FILM LIST
TWINS
Twins (15) (lvan Reitman, US, 1988) Danny DeVito, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelly Preston, Chloe Webb. The emergence ol Arnold Schwarzenegger as a comedy star seems one oi the year's more unlikely twists, but he handles his end at the agreeably silly Twins with reasonable aplomb. It is a little early to start tagging him as the new Cary Grant just yet, but he is convincing enough to suggest that maybe there is more than just muscle and an impenetrable Austro-English accent behind the strong man exterior.
Arnie plays a rather unusual man as Julius, who is the result at an experiment to produce the perlect human (male, natch) by making a kind of sperm cocktail lrom the contributions at six diverser distinguished men, and impregnating a highly talented and intelligent young artist. She duly gave birth to the child, both at whom were then led to believe that each had died in the process; mum goes off to lound an artists colony, Julius to the seclusion ot a desert island research station, where he is raised as a paragon ol physical and intellectual attainment.
Unlortunately, the process had an unexpected side-etiect, with the birth oi a runty brotherto the perfect specimen. When the grown Julius learns of the existence ol his twin
brother, he sets out to tlnd him in a spirit at brotherly love, and eventually tracks him down in jail. Vincent knows a sucker when he sees one, even it he is clearly a nut, and uses Julius shamelessly; the more he listens, however, the more intrigued he becomes by this crazy story about their being twins.
Eventually, the two brothers, complete with Vincent's girltriend and her beautltul sister, who has her eye on Julius, set out by car on an expedition to tlnd their long lost mother. Unknown to Julius, however, Vincent has stolen a car with a very valuable piece at illegal merchandise in the back, and is to receive $5 million tor delivering it in Texas. So otl they go, pursued by loan sharks atter Vincent's money, and the
psychotic hit man who owns the car aheerncent's head.
Danny DeVlto steals the show as the unpleasant but decent enough underneath it all brother who just lacked tamin attection to keep him on the straight and narrow. Director Ivan Beltman handles the slapstick and risque comic elements with his usual tlalr, while simultaneously evoking a genuine sense of a growing tamily bond between the most ill-matched twins you will encounter in this, or any other, year. Twins is a lightweight but enjoyable enough comedy, and I guess the remarkable plot similarities with Rain Man, down to a scene in each where one brotherteaches the other to dance in a‘hotel room, are purely coincidental. (Kenny Mathieson)
meant to be on. A decidedly patchy return to the big screen for one of Britain'smost individualistic talents. (ilasgow : (iFI‘. Edinburgh: Cameo. I High Spirits ( 15) (Neil Jordan. US UK. 1988) Peter O'Toole. Daryl Hannah. Steve (iuttenberg. 92 mins. O'Toole stars as the financially desperate ownerofa decaying lrish castle. Facing the prospect of coming up with some swift cash or accepting foreclosure. he cooks up a scheme to pass off Plunkett Castle as the most haunted house in Ireland. lacklustre slapstick farce. with poor timing and a cluttered narrative curtailing any interest in the sometimes charming special effects. (ilasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: WMR liilm Centre. I Jean De Florette ( P( i) (Claude Berri. France. 198m (icrard Depardieu. Yves Montand. Daniel Autettil. 121mins. Provence. during the 192(ls. Depardicu's indomitable hunchback struggles against impossible odds to make a success ofhis inherited farmland unaware that his apparently friendly neighbours are secretly planning to drive him from his land.
Beautifully photographed with flawless performances. this is a towering tribute to the highest aspirations oftraditional French storytelling. A recent BAF'I‘A winner as the film ofthe year. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Lady And The Tramp (1') (Hamilton 1-uske.1’S. 1955) With the voices of Peggy Lee and Bill Thompson. 75 mins. Disney‘s first animated feature in cinemascope has mongrel Tramp helping pedigree pooch Lady out of a sticky situation and fallingin lurve along the way. Richly drawn with hummable tunes and endearing characterisations. this is the classic Disney mix as before. Lovely spaghetti-eating sequence. Edinburgh: ()deon. Central: Caledonian. Regal. Strathclyde: Odeon Hamilton.
IThe Last 0t England ( 18) (Derek Jarman. 11K. 1987) Tilda Swinton. Spencer Leigh. Spring. Derek Jarman. 91) mins. Part autobiographical study. part examination of post-Empire Britain‘s decline and fall. this expressive vision of a country edging towards anarchy exudes a technical bravura placed wholly at the service of a singular painterly sensibility. Glasgow: GF'I‘.
I Little Dorrit (1?) (Christine Iidzard. LR. 1987) Derek Jacobi. Alec Guinness. Sarah Pickering. Part One: Nobody"s Faultl 176 mins). Part Two: Little Dorrit's Story (181 mins). Dickens' complex novel about the grim social duplicity of his contemporary London is beautifully translated to the screen focusing on the centralrelationship between the upright Arthur Clennam and Little Dorrit. born in a debtor‘s prison. yet still conveying the scope. detail and changing perspectives of the original. As their tentative romance slowly blossomsa vivid. scathing picture is gradually woven of scandalous landlords. impenetrable and inefficient bureaucracy and parasitic wealth. It is a two-nation society andthe parallels with Britain today are startling.
Derek Jacobi is outstanding as the gentle. bewildered Clennam and is ably supported by a host ofdelicious character performances Edinburgh: National Museum.
IThe Lonely Passion OlJudlth Hearne(15) (Jack Clayton. CK. 1988) Maggie Smith. Bob 1 loskins. Marie Kean. Ian McNeice. 104 mins. Judith 1 learne is a middle-aged Dubliner of modest means. whose dreams of a secure marriage she believes are about to be answered in the shape of James Madden (Hoskins). herlandlady‘s brother recently returned from the hotel trade in New York.
Generally adequate screen version 0t Brian Moore’s wonderful first novel. with the sterling efforts of Smith and Hoskins splendidly—offset by an engaging set of boarding house grotesques. Edinburgh: Dominion.
I Manhuntert 18) 2':- (Michael Mann. LS. 1987) William 1.. Petersen. Tom Noonan. Brian Cox. Kim (iriest. 119mins. Superb modern thriller by Michael Mann has specialist FBI agent Petersen brought back from psychiatric treatment to face another case. the reason for all the tension being that he tracks down serial killers by trying to recreate their train of thought
(‘onvincingly plotted adult material which remains a disturbing exercise in deviant psychology for both protagonist and audience. Effortlesst stylish use of the wide screen. and stringent control of the colour palette throughout are evidence ofa master film-maker at work. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street.
I Manon Des Sources (PG) (Claude Berri. l"rance'ltaly. 1986) Yves Montand. Daniel Auteuil. Emmanuelle Beart. 11-1 mins. Ten years after the demise ofJean De Florette. the Soubeyrans now run a prosperouscarnation farm. However. Jean's daughter has now grown into an alluring young woman and. through the twists of unpredictable fate. is able to wreak her revenge.
The production values are as high as ever and Auteuil assumes Depardieu's mantle as the human soul of this episode in his tragi-eomic development from glaikit idiot to broken-hearted suitor. A stirring achievement. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Central: Regal.
I Masters Of The Universe (PG ) (Gary Goddard. US. 1987) Dolph Lundgren. Frank Langella. Meg Foster. 1()()mins. Deadly dull Star Wars-style rip-off as the forces of good and evil battle it out for world domination. Disappointing lead debut for Lundgren. but what do you expect from a product designed to shift more toys? Strathclyde: Cannon.
I MrNorth (PG) it (Danny Huston. US. 1988) Anthony Edwards. Robert Mitchum. Lauren Bacall. Harry Dean Stanton. 93 mins. Adapted from the Thornton Wilder novel 'I'lwophilus .‘v'orrh.
Danny 1 luston‘s debut feature has Anthony [Edwards in the title role asa young man who cures the sick and roots out evil by virtue o1 his very goodness. though the static electricity he givesout might have something to do with it. Is hea magician. a faith healer or a fraud‘.’
With finely rendered 1920‘s Newport and an all-star cast mugging away as assorted local nogoodniks. Huston Jnr‘s picture. w hich he scripted with his late dad. remains the kind of whimsical. old-fashioned entertainment we don't expect anymore. though its lineage lies more in Frank Capra than the Huston Snr canon. (ilasgovv: (irosvenor.
I The Moderns( 15) (Alan Rudolph. LS. 1988) Keith (‘arradinc. Linda Fiorentino. John Lone. Wallace Shawn. 126 mins. The 19% Paris of lirnest Hemingway. Gertrude Stein and Dada. Struggling expat American artist Nick 1 lart ((‘arradincl still retains emotional links with his old flame Rachel (l‘iorcntino)
cv en though sites now married to cold art collector Bertram Stone 1 1 .one ). This stylish examination of making art and love will be review ed next issue. Iidinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Moonwalker ( 1' ) (Jerry Kramer a Colin Chilvers. LS. 1988) Michael Jackson. Sean Lennon. Kellie Parker. .loe Pesci. 11X) mins. The Jacko plan for complete world domination continues apace with this ragbag of bits and pieces masquerading as a feature film.
(‘riticism is pointless as the kiddies will flock to it an)“ a)". but there's a lot to dislike about a movie which sets out to exploit our younger viewers‘ short attention spans. Spare a thought for the unfortunate parents. Strathclyde: AMC Clydcbank 111. La Scala. ()deon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton.
I The Mosquito Coast ( i’( i ) (Peter Weir. l'S. 198(1) Harrison 1-‘ord. Helen Mirren. River Phoenix. 119 mins. A black-edged reworking of elements from ‘l‘le‘wiss Family Robinson as i-‘ord‘s know-it-all inventor forsakes the sad decline of Western civilisation and recklessly heads into the jungles of South America with his family and worldly goods. (ilasgow: (ii-T. I The Naked Gun ( 15) (David '/.uckcr. US. 1988) Leslie Nielsen. Priscilla Presley. Ricardo Montalban. 85 mins. Nielsen gets a crack at a leading comic role as Frank Drcbin. a disaster prone LA cop assigned to find the men w ho shot his colleague ina drugs bust. and protect our dear Queen at the same time. while also finding room for romance with secretary Presley. The makers of A irp/um’ here operate on a similar principle: keep it fast. keepit marvelloust dumb. and the comic dividends will eventually flow. Watch out for a great beaver gag and comedy cameos from Arafat. (iaddaii. (iorbachev andthe Queen. Where else would you get all these elements in the same movie'.’ Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Cannon Sauchiehall Street. (irosvcnor. Edinburgh: Cannon. Dominion. Central: Caledonian. Cannon. Strathclyde: AMC Clydebank ll). Cannon. Kelburne. Odeon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton. Rialto. I The Neverending Story ( PG) (Wolfgang Petersen. L'S‘W. Germany. 1985) Barret Oliver. Gerald MeRaney. Drum Garret. 94 mins. Lonely young boy Bastian starts to read a mysterious book. and is miraculouslydrawn into the pages to undergo an exciting and dangerous adventure in a land of fantasy. Passable adaptation of the Michael Ende bestseller. with plenty ofcute furry folk to engagethe kiddies. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Night OtThe Living Dead ( 18) (George A Romero. US. 1968) Duane Jones. Judith O'Dea. Russell Streiner. 96mins. Milestone in the modern horror film hasa group of people barricading themselves into a farmhouse to seek refuge fromthe hordes of flesh-crazy undead. the results ofmisfiring military experiments. Filmed on a shoestring in Pittsburgh. with gore
14 The List 10 - 23 March 1989