Dark Eyes(PG)(Nikiia Mlkhalkov, Italy/USSR, 1987) Marcello Mastroianni, Silvana Mangano, Elena Soionova, Marthe Keller. 117 mins. One of the most fondly remembered pleasures of last year's Cannes Film Festival, Dark Eyes has taken an inordinate length of time to cross the channel, however it has been well worth the wait.
A spirited piece of storytelling positively bursting with iol de vivre, it has been skillfully adapted from a selection oi Chekov short stories and begins in the empty dining room of a passenger ship at the turn of the century. Romano (Mastroianni) discovers that a fellow passenger hails from Russia and tells him of a visit he made there many years before. One anecdote leads to another and soon he is animatedly recounting the story oi his life and a great love treasured and lost through timidity and cowardice on his part. ‘l've had everything and nothing,’ he concludes philosophically.
Married to the gracious and charming Elisa (Silvana Mangano), Romano remained something of a waster and a womanlser unable to cope with economic reality or lace the hard decisions requested by daily life. Seeking refuge from bankruptcy at a health spa he charms and seduces a young Russian lady with a dog. Ashamed by the casual transgression of her marriage vows the girl llees to
1987) Shelley Long. Gabriel Byrnc.Judith Ivey. 96 mins. Housewife Long brought back from the dead by her scatty sister‘s mystical powers is none too chuffed to find that during her year in the afterlife hunky medic ex-hubby Byrne has shacked up with her former best friend. Feeble addition to the heavenly comedies of the forties. One feels for Mr Byrne but why . oh why is he in this bitof fluff? Glasgow: Odeon I How Lucky to Be A Woman (PG) (Alessandro Blasseti. Italy. 1956) Sophia Loren. Marcello Mastroianni. Charles Boyer. l()()mins. In the build-up to her assault on Hollywood. Loren was cast as a peasant woman whose life is altered by an I appearance on a magazine cover. Boyer is the lecherous count who assists in her consequent rise. Mastroianni her unscrupulous photographer boyfriend. A mild. fairly typical '50s Italian comedy. Edinburgh: Filmhouse I lvan's Childhood (PG) (Andrei Tarkovsky. USSR. l962)KolyaBur1yaev. Valentin Zubkov. 95 mins. Gleaming new monochrome print ofTarkovsky's debut feature. now looking more impressive than ever. The narrative revolves around a teenage WWII spy. travelling through the country behind enemy lines. Characteristically breathtaking forestscapes and the imagery ofthe forbidden zone provide a vision of glories to come. while the aching sense of spirituality springs organically from the drama of childhood discovery rather than residing in the grandiose metaphysicalities 0fthe later work. Essential viewing. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Jane And The Lost City (P6) is (Terry Marcel,Ul(,19a7)l(lrsten Hughes, Robin Bailey, Sam Jones. 91 mins. Abominable romp based on the exploits ofcomic-strip heroine Jane losing her clothes but finding a set of coveted diamonds on her adventures in colonial Africa. Completely and utterly dreadful.
Strathclyde: Rialto.
_ I The Jungle Book (U) (Wolfgang
FILM LIST
Russia. The smitten Romano strikes down a mountain of red tape to follow herto her remote home town. Eventually reunited their inlatuation is confirmed; she vows to leave her husband and live with Romano it he will return to Italy and tell his wife of their plans. A delighted Romano rushes home but finds that the flesh is willing but the tongue falls silent when confronted by Elisa. Unable to live with his wife and too scared to return to Russia he becomes a floating exile; running away to sea as a waiter. However, his passenger has a story to tell him about true fidelity and its
Reitherman. US. 1967) With the voicesof George Sanders. Louis Prima. 78 mins. Growing up in the jungle. young Mowgli learns from the animals around him. Enjoyable Iatterday Disney. a long way after Kipling. but the songs are wonderful. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Grosvenor. Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon. Strathclyde: Cannon. Kelburne. La Seala. Odeon Ayr, Odeon Hamilton. Rialto.
I King Lear i? ( 15) (Jean-Luc Godard. France. 1987) Burgess Meredith. Molly Ringwald. Woody Allen. 90 mins. Characteristically unconventional approach to the Bard's classic by Godard who has a character called William Shakespeare V trying to ascertain whether King Lear holds any significance or message for any of us in the wake of Chernobyl. A film about ‘humility. anguish and guilt' . In other words. just as unintelligible and impenetrable as the rest of the director‘s recent oeuvre. Glasgow: GFT
I Kllmov Triple Bill A rare opportunity to catch a trio ofearly works by the current First Secretary 0fthe Soviet Film-makers Union. whose ( 'ome And See and Farewell were recently released in Britian to much critical acclaim. Now licensed for foreign screenings. Welcome ( 1964) is an anti-bureaucratic satire set in a Young Pioneers holiday camp. Adventures ()fA Dentist ( 1965) a political allegory focusing on the tribulations ofa painless tooth-extractor. and Sport. Sport, Sport (1970) an extremely bizarre fantasia on the subject of recreation. and possibly Klimov‘s most outlandish offering to date.The full programme runs for around 255 mins including intervals. Glasgow: G171".
I Macaroni (15) (Ettore Scola.lta1y. 1985) Jack Lemmon. Marcello Mastroianni. Dario Nicolodi. 106 mims. Lemmon returns to Naples for the first time since WWII to discover that through his old buddy Marcello's literary efforts he has become a local legend. Two great
rewards.
Redolent of A Room With A View in its crisp and light tone, Dark Eyes is a constant delight and a wonderful showcase for the incomparable skills of Mastroianni who performs with the exquisite grace of a trained mime artist. Mixing comic skills with pathos and a metronome-perfect sense of timing he performs a thoroughly endearing tour de force that is rendered all the more impressive by his ability to make it all seem so effortless. The opportunity to view such a master craftsman at work is not to be missed. (Allan Hunter)
actors are wasted on this lacklustre blob of sentimentality. Edinburgh: liilmhouse. I Madness ( 15) (Kaljo Kiisk. I'SSR. 1967) Juri Jarvet. A high-ranking Nazi officer extends his ongoing search for art English spy to a lunatic assylum in occupied Iistonia. lingrossing piece of narrative cinema in stunning widescrecn monochrome; however. the Soviet authorities were sensitive to the associations of bureaucratic power and madness and shelved the film for a number of years now ended by the thawing process of Glasnost. Glasgow; GI’I'. I Maurice ( 15) (James Ivory. UK. 1987) James Wilby. Rupert Graves. Hugh Grant. 14() mins. ()verlong but impeccable crafted screen version ofthc M. Foster novel in which a young Edwardian man slowly but movineg comes to terms with his hornosexuaiity in the face of widespread ignorance. bigotry and the pressures ofclass to conform to some fanciful notion ofnormalcy. Although over-indulgent. the film uses its beautiful locations. Brides/wad-style cast and langorous evocation ofpre-War Britain to sweeten an angry pill about the strictures of the class system and the unchanging face of senseless prejudice. James Wilby is a revelation in the title role. skilfully capturing the complexity of the emotional traumas faced by his character. Glasgow: GI’I’ I Midnight Express ( 18) (Alan Parker. UK. 1978) Brad Davis. Randy ()uaid. John Ilurt. 121 mins.()ver1ongbut undeniably powerful catalogue of horrors from Alan Parker. Brad Davis plays Billy Ilayes. an American student convicted of possession ofdrugs in Turkey. and jailed in the brutalising. inhuman prison system. Not for those of tender sensibilities. Glasgow: Grosvenor I A Month in the Country (PG) (Pat O'Connor. UK. 1987) Colin Firth. Kenneth Branagh. Natasha Richardson. 97 mins. Thoroughly decent if far from enthralling adaptation of the J. L. Carr
novel in which two World War One veterans try to come to terms with peacetime and the lingering traumas of their experiences in the trenches.
Sensitiver handled. finely photographed and admirably performed but lacking one iota of passion. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Monty Python's Meaning 01Liie(l8) (TerryJones. UK. 1983) John Cleese. Graham Chapman. Michael Palin. Eric Idle. 103 mins. Ragbagofoccasionally gross Python sketches loosely following this mortal coil from womb to grave. Watch out for the exploding Mr Creosote. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I Moonstruck (PG) (Norman Jewison. US. 1987) Cher. Nicolas Cage. Olympia Dukakis. l()()mins. Thoroughlywinning romantic comedy with Cher on Oscar-winning form as a dowdy young widow who accepts a proposal ofmarraige from a man she does not love in return for a safe and secure future. Asked to clear up some bad blood with his young brother it is love at first sight when they meetzshe undergoes a Cinderella-like transformation and is torn between the conflicting demands of her head and heart. Meanwhile. other members ofher closeknit Italian-American family are similarly thrown into amorous turmoil by the influence of a mischievous moon.
Combining humour and poignancy with a charming eccentricity. Moonsrruck is a delightful story, engagineg told. Oscars also went to Dukakis and John Patrick Shanley‘s rich. tutti fruti script. Edinburgh: Filmhouse I Overboard (PG) 1? (Garry Marshall. US. 1987) Goldie Hawn. Kurt Russell. Edward llerrmanm. Katharine Helmond. 112 mins. Spoiled heiress Hawn fires hunky carpenter Russell after his attempt at some outfitting work on herluxury yacht fails to satisfy. However. when she falls overboard and loses her memory he claims that she is his wife. and so offshc goes to the backwoods to look after his four uncontrollable kids.
Expertly performed romantic comedy. with husband and wife pairing Hawn and Russell making an effective screen partnership. Almost well enough done to evoke memories of the 311s screwball models the film so obviuously draws upon. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street.
I Police Academy V: Assignment Miami Beach(i’(i) it (Alan Myerson. US. 1988) Bubba Smith. David Eraf. Michael Winslow. 90 mins. Latest execrable dollop ofcomic ineptitude has as its ingredientsa Police Chiefs‘ convention. a stolen bag of diamonds. and our lovable academy graduates on the loose in Miami. The production notes promise ‘high-speed boat chases across alligator-infested swamps‘. God help us all. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Grosvenor. Edinburgh: Cannon. Dominion. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon.Ke1burnc. La Scala. Odeon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton, Rialto.
I Postman Always Rings Twice ( 18) (Bob Rafelson. US. 1981) Jack Nicholson. Jessica Lange. Angelica Huston. 121 mins. Steamy version of the James M. Cain novel with Nicholson. Lange and the kitchen table swept away on a tide oflust that leads to murder and the souringof their seemingly perfect and uncontrollable passion. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Salsa (PG) ft (Boaz Davidson. US. 1988) Robby Rosa. Rodney Harvey. Magali Alvarado. 97 mins. See caption review. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon. Rialto.
I The Scientific Cardplayer (PG) (Luigi Comencini. Italy. 1972) Bette Davis. Joseph Cotten. Alberto Sordi. Silvana Mangano. 119 mins. The redoubtable Bette Davis stars as an elderly American millionairess with a passion for
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14 l he l.l.\l 32.1111} — 4 August 1988