The List: 20 May 1994 (29/100)

BACARDI BLACK

INDEX FILM

Renaud. Miou-Miou. Gerard Depardieu. too mins. A mining village in 19th century France strikes when management imposes an unjust wage cut. Zola‘s novel preligures much of the unrest seen iii the 1984 Miners‘ Strike in the UK. and ~- while showing the tigly side of conﬂict between working-class communities — sows the seeds for trade unionism. Atmospherically shot with wide social scope and intimate detail by the director of Jean De Florene. and well acted throughout. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Ginger and Fred ( 15) (Federico Fellini. Italy. 1986) Gitrlietta Masina. Marcello Mastorianni. Franco l-‘abrizr. 127 mins. Fellini's first collaboration in 23 years with his wife Masina. this is a heart-wanning. nostalgic comedy about a pair of aging Roman hoofers. Astaire and Rogers imitators. reviving their act after a prolonged absence. Besides the obvious parallels with real life and the expected visual flair. the film offers an embittered critique of modern television ctrltttre. but finishes on a note of gentle contentment. Glasgow: (ii-'1'. I la Grande Illusion (PG) (Jean Renoir. France. 1937) Jean Gabin. Pierre Fresney. Erich von Stroheim. Marcel Dalio. 117 mins. Renoir‘s classic prison camp escape story is more than the strong antiwar statement that won it praise at the time of its release; it is also an ironic social analysis highlighting class differentiation. Edinburgh: Filitrhouse. I ﬁroundhog Day (Pt; ) (llaroid Ramis. (‘8. 1993) Bill Murray. Andie MacDowell. Chris Elliot. TV weatherman Phil (‘onners (Mtrrray) finds himself in the back of beyond. trapped in an ever-repeating single day. Partying and babe- chasiirg leads to serious romancing as he goes after his producer (MacDow ell). Murray's cuddly sai'casiri stops the movie from becoming the kind of rrroralising mush that surrounds so many of his ctititcriiporaries. At last. a Hollywood comedy that is really funny. Edinburgh: ('ameo. I Grumpy Old Men ( 12) (Donald Petite. LS. 1993) Walter Matthau. Jack Lemmon. Ann Margret. 103 mins. Two grouchy neighbours re- rtrn their earlier fight over the late \\ rfe of one when a sparky new woman moves in close-by. Matthau and l.ertlmon are as ir'ascrlbe and funny as ever. btit the thin plot and predictable gags don't give them enough to get their denttri'cs into. Plenty of sharp one-liners bill a mute too strained to recapture the glories of yesteryear. See review. General release. I llard Target ( is) (John woo. is. 1903) Jean Claude Van Damme. lance. ilenriksen. Yancy Butler. 95 mins. The trademark John Woo action technique survives the trip across to the LS and. although the characters are more straightfonvard. the plot is good. Van Dammc is the New Orleans drifter hired by Butler to find her down-and-out father. who has become a victim in a big-game hunt that uses homeless war veterans as human prey. Well above the typical American studio action movie. Strathclyde: l'Cl (‘lydebank I Hostile Hostages ( IS) ('t‘cd Demme. t 'S. 1993) Denis Leary. Judy Davis. Kevin Spacey. 93 mins. .-\cid-tongtred stand-up may be straining at the leash somewhat 111 hrs commercial breakthrough. btrt this is still a Disney corircdy with bite. (iris the cat burglar burrgles his latest job and finds hirrrself trapped with a couple of irritating hostages. a fetrdrng husband and wife. Having gone as far as he could on stage. maybe this isn't such a bad route for Leary‘after all. Glasgow: ()deon. Edinburgh: ()deon. I Howard: End (PG) (James ivory. t ‘K. 1093) Anthony Hopkins. \‘anessa Redgrave. Helena Bonham Carter. limma 'l'horrrpson. 142 mins. After a succession of dreary Forster clones. the British film industry gets round to tackling hrs masterpiece. and one of the most important novels of the 20th century. Tire story. centring on the marriage between a wealthy and reactionary old duffer and an emancipated younger woman. is a complex family chronicle told with clarttv and compassion. At last a cinematic period ' drama that extrdes excellence. with some finely crafted perfonnances to match. Strathclyde: l'Cl East Kilbride. I Manda and Wives ( 15) (Woody Allen.1'S. 1992) Woody Allen. Mia Farrow. Sidney Pollack. Judy Davis. 107 mins. The Roths (Allen and Farrow) find their domestic life rocked bv the news that their best friends are splitting up. Doubts about their marriage are heightened by Mr R's half-innocent dalliance with a young ' student (Cope Feor's Juliette lewis). More than a life-initating-art movie. given the recent allegations about the Allen household: it is a searching and incisive character comedy. his best since Hannah and her Sisters. Glasgow: GET. I We Park (PG) (Steven Spielberg. l'S. 1993) Sam Neill. Laura Dem. Jeff Goldblurir. A

group of scientists are invited to give their approval to a theme park filled with genetically engineered dinosaurs. but the giant reptiles are soon running amok. Unsurpassed computer effects ensure that the dinosaurs themselves are terrifyineg believable (moreso than the PG certificate would suggest). but by the halfway point. it's more or less a chase movie with superior technology. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. l.'Cl. Borders: Roxy. Strathclyde: Magnum. Odeon Ayr.

I The Killer (18) (John Woo. Hong Kong. 1989) (‘how Yun-l-‘at. Danny Lee. Sally Yeh. 111 mins. Genre-led thriller. with old school buddies turned cop and contract killer as sparring partners. transferred into the sleazy gangland of llong Kong. The violence ptrts Roboeo/i to shame. but there's a glorious. oriental fatalisrn about the whole shebang that lends it a certain sheen of romanticism. Fife: Adam Smith.

I The line. The Cross And The Curve (PG) (Kate Bush. UK. 1993) Kate Bush. Stewart Arnold. Miranda Richardson. Lindsay Kemp. 52 mins. Acting. singing. dancing and directing. Bush builds on the grand scope of The Red Shoes album (itself inspired by Powell and Pressburger's film) with her first film. ‘A dance to hell and back on the other side of the mirror' she calls it. and it certainly does push back the limits of the typical pop video. With various videos from Bush's back catalogue. Strathclyde: l'(‘l (‘lydebank

I little Buddha (PG) (Bernardo Bertolucci. l'S/l'K/France. 1993) Keanu Reeves. Ying Rtrocheng. Alex Wiesendanger. 120 mins. A Seattle moppet may or may not be the reincarnation of a recently deceased Tibetan monk. so he and dad go to Bhutan where he's given a ported history of Buddhism. The story of Srddaitha rs easily the best section. with Vittorio Stor aro‘s glorious cinematography to commend it. btrt elsewhere the pace is doggedly slow. the eco friendly sentiments hazy. and the lecturing tone like a school lesson. Bertolucci's greatest folly. See review. Glasgow: ()deon. Edinburgh: Cameo.

I The living End ( 18) (Gregg Araki. US. I992) (‘raig Gilmore. Mike Dytri. Darcy Maria. 84 mins. Shy. sensitive Jon tests 111V positive and teams up with gun-toting Luke as they take a rirurderous ﬂight across America. New Queer Cinema. playing oirt on the level of debate -— should you respect a society that ha.es you'.’ - but although there's a lot of anger on display. there's no clear idea how to direct it. Edinburgh: i:lilllilt)llSC.

I look Who's Talking ﬂow (12) (Tom Ropelewski. CS. 1994) John Travolta. Kirsty Alley. ()lyrnpia Dukakis. 97 mins. ls there really an audience otit there for a third in the irritating baby voiceover series'.’ ()h dear. 1 know you're going to prove me wrong. Missing the Christmas market by a fair bit. the plot this time has our heroes spending Yuletide looking after a couple of canines who sound surprising like Danny De \‘ito and Diane Keaton. See Screen Test. Glasgow: ()deon. MGM The Forge. Edinburgh: ()deon. 1’Cl. Strathclyde: both ()deons. both l'(‘l.s. WMR.

I lost Landscape ( 15) (Andreas Kleineit. Germany. 1992) 106 mins. A West German

politician is summoned to East Germany after

llrc fall of the Wall. and rediscovers the traumas of his childhood 30 years ago. Glasgow: GET. I Mad Max 2 ( 18) (George Miller. Australia. 1981 ) Mel Gibson. Bruce Spence. 94 mins. lixhilaratrng ﬁrst-Apocalypse adventure. with plenty grotesque imagery and vicious villians. Pure cinema (count the number of words 01' Max has to say) and the highpoint of the series. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.

I Malice (15) (Harold Becker. US. 1993) Alec Baldwin. Nicole Kidman. Bill Pullman. Hot-shot surgeon Baldwin provides the outsider element in yet another ‘man‘ied couple under threat' movie which makes you wonder if the formula thriller has finally run out of gas. Throw in a college setting and a few unsolved crimes. and the result still suffers from its amusineg preidctable twists and turn. Edinburgh: L‘Cl.

I Man In The White Suit (PG) (Alexander Mackendrick. CK. 1951) Alec Guinness. Joan Greenwood. Cecil Parker. 85 mins. A dishwasher in a textile mill invents a fabric that never wears out or gets dirty. Mackendrick adds a touch of acidity to the Ealing comedy formula. Guinness is spectacularly good. exploiting his trademark smarminess to great effect. With anti- whaling short. The Hottest Blood 0fA/l. Central: MacRobert.

I Manhattan (15) (Woody Allen. US. 1979) Woody Allen. Diane Keaton. Mariel Hemingway. 96 mins. Woody wanders through the female jungle of New York in search ofa perfect soulmate after the demise of his marriage. Sublime comic delight with a soulful Gershwin score. Edinburgh: Cameo.

I Matteo Minder Mystery (PG) (Woody Allen. US. 1993) Woody Allen. Diane Keaton. Alan Alda. 108 mins. When her elderly neighbour dies mysterioust and suddenly. Carol Lipton (Keaton) does some amateur sleuthing along with the New York literary set. Allen returns to the comic fomiula that first made his name — neat plot. snappy one-liners — making this a much more approachable and enjoyable experience than his more serious work of late. Edinburgh: Cameo.

I Marcussen programme Denmark's leading ‘artist-painter-musician' Lief Marcussen appears in person to present a one-off programme of three of his semi-abstract sound and image works. Stills (1979). Stones (1982) and The Public Voice (1989). Edinburgh: Filmhouse.

I The Modern: (15) (Alan Rudolph. US. 1988)

Keith Carradine. Linda Firoentino. John Lone. Genevieve Bujold. 126 mins. 1926 Paris is the setting for Rudolph's latest triumph. a playful exploration of the fake and the genuine in art and love. Against the background of the expatriate American artistic circle of Hemingway and Stein. it examines a series of tangled relationships whose effects reverberate around the boho art world. Excellent Altman/Rudolph rep company performances. an unpredictable directorial flair. and the dramatic shaping of complex themes into a delirious drama. Edinburgh: Cameo.

I his Doubtﬂre (PG) (Chris Columbus. US. 1993) Robin Williams. Sally Field. Pierce Brosrran. 125 mins. Separated from his wife and kids. out-of-work voice actor Daniel Hillard (Williams) dons make-up and body-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 pitched with gags for the whole audience. General release.

I My Father. The Iiero (PG) (Steve Miner. US. 1993) Gerard Depardieu. Katherine Heigl. Dalton James. 90 mins. identical in plot to Mon I’ere. Ce Herox. which also starred Depardieu. it was mundane first time round and there has been no injection of genius here. Dad takes teenage daughter to tropical paradise; she pretends he's her lover to impress local hunk and outrage other holiday-makers. Parents will cringe. adolescents might snigger. General release.

I Naked (18) (Mike Leigh. UK. 1993) David Thewlis. Katrin Cartlidge. lesley Sharp. 126 mins. Johnny. a cynical drifter. wanders around the homeless of London spouting a bitter philosophy. An episodic. bleak. but bitingly funny portrait of 90s Britain that suffers from a few characters who could only exist in a Mike Leigh world. Scenes of sexual violence may be difficult for some audience members to sit through. but the virtuoso performance from Thewlis is one of the best of the year. Glasgow: GET.

I hated Sun 33 ‘A: The Final hall! (12) (Peter Segal. US. 1994) Leslie Nielsen. Priscilla Presley. Fred Ward. 87 mins. Frank Drebin comes out of retirement to go undercover and stop the bombing of. horror of horrors. the Academy Awards. Lame one-liners and inspired sight-gags are underlined by unnecessary double-takes. and while the editing is none too sharp. the result is amusing enough. But note the numeral: even vinyl became obsolete. See review. General release.

I (in Deadly Ground ( 18) (Steven Seagal. US. 1993) Steven Seagal. Michael Caine. Joan Chen. 11() mins. No longer is the thinking man's Chtrck Norris kicking the shit out of low-life scumbags. now he's kicking the shit out of capitalist ' scumbags intent on destroying the delicate balance of the eco-system by oil exploration. First-time director Seagal stages the action scenes with great skill. but falls down with The characterisation and speechifying environmentalist tone. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.

I The Mos) (Ron Howard. us. 1994) Michael Keaton. Robert Duvall. Glenn Close. Marisa Tomei. 112 mins. A day on a sleazy New York tabloid (called The Sun): the news editor (Keaton) has to scoop back on the papers who scooped him the day before. his wife (Tomei) is very pregnant. his man-eating managing editor (Close) is pushing him to run an incorrect. better-selling version of the lead story. Easily accessible outside the world ofjoumalism. The Paper. like is subject. forgettable but entertaining. Glasgow: MGM Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: UCl. Strathclyde: both UCls.

I Pals. Ten: (15) (Wim Wenders. US/W. Germany. 1984) Harry Dean Stanton. Natassja Kinski. Hunter Carson. 144 mins. Missing for four years. middle-aged loner Stanton turns up in the Texan outback. and is later reunited with his son. The two embark on a trek across America to ﬁnd his estranged wife. the young boy's mother. Wenders' coolly dislocating visual sense of

The List: 20 May 1994 (Issue 227)