INDEX
I The Accused ( 18) (Jonathan Kaplan. US. 1988) Kelly McGillis. Jodie Foster. Berni Coulson. 111 mins. Sarah Tobias (Jodie Foster) is raped on a pinball machine by three men. yet when the assailants are taken to court. a plea bargain with Sarah‘s lawyer Kathryn Murphy ( Kelly McGillis) reduces their charges. When both women realise this is a sell-out. they decide to bring charges against the men in the bar who cheered on the attack and offered encouragement to the rapists. Standout performance from Foster in this sympathetic and responsible treatment ofdiffieult subject matter. whose firm grasp of character and honest intentions help allay one‘s reservations about the content. Glasgow: (‘annon'l‘he Forge.
IAn American Tail (t') ( l)on Bluth. l'S. 1986) With the voices of [)om l)e1.uise. Madelaine ls'ahn. Christopher Plummer. 8llmins. The late 19th century. The Mousekewitz family make their way from trouble-torn Russia to a new life in America. but they find the streets ofNew- York are not all paved with gold. A wealth of background detail displays Bluth's admirably painstaking approach to animation. but the foregroundnarrative. often agreeably perilous. does occasionally reek ofsentimentality. Glasgow: Grosvenor. (‘entralz Allanpark. Strathclydc: Kelburne.
I Another Time. Another Place ( 15) (Michael Radford. UK. 1983) Phyllis Logan. Gregor Fisher. 1112 mins. (‘arefully measured rural wartime drama as a farmer‘s wife's unremitting slog in the Highlands is momentarily relieved by the billetingof Italian P()W's and the prospect of romance. fidinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Au Bevoir Les Enfanfs ( 1’(i)(l.ouis Malle. France W. Germany. 1987) Gaspard Mancsse. Raphael Fejito. Philippe Morier-Genoud. 113 mins. Low-key. einema-verite influenced screen portrayal of autobiographical incidents from Malle‘s boyhood. Set during the German occupation. the film follows the developing friendship between two boys at a small provincial school run by monks. one of whose closely-guarded Jewish identity is to prove dangerous to both boy s as the Nazi presence loomsalarmineg close. Simple. subtle. and very moving film. which avoids the cliches ofthe coming-of-age genre. and makes itslarger political points firmly but unobtrusively. ('entral: Regal.
I Baby. . . Secret of the Lost Legend ( 15 )f B W 1. Norton. 17S. 1985) Sean Young. William Katt. Patrick MeGoohanJulian Fellows. Old fashioned reworking of the basic King Kong plot though this time a whole family of lost monsters are discovered. The gratuitous violence however tends to overshadow the baby dino's attempts to tug at the heart strings. (ilasgow: (irosvenor.
I Barflyi l8) (Barbet Schroeder. l'S. 1987) Mickey Rourke. Faye Dunaway. Alice Krige. 99 mins. Bar-room bum Rourke finds artistic inspiration in the demon drink. but his discovery by a prestigious literary magazine and the temptations ofwealth it offers is to threaten his relationship with fellow alcoholic Dunaway. (‘aleulating exercise in existentialism. based on the autobiogaphical writings of cult author (‘harles Bukowski. here energetically impersonated by a game Mickey Rourke. Edinburgh: ('ameo.
I Beaches( 15) (Gary Marshall. t's. 1988) Bette Midler. Barbara llershcy. John Heard. Spalding Gray. l2~imins.'1‘wo
WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF 'A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (15) (Pedro Almodovar, Spain, 1988) Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano. 98 mins. A real treat from the current enfant terrible of European cinema, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown takes a step back from the overwrought sexual hysteria of Law of Desire in favour Of a hilarious and wholly engaging comic treatment.
The plot is simple in outline, but deviously complex in its comings and goings. It follows a hectic forty-eight hours in the life of Pepa (Carmen Maura), an actress who specialises in voice overdubbing. Pepa has been having a lengthy affair with an older man, Ivan, but his wandering eye has settled on new quarry, and he leaves a message on her answering machine to tell herthe affair is over.
Pepa is prepared to take desperate measures, but her attempts to vent her grief and anger in suitably melodramatic fashion are constantly thwarted by an increasingly bizarre trail of visitors to her flat. all seeking her common-sense sympathy for their own byzantine emotional problems. The likeably llighty Candela is hiding out from the police, for example, because she believes they want to question her about her latest affair, which happened to be with a Shi’ite terrorist. And that is just for starters—
cleven-year—old girls meet on a beach in Atlantic City and become lifelong friends despite jealous arguments and diverse lifestyles. ('.('. Bloom is a loudmouthcd actress singer bound for stardom (a taxing role for Midler). while Hershey‘s 1 Mary Whitney is a prim moneyed beauty try ing hard to resist conformity. Midler makes good work of the star-vehicle script and is ably supported by Hershey. But make no mistake this overlong female buddy movie is the schmalziest teai‘jcrkeryou'll sec in awhile. Glasgow: (‘annon'l‘lie Forge. ()deon. 1".dinburgh: ()deon. Strathclydc: ()deon Ay r. AM(' (‘lydebank 111.
I Bed and Board ( 15) ( Francois'l‘ruffaut. France. 1971))Jean-Pierre l.eaud.(‘1aude .lade. Jacques'lati. 97 mins. The story of Antoine l)oincl continues from l.(‘\ 41)!) (‘oii/is. Love a! In ('Il!_\' and Sin/en Kisses. Married and living in an apartment our hero remains immature and confused by the world. 1.oy ingly crafted by '1"i'iiffaut with an amusing cameo by Jacques 'l‘ati as M.11ulot. lidinburgh:l-‘ilmhoiise.
I Betrayed ( l5) ((‘osiu-(iziv-ras. is. was) Debra Winger. 'l‘om Bercnger. .lohn lleard. 127 mins. Winger isan FBI agent investigating Midwestern farmer Berenger. who at first seems such a nice guy that the two fall in love but w hoturiis out to have a more sinister side to his character. Glasgow: Salon. Strathclydc: Kelburne. La Scala. x‘s.\l('(’1ydebank 11). I Big ( PG)(Pcnny Marshall. 1S. 1988) Tom 1 lanks. lili/abeth Perkins. Robert Loggia. 111-1 mins. l2year-oldlosh(David Moscow ) has no luck with the school beauty because of his diminutive stature. llowey cr. upon discovering a neglected fairground wishing machine. he jumpsout ofbed the next morning to find hisboyish self now wrapped in an adult packaging ('l‘om flanks). ()1 all the role-reversal moy iesout last year. Big has been by far the most successful. because Tom 1 lanks offers a most appealing characterisation as the dopey innocent at large. and because it
things get really weird when Ivan’s ex-wife turns up, straight from a
psychiatric hospital and out for revenge
on hererrant husband.
Aldomovar makes splendidly anarchic comic play from this increasingly farcical but fascinating
collection of characters, and keeps the
action cracking along at a splendidly
sustained pace. The film comes across as an ironic but immensely affectionate
European response to the classic Hollywood comedies of the 19508, and
must go down as one of the year’s most
enjoyable successes. (Kenny Mathieson)
treats the situation with a little intelligence. ladinburgli: (’ameo. I The Big Blue ( l5 ) ( l he Bessoii. France. 1988) Rosanna :‘srquette..lean-Marc Bari'..lean Reno. l2llmins. Barr and Reno. friends since they were children. are divers competing to reach the most profound depths without the aidof breathing equipment. and also rivals for the romantic attentions of Ms Arquette. A commercial smash in its native France. Besson'sfilm isa stunningly photographed y isual experience in various shades of blue. Fven if the plot is a loadof tosh. the dolphins are nice. 1idinburgh: l-‘ilnihouse. I La Boheme (PG) (l.uigi('omenchini. France Italy. 1987) Barbara Hendricks. .losc (‘arrcras. l.uca(‘aiionici. liloniins. Puccini's celebrated opera is set in a wintry Paris in 1911). and lollowstlte fortunes of a group of young artists asthey freeze in their garret. with only the thought of romance to warm their hearts. Fine opera movie that works on itsow ii terms as well as remaining faithful to the test. because the artil'ieiality of the original perfectly matches(‘ommenchini‘s melodramatic. studio-based sty 1e. (’entral: MacRobert Centre. I Brigadoon (PG) (Vincentc Minelli. l 'S. 195-1) Gene Kelly . ('yd ('harisse. Van Johnson. 1118 mins. 'I‘wo yanksonyacation in Scotland diseoy er a sleepy village that comes alive once ey ei‘y hundred years. Rather flat and uniny olviiig Minclli musical. especially in comparison with his other Fifties work. with the unconvincing (and unintentionally hilarious) Scots background the main problem. lidinburgh: Filmhouse. I Camille Claudel (PG) 1 BrunoNuytten. France. 1988) lsabellc Adjani. ( ierard Depardicu. Laurent Grey 11. 175 mins. Despite its slightly forbidding length. this account of the troubled and eventually tragic life of French sculptress ( 'aniille (‘laudel ( Adjani). and her relationship as both pupil and lover with Auguste Rodin
(Depardieu) boasts a feast of memorable images and goes to prove that France‘s biggest stars are also two of her best actors. lidinburgh: ('ameo. I Charlotte's Web (if) (Charles A. Nichols) Voices of Debbie Reynolds. llenry Gibson. 85 mins. Animated version of the liB. White classic in which a farmyard spider befriends a shy piglet. Not badly done by the l lanna-Barbera studio. lidinburgh: Filmhouse. I Child's Play( 15) (Tom 1 lolland. US. 1988) (‘athcrinc 1 licks. (‘hris Sarandon. Brad l)ourif. 87 mins. Some dolls cry. others have real hair. this one is inhabited by the spirit of a departed psyehopallt. Brad 1)ourif.’1‘he carnage soon piles up but the trouble is that no one (except the audience) belies es there's a killer doll on the loose. lt'sa tribute tollolland's abilities as a director that such a well-worn scenario has any measure of tension at all. Strathclydc: AM(‘ ('lydebank 111. La Seala. I Cocktail ( 15) ( Roger Donaldson. L'S. 1988)’1‘om Cruise. Bryan Brown. lili/abethShue. 95mins. ('ruiseplaysa greenhorn inducted into the mysteriesof all-action bartending by master cocktail shaker Brown. and before long they have graced the top bars in Manhattan and been signed up to work in the ( ~aribbean. 1 low ever. a failed romance w ith poor little rich girl Shuc. soon has our'l‘oin questioning the s apidity of his experience. Glossy soaper w ith risible pretensions to social comment. which must go dow n asa disappointment from the talents involved. Glasgow: (‘annon The Forge. I Cocoon: The Return (PU) (Daniel Pctric. 1S. 1988) l)on Aineehe. Wilford Brimley . Steve Guttenberg. llume ('ionyn. .lessica'l‘andy. 115 mins. 1n the original movie a set ofold-timerswere taken into outer space to live happilyever after. but this rather dreary sequel finds them all back on liarth. 'l‘he myriad of plots for the oldstcrs to run through vary from Brimlcy teaching his grandson baseball. to (‘ronyn dying of leukemia. to Ameehe fathering a child. so that while all this soap opera stuff is going on we manage to forget the central say c-thc-alien strand. Sentimental dialogue and a dithering lack of pace do not help. This sequel w as probably not a good idea. (ilasgow : ()deon. I Comfort And Joy ( PG) ( Bill Forsyth. LIK. 1984). Bill Paterson. lileanor David. Patrick Malahide. Rikki Fulton. A quirky Scottish comedy . along the linesof Forsy th's earlier Gregory's (Hr/.1311! w hich doesn't quite hit the mark in the same endearing way. Paterson is in fine form though as a disc jockey with more personal problems than he can handle who manages to get caught up in an underworld dispute oy er the territorial i'ightsol ice cream y ans. 1idinburgh: Filmhouse. I A Cry In The Darki 15) (Fred Schepisi. 18 Australia. 1988) Meryl Streep. Sam Neill. Brian James. 119 mins. Afterthe exhaustive publicity the famed Dingo Baby case generated throughout the world Schepisi wisely avoids focusing on the now resolved issue of whether or not Lindy (’haiiiberlain was guilty. Instead he concentrates on the mood of national hysteria and prejudice that confronted the couple and led to a trial by media. The result is a stunning. shameful indictment of tabloid media excesses and institutionalised injustice. lt eschews the kind ol‘glib melodrama that easily opens the tear ducts and opts instead for a more thought provoking work. which benefits from two solidly star performances from Sti‘ccp and Neill. Glasgow : ('annon Saueliiehall Street. (irosvenor. ltdinburgh; ('annon. (‘entralz Allanpark. Cannon. Regal. Strathclydc: AM(‘ ('lydebank 111. I Da ( PG) (Matt ('lark. LS. 1988) Martin Sheen. Barnard llughes. William 1 lickey Doreen llepburn. 1112 mins. Successful
22 The List 16 — 29 June 1989