Skip to main content

Festival coverage

Edinburgh International Film Festival

2004

Morgan Spurlock chows down in Super Size Me
Morgan Spurlock chows down in Super Size Me

The 2004 festival opened with the UK premiere of Che Guevara biopic The Motorcycle Diaries and wrapped up with a Korean retelling of Liasons Dangereuse, Untold Scandal, which replaced the much-touted 2046 after it turned out that it would not be finished in time.

Crowdpleasers included Super Size Me (which also won the Guardian New Directors Award for Morgan Spurlock) and Inside I'm Dancing, which took the Audience Award. The Michael Powell Award went to My Summer Of Love.

Short film winners included Billy's Day Out and Brand Spanking. Short Scottish Documentary Award went to Jim Hickey for And So Goodbye.

Other years (27)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • The Desert Of The Tartars
    Review preview for The Desert Of The Tartars

    Competently filmed and acted and, by all accounts, faithful to the novel, it’s the story itself that hinders Desert Of The Tartars as a piece of cinema.

    Emma Slawinski · 2 out of 5
    A young army recruit is sent to a remote and mysterious desert outpost.
  • Checkpoint
    Review preview for Checkpoint

    This could almost be a laid back Palestinian expose of what is happening at the checkpoints, except it is made by an Israeli.

    Chris · 4 out of 5
    A documentary about checkpoints between Israel and Palestine.
  • Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
    Review preview for Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

    An affectionate, touching piece.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Documentary about the ground-breaking TV channel.
  • Super Size Me
    Review preview for Super Size Me

    Through the use of quirky art work, animation, a barrage of facts and figures, plus an incredibly dry wit, Spurlock shines a light on America's attitudes to weight gain.

    Amber Wilkinson · 5 out of 5
    Documentary filmmaker acts as guinea pig in fast food experiment.
  • Ae Fond Kiss
    Review preview for Ae Fond Kiss

    Unfortunately, though all the performances are strong, there's simply not enough chemistry between the leads to make their struggle believable.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    Dangerous liaison between a lapsed Irish Catholic and a first generation Pakistani Muslim.
  • Anatomy Of Hell
    French intellectual take on kinky sex between a gay man and a suicidal woman.
  • Dead Man's Shoes
    Review preview for Dead Man's Shoes

    The violence is heavy going and the atmosphere constantly fraught with a growing sense of foreboding.

    David Stanners · 4 out of 5
    An ex-army man strolls into town, seeking revenge on his disabled brother's assailants.
  • Oldboy
    Review preview for Oldboy

    A film both extreme and tender, yet tremendously entertaining.

    Iain Macleod · 5 out of 5
    A revenge drama from South Korea creates a mystery for the long term prisoner who is released. Now out to own as part of the box set.
  • The Ordeal
    Review preview for The Ordeal

    As an example of yuk cinema, this is a serious piece of work. There is no profound message, except that living alone with nature does your head in.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 3 out of 5
    A passing crooner is kidnapped by a loony in the woods.
  • The Motorcycle Diaries
    Review preview for The Motorcycle Diaries

    The film has a huge heart.

    Amber Wilkinson · 5 out of 5
    Coming of age drama based on the writings of a young Che Guevara.

A–Z of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2004 reviews

Features