A look at some of the finest Scottish cinema

A ruthless dictator by the name of Idi Amin used to call himself the last king of Scotland Whats worth noting here is he assumed this sobriquet simply on the basis of his admiration for the aforementioned place and its peopleAt least thats the conclusion one can derive from that 2006 film which won Forest Whitaker his Oscar In any case a cinephile cant possibly overlook Caledonian cinema although she might have complaints against the indiscernible accentAlthough few in number seldom does one come across a film from this particular location that doesnt exude a hint of pride in their unique identityAnd with Scotland refusing to be independent on Friday hitlist points out some of the films that might have had foreign production houses behind them but gave us a peak into Scottish milieuLate Night Shopping 2001Director Saul MetzsteinLowdown If you remember The Breakfast Club 1985 all the young characters in it do very little other than talking Something similar happens in this Scottish comedy as four friends who dont think too highly of themselves meet in the club to talk Sensibly sometimesMorvern Callar 2002Director Lynne RamsayLowdown They say a Scot can be brutally honest even at the risk of being extremely annoying The Scottish protagonist in this British drama is far from honest as she wants to take credit for something her dead boyfriend wrote And thus begins a regrettable journeySweet Sixteen 2002Director Ken LoachLowdown If one were to compile a list of finest onscreen performances ever by a teenager Martin Compston must figure somewhere in the top five His portrayal of a Glaswegian youngster fighting against odds to maintain a crimefree life is as dramatic and convincing as it can getYoung Adam 2003Director David MackenzieLowdown Adapted from a novel by the same name this hauntingly beautiful film allows us into a world where two Scottish individuals mdash separated by different convictions mdash converge at a point However it doesnt last long enough as one of them must drift awayRed Road 2006Director Andrea ArnoldLowdown Employed as a CCTV operator the protagonists job is restricted to observing people and their behaviour on the streets in Glasgow This routine existence changes when she chances upon a person shes determined to meet in person as soon as possibleStone of Destiny 2008Director Charles Martin SmithLowdown A BritishCanadian production this adventure revolves around Scottish nationalists who succeeded in removing the fabled Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey in London and successfully brought it back to Scotland mdash backin 1950The Angels Share 2012Director Ken LoachLowdown Whiskey and Scotland might be synonymous in some parts of the world but not many are aware of the art of distilling This comedy has a yarn spun around characters whod do anything to have the best of whiskey but without really paying the price Okay theyll steal itBrave 2012Director Mark Andrews Brenda ChapmanLowdown Shes a Scottish princess but doesnt wish to lead a protected life On the contrary she wants to be free and wild And to her good luck she faces problems which makes her prove that she has what it takes to be brave in an otherwisemans worldFilth 2013Director Jon S BairdLowdown A Scottish cop has way too many things on his mind to the point that he cant really trust his brain cells anymore He hates bagpipes and isnt really proud of being a Scot either but he knows the rules of the dirty game hes got himselfinto unfortunatelyOne Day 2011Director Lone ScherfigLowdown A boy and a girl meet after their graduation from the University of Edinburgh They spend the night together but fall short of being lovers and prefer to be friends They meet each other exactly 23 years later to notice the differenceA worthwhile decadeIntriguingly the 90s witnessed the rise of influential Scottish filmmakers who eventually made a mark in global cinemaRob Roy 1995The struggle between the British nobility and Scottish nationalists never ceases to amuse Nor does this Michael CatonJones film on one such epic clash starring Liam NeesonBraveheart 1995Even though the historians were displeased with the historical inaccuracies Mel Gibson delivered a film that ranks high on cinematic chart of Scottish jingoismTrainspotting 1996Just make sure you watch Ewan McGregors 35second long rant against the British Empire before shifting the blame on Scots in Danny Boyles cult filmBreaking the Waves 1996In this Lars von Trier film a mentally unstable Highlander marries a Norwegian man who eventually turns out to be more of a deviant than initially presumedMy Name Is Joe 1998If theres whiskey around can Alcoholics Anonymous be far away And if love is blind cant it happen anywhere Well it does in this Ken Loach featureRatcatcher 1999Directed by Lynne Ramsay it walks us through the troubles of a young boys merciless life in a tenement that has very little to offer in terms of a concrete future