Tale of one man’s lust for power is gripping viewing

Weiner (15) **** Dirs: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg Runtime: 96 minutes

NEW York congressman Anthony Weiner had it all – brains, talent, a national profile, a wife who was like a second daughter to Hillary Clinton.

He should have been destined for great things, so how did he wind up a national joke? Cue a very modern morality tale of hubris, lust for power and the inadvisability of sending naughty pics via mobile phones, all expertly told by directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg.

Their Sundance-prize winning documentary is a watch-through-the-fingers experience at times as we see Weiner and his wife attempting a comeback with his run for mayor of New York, but plenty of smart points are made about the nature of modern politics, and politicians, along the way. Glasgow Film Theatre, July 25-27.

Chevalier (18) *** Dir: Athina Rachel Tsangari With: Giorgos Pyrpassopoulos, Panos Koronis Runtime: 105 minutes

ATHINA Rachel Tsangari made quite the splash with her 2010 feminist drama Attenberg, and here she turns her attention to the male of the species.

Six friends have gone on a yachting holiday in the Aegean. Unable to avoid locking horns, they embark on a competition to measure “everything”, including ability to erect flat pack furniture and house size. With the competition spiralling out of control, who will emerge the winner?

This is a more accessible, funnier, piece from Tsangari showing her move towards slightly more mainstream fare.