WOBBLY ACCENT AND WHY TRAINSPOTTING ISN’T ON HIT LIST
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And don’t even get BBC film expert Mark Kermode started on Braveheart. Instead, when asked for his creme de la creme of Caledonian cinema, Kermode opts for two more obscure choices at the peak of his all-time list. One is the little-known 1945 romance by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, I Know Where I’m Going. Another is the 1999 film Ratcatcher, which makes up in widespread critical acclaim what it lacks in terms of a place in the imagination of the Scottish public. Kermode, 56, said: “I Know Where I’m Going is a 1945 Powel l and Pressburger classic that clearly served as one of the inspi rat ions for Local Hero. “An Eng l i shwoma n travelling to the Hebrides to marry a wealthy industrialist is detained on the Isle of Mul l, with life- changing consequences . It ’ s a timeless gem – romantic and mysterious. “They capture that idea of a journey to another place and I Know Where I’m Going takes you there. “Rat - catcher is the debut feature by Scot t i sh f i l mmaker Lynne Rams a y, w hom I consider to be one of t he t rue poet s of mo d e r n
He said: “Shallow Grave is where you see the genius of that combination of John Hodge, Danny Boyle, Ewan McGregor and Andrew McDonald.
“You see that group doing something with Shallow Grave which is absolutely extraordinary. Everything that is good about Trainspotting is in Shallow Grave.
“So the reason I say Shallow Grave over Trainspotting is because that is where it began.”
One Scottish film stands out above all others as far as Mark is concerned – 1983’s Local Hero, largely f i lmed at Pennan on the Banffshire coast.
He said: “I am a huge fan of Bill Forsy th’s work. Local Hero is No1 on my list.
“Years ago, Bill
I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING
Paramount Studios showed filmmakers this movie as an example of the perfect script. With a rare 100 per cent critics’ score on website Rotten Tomatoes, it features a young woman who is about to wed a rich industrialist on Mull. As she waits for weather to allow her safe passage, she falls in love with a naval officer. “Also, I saw Braveheart in America and some of the people thought it was about Ireland.” Mark revealed his favourite Scottish films to the Sunday Mail as he launched the Marriot International Hotels’ Love & Loyalty awards programme, for which he was photographed with wife Linda by Rankin. Linda is a professor of film studies at Exeter University. But, surprisingly, the host revealed the couple’s shared appreciation of cinema wasn’t the spark for their relationship. Mark, who plays double bass in the band The Dodge Brothers and is doing two shows – at Bo’ness Hippodrome and Edinburgh Queen’s Hall – next March, said: “We are coming to Bo’ness to play. “We perform musical accompaniment to silent movies. “In fact, Linda didn’t like me until she saw me play double bass. “We’ve been married nearly 30 years and I thank my lucky stars.”
RATCATCHER
Scottish film director Lynne Ramsay’s 1999 debut film is set in 70s Glasgow during a refuse strike that led to rats on every street corner. As the garbage piles up, young James dreams of a better life while surrounded by a dysfunctional family and their personal tragedies.
Sunday Mail
Local Hero is magical but it’s also got its feet on the ground. Plus, I think it’s really funny. It’s magical and heartbreaking and I love that score. I’m a huge Lynne Ramsay fan. I did a programme a year ago called Secrets of Cinema and I was talking about Ratcatcher being one of the classic coming-of-age films. I think this was the first time I’d seen the isle of Mull. It’s a story of a journey. For me, Powell and Pressburger are the great British filmmakers.
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I remember seeing Wicker Man and being amazed by it, thinking the location Summerisle was a real place. I first went to Shetland to introduce a screening of this film. People might be surprised I chose Shallow Grave over Trainspotting but everything you see in Trainspotting was in Shallow Grave first from the same team.