I This section aims to provide a review at every lilm to be seen in central Scotland over the nexttortnighl. Forprogramme times see individual cinema listings.
(U)- Universal, suitable lorall ages.
(PG)- Parental Guidance suggested as some scenes may be unsuitable toryounger children.
(15)— No one underthe age ol 15admitted. (18)- No one underthe age ol18admitted. «av—New Release.
IAngel Dust l I’lillHIt’l't' Ultimo” 15) tl'douatd \tcrmans. l‘iaticc. 101‘s") Bernard ( iirattsdeau. l‘aniit Bastien. l-annt ('ottencoti. 94 mins. See panel. l'diiibuigh. l-tlmhotise
White Mischiet (18)(Michael Radlord, UK/US, I988) Greta Scacchi, Charles Dance, Joss Ackland, Sara Miles, Trevor Howard, John Hurt. 107 mins. ll there was ever sure-lire source material tor a movie then this has got to be it. The story of the murder at Lord Erroll (Charles Dance) in the colonial
Kenya at 1941 lor which Sir Jock Delves f
Broughton (Joss Ackland) stood trial, the prime murder suspect because ol the high-profile allairthat the victim had been conducting with the latter‘s young wile, Lady Diana (Greta Scacchi), has gotthe lot. We are talking sex, violence, decadence, drugs, the English Upper Classes, gorgeous Alrican scenery and morbid lascination lor ‘reaI-lile' events all in one mouth-waterineg bankable cinematic cocktail. Duite remarkably however, writer/director Michael Badlord manages to make his lictional account a good deal dullerthan the truth.
For a lilm set in Alrica there‘s no
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I Backto School t 15 i ( Alan Matter. t 'S. l‘lb'lil Rodiie) Dangerlicld. Salli ls'ellertiian. Keith ( ~torson. l)" mins. .-\bo\ e aserage collegiate rotiip \\ ith Datigct‘licld iii a hard-to-dislike characterisattoit as a lo\ abh generous business magnate u ho returns to campus
tom ersee his-\s eetl} son'sprogress. ladinbuigh; l-ilmhousc I Bambi (U) (David Hand. US.1942)72 mins. A simple story of a young forest deer and his growth through the changing seasons. An evergreen charmer complete with memorable songs. and 'I‘humper. Glasgow 1 ()deon. lidinbttrgh: ()deoti. Strathclyde; ( )tleon A} r I The Belly at an Architect l l 5 l ( Pete I’ (itceiiaxias . l'ls' Ital). 195" l liriaii l)ellltell) . ( 'liloe \Vebb. lambert Wilson. 115 mins. Distinguished ( 'liicagoarchitect Stourlci lsttic‘klitc' atrites iii Roiiieto organise an c\hibition in mentor) ol his
WHITE MISCHIEF
sense at heat or perspiration, and precious little lire in the dismayingly limp passion between a wooden Dance and a languid Scacchi (cast, or so it seems, lor hertalent atlilling out and the decorously shedding a variety of eyecatching period costumes). The achingly slow pace gives us ample time to admire Roger Deakins‘ subtly-toned cinematography , but it also allows the audience to grow to dislike the parade ol vapidly dissolute colonial types disporting themselves on screen, and to be resolutely unimpressed by the superliciality ol the lilm‘s political analysis. Joss Ackland provides a credibly sympathetic rendering ol the ageing cuckold, but there‘s lar more pathos in witnessing the late Trevor Howard painlully doddering his way through his last cameo role.
‘A requiem lor the Sixties' says Radlord, presumably relering to the empty sensation-seeking ol the colonial beautilul people. Sorry Mikey
lh’th centur} predecessor latienne l.t)tlls Boullee. (iradttalh . as his ltealth deteriorates. he becomes com inced that his taithless. pregnant \sile is titiiigto poison him.
A maiestic central perlormance b) the burl) l)etitieh_\ adds a brutalemotional streak to this t}picall_\ elegant L‘l'tiss\\t)l'tl piiHIe ol a ( it‘eenaua} liliit that makes eseiiiplar} use ot its sumptuouslocations btit lacks the “at mtli to trul) engage the \ ieiser's mind aitd heart. l2dinburgh; l-'iliiiltotise IThe Big Chill ( l5) ( I an retice Kasdaii. ['S. l‘)t\‘3) (ilenn ('lose. Keiin Kline. William 1 lurt. lllfi mins. .\ groitpol college trieiids from the Sixtiesare l unexpectedly reunited at the luneralol l
one of their number \\ ho hascoitimittcd suicide. During the \teekendol triendship. tun aitd sex they reflect that yesterda} all their troubles seemed so tar assay. Short on plot. the lilm is rich in sardonic humour. pertinent music and expert ensemble acting. lidinburgh:
l‘iltiihouse.lil'l‘S
I Blade Bunnert l5) ( Ridle} Scott. t ‘5.
Young. ll" mins. A tough coptracks dots n a group ol iiialttttictioiiing androids iii lltl\lllt;tgilltlli\el} gritt) . luturistic
Izdinbttrgh; l'iltiihotise
IThe Blues Brothersi limoltntantlts. 1'8. l‘lh'll) John Belushi. l)an :\}kt‘o_\d. (‘arrie l-‘isher. I33 titiiis. Bloated. sell-indulgent anarchic coined}
adx eiittire. Iztlinbtirgh; ( ‘aiiieo
I Blue Velveti is) t l)a\ ltl Mitch. t 's.
1052) l larrison l‘ord. Rutger l latter. Sean
hi-tech reisorking ot Ra) iiioiid('handler.
1930) K} le .\lacl .achlati. Dennis l lopper.
.\‘ r ,i. L ,' ,)‘\‘ '. '-' ‘9’ 3% 91'.- as“. J "a? .3; “muf 9“ " ‘ ’ "Vf J‘s“: \ ac ‘4' . KSE‘?‘ 33V" 5.": i "‘ I. Vet '. - z“. ,
1.‘ 32731:; -5. ‘44:» "(7")";
Isabella Rossellini. lle ittttis. [.umberton. mtddle-America. Would—be boy detective .lellre} Beaumont liitds a ses'ered earon some is astc grottiid and when the police shoo him ass a} he decides to dosome intestigatingol lli\t)\\ ii.
A singular ltisioii ol the cost and the terril_\ ittg \\ lticli bletids kitsch and nightiitae. li-mox ie detection and brtital sexual per\ ersion to deconstruct our coiitplacent \ ision ol \\ ltat passes lor normal societ} . This is l’iltiiiiiakingol remarkable imagination and skill that places its director iii the trout rank ol‘ cotitetiiporar) .-\iiieriean cinema.
(ilasgtm ; (iross'enor. lidinburgh; Iil'l‘B‘ I Clair de Femme ( l’( i ) ((‘osta-( ia\ ras. France. 19"”) \'\es Montaitd. Rom} Schneider. l.i|a Kedrma. Ill} mins. Based on the nos cl b_\ Romain (iar) tlits isa gloom} account ol a romance betiseeii txso people tilt the edge til tlespttll' ltittel}
\\ itlti\\ er .\lontaiid and Schneider \\ ho is still struggling to come to terms \\ itlt the loss ot her daughter iii a road accident. \Vell-iiteaning but \lt)\\ and earnest. (ilasgois ; l-‘rench (‘me-(‘lub
I Close Encounters ol the Third Kind (Speciallit/11mm) ( l’(i) (Steven Spielberg. l‘S. WHH) Richard l)l‘L‘}ltlss. Melinda Dillon. l‘rancois'I‘rtitfaut. l3-l mins. Dazzling science-liction adventure in
\\ hieh ever} titan l)re_\ l'tiss makes contact with beiietolent extra-terrestrials. lixcellent pertornianccs. liiie special el‘tects and typical touches ol Spielbergian humanin and sentitiientalit} make this one til tlte director‘s most irresistible achies ements. (ilasgou ; ( il’l~
I The Crazy Family ( l8) (Sogo lshii . Japan.
long way lrom 1941 Nairobi to 1967 Haight-Asbury. I read with interest in the production notes that the lilm is ) ‘multi-layered’. Ho hum. People will ) go and see this because at the stellar
| } baby, can’tsee it mysell. It's a long, l
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cast and the much-publicised sexual shennanigans on display, but the lact that this lame and tedious mislire is so obviously pleased with itsell somehow makes it all the more resistible. (TrevorJohnston)
’I‘he List 1‘) Feb— 3 Mar 198813
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