F-.- __.. -
"For his first film ’House of Games’ David Mamet won, and deserved, great critical praise and now he’s followed that with ’Things Change’ which I think is even better. ”
BARRY NORMAN—BBC, HUM ’89
"A Mafia fairy-tale on offer that
I’d hate you to refuse.” TOM HU'I'CHINSON— MAIL ON SUNDAY
I
”. . . the performances are excellent. . .’ S 1 LP! IANIE L‘xl Lil/IAN — SUNDAY [IXI’RIISS
‘
DON AMECHE
I JOE MANTEGNA I
I
o A comedy about two guys who take the mob for a ride.
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FROM FRIDAY APRIL 21 EDINBURGH CAMEO GLASGOW CANNON
401hel rslll.-\plil 4 M. . Hist;
FILM LlSl
Peter O'Toole. Joan Chen. fol mins. Peking. 1908. a three year-old boy ascends to the Imperial 'l‘hrone to become the ‘I.ord of Ten Thousand Years'. A mere 5‘) years later. however. he dies a humble gardener in a (‘hina that is now the Maoist People's Republic.
Intelligent epic following the self-delusion and rc-education of a man shaped by a superseded power structure. A little cold perhaps. but the production and cinematography are ofsuch exquisitcncssthat one only wishes the film were longer. Strathcly‘dc: Haldane Film Society.
I The Last Metro (PU) (Francois'l'ruffarrt. France. 1980) Catherine Deneuvc. (ierard Depardieu. Jean Poirct. l3l niins. ()ccupicd Paris 1942. Deiieuye takesoyer the running of a Montmartre theatre while her Jewish husband. the former manager. is in hiding. .‘Vlcanwhile the company includes a number of performers who are also in tlieit own ways under threat from the Nazis. (ilossy and well-cast wartime drama. with 'l tuffaut working in his most entertaining and commercial ycin. Izdinburgh: l-rench Institute.
. I La Lecfrice ( lrs') (Michel l)c'\lllc.
l-rarrce. l988l Miou-Miou.(‘hristian Ruehe. Patrick (‘henais 88mins. See panel. (ilasgow: (il’l’.
I The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearnel 15) (Jack (’lay'ton. UK. 1988) Maggie Smith. Bob I loskiris. Marie Kean. Ian McNeice. Ill-l miris. Judith Ilearne is a riiiddlc-aged l)ubliner of modest means. whose dreams of a secure marriage she bc-lieyesarc about to be answered in the shape of James Madden (lloskins). her landlady 's biotlier rcccntly returned from the hotel trade in New York. lloweycr . their relationship isactually fouridcdona mutual misundcrstanding. and the realisation that her loneliness is going to continue driyesJudith iritoari alcohol-fuelled spiral of spiritual doubt
(iericrally' adequate screen version of Bi ran Moore's wonderful first noyel. with the sterling efforts of Smith and I loskrns splendidly offset by an engaging setof boarding house grotesques. ('entral: Regal I Madame Sousatzlta ( l’( i ) (John Schlesinger . I'K. 1988) Shirley Macl.arnc. Nay in ('howdry'. Peggy Ashcroftfl‘wiggy 122 riiiirs. Madame Sousatzka ( Maclairie) an eccentr rc London piano teacher of Russian lincage. takes on a new pupil. Maiick ((‘how dry). a fourteen year-old Asian boy whom she begrnsto rnouldinto hcr latest protege While the property dcyclopcrs llulliL‘ in on hcr dccayrngflat and the boy s mother (Shabana Anni) begins to resent Sousatzka s domination of her son. the teacher propels her charge ey er onwards towards an appearance at a prestigious music lesllyal.
()ld-Iashioricd star melodrama. with a completely lianimy star tour dc force from the unbearable Shirley Macl.aine. l‘hc boy ‘s background is handled with considerably more credibility . but can't saye this oyerlong filrii from beinganother unfortunate reminder of the recent downturn in a once sparkling directorial career tilasgow: (irosycnor. ladinburgh: Dominion.
I Manhuntert 18) a? (Michael Mann. LS. 1987) William l.. Petersen. 'l‘orn Noonan. Brian( ox. ls'im (iricst. 11‘) mins. Superb modern thriller by Michael Mann has specialist FBI agent Petersen brought back frorii psychiatric treatment to face another case. the reason for all the tension berrig that he tracks down ser ral killersby tryrngtorccreatctheirtrainofthought In the past this has ploy ed all too wearingon his ow n mental state. and w hen laced with thc ey idcricc of a ct axed killer w hoslays
w holc families every lunar cycle. he once more appear s to be on the brink himself
t orryiricrirgly plotted adult material which remains a disturbing exercise in
deviant psychology for both protagonist T and audience. Effortlesst sty liin tiscol the wide screen. and stringent control of the colour palette throughout are ex idencc of a master film-maker at work. lidinbuigh: (‘aiiic-o. l-rlrirhousc I Mapantsula ( 15) (Uliser Schmitl. s Africa. l‘)88)'l‘horiias Mogotlane. 'l‘hcmbi Mtshali. l’ctcr Scphurna. lilo inins. Small-time Soweto thief Panic (Mogotlanc) is interested only in snatching handbags and carousing in local shebcens. llow eyer’. w hcn he is picked up and interned with a number of trade unionists. his brutal experiences behrrrd bars help him to for'rriulatc a more committed attitude to the struggle against apartheid.
l‘ilriicd under the noses of the white authorities. this remarkable film Is the most authentic sctcctl cxantrnatioti we hayc of life in the townships. and w hrlca little lacking in narratiy e drry eor emotional appeal. the quiet power it
gcner atcscorncs from the total coriy rctron of its hard realism. (ilasgow till I Mafewanr 15) (John sayles. t‘s‘. lash: ('hris (‘oopeiy Will ( )ldharii. .lanies l'arl Jones. 130 mins. '1 he coalliclds of West Virginia. 192“. ’l‘he entire town of
Matew an is ow iicd by the mining
company . which employs rts men in conditions harsh enough to promote a walk-out by the immigrant workers \\ lirle the bossestiy to bring in cheapscablabour to break the strike. a union organiser 's arriyal is to proyoke both sides into y rolent CUHIIIL‘I.
Say les modestly -budgeted account of one of the key moments in .'\lllcllc'.lll labour history hasarr extraordinary feeling of authenticity deriycd from fine perfor‘rriances. splendid photography and a precise cyc lot detail. .\ tadoyetlolrg perhaps. but a rousing. humane and worthwhile piece of work (ilasgtrw ( il-'l I Mon Oncle ( l’( i i (Jacques latl. l- r .rrice. 1958)]acques'l ati..lean-l’icire /.ola. AdrienneSer'y'atic. llbinirrs \Voikrngin colour for the first trrrrc . ’l'atr's Monsieur l lltrlot is befuddled by the modern factory w here his brother —iri-law has giyen him a l Job. and by the all *llliltl'cllIIStlpltlllllk‘lll where lieyrsitshrsyotrrrgnephew Superb
catalogue of sight gags centi ing around the dehurnariising effect of the new technology. lidirrbtrrglr I'llllllliltlsc'.
I Monsieur Hulof‘s Holiday r l’( ; it lac’clrlcs il'all. l‘fallcc. IVS} l .lac‘cltlcs I all. Nathalie l’ascaird. Michelle Rolla. ‘21 firms M. llulot. a bachelor w lift the accident pronc
touch. airrycs at a Iaunty coastalrc sort I arrddcyaslatioii yci_. soon clrsrrc's (‘oirric l tirriingat its most ll rcsrsirblc rsorr y rew lieic. as 'I all gets away w itli a number of ' slowburnirig. rrierriorable gags. all undercut by the stabbing notion that we all: haye an trricle exactly like I ltrlot Izdinburgh: l‘ilrrilioose I Moonwalker (l )(ler t‘y lsrarrret ckt olirr (hilycis. I'S. I‘ltshl .\lichacl.lacksorr. Scan l.errrron. ls'cllic l’ar ker .loc l’cscr
ltltl irillis. [he Jacko plan for corrrplete world dominationcontinuesapaec with
this ragbag of bits and pieces niasciuciadingas a featrriefrlrn (.I’Illc‘lsftl is pointless as the kiddies w ill flock tort anyway . but there'sa lotto ; dislike about a rrroy ic which sets orrl to exploit our younger yiewers' short attention spans. (‘critial ( aledorriair I My Stepmofher Is An Alienr li l , (Richard Benjamin. l'S. l‘fbb) Dan E Aykroyd. ls'im llasrnger . Alyson llannigan ltl7mrns I‘c‘ccllllIc‘\\ltlir\\ctl scientist I)i Slcye Mills ( .-\y kroycl l gets llllc‘llc‘tl It) alllrlcch'k clc'slc' l Kllll liasirrger f. who first happens tocorire from allcilllcl plallcl lllls llccr .rrc's it strtllc‘crrl .soiiie correct in to In t tcc rragc daughter (llararrgarr) wlicrrdadrcalrseshrsnc w partner has ncycr free i; kr~.sc d. arid sosc ts about educating lrci ii. the waysoi carnal
know ledge and all that