o This section aims to provide a review
or every lilm to be seen in central Scotland over the next tortnight. For programme times see individual cinema listings. U - Universal. suitable tor all ages. PG - Parental Guidance suggested as some scenes may be unsuitable tor youngerchlldren. 15 - No-one under the age 0115 admitted. 18 - No-one under the age ol18 admitted. fr - New Release. 0 A.K. (PG) (Chris Marker. France, 1985) 74 mins. The initials in question belong to veteran Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. here filmed‘while shooting Ran on the darkly ashen slopes of Mr Fuji. Marker. whose own previous work includes the stunning meditation of the power of the image Sunless (to be shown at Filmhouse next month), takes the opportunity to focus on the minutiae of the massive production both as a means of entry to the master‘s obsessions and as a springboard for some perceptive comments on the nature of the film-making process itself. Edinburgh: Filmhouse 0 Agnes 01 God i 15) (Norman .lewison. 1'8. l‘)85).lane Fonda. Anne Bancroft. .\leg ’l‘illy. ()8 mins. See('aption Review. lidinburgh: 1-’ilmliousc o Alamo Bayi i5) i l.otiis Malle. 1'8. W85) Amy .\1adigan. lid Harris. Ho Nguyen. ‘1‘) mins. Vietnamese rclttgce l)inh warme embraces the .'\merican \Vay whereby any man cart rise to the oll'icc 01 President. Securing employment as a fisherman in the 1L'\L;is town of Port Alamo he encounters the simmering resentment oi a native generation w ho fought in Nam and now view the boat people as an alien threat to their li\elihood. limotive. over-plotted and surprisingly cons entional racist melodrama with strong performances. lidinburgli; l'ilmhouse o Animalympics i t ‘ i (Steven . l.isberger. 1'8. WW) With the voices o1(iilda Radttcr. Billy (it‘ystal. Harry Shearer. 811 mins. ('levcr. , comic spoot'oi the ( )ly mpics ; involvinga varieton ‘ anthropomorphic characters. V ()verlong but fun for the tots. lil'ldinburgh; l'ilrnliouse
20 The List 27 June ~ 1() July
FILM LIST
0 Animation Workshop ()1128.lunc Jessica langford. co-ordinator ol [Edinburgh l-‘ilm Workshop 'l'r‘tist‘s Animation Workshop. will lead a morning ofanimation aimed at all ages from 1 l upwards. Running from 111.311amto 1pm. the event explores
: different art and animation
techniques. culminating in the
, production ofan instant lilm drawn
I directly onto 35mm that allows for
the active participation of all
1 involved. 'lihe organisers stress that
no previous art skills are necessary merely enthusiasm and patience. Admission £1 (ilasgow: (ll-'1'
0 Arthur ( 15) (Steve Gordon. US, 1981) Dudley Moore. Liza Minelli. John Gielgud. 97 mins. Loveable lush Moore must choose between
is: Tishfi‘ 1. J7; $8».
Agnes of God (15) (Norman Jewison, US, 1985) Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, Meg Tilly. 98 mins. At a Montreal convent a new-born inlant is lound strangled in the room oi a novice. A subsguent court hearing appoints a psychiatristto visit the girl and report on her mental stability. However, the entire case4is shrouded in mystery. What really happened the night the child was discovered? Can Agnes be so naive aboutthe most lundamental tacts oi lite? Does the Mother Superior know more than she cares to admit? Can the inexplicable be convincingly attributed to a miracle oi the supernatural in the 20th century?
Based on a Broadway hit, Agnes 01 God is both a teasing detective story and clearly (perhaps too clearly) delined theological tussle. in the corner at the non-believer seeking rationality and reasoned answers to impossible questions is psychiatrist
wealth and love when he meets kooky kleptomaniac Minnelli in a cinematic rarity — a genuinely hilarious Moore comedy! Glasgow; Grosvenor
0 The Assam Garden ( t ‘ ) ( .\1ar_v Nlchltirray. l’K. 1‘185)l)eborah Kerr. .‘vladhur .laflrey. Alec McCowen. 1)2 mins. A delicate depiction of a friendship that blossoms between an Indian woman and a recently widowed mcmsahib as they restore a vast. exotic expanse in time to earn a place in the ( ireat British (iardens guide. Jafl'rey and Kerr turn in exemplary performances that make a simple drama a memorable one. [{dinburgh; l’ilmhouse
o Backto the Future (PG) (R« )ert Zemeckis. US, 1985) Michael J. Fox. Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson. 116 mins. Expertly-cast, wittily-scripted time-travelling fantasy adventure. A worthy crowd pleaser. Glasgow; Grosvenor
o The BeguiletH181(l)onSiegel.1'8. 1971)) Clint Eastwood. (icraldine Page. Elizabeth 1 lartman. During the final days olthe American (‘ivil War a wounded l'nionist soldier is given sanctuary at the l’arnsworth Seminary for Young Ladies. 'l‘he unsettling presence of a man about the house provokes jealousy. sexual
longing and murder.( ilasgow: (i171
AGNES OF GOD
,Jane Fonda, a chain-smoking, lapsed Catholic with a divorce and an abortion rattling in the closet 01 her past. Fighting the good light lor pure taith and the omniscience oi the Lord is wily Mother Superior Anne Bancroft whose qualities oi humour and insight are weapons in the light against the doubting Thomases. The clash at wills and actresses is a rivetting one and provides much land lor thought.
Agnes ol God may play sale with its audience but there is no disgrace in producing intelligently crafted, grandly acted middlebrow tare. The greatest revelation of them all is Meg Tilly who outshines both the more experienced ladies. ller Agnes simply beams with the guileless bewilderment at a true innocent. A diiticult characterto make credible but a small miracle oi characterisation in the hands at this actress. (Allan Hunter)
i
O Biggles (PG) (John Hough. UK. 1986) Neil Dickson. Alex Hyde-White. Peter Cushing. 92 mins. Biggles and his time twin hopscotch between 1985 and 1917 using the advanced technology olthe one to foil the Hun threat in the other.
In truth the film has little to do with everyone‘s favourite RFC ace and all-round good egg but it's harmless enough hokum for non-purists. Glasgow; Grosvenor. Rio. Lothian: ABC. Strathclyde; ABC Greenock. ABC Kilmarnock.Ke1burne. Rialto.
0 Birdyi 15)(.-\lanl’arkcr.1'S. lust) Matthew Modmc. Nicolas ( age. 1311 mins. 'l'w'o boy hood chums are traumatised by their experiences in Vietnam. ()ne indulges a childhood illusion that be is a bird. the other seeks a mutual road back to sanity. Peculiar. well-acted drama directed by Parker with the expected heavy hand allied to uncharacteristic optimism. (ilasgow ; ( ill
0 The Blues Brothers t IS 1 (John l.andis. 1'8. W811) .lohn Belushi. Dan .»\_vkro_vd. ('arrie Fisher. 133 mins. Belushi and .~\ykro_vd. the Abbott illltl ( 'ostello ol the ‘Slls. strike tip the band to raise $511111) lor a children’s orphanage and w ind up destroying most of downtown Chicago. Bloated. resistiblc. anarchic comedy. (ilasgow : ( ill
0 Bring on the Night( 15) 1 Michael Apted.1'S.1‘185)Sling.()mar Hakim. Darryl Jones. Kenny Kirkland. ‘17 mins. See ( ‘aption Review. (ilasgow ; ABC (Sauchiehall Street)
0 Care Bears II: A New Generation ( t ') (Dale Schoit. 1'8. 1980) with the voices of 1 ladley Kay. ('hris Wiggins. '70 mins. .-\ sequel telling the story of the origin olthe ('are Bear l’amily. introducing the (are Bear ( ‘ubs and ( 'are ( 'otisin (‘ubs and explaining how they became the championsof caring.
Edinburgh; ()deon. Glasgow; ABC Clarkston Road. ABC Sauchiehall Street. Cinema. Grosvenor. Odeon. Rio. Lothian; ABC. Strathclyde; ABC Greenock. ABC Kilmarnock, Kelburne. ()deon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton. Rialto.
. calmen 11)“) 1 1'il'iilicesc‘o Rosi. l’rancc-lialy. 1‘18—1).lulia .\1igcttes-lohttsoti. 1’1acitlo Domingo. Ruggero Raimondi. 153 mins. Splendid screen version of the Bi/cl opera. .\1igenes-Johnson niakcsan earthy and sensuous spitlire ( ‘armen sw aggering with the panache and tire of James ( agriey. lidinburgh: l-ilmhouse 0 Crimes ol Passion ( 18) (Ken Russell. US. 1984) Kathleen Turner. Anthony Perkins. John Laughlin. 107 mins. Russell‘s debunking of the American way ofscx is an uproariously black satire where moonlighting whore meets dildo-packing clergyman meets ordinary guy who sometimes pretends to be a Human Penis. Glasgow: Salon
0 Death in a French Garden ( is) (.\1icltc11)c\ille. litance. 1985) Michel l’lc‘c‘tlll. Nicole ( litl'c‘lil. (‘hristoplier Malavoy. liil mins. Smart. sly lish thriller redolent of
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