which was the best ever to come out of Scotland

A bus see-sawing over a cliff in a mountainous vista of northern Italy and classic Mini Coopers scuttling through the narrow streets are just some of the iconic scenes that form the greatest British film of all time, according to a poll.

Sky Movies HD's definition of "Britishness" has Alfred Hitchcock down as the greatest director, Sir Anthony Hopkins as the greatest lead actor and Colin Firth as the greatest supporting actor.

Worthy choices, but some may argue that any discussion on British cinema should, by definition, make mention of Scotland's not inconsiderable contribution. Trainspotting may well be considered a frontrunner in most people's eyes. Others might find the pull of Mel Gibson's Antipodean take on a Scottish accent in Braveheart impossible to resist.

While acknowledging the influence that these films have, Mark Cousins says that there is more to Scottish cinema than swords and heroin.

Cousins, who has recently taken up an artistic advisory role with the Edinburgh International Film Festival, gave the News his take on the best of Scottish cinema.

Orphans

"It really annoys me when people say that Scottish cinema is 'gritty', 'realistic', or 'miserable' social realism. If you look at Peter Mullan's film - as with Trainspotting or Ratcatcher - they have a mystical element, and it's right there in the cinema," says Cousins. Set in Glasgow, Orphans is a tale of four children mourning the death of their mother told through each child's perspective, where poignancy meets comedy and surrealism.

The Bill Douglas Trilogy (My Childhood, My Ain Folk, My Way Home)

"It's one of the greatest films ever made, and it's shot in Newcraighall. It's very much about working class life, but it's got beauty and majesty."

Gregory's Girl

Local Hero is often cited as a seminal Scottish film but Cousins says Bill Forsyth's hormonal whirlwind of football and teenage romance is even better.

"If you wanted to know what it was like to live in a new town in the 1980s, you just watched Gregory's Girl. It's not so much about the story, which there isn't that much of. It's about gentle little everyday moments, which makes it charming."

Braveheart

"Braveheart is best understood as a kind of myth; I've travelled to Iran and Iraq, and everyone has seen this film. It's brilliant as a fairytale, but not as a film about Scottish history."

Red Road

Andrea Arnold's directorial debut has gained praise for its starkness, though Cousins again emphasises its ethereal qualities. "It's quite dreamy and nightmarey - a lot of people think Andrea Arnold is Scottish, but she's not - so this is an outsider's view as well, but it's got a woozy, slightly drunken feel."

Trainspotting

"Trainspotting was like a rocket up the backside for British cinema - it was so energising."

The Illusionist

"It captures the mystical qualities that the best filmmakers see in Scottish life. In 100 years, people will still be watching and talking about it."

Brigadoon

"For decades, people criticised Brigadoon - I think it's flattering that Hollywood tries to engage with our reality. They're always interested in the question of beauty. They don't get our complexity, but they get some things right. We shouldn't be too sniffy about that."