INDEX FILM
at pit/e day is not too dissimilar to contemporary e\ents Ill l’arrs. lidiribuigli: liilmhouse.
I Immortal Beloved ( l5i (Bernard Rose. l'S/l'ls’. l‘)‘)-li(iary ()ldman. Jetoen Kiabbe. Isabella Rossellinr. Ill) ruins. 'l'akiiig the route ot a ilashback romantic my stery rather tliati a traditional biopic. Rose's investigation into the lines of Beethoven's lrfe ends up actually revealing more about the composer's state or mind and his music l'rilottunately the direction frequently plods along. but the final ‘( )de lo Joy‘ set-piece is worth the w art and ( )ldman perfectly captures l.udwig's frustration w llll his dealness. Inc: New l’ictute House.
I la Jetee ( l3) ((‘htis \latker. l‘tance. l‘lbli 2‘) turns. :\n extremely rare opportunity to see this influential piece about the power oi memory .-\n image ol a woman at the end ol a pier haunts a
man as he wanders tlirotrgli a post apocalyptic world Showing with I/rureti ,lrrrir (ilasgow (il‘l l.tlllll‘tll31llfl‘llllllltltht‘
I Judge Dredd ( l5) (Danny (‘annon. l'K/l 'S. l‘NSi Sylvester Stallone. .’\imand :\ss.ttllt‘. l)r.ine l ane It seems that \lega (‘ity ()rie's toughest lawman. Judge lhedd. has a genetically -rtiulated clone ol a brother. w ho has rust L'\\ aped from prison and is bent on destroying the Judge System. the only thing that keeps this post atomic world in order. lans may ha\e a leeltrig ol unease abotrt Stallone's casting btrt in young director Danny (‘anuon there‘s at least someone who understands l)tedd's mythology and who proved. w itli 'l’lu’ )inute .‘llllr’llt'llll‘. that he‘s good on atiiiospheie if not plot. liditiburgh: ('ameo.
I Junior Bonner tl’(ii (Sam l’eckinpah.l S. l‘)7l i Steve McQueen. Robert l’ieston. Ida Luptno. l0} mins. Like many of l‘eckinpah's late westerns. llrrs has an elegarc feel of an era ending. But this tirire. it‘s set in the present. with aging rodeo star McQueen returning to his hometown to find ll a changed place as the
w ilder way of life is becotiitng more iestx‘ctable Touching Ill ways you'd wouldn't haye expected (ilasgow: (ill
I Justice Jrrvli: (llatis (ieissendot fer. (ieiriiany. 1093) H") mitis. :\ young lawyer witnesses .i brutal murder committed by a distinguished Swiss politician (Maximilian Schell l. and finds himself iii an ethical and moral rnrrielield w hen he is asked to defend him in a court appeal (ilasgow: (ioethe Institut.
I The ladylrillers tl’(ii (Alexander Mackemdrick. l'K. WSSi Alec (iumness. (‘ecrl l’atker. Katie Johnson. ‘)7 mins. .\ bunch of not so-biighl crooks planning a daring robbery get more than they bargarri for when they set up headquarters with a seemingly harmless little old lady. Wry lialing comedy. with (itunriess as usual outshining a plethora of vigorous comic character actors. (‘entral: .-\llanpark.
I Land And Freedom ( l5i (Ken I oach. l‘K/Sparn. 1005ilanllait.Rosarial’astot.lcrat Bollain. IO‘) rnins. .'\ inagntftcent. moying. politicised epic on the Spanish (‘rv rl War by lltilaiii's most coiiittiilletl director on the l.ell. Au utietiiployed man (llait) leaves .llls l.rverpool to light with the [’01 '.\l Militia. and sees first hand the betrayal of his cause by the Stalinists His story is told iri ilashback. as his granddaughter reads his hidden letters home a lirik to the present day that proves these C\Clll\ have a sttorig relevance to today. (ilasgow: (ill I leadbelly ( l 5) ((ioltloti Parks. [8. 1970! ll? mins. :\ iare opgxutunrty to see this critically lauded period biography of innovative blues singer llrrddie l.eadbetter. which plots his life from shatectoppct"s sort to prison inmate to fatne and fortune. liiorn the director of Slur/t, (ilasgow: (il‘l.
I little Rascals (l’i ( l’enelope Spheer is. (S. l‘)‘)~l) 'l‘iavis ‘l'edl'oi‘d. Bug llall. Brittany Ashton llolmes. 82 mins. «\fter [fern-Iv lli/l/irlliei.
Ina
Class of It's own...
THE LIST
CELEBRATES ITS FIRST DECADE.
director Spiieetis does another I \' retnak’e. tliis
time gorrig for a bunch of smug brats who leave
a trail of destruction behind them li\en kids
w ho enioy ed the Home .‘l/Ullt' le\el of may hem
might not take to the .'\lllL'llt‘dll sentiment and unnecessary low liuriioui heie. Borders: l’ayilion. Strathclyde: ('annon. I The Madness Dr King George (l’(ii (\ietioias llytriei. l'ls’. I‘M-ll Nigel llawthoirie. llelen \liiren. Rupert layerett ll() rmns .-\laii Bennett's adaption of his own stage play is a great British film in its own right with tio lingering sense of theatricality. Nigel llaw thorne's excellent portrayal of the King. hrs demented behaviour tlireatenrng the stability ol the nation. giyes the film an emotional core. while the script's themes are intelligently handled throughout. (ilasgow: (ill I Martha And Ethel (l'itJy ll Johnstonetlhibaia littrriger. l'S. I‘l‘Ht 77 turns. :\ very personal dtx‘uinentaiy aboiit two nannies » Deep Soritli borti black woman lithel and (ieitiian emigree \laitha . who looked alter the lilrnmakers during their loimatiye years. Despite then almost polar opposite backgrounds. the film show s the parallels that have emerged throughout their lives. from the day s when they struck out on then own to today. when they look back It] their 00s .\'ot to be conlused with Illt’fllltl tt' l.l’!ll\(' lidiiiburgh: l'iliithouse I The Mask (l‘(i) ((‘hailes Russell. l S. l‘W-li Jim (Ktitey. (‘ameron l)i.i/. l’eter Reigeit 05 mrris .\ timid hank clerk finds an ancient mask that allows him to fulfil hrs innermost desires as a suave charmer and crime fighting whirlwind. .-\n atrialgam of 2(ls_ ,itis and -l()s decor. The .lluvk has a skimpy plot. but its rousing musical set pieces and eye-popping computer generated effects (like a live action in Avery cattooni make it the surprise lirt of the summer lidrnburgh: l-ilriihouse, l-ife: .\l(i.\l I Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie tl’(iitBiyan Spicer. l‘S. l‘NSi l’aul l'reemari. (iabrrelle l'it/patiick. Amy Jo Johnson. U5 lllllls. \ strictly iuyemle big screen version of the TV show w tilt the Angel (irove teenagers battling the evil lyan ()o/e. Wearing their colour coded iumpsutts. they use good old-fashioned teamwork to tumble and krckbox their way" through oodles of monsters. The lights are well staged. but some of the effects are tacky. It's all panto-bland enough to keep the kids happy. (ilasgow: ()deon. All l'('ls. I Mortal Kombat ( l5) (l’aul :\ltdersoti. l‘S. l‘NS) (‘hiistophei Lambert. Robiti Short. Linden .r\shby. llll mitis. 'l'hree top liailh warriors ate selected to battle against alieii w arriois iii order to win the ultimate pit/e ~ the freedom of tiianktnd. l'trlikc Stie’r‘I/ie/ilt'r. Moi/til Kiwi/rut has a sense ef humour about itself. and the action is pacy and im entive. But the dramatic
limitations are obvious and the violence just a
little to graphic for the audience who might have
enjoyed it most. See review. (ienei'al release.
I Mr Nanny (l’(}) (\lrchael (iottlieb. l'S. l‘)‘)3) llull; llogan. Sherman lletnsley. Austin
l‘endleton. .\'-l mrns. lltilk llogaii follows the
‘liccessful Sit/)itI/irtlt ('tmmiulit/n with a lllm lltill owes stiiitcllltilg lti Hillirt' xl/ttltr'. illit‘ titne he‘s a bodyguard roped irito looking after two
desttuctne kids who like nothing better than
setting booby-traps hit their nannies. For the
kids only. (ilasgosv: .\l(i.\l l’aikhead.
I Muriel's Wedding ( l5) (l’.J. llogaii. Australia. I‘M-l ) ‘l'oni (‘ollette. Rachel (ii‘ifftths. Bill lluntei. l()5 mins. l'gly duckling .‘yluriel decides
to leave behind her boring life in l’oipoise Spit
and search for her l’rince ('haimin r iii the bi ' 2- 2~
lights of Sydrtey. :\ bouncy Abba soundtrack arid fairy tale arubiaiice add to the charm of one of
the year 's best ctow‘d-pleasers As sparkling. iri
its own way. as iii/lr' xll/l‘t‘llHHlW ()f'l’ritt‘i/lu.
lidtnbuigh: .\l(i.\l.
PARA‘. Sou T PRINTERS Ltd
..di erent as
199 Causewayside, Edinburgi EH9 lPH Telephone 0131-667 4441 Fax 0131-662 0659
I Natural Born Killers i no (Oliver Stone. 1's. 1 I‘M-l) Woody llarrelson. Juliette Lewis. Robert l Downey Jr. ll‘) mins. Stone's visual and atrial assault makes for one of the most remarkable l cinematic experiences in years; his attempts to I j marry style with content. and provide a damning expose of the media adulation of serial killers is less successful. let down by lits trademark over‘st.’iteitient. Violent. mesmerising. hallucinaton and bold in its use of various film formats. .\'l»’/\' is a landmark in .\l'l‘\'-rnllueiiced frlnirnaking. l-fdrnbuigh: (Xaneo l-"ife' .\'ew Picture llouse. I The Net ( l2)(liwin kaler. l'S. l‘)‘)5i l Sandra Bullock. Jeremy .\'oitham. l)enriis l .\lrller.-~ Lonesome software programmer Angela (Bullock i accidently comes across a disk that can infiltrate any cornprrter sy stern wrtliotrt detection. and soon becomes the \ rctiiii of a shadowy criminal group who erase her official identity and then try to do the same to her corporal one l’iedictable dangers for a single white female are given the candy store thrills ol the iiiteinet. But there's a lack of suspense tor ; which even the likeable presence of Bullock can't compensate See review. (ieneral ielease. I Oliver Twist (l’(ii (David l.ean. t‘is’. l‘l-lSi Alec (itirriness. Robert \'ewton. l-iancrs l.. 3Sullivan. llb iiitiis. .~\ classic sciecti version of the Dickens noyel. w itli tiurnness a sly l-agin and Newton a menacing B'll Sykes. Instead of making it a light children's story (as in the musical version). few laps iiito the darker side. and captures it all rti crisp black-and-w hite rrnages which look superb in this new prrnt. lidinburglit l-ilinhouse. I Once Were Warriors ( IS) ( l .ce l'aniahoi I. New Xealatid. I‘Nli Rena t)wen. leimuera \loirisoii. .‘vlamaengaroa Keri-Bell. ‘N iiirris. lamaliorr's feature debut is a gritty l.oach style look at domestic \ rolerrce and disenlianchisemerit within Auckland's .\laoir underclass It's a frlrri about sutv iyal — of indi\ tduals. of farniliss. and of iace. It's also an uiicoinprornising. shocking 'lilm that doesn't sensationalise its material. :lidrnburgh: ('atneo. l‘llllllltillu‘
I The Piano ( l5) (Jane ('arnpioii. .r\usttalia/.\'cw /.ealand. l‘NSi Holly Hunter. Saiii Neill. llaryey Keilel. Ill) mrns. Jane (‘ampion‘s masterpiece follow s mute Scotswoirian .'\da 1 Hunter i as she travels to l‘lth century New /.ea|arid w itli her piano and daughter to enter into an arranged marriage. Soon she begins a passionate and erotic affair with her illiterate neighbour as the means of regaining her treasured instrument. lrnpeccable performances llll this highly charged piece to the realms of classic cinema. utidoubtedly one of the best lilnis ot the ‘llls. lidinburgh: l’lllllllUtlsC.
I Pocahontas it) (Mike (iatiiiel/iii ic (ioldbeig. l'S. l‘)‘)5i With the voices of Mel (iibson. lietie Bedatd. Billy ('onnolly. SI units. 'l he true story of l’ocahoritas rs grv en a splash of Disney colour. reducing her from heroine to lovesick btrribo as she falls madly iti love w llll white settler ('aptain John Smith. The cliched beauty of the leads. the cutesy annuals and talking tree make it a travcsy.
and even the songs are turieless watbltng ballads. Only the animation is worth a mention. See review. (iencial release.
I The Quick And The Dead ( 15) (Saiii Ramir.
l‘S. l‘)‘)5i Sharon Stone. (icne llackriiari.
Russell (‘iow e. Leonardo l)r('aptro. li).\' mitts.
lnto town rides Stone. intent on a revenge-driven showdown w ttli the immeasurably evil
llackman. who keeps his enemies six feet under with an annual quick draw tournament for a
huge cash prize. As befits a western more in the litrropean as opposed to American tradition.
I Raimi behaves like Sergio Leone's hip.
I hyperactive grandson. l)eliaritly cartoontsh. with
as many twisted angles. fast edits. ltitillls and . swoops as can be titted in before lirin noon. lidinburgh: l'(‘l. I Reality Bites ( l 2) (Bert Stiller. t's. l‘)‘)-li Winona Ryder. lithan llawke. Ben Stiller. 9*) ‘ mins. Soon after graduation. l.elairia (Ryder i
loses her 'l‘V job (and the chance to complete her autobiographical documentary). and so has to
btry food for her (ieneration X llatmates on the credit card daddy gave her. Self-indulgent. middle-class American problems that are hard to relate to and impossible to sympathise with till this movie. If this is reality. it sucks rather than bites. (ilasgow: (il’l‘. I lied Firecracker. Green Firecracker ( 1 5) (He l’ing. (‘hina/llong Kong. 1993) Ning Jing. Wu (Bang. Zhao Xiourui. ll5 inins. .-'\ lowly artist falls in love with the female head of an explosives factory. causing jealousies and tension when .she awakens her repressed sexuality and emotions Like most (‘hinese period films. this has beautifully composed frames. but the affair takes too many melodramatic turns 'l he s"72ic pretty costumes are travelling down the saw: thematic roads. See review. lidinburgh: l‘rlriiliotn. I The Remains ol the Day -' l'K. 1993) Anthony llopkr'
' James lvor'y. .na 1 liotiipsoii.
Catch the best Film this fortnight. -~ w
i "a!"
FIRST RUN I Land And Freedom The complexities of the Spanish Civil War are shown in an accessible and eruotional light iii Keri Loaeh‘s masterpiece. which features an international ensemble of actors led by the brilliant lan Hart. Glasgow.“ (il'"lf
I Chungking Express A hip. stylish, idiosyncratic look at restless youth. llong Kong style froin director Wong Kar—Wai -- definitely a name to watch out for. (i/ttsguit'.‘ (IF/i
I The Bridges 0t Madison County (‘lint Eastwood slows down the pace alongside Meryl Streep iri this mature arid finely textured love story. proving again that he's also a director of note. General release.
I Braveheart Mel Gibson dons the facepaitit and takes to the field against the English as Hollywood turns the life of William Wallace into an action spectacular. General release.
I The Usual Suspects A teasing. twisting. turning modern Il()ll' that boasts strong and 'aried characters and bucket loads of style. General release.
REPERTORY
I The Big Sleep Bogart. Bacall. Hawks. Chandler. . . a classicfilnt nur‘r with real star sex appeal. cracking lines and a beguilineg complex plot. Re-issued in a new print. Glasgow": (IF/I
I The Wild Bunch llolden. ()ates. Borgnine. l’eckinpah . . . a classic late western with an elegiac but unsentiinental feel. as a group of ageing outlaws apply their violent values to a changing world. Re-issued in a new print. Edinburgh:
I"5/nr/rrnrse.
James l’ox. H-l ruins. :\ butler ieiniriisces on the pie-WW3 days he spent in [)arlirigton llall. when he turned a blind eye to his employer's
dealings with the Nazis and his owti feelings for the housekeeper. ()ne of Merchant-lvory's best.
with Hopkins the epitome of linglish emotional
repression. liditibttrgh: liilmhouse.
I Reservoir Dogs t lh') (Quentin 'l‘arantino. US. 1902) Harvey Kciiel. Tim Roth. Michael .\ladsen. llX) rtiins. A gatig of hoods. known
only to each other by colour-coded nicknames. meets at an abandoned warehouse to irgure how
out their rigoroust planned heist went so drastically wrong. The best debut in years from
writer director 'l'araritino. whose stylish violence
seduces the audience into complicity. Brilliant in cyery sense ol the word. lidinburgh: liilmhouse. litlllllltllgllf MUM.
The List 6- l9 ()ct I995 23