The List: 10 Jun 1988 (16/72)

FILM

LIST

many previous summers. each year

THE WHALES or AUGUST '

The Whales of August (U) (Lindsay Anderson, US, 1987) Bette Davis, Lilllian Gish, Vincent Price, Ann Southern. 93 mins. Few films have ever been made whose actors have as much cinema experience as those in The Whales 01 August. Lillian Gish and Bette Davis alone have an astonishing two hundred and five films undertheir belts. So it is appropriate enough that the film is about age, about memory and old dreams. the central characters those with more to look back on in life than look forward to.

Here, Sarah (Gish) and Libby (Davis) are two sisters enjoying August on a Maine island where they have spent

awaiting the symbolic return of the whales that bask in the bay. Blind Libby is losing her faith and becoming increasingly bitter. while for Sarah, life has much to offer yet. The strain that develops between them and their eventual reconciliation is the basis of the plot. Along the way are neighbour Trisha Doughty (Southern) and sad but dignified Russian exile Mr Maranov (Price) who wander in fortea and musings on life.

It's beautifully filmed, sensitively directed, it lacking any of the tlairone might expect from Lindsay Anderson,

but it isn’t gripping stuff. It is a filmed play, and it seems that way, butwhere the presence on a stage of these characters may have powerful emotional resonance, removed to the screen it is the essentially static nature of that resonance that is most apparent. All mood for a whole film, and practically the same mood at that.

Sometimes even that is lost when you find yourself marvelling at the way the grand old ladies Gish and Davis keep up their characters, but that ultimately is the same as admiring a child actor

i at

i 'f

for nottlutting his or her lines, and then

you realise you have moved outside of cinema and are enjoying the warmth ol feeling charitable.

The most simply enjoyable moments leature Harry Carey's loud and brash local handyman, injecting some welcome humour into this dry lilm. Bette Davis may proclaim that ‘there’s no need to be making whoopee every minute’, but there is precious little reason for excising whoopee altogether from 93 minutes of film. (G. D. Henderson)

skiII remains comfortably ahead ofthe current pack. Glasgow: (‘annon (‘Iarkston Road. ()deon. Salon. Edinburgh: Dominion. Odeon. Central: Cannon. Strathclydc: Kelburne. Odeon Ayr

Wall Street finds Stone's fire tempered by a more seductively ambivalent incarnation of evil. but the result is stiIlan impressive. engrossing drama that. for memorable dialogue and fluid cinematic

I The Whales of August ( LI) :3 (Lindsay Anderson. US. 1987) Bette Davis. Lillian Gish. Vincent Price. Ann Sothern. 93 mins. See Panel. Edinburgh: (.‘ameo

I Wish You Were Here ( 15) (David Leland.

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HOME STREET-TOLLCROSS -TEL.031 228 4141

PHONEBOOKINGSALLSHOWS

THE SCOTSMAN & CAMEO present a Scottish premiere of Evelyn Waugh’s

I 1 ‘A HANDFUL or ousr’ (PG)

Starring: James Wilby, Kristen Scott Thomas,

Rupert Graves, Judi Dench,

Anjelica Huston & Alec Guinness.

at the CAM E0 on Tuesday 14th June at 7.30pm Followed by a discussion with the Director CHARLES STURRIDGE and actor RUPERT GRAVES Chaired by Sheena McDonald TICKETS ON SALE NOW

T nu: )Ir 'ﬁ SeoTSIMN‘ (

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UK. 1987) limin Lloyd. Tom Bell. (ieoffrey Ilutchings. 93 mins. Amatory misadventures of a precocious teenager in a drab 1950's seaside town.

linjoyablc. bittersweet comic treatment of the sexual mores of times gone by.with an energetic performance from perky newcomer .‘Vls Lloyd. (ilasgow: GI’I'. (irosvenor I Witches olEastwick(18) (George Miller. US. 1987) Jack Nicholson. (‘her. Susan Sarandon. 118 mins. Suffocating in the prim tranquility of a small town in New England. three single women set their collective brains towards conjuring upthc perfect Mr Right. Next morninga mysterious stranger suddenly appears. as if in answer to their prayers. and begins to charm the pants off them. But the ripe. randy and rakish Daryl van Horne isthe devil in disguise. and there is a price topay fortheir pleasure. . . A joyous.diabolical romp. with Nicholson having the time of his life. (ilasgow: (if-'1‘. Iidinburgh: Filmhousc I Withnail & I ( 15) 1'7? (Bruce Robinson. UK. 198(3) Richard Ii. (irant. Paul McGann. Richard (iriffiths. 107 mins. Bruce Robinson‘ssemiautobiographical look back at the demise of the l9()(ls. Withnail((irant) and I( McCiann) are two out ofwork actors living in disgusting squalor in (‘amden Town in the final months of 1969. When ‘1‘ getsanaudition. he decides that what they need is a tripto the country to regenerate. Withnail persuades his repulsive L'ncle Monty (brillianlty played by (iriffiths') to lend them his country cottage. but the pairare definitely not cut out for rural life. Their predicament worsens when Monty appears on the scene. having taken quite a shine to his nephew‘s young friend.

The film alternates between slapstick comedy and a bittersweet poignancy in its dissection of the crumbling of both a friendship and a lost dream. Edinburgh: Filmhouse

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LISTINGS WEEK1

Friday 1D-Thursday 16

This section gives details of programmes showing at cinemas in central Scotland over the next week. Readers are advised that programmes may be subject to late change at anytime.

Cinemas operating a family discount scheme allow an adult accompanying a child to 'U' and ‘PG' certificate programmes to gain admission for the same price as the child up to 6pm.

GLASGOW CINEMAS

I CANNON (‘Iarkston Road. Mtiireiitl.h37 26-11. £2.31)()AP (‘hild £1.21). I-‘amily discount scheme operates.

1. Wall SITBBH 15) 5.20pm. S.leprrt; Sat also 2.2(lpm.

2. Three Men and A Baby ( P( 1 ) 5.45pm. 8.45pm; Sat also 2.45pm.

3. Hellraiser ( IS) (1.3tlpm. 8.45pm: Sat also 3pm.

I CANNON Sauchiehall Street. 332 1593.

£2.Stl(£1 .411).

1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles ( 15) 1.211pm. 3.511pm. h. lllpm. S.-ltlpm.

2. The Principal ( 18)

3. Suspect ( 15) 1.3llpm. 4.45pm. S.tl5pm. 4. Fatal Attraction ( 18) 1 .311pm.4.211pm. 8.115pm.

5. Appointment With Death ( P( 1) 1 .-15pm. 4.55pm. Sltlpm.

I CANNON GRAND 18 Jamaica Street . 243 4621). £2 (£1).

Adult movies. Phone for details.

I GHOSVENOH Ashton Lane. I lillbead. 3394398. [1)] with prior notification. £2 (‘hild L'B-lllStudent ’()AP£I .21).

1. Three Men and A Baby ( PU) 2.115pm. 5.115pm. 8.115pm; Sun 8.05pm.

2. The Last Emperor( 15) 3.35pm. 7.45pm; Sat and Sun 7.45 only.

The List: 10 Jun 1988 (Issue 68)