FILM LIST
(‘asares. Jacques Marchat. 90 mins. A deserted mistress takes vengeance on her former lover in this early Bresson film. the director‘s spare manner here enlivened by the sharpness ofJean (‘octeau's screenplay. Edinburgh: l-"rench Institute. I A Fish Called Wanda ( IS ) t ( ‘hai les ('richtnii. l'ls'. l‘lh'h) .lnhri ( ~leesc. Jamie Lee ( 'urtis. Key in Kline. Michael l’aliri. 'I‘om(ienr‘gesnri. ltlxmins Stiilly linglish layyycr‘ Archie Leach ((‘lcese l gels unyyittingly iiiynly ed yyith a gaiignt diamond thic\ es. including brash American Kline and stariiiiier'irig animal lover Palm. because he has access in inlormation that yy ill help them lay their" hands on the sysag. (ilariinr'nus Wanda (Jamie Lee ( ‘urtisl steps in in i'niiiance him into talking. but loyc is in lL‘.tl'll\ head.
Reriiarkably cllectiye comedy . yy ith the absurdly black humour oi the Py thnn generation given a narrative control and sense ol timing that orin a ycteraii'sstcady hand could pr'oy ide. And it makes a yvnnderltil romantic lead ntit nl the r ather unlikely .\lr(‘|ecse. (ilasgnyy . ( ‘aiinnn Saticlireliall Street. lzdiiibuigh: (‘aiiiinn (‘entral2 (‘aiinnn Str'athclyde. .'\.\l(‘ ('lydebank ltl. ('aiiiion. Rialto.
I Flesh And Bloodt is) (Paul \'erhoeyeri. Netherlands LS. 1985) Rutgei'llauer. Jennil'erlason Leigh. 126 mins. \'erhoeven's lirst liriglish language picture belore the success of Ro/mmp is a liisty medieval epic that more than liy es up to itstitle. Leigh isthe lair maiden abducted by Hatier's band ol riiar'audet‘s. yy hose rielar'iotis activities are depicted in occasionally repellent detail, Edinburgh: Edinburgh L'niversity Film Society.
I FranliCt 15 l t l larrisnri l‘ord. LS. l‘lS’M Harrison l‘nrd. Betty Buckley. lirrimariiiellSeigner. llllriiins (‘ardinlngist lord and yyite Buckley tray cl to Paris tor a ennlcr‘ciicc. biil en route manage tn exchange nnc ol their cases lnr a high precision electronic detonatoi ’l he sudden disappearance nl his \s ilc ill a lnreign city yylicre he doesn't speak the language. is soon tn pitch l'tlltl iritn a plot that involves international espionage and the murky Parisicn underworld.
(innd in sec Polanski partially redeeming hiniseli alter the soggy l’rmres. But it is orin partially . because this attempt at a llitchcnckiaii thriller isr'cally rather dog-cared in conception and sluggish ol execution. though the cast are ysnr‘th yyatchiug. (‘enti'alz (‘annnri Strathclyde: ( ‘annnn.
I The Fruit Machine t 15) 2'": (Philip Say‘ille. L'K.1988)limilc('harlesfl‘onyl-‘orsyth. Robbie ('oltrane. Bruce Payne. lll.‘ mins. See caption revieyv. (ilasgnyv: ('annnn Sauchiehall Street. l'".diriburgh: (‘amen. Strathclyde: A.\l(' ('ly'debank til.
I The Goalkeeper‘s Fear Oi The Penaltyi 15 l (Wim Wendcrs. W. (iermariy. 1973) Bruno (iauz. Lisa Kreuzer. ltll mins. Excellent early Weriders collaboration with novelist Peter I laridke. yvhieh focusses on a disillusioned ex-l'ootballer who can no longer face up tn the responsibilities of his emotional lil‘e. Worth seeing. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Good, The Bad and The Uglyi 15) (Sergio Leone. ltaly. 1968) (‘lint Eastwood. Lee Van (‘leeL Eli Wallacli.
lts’tlmins. During the American (‘ivil War.
a trio of rather mean gringos squabble over hidden loot. Most people remember the Ennio Morricone score from this Leone extravaganza. but the degree ol’ directorial stylization (just count the number of times extreme close-ups fill the screen) make it a pretty remarkable effort all round. Third and last movie yvith Eastwood as the Man With No Name. because the series really had noyvhe re else to go. Edinburgh: Edinburgh L'niversity Film Society.
I Good Morning Vietnam ( 15 i ( Barry Levinson. L'S. 1987) Robin Williams. Forrest Whitaker. 'I‘ung Thanh Tran. 131 mins. At last getting the specially tailored
Imagine: John Lennon (15) :2 (Andrew Solt, US, 1988) John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Cynthia Lennon, Julian Lennon. 105 mins. Originally scheduled tora spring 1989 release this impressive documentary collage of the lite of John Lennon has been rushed out as a damage-limitation response to Albert Goldman‘s unauthorised hatchet-job biography. Assembled over a period of two years by Andrew Solt, who previously made the very moving ‘This Is Elvis', the lilm utilises a vast array ol painstakingly chosen archive material to present a jaunt into our cultural past that could hardly be more skillully vivid.
Uniquely perhaps tor the subject of a posthumous study, Lennon practically narrates the lilm himself, his words taken trom many hours of recorded tapes and lilm tootage that sprang from John and Yoko's attempt to amass a complete diary at their highly public personal lite together. The lilm begins and ends at Tittenhurst mansion in England during the recording at the ‘lmagine’ album with Phil Spector (which incidentally shows our John to be more than a bit at a bastard in the studio) and in-between chronicles his unhappy early lite, the devastating media hurricane that the Beatles were to become, the days at bed-bound
peace campaigning with Yoko, and the Seventies' years at estrangement then domestic idyll, right up until a rather crass sequence (lamous specs shattering on the ground) representing the 1980 shooting outside his New York apartment.
With a tree hand from widow Ono, Solt otters us a remarkably open picture at one of popular music‘s icons that impresses upon the viewerthe emotional toll ol the Beatles years, and the heroic naivety at his sell-promoting peace eltorts. While interviews with all the expected loved ones resort to sentimental myth-making, there‘s
enough candid material, including a remarkably strained encounter with conservative cartoonist Al Kapp, John contronting a star-struck tan with the dillerence between song and reality, and touching scenes with son Sean, to persuade us that we're getting an unbiased, it slightly orthodox view at the man. And in the wake ol Goldman's spurious trawling ol the backwaters ol his personal lite, it’s most heartening to see that the lilm allows plenty of room lor the reason why John Lennon was, and will remain lamous. The music. (TrevorJohnston)
role his irnpr'nvisatory comic talent deserves. Robin Williams gives a dazzling per'lnrmance as iconoclastic armed lnrces radio disc jockey Adrian(‘r'onaucr. assigned to 1005 Saignri and soon creating headaches lor the military top brass. His morning shnyy . yvith its healthy dosesol soul music and outbursts ol yyay -nut.quite irreverent humour explodes their cosy notions nl broadcasting standards. but makes him a hero amongst the ordinary lighting men.
While the more serious aspects oi the lilm. its atteriipts to examine the clash ol tyyn cultures and intimate the escalation ol the Vietnam cont’lict. can seem a little l'lat. this is probably because Williams‘ stiritsnn the radio mike are so hilariously electr'ily irig they leave the rest nl'the mny ie standing. Watch out lnr a liost nl line supporting perlormances. and director Leyinson‘s alyyaysysinriirigysay yyitli dialogue. (ilasgnyy:(’annori ('lar'kston Rd. (irosvenor. ( )deoii. Edinburgh: ()deon. Strathclyde: A.\l(' ('lydebarik ltl . ls'elburne.()deon Hamilton I Grease t PU l t Randal Kleiser'. t ‘s.
1978 ) .lohn 'I‘r'avnlta. Stockar'd (’hauning. ()liyia Neyston John. H“ mins. 'I'he long-running br‘oadyyay shnyy ar'riveson screen dripping yy ith 'Ftls nostalgia. cheery tunes. a high camp value and the is insnmc charms of the plastic .\'eyy tori-John and the toothy 'I’ravnlta. A nice collection ot old timers enhance the cast. Edinburgh: ('ameo. Illairsprayit’tii(John \y'aiers. t‘S. 1%") Ricki Lake. Divine. Debbie Harry .Sniiiiy Bonn. 0: mins. llalliriinre. I‘Hil. l'pr'nar‘. breaksnut nri the Dance ( ‘niiiicil nl top l\' popextrayagau/a 'l'he ( ~nr'riy (‘nlliris Shnyy \y hen helly teen queen Ricki l akc deposes the hunter star ol the shoyy . and begins to make ll‘lc‘lttlsyyllll tgiilpi black people. tlitis breaking dnyy n the pr'ngr'aiririies strict racial segregation. l'rillagging entertainment as ltH'tTlL‘l trash king Water's does his nyy it Name yer'sinn nl mainstream comedy. Deliriitely one ol the inn moy iesnt Wists Strathclyde: ()deori Ayr.
I A Handlul Ol Dust t P( i i t ( ~hai lcs Stur r idgc. l "K. IVS—‘llillllc‘s \\ ilby. lsii'sty ri Scott- I horiias. Rupert ( iiayes llS miris liy mg iii splendour at the ancestral seat. ill-matched upper class couple \\ ilby and Scott I homas lind their already deteriorating relationship nudged tiir'thei along the road to l iiiii by the arm al ol haridsnirie iiigciiti ( ii .i\ es as.i par asitieal hniisc guest
lleaiitiltilly acted and cralted lilrii yeisrnii ol the l'ycly ll \\ airgh rinyel c‘ilpllll L‘s lllc‘ \Utll'cc‘~\ pct liltl tlc'lall \y llll impeccable ease. btrt the eliai‘aeterisatinri's genteel lair -niiridediiess latally subdiies the niigiiial's\crioiiioiis riole. (ilasgoyy; ( iinsyciioi I Hope and GlOth15)(.|nhnBoorriiari. l 'K. WSW Sarah Miles. David l layman. lan llanncn. Susan Wnnldr'rdge ll: rriiiis. A deceptively simple but pcr'lectly cratied slice ot yyar‘time nostalgia that paints a warm and vs itty portrait oi the ady critui'otis childhood oi the boy yy ho yyoiild be John Bonrmari. Ldinbui'gh: l'lltithotisc. I Imagine: John Lennoni 15) t Aridr'cys Sttll. LS. 1‘).SH)JUhli[.L‘llllUll. \iikoUni‘. ('y nthia Lennon. ltlF ruins. Sec ( 'aptioii r'eyieyy (ilasgoyy; ('aririon Sairchrehall Street. l'.dltlbttr'gh: (‘arinnir IThe Iron Horsett‘iilnhn t-ma. t ‘s‘. 1934 ) ( ient‘ge ( )‘Bt'ten. Madge Bellamy l 19mins. A yyor‘k'cl' on the lirst transcoritinental railroad is out toayerige his father's murder. The lnrer‘tiririei ol many a pot-boiling Western narrative. this early effort is a notable milestone in the progress ot‘yntiriglohn Lord. and still remarkable today tor the sheer senpe oi the production y alues. lidmburgh; Edinburgh l'niyersity l’ilm Society I Jean Oe Florette t P( i l t ( ~laiide Berri. France. 198M ( ier'ard Depardieti. Yves Moritand. Daniel Auteurl. l3] lllllts. Provence. during the l‘)2tls. Depardieu‘s indomitable huricliback struggles against impossible odds to make a success nl his inherited tarriilarid unayy are that his apparently lriendly neighbniir‘sarc secretly planning to drive him li'oiii his land.
Ileautrtully photographed with lilayvless per'lni ruariccs. this is a towering tribute to the highest aspirations ol traditional l-reucli storytelling A recent BAI’I‘A \y rririer as the lilm ol the year. Ldinburgh: l-iliiilioiise I Jour Oe Fete t l ' ) (Jacques ‘I‘ati. l‘r‘arice. l‘HMJacques lati. (itiy Dccnmble. X7 lllllls A rural l‘r'eiich postie see a lilm about the ellrcieiicy ol the American mail sery ice and decides to smar'teri tip hisact. (‘liai iiiirig debut leatur'c by 'lati. cltni'tlessly building visual set-pieccsand establishing the amiable dullerol'aceritral role that “as later to riietamoi'phose into the urrlorgettablc .\l. Hllltll. (ilasgnyy: (il-"l
I King Ol Comedy t P( i ) t Martin Scorcese. LS WM) Robert De.\'ir'o. .lerr‘y Leyyis. Sandra Bernhard ltl‘) mins. l-irll-time schmirek Rupert Pupkrri t l)eNir'ii)tlc'2irly \s ants in be a successlul teley isrnri entertainer . so he piits together a plan to kidnap glum chat shnyy host Leyyis and so lirid his yy ay on to the box.
Desperate comic capers. yy ith a bitter edge in l)e.\'ir'o's manic. hilar'inusand snmehnys iriynving pcrlnr'mance.
('i imriially under -rated. this slices tothe core ol Ariicrica's culturalemptiness. Ltlllll‘lll'g’lll (amen.
IThe Last Emperort 15 l ( Bernardo BCI'IUIUL‘L‘I. ltaly (‘hiria. 1‘).\’7’)Johii Lone. l’eter ()"l'nnle..lnan(hen. lblrnins. Peking. Wills. a three year-old boy ascends to the Imperial ’l'hr‘nric to become the
'[ .ilt'd Ul (lien 'lbilttsttltd Years. A mere 5‘) years later. hnyy ey er. he dies a humble gardener in a ( ’hina that is mm. the Maoist People's Republic.
Intelligent epic lnllnysirig the sell-delusion and r'e-ediicatinn nl a man shaped by a superseded power structure. A little cold perhaps. but the production and cinematiigr‘aphy are nl such estiiiisiteriess that one only yyishes the tilru \\ cte longer. (ilasgnyy ; ()deon. (iinsyeiinr'. Edinburgh: ()deon.
I Law Ol Oesiret tsi i Pedro Alnindoy ar. Spain. IVS”) lttlsebln Poiicela. (‘arriien Maura. Antonin Bandcras. See caption r'evieyv.
The List ZSOct — 10 Nov 198815