FILM INDEX
FILM ma:-
Ftlns screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate. credits, brlet review and venue detalls. Full length reviews at new releases can be found In the Listings eeetlon wleh follows. FIIII index eonlletl by Alan Morrison.
I W llere (15) (Stephen Frears. US. 1992) Dustin Hoffman. Geena Davis. Andy Garcia. 117 mins. Professional loser Bernie LaPlante (Hoffman) becomes a national hero when his fuzzy image is captured on TV while saving lives (and picking pockets) after a plane crash. But it‘s fellow bum John Bubber (Garcia) who finds fame. fortune and a guilty conscience. Consistently funny satire on heroism with a stand-out performance by Hoffman. Glasgow: Odeon. MGM Parkhead. Edinburgh: Odeon. All UCls. I W, m Of Bed (15) (Werner Herzog. W. Germany. 1972) Klaus Kinski. Cecilia Rivera. 95 mins. 17th century conquistadors. on a mission to explore the Amazon. court disaster when the zeal of their leader remains undampened after a number of encounters with hostile Indians. Excellent location work in this moving portrayal of tragic ambition. which sports a characteristically intense performance by Kinski. Edinburgh: Filmhousc. I Alive (15) (Frank Marshall. US. 1992) Ethan Hawke. Vincent Spano. Josh Hamilton. 126 mins. Based on the true story of a Uraguayan rugby team who survived a plane crash in the Andes by eating the ice-packed corpses of their fellow travellers. After a hair-raising crash sequence. the film loses its way with with too much ‘uiumph of the spirit‘ TV movie stuff. Come back Cannibal Holocaust. all is forgiven. Glasgow: MGMs. Edinburgh: Cannon. All UCls. I m Grace (18) (Amos Gutman. Israel. 1992) 95 mins. A teenage boy living in Tel Aviv becomes attracted to a handsome visitor. who is HlV+. A study of dysfunctional families and brief moments of love set in Israel's gay milieux. Seventh Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Glasgow: GFT. I m3 Feast (U) (Gabriel Axel. Denmark. 1987) Stephane Audran. Jean-Philippe Lafont. Bibi Andersson. 103 mins. The Jutland peninsula during the late 19th century. Exiled French housekeeper Audran wins 10.000 francs in a lottery and uses the money to prepare a sumptuous banquet in honour of a deceased Lutheran dean. A delicious gastronomic experience and an exquisite. boisterous slice of cinematic narrative with real feeling. Edinburgh: Cameo. I “(12) (Mohamed Abderrhman Tazi. Morocco. 1989) A brave examination of the role of women in Arab society. A schoolteacher requests a move in order to be able to keep an eye on his wife. who finally decides to escape from her prison-like life with a female friend. Glasgow: GFT. I m Fill (15) (Joel Coen. US. 1991) John Turturro. John Goodman. Judy Davis. Michael Lerner. 117 mins. When socially-committed playwright Barton Fink (Turturro) is consigned by the Hollywood machine to write wrestling films. he slumps into a writer‘s block as large as his mysterious next-door neighbour (John Goodman). Unprecedented winner of best film. actor and direction awards at 1991‘s Cannes
13 Hyde Park Corner, Leeds LS6 1A1". Tel (0532) 743753. Open 9.30-5.30 Mon-Sat and untll 7.00 on Thursdays
Film Festival shows the Coen's at their most menacing and absurd best. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Basic “(18) (Paul Verhoeven. US. 1992) Michael Douglas. Sharon Stone. George Dzundza. Jeanne Tripplehom. 128 mins. On-the- edge 'Frisco cop Nick Curran (Douglas) becomes embroiled with a successful novelist and murder suspect (Stone): she. in turn. treats him to a series of psychological fomications while going along a similar path with his body. Easily the best. ice-pick-sharp thriller for several years. with steamy sex scenes that leave the screen dripping with sweat. Strathclyde: UCl East Kilbride.
I llehrrns(12)(Tim Burton. US. 1989/92) Michael Keaton. Jack Nicholson. Michelle Pfeiffer. Danny De Vito. 120/127 mins. First The Joker: then the Penguin and Catwoman. Life's busy in the shadows of Gotham for night-time vigilantes. Keaton gives a new credibility to the Bruce Wayne/Batman character. while remaining uue to the comic strip. A uiumph in terms of sets. moods. music and aberrant psychology. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The II. Blue (15) (Luc Besson. France. 1988) Rosanna Arquette. Jean-Marc Barr. Jean Reno. 120 mins. Barr and Reno. friends since they were children. are divers competing to reach the greatest depths without the aid of breathing equipment. and also rivals for the romantic attentions of Ms Arquette. A commercial smash in its native France. Besson's film is a stunningly photographed visual experience in varying shades of blue. Even if the plot is a load of tosh. the dolphins are nice. Edinburgh: Filmhousc.
I M llebe (15) (Bruce Beresford. US. 1991) Lothaire Bluteau. Aden Young. Sandrine Holt. Stirring version of Brian Moore's tale of a l7th century Jesuit priest travelling across North America to a remote mission takes a realistic view of the savagery of the Indian tribes. Nevertheless. their philosophies and way of life are treated with the same respect as those of the Christians. Bluteau's anguished looks are perfect for the conscience-stricken priest who gradually comes to terms with the harsh landscapes and omg cultures. Edinburgh: Filmhousc.
I Mathellireetor’sCulUSHRidlcy Scott. US. 1982/92) Hanison Ford. Sean Young. Rutger Hauer. 116 mins. Out go the pseudo-noir narration and the tacked-on happy ending: in comes a more defined sense that Deckard himself may be a replicant. The look and feel remain as powerful. and the acting is superb. A flawed masterpiece is now a restored masterpiece. Central: MacRobert.
I Blue Black M (PG) (Margaret Tait. Scotland. 1992) Gerda Stevenson. Celia lmrie. Jack Shepherd. 86 mins. Poetic but painfully obscure portrait of three generations of women. tied over the decades by love and death. As an art movie. 74-year-old Tait‘s feature debut has some beautiful images. based around water. sea and rain: but its muddled narrative is so distracting that much of the impact is lost. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Ike Eyes of Yenta (12) (Flora Gomes. Guinea-Bissau/Portugal. 1992) A girl is in love with her father‘s war hero friend. but he only sees her as an infatuated child. while a young dockworker secretly sends her anonymous love letters. A charming love story with dialogue in Creole. Glasgow: GFT.
I The Blues Miller: (15) (John Landis. US. 1980) John Belushi. Dan Aykroyd. Carrie Fisher. 130 mins. Bloated. overlong anarchic Chicago comedy with the two stars on a mission from God to salvage the imperilled fortunes of an orphanage. Lots of guest stars. musical numbers and automotive desuuction in a typical product of over-emphatic contemporary American humour. Fife: Adam Smith.
I M of Evidenee(18)(UliEdcl.US.l993) Madonna. Willem Dafoe. Joe Mantegna. 100 mins. In her latest bad career move. Madonna is a woman accused of using her body as the lethal weapon that killed her wealthy lover. Dafoe is the lawyer trying to prove her innocence. but soon he‘s more interested in her areolae than her alibis and the only legal loopholes necessary are the ones she uses for bondage. The camera does not fall under Ms Ciccone‘s spell. her acting is terrible. and the movie scents destined to become a risible cut classic. General release.
I Item (18) (Peter Jackson. New Zealand. 1992) Timothy Balme. Diana Penalver. Elizabeth Moody. 104 mins. You won't believe the fun that can be had with a rotary blade lawnmower. a cast of slobbering zombies and several hundred gallons of blood. Peter (Bad Taste) Jackson wrenches the King of Gore title away from Sam Raimi with this outrageous slapstick classic in which our nerdy heroes battles it out with the undead population of Wellington. Tremendous. See review. All UCls. I III Stoker’s Made (18) (Francis Ford Coppola. US. 1992) Gary Oldman. Winona Ryder. Anthony Hopkins. 128 mins. More gothic love story than out-and-out horror. Coppola's version is not the strict Stoker adaptation that
many had hoped for. but is a visual feast nonetheless. Oldman taps his own dark. sexy. stormy self to create a powerful but sympathetic monster. while the rest of the cast range from the ineffectual to the overbearing. A rich and substantial vampire movie for our times. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhousc. I Brazil (15) (Terry Gilliam. US. 1985) Jonathan Pryce. Kim Griest. Robert De Niro. Peter Vaughan. 142 mins. Extravagantly designed and blackly humorous Orwellian vision of the future. as modest bureaucrat Pryce battles the forces of totalitarianism and fights for his dream girl. feisty trucker Griest. Overlong and ramshackle fantasia. with moments of sheer creative adrenalin and a classic ending. Edinburgh: Filmhousc. I MIIH18) (Bernard Rose. US. 1992) Virginia Madsen. Tony Todd. Kasi Lemmons. 93 mins. Writer/director Rose (who brought us the memorable Paperhouse) transplants Clive Barker‘s short story ‘The Forbidden‘ to a run- down Chicago housing block where a series of killings are blamed on Candyman. a hook- handed boogieman figure. The film's use of urban myth takes it well beyond the jumps and scares of the genre (although they aren't ignored either). to make it the most intelligent. disquieting horror film since Jacob's Ladder. Fife: Glenrothes.
I Mlb (12) (Richard Attenborough. UK/US. 1992) Robert Downey Jr. Moira Kelly. Geraldine Chaplin. 144 mins. Attenborough‘s craftsmanlike biopic of the cane-twirling celluloid clown skims most surfaces. but there are rewards to be found in the acting department. Cameos are uniformly good. but Downey towers above them all. The mass youth market may not give a toss who the Little Tramp was. but the lead helps make this a much more approachable prospect for regular movie-goer than you‘d expect. Glasgow: GFT. Strathclyde: Magnum. I Chet (12) (Rachid Boucharb. Algeria. 1990) 82 mins. A teenage second-generation immigrant living in France is deported to Algeria. a country whose language and customs he knows nothing about. In the hostile environment of desert military service. he discovers what discrimination really means. Glasgow: GFT.
I film (Roman Polanski. US. 1974) Jack Nicholson. Faye Dunaway. John Huston. 131 mins. Private eye Jake Gittes takes on a routine case in 1937 LA and ends up uncovering more than he bargained for. Splendid conspiracy thriller with a handsome period look and a quite superlative cast. Despite mmours spread by Nicholson and Polanski. though. the nose-slitting scene was faked. Glasgow: GFT.
I Cinema W (PG) (Giuseppe Tomatore. ltaly/France.l988) Phillipe Noiret. Jacques Penin. Salvatore Cascio. 123 mins. Told largely in flashback. the winner of the 1990 Oscar for Best Foreign Film traces young Salvatore‘s infatuation with his village cinema. and his growing friendship with its projectionist (played to perfection by Noiret). Essentially. it‘s Tomatore‘s lament for the joyous movie-going experience of his youth and a recognition of the price we pay for our maturity. Strathclyde: UCl Clydebank.
I citizen Kane (PG) (Orson Welles. US. 1941) Orson Welles. Joseph Cotten. Agnes Moorehead. 119 mins. Stunningly successful biographical mosaic centring on a Hearst-like media tycoon. Welles‘ first film remains scintillating viewing for its sheer technical verve. narrative confidence and spellbinding performances. The best film ever made? Who‘s arguing? Glasgow: GFT.
I Cleareut (15) (Richard Bugajski. Canada. 1991) Graham Greene. Ron Lea. Michael Hogan. 102 mins. After losing a court battle over land claims. a native North American (Greene) kidnaps a big-city lawyer and the local paper mill manager. Bugajski's film not only raises important questions about land rights. but also about acceptable means of protest and use of violence. British Premiere. Edinburgh: Filmhousc.
I III Beet: El lllver A Heart In Winter (12) (Claude Sautet. France. 1992) Daniel Auteuil. Emmanuelle Beart. Andre Dussolier. 105 mins. A withdrawn violin maker becomes the object of desire for a young violinist who herself is the amour of the former‘s business partner. An elegantly trenchant chronicle of uiangular relationships which moves with such graceful fluidity that it's easy to miss the toughness at its core. Glas ow: GFT. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Base (15) (Neil Jordan. UK. 1992) Stephen Rea. Forest Whitaker. Jaye Davidson. 112 mins. A disillusioned IRA terrorist strikes up a friendship with the black British soldier he has kidnapped. and subsequently finds himself in London and in love with the latter‘s girlfriend. A bold. unpredictable film that has plenty to say about notions of personal and sexual identity. If only all British movies were as good as this.
Edinburgh: Filmhousc. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Cyrano 0e m (U) (Jean-Paul Rappeneau. France. 1990) Gerard Depardieu. Jacques Weber. Anne Brochet. Vincent Perez. 135 mins. A stirring adaptation of Rostand‘s classic. romantic tragi-comedy. Full of grandly mounted. bustling crowd scenes. it revolves around typically superb performance from Depardieu as the large-nosed hero. Although performed in rhyming verse throughout (with subtitles by Anthony Burgess). and a touch overlong. the film‘s dramatic and cinematic qualities are outstanding. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I m (18) (Louis Malle. UK/France. 1992) Jeremy irons. Juliette Binoche. Miranda Richardson. Rupert Graves. 111 mins. A Tory MP. headed for high office. drops his parliamentary briefs in favour of his son's new girlfriend. David Hare‘s script is restrained and dispassionate. leaving the audience detached from the potential melodrama. A very English sexual repression pulled apart by French master Malle. Strathclyde: WMR.
I lleep Cover (18) (Bill Duke. US. 1992) Lany Fishbume. Jeff Goldblum. Victoria Dillard. 112 mins. An undercover cop (Fishbume) uying to infiltrate LA‘s major cocaine cartel finds his very integrity threatened as he is seduced by a life of crime. A highly recommended. uncompromising urban thriller. penned by Michael (The Player) Tolkin and featuring a disturbingly outstanding performance from Goldblum. Glasgow: GFl‘.
I 0elleatessea (15) (Jean-Pierre Jeunet/Marc Caro. France. 1991) Dominique Pinon. Marie- Laure Dougnac. Jean-Claude Dreyfus. 99 mins. In a sepia wasteland somewhere in the future. a butcher feeds his neighbours with the juicy joints of his lodgers. But when former clown Louison (Pinon) anives and falls for his daughter. an underground vegetarian resistance group come to the rescue. Hilarious blend of bizarre characters. slapstick and comic tension makes for the first uue cult item of the ‘90s. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Menu (15) (Johnathan Lynn. US. 1992) Eddie Murphy. Lane Smith. Sheryl Lee Ralph. 112 mins. Con artist Murphy scams his way into Congress and discovers that Capital Hill is more a Bisto factory than a mere gravy train. No sense of a political satire here - even though Brit director Lynn brought us TV‘s Yes. Minister - as Murphy rolls over all subtlety in this star vehicle. headed ever onward to a land of predictability. Glasgow: Cannon.
I The Doors (18) (Oliver Stone. US. 1990) Val Kilmer. Meg Ryan. Kyle MacLachlan. Kevin Dillon. Frank Whalley. 141 mins. From the moment Jim Morrison joins a band and transfomts himself into the Dionysus of the Love Generation until his bathtime demise as an overweight alcoholic. Kilmer‘s superb characterisation dominates to such an extent that the other actors struggle to assert themselves even one-dimensionally. Still. Stone's ‘tits 'n‘ acid‘ version of The Doors‘ history. while selective and highly inaccurate. is never boring. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Earth antlttre American Dream (PG) (Bill Couturie. US. 1992) With the voices of Mel Gibson. Jeremy Irons. Anthony Hopkins. 78 mins. A torrent of words and images force the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about the white man's abuse of the natural world in pursuit of the ‘American Dream'. A fascinating juxtaposition of source material that establishes Couturie (Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam and Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt) as one of the world's foremost documentarists. European Premiere. Edinburgh:~ Filmhousc.
I The Exorcist (18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Fife: Adam Smith. I A Few Seed lien (15) (Rob Reiner. US. 1992) Tom Cruise. Jack Nicholson. Demi Moore. Keifer Sutherland. 138 mins. Navy lawyers Cruise and Moore are called upon to defend two suspected murders. but as the case develops. it becomes clear that their superior officers (Nicholson and Sutherland) may have had a role in the affair. A fine return to real acting for Nicholson and yet another engrossing piece of work from Reiner. Edinburgh: Filmhousc. Fife: Adam Smith. I Forever Young (PG) (Steve Miner. US. 1992) Mel Gibson. Elijah Wood. Jamie Lee Curtis. 102 mins. A 8-52 test pilot volunteers for cryogenic experiments. gets frozen. then thaws out in 1992. After befriending a young boy. off he goes to find his lost love. Escapist twaddle this may be. but it is a shimmering example of the Hollywood weepie machine at its best. Three packs of Kleenex and a box of chocs. General release. I m (15) (Roman Polanski. US. 1988) Harrison Ford. Betty Buckley. Emmanuell Seigner. 120 mins. Cardiologist Ford and wife Buckley travel to Paris for a conference. but en
34 The List 7-20 May 1993