FILM INDEX
BACARDI BLACK
L 22
the result still suffers front its amusineg predictable twists and turns. Fife: New Picture House.
I Manhattan Murder Mystery (PG) (wtxxt y Allen. US. I993) Woody Allen. Diane Keaton. Alan Alda. 108 mins. When lter elderly neighbour dies mysteriously and suddenly. ('arol Lipton (Keaton) does some amateur sleuthing along with the New York literary set. Allen returns to the comic formula that first made ltis name - neat plot. srtappy one-liners — making this a much more approachable and enjoyable experience thait ltis more serious work of late. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Mr Wonderful ( l2) (Anthony Minghella. l'S. l993) Matt Dillon. Annabella SL‘iOl'l'll. William Hurt. 97 ruins. (ins vvartts to rerrrarry. but the alimony he pays his ex-wife is killing him. The solution: fiitd her a new husband. a Mr Wonderful. Btit in the process. he discovers that he isn't ready to let go. Art old-style rorttantic comedy with a heart. (‘treat stuff that
will leave yotr with a warm feeling inside. (‘erttr‘alz MacRobei't. I Mrs Doubtlire ( t 2) (Chris (‘otttrtihtis ts. I993) Robin Williams. Sally l'ield. Pierce Brosnan. l25 rttins. Separated from his wife and kids. out-of-work voice actor Daniel Hillard (Williams) dons make-up and btxly-padding to become a sexagenarian nanny. Another top- notch comic performance by Williams. who makes the most of his split personality zest without becoming overly sentimental. Hugely enjoyable and well pitclted with gags for the whole audience. (icnei'al release. I Much Ado About Nothing (Pt) ) (Kenneth Br'anagh. IJK/l’S. I993) Denzel Washington. Kenneth Branaglt. limina 'l'hompson. Keanu Reeves. lll mitts. A lusty. lively version of Shakespeare's comedy of love and deceit. set in the sun-drenched Tuscan hills. Barbed witticism fly across the screen as British thesps and American stars acquit themselves with honours. Edinburgh: Filnihouse.
I flow Voyager (l’(}) (Irving Rapper. l'S. I942) Bette Davis. Claude. Rains. l’aul llenreid. 117 mins. ('lassically cast. this archetypal tragic love story of the period is unadventurous arid even bland. but its stars are more than charismatic enough to overcortte its problems. Edinburgh: St Bride's.
I The Pelican Brier (I2) (Alan J. l'akula. L's. I993) Julia Roberts. Denzel Washington. Sam Shepard. I41 iiiins. Another adaptation of a John (The Firm) (irisham novel. another over-long. flabby thriller. Law student Roberts finds herself on the run frorii killers when her speculative brief on the murder of two Supreme Court judges hits a raw nerve. Instantly disposable stuff. with Washington as solid as ever in his beefed-up role. See review. General release.
I The People Under The Stairs ( t8) (Wes Craven. US. l99l) Brandon Adams. [Everett McGill. Wendy Robie. A.J. Langer. l()2 mins. A twisted world of cannibalism arid child abuse awaits poor kid Fool (Adams) when he breaks into the house of his landlords. Genuine shocks and a social conscience enliven tltis dark fairy story for the 90s. Edinburgh: liilnihouse.
I Philadelphia ( 12) (Jonathan Demme. LS. 1993) Tom Hanks. Denzel Washington. Jason Robards. 125 mins. A lawyer takes his former employers to court. convinced that he has been sacked because he is suffering from AIDS. Demme's film goes as far as any mainstream Hollywood movie on this subject could in the cun'ent climate. birt for all its compromises. it should be applauded for avoiding any notion of manipulative death-bed sensationalism. Hanks. for once. is allowed to break free from lightweight comic roles. aitd delivers a moving perfomiance. See feature. General release.
I The Piano (15) (Jane (‘ampion. Australia/New Zealand. 1993) Holly Hunter. Sam .\'eill. Harvey Keitel. I20 rnins. Jane Campion‘s masterpiece follows mute Scotswoman Ada (Hunter) as she travels to 19th century New Zealaiid with her piano and daughter to enter irtto art arranged marriage. Soon she begins a passionate and erotic affair with her illiterate neighbour as the means of regaining her treasured instrument. lmpeccable performances lift this highly charged piece to the realms of classic cinema. undoubtedly one of the best films of the 90s. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Posse (IS) (Mario Van l’eebles. US. 1993) Mario Van Peebles. Stephen Baldwin. Billy Zane. lll mins. A gang of black (bar one) soldiers desert front their insane commander during the Spanish-American war and. led by Jesse Lee (Van Peebles) go on a mission of revenge. Posse is a western for the 90s generation. resembling Sergio Leone shot for MTV. Loud and stylish. it rewrites the historical role of the Afro-American in the Wild West and notches up some contemporary political references on the way. Strathclyde: l'(‘l East Kilbride.
The List 25 February—10 March 1994
I Providence ( l8) (Alain Rcsriais. France/Swiss. I979) John (iielgud. Dirk Bogardc. Iillen Burstyn. David Warner. 101 mins. The magnificently malicious (iielgud stars as a dying. drrnk-sodden novelist vvlto tries to complete his last work by writing in the characters of his own family. When they arrive. they are nothing like their portrayals in his riitaginatiori. Air intriguing fusion of past and present. literal artd imaginary. See review. lidinbur'gh: l‘ilmhouse.
I Raining Stones ( 15) (Ken l.0;ly‘ll. t'K. 1003) Bruce Jones. Julie Brown. Ricky ‘l'oritlinson. 90 mins. Another slice of real life front one of Britairt's most dedicated filmmakers. An unemployed father brings lCl'l'm' to his household when he goes to a loanshark in order to pay for his daughter's first communion dress. 'l'liroughout. the northern coiiiriiuiiity's sense of natural humour makes this a heartening. amusing and very accessible film indeed. (ilasgow: (irosveitoi'. (‘cntt'ali MacRobcit.
I The Remains of the Day tt'ittames lv'tity. l‘K. l993) Anthony Hopkins. limma 'l'hoitipsoii.
James liov. l3.) iiiins. A butler rcriiiiiisces on the
pre-WW.‘ days he spent iri Dailrngt'rii Hall. vvltcri he turned a blind eye to his erriployci ‘s
i dealings with the .\'a/is and his own feelings for
the housekeeper. ()iie of Merchant-lvory's best. with Hopkins the epitome of linglish emotional repression. (ilasgow: ()deort. lidinburglt: Dominion. l'('l.
I Reservoir Dogs ( IS) (Quentin 'l'ar‘antino. LS. 1993) Harvey Keitel. Tim Roth. Michael Madsen. l()() ritins. A gartg of hoods. known only to each other by C0l0llI-v‘tXlCLi nicknames. meets at art abandoned warehouse to figure how otit their rigorously planned heist went so drastically wrong. The best debut irt years from writer-director 'l'ai'antino. whose stylish violertcc seduces the audience into complicity. Brilliant in every sense of the word (ilasgovv: ()deon. MGM l’arkhead. lidinbui'gh' ()deon.
I Reversal of Fortune (15) (Barbct Schroeder. I'S. l99()) Jeremy Irons. (ilcnii ('lose. Ron Silver. lll mitts. Dramatic reconstruction. via Jewish Ariici'ican defence lawyer Alan Dcisliowrtz' book. of the famous \"on Bulow case. in whrclt the liiiropean aristocrat (played with typical detachment by lltmsl was coitv rcted of atteiripting to murder his fantastically rich wife (close). The film follows his appeal. led by the cxaggeratcdly tlariiboyant Silver as Dcrshowitz. but for legal reasons is unable to offer any judgeittent on his guilt or IIIIIIX‘CIIL'C. and does little more than intrigue and eventually frustrate the audience. lidirtbuigh: l‘llllllltitts‘c. I Robocop ( IS) (Paul Verhoevcn. l'S. I987) l’eter Weller. Nancv Allen. Ronny ('ov. lt).i mitts. Slick arid stomachchurnineg violent futuristic thriller blending elements of I)i'rrv Hurry. I"I'trrrkt’lrv!¢'r'1r aitd 'I'Iit' Sit Million Dollar Man. When diligent policeman Weller is shot to pieces by vicious hoods. his remains are mechanically reconstructed into a hrtech law enforcement officer. but the human desire for revenge still beats beneath his mechanical exterior. lidinburgh; (‘amco.
I The Sacrifice ( 15) (Andrei 'l'aikovsky. Sweden. I986) lii'land Josephson. Susan lileetwood. Allan lidwall. l-l9 rnins. Set on a remote. island arid focusing on a 24-hour period of action. 'l'arkovsky's final film concerns itself with one man's response to the oncoming apocalypse. as Josephson offers his life in a supr'eiiie act of atonement that the world be restored. An overw helmingly poetic experience that forms a fitting testament to a remarkable career. lidinbui'gli: l-‘ilmhouse.
I Schindler’s list ( l 5) (Steven Spielberg. LS. 1993) Liam Neeson. Ralph l‘iennes. Ben Kingsley. l95 mitts. During WW2. (iei'man industrialist arid Nazi Party member ()skai Schindler saved the lives of over a thousant'. Jewish employees by demanding they work in his factory rather than be sent to Auschwitz. Spielberg's magnificent movie and Neeson's performance capture this enigmatic brand of heroism. while depicting traumatic events in documentary-like black-and-white images. Psychologically complex. criiotionally devastating and artistically impeachable. this is one of the best films ever made. See preview. Glasgow: (irosvenor. MGMs. l-Idiriburgh: MGM. Strathclyde: ()deon Ayi'. All l.'('ls.
I The Secret Adventures or Tom Thumb ( t 2) (Dave Borthwick. L'K. 1993) ()0 mins. In a world where Iz'i'trwrlit'tttl meets the Brothers Grimm. little mutant baby Ton) flees from the humans who would experiment upon hint. and travels wide-eyed through a post-industrial world in searclt of his parents. British stop- motion animatiort at its best. With accorrtpaiiying shorts. See Screen Test. (ilasgow: (il’l'.
I The Secret Garden (I) (Agnieszka Holland. I'S. I993) Kate Maber'ly. Maggie Smith. Joltrt Lynch. 102 mins. The unusual combination of the director of [firm/iii limo/iii and the writer of
Etlit'trrtl .S't‘r'vym'liurrt/v conspiies to create art authentic and affecting version of the children‘s classic rtovel. Shipped back front liidia. lonely orphan Mary makes friends with a local lad artd hcr sickly cousin. exerting a magical recurx‘rative process on the latter and a hidden walled garden. Touching and uncontr ived. Strathclydc: Magnum.
I Simple Men ( l5) ( llal llartlcy.l S. I992) William Sage. Robert Burke. Karen Sillas. l()-l ittins. Two itirsmatched brother's go in search of their athlete-turncd-iadical father. w hose absent presence acts like (iodot to their listi'agon and Vladimir. And. as lit the stage piece. it's the wordplay (Hartley 's patented car for quirky dialogue) and wayward philosophising en route that becomes more important than the journey itself. lidrriburgh: ('ameo.
I The Snapper ( 15) (Stephen l-'icar's. LR. 1993) (NIH Mcancy. Tina Kellcghci. Ruth \Ict'abe 9t) mitts. Don't expect the plushcr production values of 'I‘/:(' ('vnrmrtnrt'irtv vv itlt the latest screen version of Roddy Do). les timels‘. instead. enjoy a lllltllly-HS comedy that never loses sight of its human heart. Sharon (‘tizlcy announces llt'l pregnancy btrt riot the name of the latltct. setting the small Bar‘iytow rr coirrriitinity into tipr'o..r. but bringing her family closer together. A gt-rii lidinbtrr'gh: l‘llllllltillsc‘.
I Soft Top, Hard Shoulder ( )5) (Stefan Scltwar'ttl. I’K. I993) l'ctcr ('apaldr. l2larnc ('ollins. Richard Wilson. 9l Illllls. A Scot living in London has to return home to his native (ilasgovv for a family party. but riieets various hazards on the road north. ('apaldi's script perfectly captures that typically Scottish balance of innocent charm arid sly litrrtioiii. .\'ot iii the fast latte. pciliaps. btit iriotoring steadily towards its destination. With Robert Smith's I9H9 slioit Tllt' Lot-r ('lrri’tI. also with ('apaldi. (ilasgow: (il’l.
I Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ( t’t‘.) (w'rtt'iam
Sliatnei. l'S. l9S9i William Shatircr. Leonard .\'iriioy'. Delioicst Kelley. James Doolian. ltl7 rrirns. lit which James Tiberius Kirk makes his directorial debut ()n the plus side most of the characters are as well written arid credible as they were iii the television series. albeit with rather ritorc grey hairs Brit the plot turns otit to
be the normal foiiiiula lioktrni. lidtiibur'gh: ()deon.
I Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country tl’(i)
(Nicholas Mcy'cr. IS. I991)\\'illiaitt Sliatnci‘. Iconai'd \iritoy. Del-oriest Kelley. James
l)oolt;irt, l(l9 units. The usual bunch of old
codgcrs boldly go in search of new plotliiies but
instead come up w rtlt an intergalactic variation
on our own superpower peace talks lidinbui'gli:
()deon.
I Stranger Than Paradise ( 15) (Jim Jaimuscti. l'S/West ('ierniany. l9S-I) John luric. lzs'ltci' Balirit. Richard lidson. ('ecilia Stark. Danny Rosen. S9 mitts. ln Jaiinusclr's dcbtrt feature. l.trtic (later to star it) Down By lam) is a New Yorker playing reluctant host to his t.‘t)ll\llI from Hungary. When she departs to play cards w rtlt iici‘ mad aunt in ()liio. he and his mate litlson tollovv ltcr' irtto the bleak. riiid western
snow scape. All very low -kcy and monochrome. btit there's a w onder ftrlly dry sense of humour at play. lidinbui‘glt: (’ariieo. l‘ilrnltousc.
I The Tale or The Fox ( I?) (Wtatry slaw Slill'C\\l'c‘/,. l‘i'ance. I930) (15 IIIIII\. A feature- lcngth puppet film by l’olish-Lithuanian exile Star‘cvvrcl, whose work ~ virtually unknown in this country was obviously air inspiration to Jan Svankrtiajci' Reynaid the l-"ox stirs the wrath of the forest animals. and is singled otrt for punishiirerit by the lotdly l.rori. A left field masterpiece with touches of surreal cruelty. See review (ilasgow: (il’l’.
I Thelma 8: louise ( l5) (Ridley‘ Scott. l'S. l99| ) Susan Sarzrndon. (ieena Davis. Harvey Keitel. Michael Madsen. 139 units. The buddy/road niov re genres are turned on their heads as Saiandon and Davis grasp the steer trig w heel and head off leay ing a trail of murder aitd iiiayhcrrr iii their wake. (in one level. tltc film is the critical catalyst that had the fertirnists cheering and ptit tltc stars on the coch' of 'linit' magazine; just as importantly. it's an accessible piece of criteitairirrient w itli cxcellertt central pcrlormariccs, lidiiibuigh: l‘iliithouse.
I This Happy Breed r l’( ;r (Dav id Lean. t'K. l9-l-l) Robert New (on. ('clia Johnson. Jolirt Mills. Kay Walsh. ll-l iniris. .\'oel ('ovvat'd's adaptation of his own play. a homage to the ordinary people' of the interwar years. is less successful than his subsequent collaboration with director Lean (Brieflirreorrnti-r). btrt gives a fascinating insight irtto the events of the period. (ilasgovv: (il'T.
I Three Colours: Blue ( t 5) (Kr'zy s/tof Kicslowski. l-i'ance. I993) Juliette Brrtoclte. Benoit Regent. ('har'lotte \‘eiy. 100 mins. A young woman tries to isolate herself frottt friends and any notion of aftcctiort following the
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death of her composer husband and child in a car crash. btrt she cannot escape front the fragments of his unfinished composition. iii which she played a major part. Ari cvpt'cssive arid symbolic filitt that is also emotionally satisfying. Binoche's award-winning performance. iii a film of profound beauty. is the best of her career. lidittbur'gh: ('atiieo.
I The Three Musketeers (PG) (Stephen Herek. LS. 1993) ('liris ()‘Doitnell. (‘harlie Sheen. Kiefer Sutherland. ()liver Plan. 106 mins. Young D'Aitagnan (O'Donnell) teams up with a trio of the king's bodyguard and together they set out to foil the evil ('at‘dinal Riclielieti's plarts. save the ritoriai'cy. snog the wenches. drink their fill artd do w hat l7tli ccrttury lirenclt ltcroes have to do. l‘ripreteniiotrs value-t'or-iiioney entertainment that bears a passing resemblance to a novel by Alexandre Dumas. (ilasgovv: ()deon. MGM l’.rrkhead. lidinbiirgli' ()deon. Stiathclyde: Magrturii. ()deon .-\yr'. All l'('l.s.
I Tokyo Drifter ( 1S) (Suzuki Seijun. Japan. Who) 8* nuns. As an overture to the Suzuki
c l§t\slc' w ill be followed by an appearance by the director lirrrisclt. See next issue for fuller details (if the fourteen films to come. (ilasgow: (ii-'1'. I Tombstone ( l5) ((ieorge l’. (‘osntatos. LTS. l993) Knit Rtrsscll. Val Kilmcr'. Sam lilliott. Bill l’axton. l29 iitins liverits before. during and alter the legendary gunfight at the ()K Corral w rtlt a reasonably big name cast depicting the actions of the liaip brother's. Doc llolliday et al. ()ld-tasliroiied style western with familiar story and style places the emphasis on ()K. ; lidinburgh: l'('l. i I True Romance ( tsi (Tony Scott. [78. (003) l (‘lii istian Slater. l’atr'icia Ai’quette. Dennis Hopper. ll9 iniris. (‘oriiic bookstore assistant (‘lar'ence meets. sleeps with and matties novice hooker Alabama within a matter of hours. then the lovebirds find themselves on the run with art accidentally stolen case of cocaine. Limelight- stealing cameos and writer Quentin 'I'arantino's verbal set-pieces fire this excellent movie. the epitome of disposable pop culture for the fast- food generation. liife: Adam Smith. I Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me ( 18) (David Lynch. l 3S. I992) Sheryl Lee. Kyle McLachlan. Ray Wise. 135 mins. The move to the big screen to chronicle last seven days in the life of Laura Palmer allows Lynch to go to greater excesses than iii the TV series. A dark-hired and disturbing miasma of small-town corruption and I perversity. filled with l’eakie faves and new .‘tlIIlCOS. (ilasgow: (il-T. I The Vanishing (15)((ieorge Sluzier‘. 1 Netherlands. I988) Bernard l’ierre Donnadieu. ; (icnc Bei'voets. Johanna 'ler Steege. 106 mins. A 2 young Dutch woat..:t on holiday with her j boyfriend iii l‘r'ance disappears inexplicably. arid 2 her partner spends years of his life tracking her down. eventually to meet tip with her mysterious abductor under the rrtost nerve-shattering of . v‘il'y‘lllmlilnCCS. l'idiiibuigh: Cameo. I Wayne's World 2 (l’(}) (Stephen Surjik. US. I993) Mike Myers. Dana ('arvey. Tia (home. 95 mins. It's time to party on again with Wayne and (iaitli. now they've left home arid decide to 1 stage \\'aynesiock. a somewhat over-aiiibitious concert. in Aurora. More of the same. with a higher babe factor (Kim Basinger and Drew Barr‘yirtoi'e in cartieos). (iar'th discovering the love of a woman. and another nasty turn by ('hristopher Walken. Scliw irig-time ortce rttore. (iertci'al release. I What’s Love Got To Do With It? (18) (Brian (iibson. l'S. I993) Angela Bassett. Laurence l‘islibuirie. llS units. The life of Tina Turner presented as inspiration for women trying to escape from domestic abuse. While suffering from the usual short cuts and polisltings as any biopic w hose subject is still alive. it boasts two magnificent central perforriiances from Bassett and liislibtir‘ne. who brings the right level of seductive nastiness to lke. Songs and period detail are good. (ilasgovv: ()deon. I les Yeux Sans Visage lay-tat Il’illtrmt A Face t IS) ((ieor'ges liraiijtr. France. I959) Pierre Brasseur'. Alida Valli. lidith Scob. 90 mins. A plastic surgeon persuades his devoted female assistant to kidnap and murder beautiful girls whose facial tissue he is usirtg to graft onto his daughter. disfigured iii a car crash. A horror movie that retains a distinctively European poetic quality. lidinburgh: Filmhouse. I The Young Americans ( l8) (Danny (‘annoii. I'K. I993) Harvey Keitel. ('raig Kelly. lain (ilen. 109 mins. At last. a British movie that is brave enough to be openly commercial and play directly to its young adult audience. Cannon's debut is a glossy. slick. in-your-face thriller. which brings I’S cop Keitel to London‘s nightclubs to investigate a series of drug-related murders. Plot gaps and dubious morals apart. it's just what the British film industry needed. (‘entralz MacRobert.
season. lllls spec ial screening of the l9(i(iyaku1.a