FILM LIST
I This section aims to provide a review of every film to be seen in central Scotland over the next fortnight. For programme times see individual cinema listings.
(U)- Universal. suitable torall ages.
(PG) - Parental Guidance suggested as some scenes may be unsuitable for younger chlldren.
(15) - No one under the age of 15admitted. (18)- No one underthe age at 18admitted. n - New Release.
I Bellman And True ( 15) ( Ricltard Loncraine. CK. 1987) Bernard Hill. Kelran ()‘Bricn. FrancesTomelty. 121 mins. Hill is a contpttter expert persuaded into takiitg part iii a batik robbery by the criminals' kidnapping of his small sort in this intermittemtly excitingbut occasionally rambling British stab at a psychological caper movie. Iidinburgh: Cameo.
I Bernadette ( PG) 2": (Jean Delannoy. France. 1986) Sydney Penny. 119 mins. Simple if not simplistic account of the peasant girl who claimed to have seen a vision at Lourdes. Bernadette is gatltering '. wood in the forest one day w hen a woman bathed iii a white heavenly glow appears before her. btit when the girl brings her story back to town scepticism is rife.
No doubting where the v eteran director's sympathies lie in this old-fashioned looking narrative. which might appear alarmingly naive and insipid to non-believers. (ilasgow: (iI’I'.
I Bread. Love and Jealousy ( P( i ) ( Luigi Comencini. ltaly. 195-1) \‘ittorio De Sica. Crina Lollobrigida. 98mins. ()neofthe successful 195(1s Bread. IJH't'rUld. . . series. this is an amiable social comedy featuring La Lolla trying to capture the attentions of De Sica's comic town official. Bittersweet rustic comedy fttll ofsltarp observations. (ilasgow: (ii-'1‘.
I Bullshot(P(‘r) (Dick Clement. CK. 1983) Diz White. Alan Shearman. Ron Ilouse. Frances'l‘omelty. 85 mitts. Captain Bullshot Crumntond. a Bulldog Drummond by any other name. comes tip against his traditional teutonic adversary in this misfiring spoof. Adapted by the
leading trio of actors from their own stage show and their inexperience is sornetintes evident. lidinburgh: Cameo.
I Cal ( 15) ( l’at ()‘Connor. CK. 1984) Helen Mirren. John Lynch. 102 mins. More a tale of impossible love than an examination of the Ulster Troubles. this is nonetheless a commendable small-scale attempt to deal with the human reckoning of political turmoil. Sensitive work front newcomer Lynch and Mirren. (ilasgow: (ii-'1‘.
I Coming to America ( 15) (John Landis. LS. 1988) Eddie Murphy. Arsenio I la“. James Iiarl Jones. 116 mins. Mttrphy is Prince Akeem. heir to the throne ofa fabulottsly wealthy central African state. bttt dissatisfied with the bride arranged for him by KingJames liarl Jones. lnstead.he travels to New York with sidekick hall to seek his own choice ofqueen.
()verlong and not terribly hilarious Murphy vehicle. with the star in several roles doing his best to pump life into a sentimental script. Cilasgow; Cannon Clarkston Road. Canrton Sauchiehail Street. Iidinburgh: Cannon. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon. La Scala. I The Courier ( 15) (Frank Deasy. Joe Lee. Iiire. 1987) Gabriel Byrne. [an Bannen. Padraig ()‘Loihgsigh. 86 mins. In the fair city of Dublin motorbike messengers are theunwitting transport network for an intricate drugs ring.
Although a little too predictable and run of the mill. this Irish offering is athriller that gives its young team a chance toshow their promise. (ilasgow: (EFT.
I ‘Crocodile' Dundee 11 ( PG) (John Cornell. Australia. 1988) Paul Hogan. Linda Kozlowski. John Meillon. 111 mins. Not entirely unexpected sequel has Hogan's Dundee retracing his steps from Manhattan to the Aussie bush to protect his girlfriend journalist Kozlowski from the unwanted attentions of a gangof Colombian drug peddle rs.
A lame script and Hogan's catatonic underplaying mar this antipodean comedy—adventure to the extent that what will undoubtedly be one ofthe year's most profutable releases unfortunately also has to go down as one of the most tedious. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Cannon Sauchiehail Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. Dominion. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon. ()deon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton. Rialto.
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I Cry Freedom (PU) (Richard Attenborough. LS. 1987)Denze1 Washington. Kevin Kline. John Thaw. 158 mins. Although not without its flaws. Attenborough‘s biographical recreation of the friendship between black civil rights activist Steve biko and white liberal newspaperman Donald Woods is his best film to date; an epic. moving drama that also stands as a vigorous condemnation of the obscenity of apartheid. (ilasgow: Cannon Sauchtehall Street. Iidinburgh: Dominion. I Dark EyeS(P(i)(.\'ikita Mikhalkov. Italy L'SSR. 1987) Marcello Mastroianni. Silvano Mangano. Iilena Sofonova. Marthe Keller. 117 ntins. Skilful adaptation of a selection ofChekov stories has ageing rake Mastroianni reminiscing over his past infidelties and precarious emotional and financial state; left. as he is. to wander in exile estranged front his wife and unable to return to his young lover. lts crisp and light tone make Dark lives delightful enough. but the bonus ofa graceful tour de force from the Cannes prizewinner Mastroianni make it an experience to savour. The opportunity to watch such a master craftsman at work is not to be missed. Edinburgh: I‘ilttthouse. I Deadly Pursuit ( 15) (Roger Spotiswoode. LS. 1987) Sidney Poitier. Tom Berenger. Kirstie Alley. llllmins. A welcome return to the screen after a lengthy absence for Sidney Poitier in this just above average thriller. He playsa sterling FBI man on the trail ofa dangerous homicidal criminal across treacherous mountain terrain. and who is forced to enlist the help ofsurlyguide Berenger whose girlfriend the baddie just happens to have kidnapped.
Top drawer cast artd technical credits provide the watchable performances and excellent use of breathtaking locations that take one's mind off the rather contrived narrative and gaps in credibility in this superior piece of formula fodder. And Sidney does ptit himselfabout a bit for a man in his sixties. (ilasgow; (irosvenor I The Decameron ( 18) (Pier I’aolo Pasolini. Italy. 1972) Ninetto Davoli. Franco Citti. lll ntins. Boccaccio according to Pasolini means visually extraordinary Medieval production design and much naked romping. Edinburgh: Cameo I Don‘t Look NOW ( 18) (Nicolas Roeg. L'K. 1973) Donald Sutherland. Julie Christie. 103 mins. Restoration expert working in Venice meets tip with two old sisters who claim spiritual communication with his recently drowned son. Soon he himself begins to suffer visions of a tiny red-coated figure scurrying through the city's dark alleys.
Splendid Nic Roeg movie. as subtly textured and brilliantly edited as the rest of his work. but with the added advantage that it also makes for a rather good yarn. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Down By Law ( 15) (Jim Jarmusch. US. 1986). John Lurie. Roberto Benigni.'1‘om Waits. Three petty crooks in New Orleans find themselves framed (‘down by law")
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and imprisoned in the neat l U! the Louisiana swamps. They escape. but the jailbreak is hardly relevant (and hardly explained either) « the crux of the film lies iii the relationship between the three men as they make their hazardous way through art alien environment. Benigni jttststeals the honours front his better known comrades in Jarmusch's splendid. monochrome comedy. (ilasgow: (5171‘.
I Empire of the Sun(1’(; ) (Steven Spielberg. CS. 1987) Christian Bale. John Malkovitclt. Miranda Richardson. 152 ntins. J.(i. Ballard's bestseller through the eyes of Spielberg becomes a long. sentimental account of a young boy‘s character building exploits duringthe Japanese invasion of Shanghai arid his subsequent internment in a prison camp. 'I‘echnically admirable btit ponderously paced and widly uneven. it lacks the emotional heart to capture the viewer and becomes just another big-screen spectacle. (ilasgow: (iI’I'. I Hairspray ( PCr) (John Waters. US. 1987) Ricki Lake. Divine. Debbie Harry. Sonny Bono. 92mins. Baltimore. 1962. L'proar breaks ottt on the Dance Council oftop 'I'V' pop extravaganza The Corny Collins Show when hefty teen queen Ricki Lake deposes the fornter star ofthe show. and begins to make friends with (gulp) black people. thus breaking down the programme‘s strict racial segregation. L'nllagging entertainment as former trash king Waters does his own bizarre version of mainstream comedy. Definitely one of the fttn ntovies of 1988. (ilasgow; Cannon Sauchiehall Street. I Jungle Book ( L' ) (Wolfgang Reitherman. LS. 1967) With the voicesof (ieorge Sanders. Louis Prima. 78 mins. (irowittg tip in the jungle. young Mowgli learns from the animals around him. Iinjoyable latterday Disney. a long way after Kipling. btit the songs are wonderful. (ilasgow: (irosvenor. ()deon. Edinburgh: ()deon. Strathclyde: Cannon. Kelburne. ()deon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton. I Last Tango in Paris ( 18) ( Bernardo Bertolttcci.1"rance Italy. 1973) Marlon Brando. Maria Schneider. 13(1mins. A young Parisienne meets a middle-aged man with whom she develops an irtcreasingly violent and purely sexual relationship. ()ne ofthe key films ofits decade. Bertolucci's powerful drama is a meditation on the expression and communication of personal identity through intense sexual contact. lidinburgh: Cameo. I Let‘s Hope It's A Girl (Mario Monicelli. Italy. 1986) Liv L'llmann. Phillipe Noiret. Catherine Deneuve. 121 mins. A delightful recent contribution to the Italian comedy season. in which a household of redoubtable ladies. headed by L'Ilmann arid Deneuve in uncharacteristically comic vein. prove that they don‘t need a man in the house while fending off a procession ofcharactcrs who would like to be just that. Glasgow: OFT. I Life Of Brian ( 15)('I‘erry.lones. UK. 1979) (iraham Chapman. Terry Jones. John (‘leese. Michael Palin. Eric Idle. 93
50 The List 12— 18 August 1988