INDEX FILM
screenings and discussions of five key documentaries. including Vertov‘s Mun Willi A Movie Camera. Vigo's A I’m/ms De Nice. Wright's Face 0f$cnrluml and Song Of Ceylon and Jennings’s F ires' Were Started. Introduced by staff from Strathclyde University. Wed I3 only. Glasgow: GFT.
I Dona Barbara ( I 5) (Femando De Fuentes. Mexico. I943) I38 mins. After being raped. ranch owner Dona Barbara (Maria Felix) savagely rejects male authority. but later falls in love with a city lawyer. Glasgow: GFT.
I Even Cowgirls Get The Blues ( )5) (Gus Van Sant. US. I993) Uma Thurman. John Hurt. Rain Phoenix. 88 mins. Thurman stars as the free- wheeling Sissy IIankshaw. sent to the all-female Rubber Rose ranch to shoot an advert for female hygiene products. in this unsuccessful adaptation of Tom Robbins' seminal 70s novel. Van Sant neither sticks to straight narrative nor fully endorses the esoteric. so the result falls between two stools. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Exorcist ( I8) (William I-‘riedkin. US. I973) Linda Blair. Iillen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. [Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this huger effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scary. dead priest. Glasgow: ()deon.
I Faraway. So Close! (15)(Wim Wendei's. Germany. I993) Otto Sander. Nastassja Kinski. Bruno Ganz. 14-1 mins. Wenders's sequel to Il’ings ()f Desires again focuses on the divide between humans and angels. and has one of the winged ones experience the joys and pains of terrestrial life. However. after an exhilerating opening and some stunning photography. the film falls apart when it attempts a B movie gun- running narrative. From genius to incompetence in a matter of frames. Glasgow: GFI’.
I Father Of The Bride Part II (PC) (Charles Shyer. US. I995) Steve Martin. Diane Keaton. Martin Short. |07 iriins. As a plot development from what was probably the worst movie of I992. George Banks (Martin) not only has to face tip to becoming a granddad. but also a dad again. as wife Nina (Keaton) falls pregnant. String comedy with babies. Glasgow: ()deon. MGM Pai'khead. Edinburgh: I'C‘I. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayi‘. L'CI Iiast Kilbi‘ide.
I French Twist Gum/r Mum/ii ( IS) (Josiane Balasko. France. I995) Victoria Abril. Josiane Balasko. Alain (‘hahat I05 riiiiis. When her van breaks down outside the house of a conventional couple. cigar-chomping brill dyke Balasko brings a new variation of the irieiiage-a-trois into
the lives of Abril and Chabat. A naughty. trrn and engagineg French sexual farce. filled with dynamic characterisations. See preview and review. Glasgow: GFI‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Funny BoneS( I5) (Peter Chelsom. U K/US. I995) Lee Evans. Oliver Platt. Jerry Lewis. I28 mins. Chelsom's tragiconiedy has funny riioments. brit its main interest lies in its seriousness. Tommy (Platt) leaves Las Vegas and comes to Blackpool in search of new material: there he meets Jack (Evans). an instinctively funny man. who‘s linked to him by more than profession. An honest and sensitive portrait of the deep sorrow that often underlines comic genius. Fife: New Picture House.
I Get Shorty ( 15) (Barry Sonnenfeld. US. I995) John Travolta. Danny DeVito. Gene IIackman. Rene Russo. I 10mins. Loan shark (‘hili Palmer ('I‘ravolta) shifts from Miami to LA and. being a movie btrff. decides to get into the film business. With its sharp dialogue. quirky characters and offbeat humour. this is probably the best adaptation yet of an Iilmore Leonard novel. IIavoIta shows his true star" quality — he's as cool as milk and as deadly as a rattlesnake. See feature and review. General release.
I Iteat ( I5) (Michael Mann. I‘S. I995) Al Pacino. Robert De Niro. Val Kilmer. I70 riiiiis. Mann's star package cops-and-robbers tale is head and shoulders above the rest of the genre. thanks to an action-packed screenplay that fully explores its themes and gives depth to its charctei's. Pacino is the dedicated detective whose home life is in ruins; De .\'ir'o is the reclusive criminal mastermind. The two men‘s finely balanced sense of honour and mutual respect is well dissected. and the shoot-out set pieces are heart-stopping. Brilliant. General release.
I The Horseman On The Root ( IS) (Jean-Paul Rappcnearr. France. I995) Juliette Binochc. ()Iivier Martinez. Jean Yanne. I30 ruins. Rappcrieau‘s follow-up to (‘i'ruiio [)e Bergerac lacks the nave of that modern arthouse blockbuster, An Italian hussar evades Ilapsburg
agents and crosses cholera-i‘avislied I9th century
France. meeting up with a beautiful young woman. Emotions are repressed to the extent that it actrrally hinders audience involvement. and we‘re Ieftjust looking at pictures — which are spectacular. admittedly. Central: MacRobert. I In The Bleak Midwinter ( 15) (Kenneth Branagh. I’K. I995) Michael Maloney. Jtrlia Sawallia. Richard Briers. 99 mins. A group of actors undergo individual voyages of self-
discovery while rehearsing a low-budget version of Hamlet. It sounds like luvvie hell. but there are some poignant nioriieiits and plenty of one liners to win over the most hardened Branagh cynic. Glasgow: GI’II
I The Indian In The Cupboard ( I’( i) (t-r-ank ()I. IS. I995) IIaI Scar'dino. I.itefoot. David Keith. 90 mins. For his birthday. young ()iiiii is given a magic cupboard that brings to (Icsli-aiid-bone life his plastic toys. principally Native Ariieiicari Little Bear. Iixccllcnt sfx bring Lynne Reid Baiiks' novel to life. but aside from that. it doesn't really develop. apart from sonic trite moral lessons about showing respect for the lives of others. Iiife: Glerrrothes. Strathclyde: \VMR. I Jacob‘s ladder ( IS) (Adrian I.ync. I'S. I990) Tim Robbins. Iilizabcth Petra. I);mn_v Aiello. I I3 mins. Vietnam vet Jacob Singer is seeing \0IIIC very strange things. like nurses with denions' horns and people with faces straight out of a lirancis Bacon painting. As his grip on the reality of his present life begins to slip. he has recurring flashbacks to the night his platoon was wiped otit during the war. The director of l'tllrl.’ .'\!II'(I(’IIUII and the writer of (i/im! combine to pull off one of the most tciirty irig. yet ultimately moving. paranoia thrillers of recent years. Iidinburgh: (‘arrieo
I Johnny Mnemonic ( I5) (Rout-ii Lorigo, ('8. I995) Keanu Reeves. l)olph I.undgrcri. 'liikcshi. 9(i iiiiiis. ('yherpunk author William Gibson's screenplay (from his ow ii \Ili)II story) provides the basis for a let century turkey. Reeves carrics stolen data in his head. discovers that it Contains the cure to a worldwide disease. but has to dodge the Yakuza (IIIr/ download the info before his head explodes. ICIIIIIIL‘ acting. shoddy direction. fill-the-gap dialogue. The only Iii-tech gadget you need is the off-sw itch. Strathclydc: Magnum.
I Jumanii (I') (Joe Johnston. I‘S. I995) Robin Williams. Jonathan Hyde. Kirsten l)unst. l()l iriins. Trapped for 2(i years III a inngle board game. Alan Parrish (Williams) is released only when two nuxlcin—day kids throw the dice thcriisclvcs. But they also unleash a stariipcdc of riionkcys. crocodiles. elephants. rhinos and other unfamiliar beasts into small town America. The story manages to get beyond its icpciitivc limits with a brilliantly original central idea and post- Jlll’tluft' l’urk computer effects that make ll state-of-the-art cinema spectacle. General r'cIcase.
I Jurassic Park (PG) (Steven Spielberg. I'S. I993) Sam .\'eill. Laura I)crii. Jeff (ioldbluni. A
group of scientists are invited to give their approval to a theme park filled w itli genetically engineered dinosaurs. but the giant reptiles are soon running aiiiok. l'nsurpasscd computer effects ensure that the dinosaurs themselves are terr'ifyriigly believable (riior'eso than the PG certificate would suggest). brrt by the halfway point. it‘s more or IC.\\ a chase movie with superior technology. Stiaihclyde: (‘arinoir
I The Kingdom I IS) (I.ais \'ori ‘l'rici'. Denmark. I994) Kirsten Rolffes. Gliita Not by. Iiinst-Ilugo Jaicgard Iii/Ht) IIIIII\. If llav id Lynch driectcd four episodes of u. then the result might be along the lines of IIII\ subverted hospital soap opera. Visually striking. densely plotted and hauntingly scored. it's an c\tr'.'ior'diiiaiy fusion of thc comfortably (iriotidian and disturbineg weird. See review Iidinbuigh: ('airieo
I Land And Freedom ( IS) (Ken I.oach. I’K/Spain. I995) lari lIart. Rosana Pastor. Iciar' Bollain. I()9 riiriis. A magnificent. rrioving. politiciscd cpic on the Spanish ('rvrl War by
Br itain's most coiiiiiiiltcd director on the Left. An uncriiployed riian (Ilait) leaves 30s Liverpool to fight with the I’()I '.\I Militia. and sees first hand the betrayal of his cause by the Stalinists. His story is told in flashback. as his granddaughter leads his hidden letters horiic — a Iiiik to the present day that proves these events ha\e a stiorig relevance to today. Stiathclyde: Iiast Kilbride Arts (‘entre.
I Leaving Las Vegas ( is) (Mike I‘Iggls. IS. 1995) Nicolas ('agc. Iilisabcth Slirrc. Julian Sands. l|() niins. Sacked from his rob. Ben ((‘agc) drives to Las Vegas with the sole intention of drinking himself to death. but during his descent comes across hookcr Scia (Shuc). another lost soul. I-iggis's neon drenched III()\ ic captures the irresponsible euphoria and mental pain of alcohohsrii from a subicctnc \ icw point. w hile the astonishing pct'forriianccs by the leads hpr it transcend the surface tawdiincss and delve deep into underlying CIIII‘II()II\'. (ilasgowi (irosvcrioi. MGM film (critic, Iidriihurgh: (Kriiico.
I The leopard ( I5) (I.irchrno Visconii. Italy. I903) Burt Lancaster. ('Iandia (‘aidirialc. Alain l)e|ori. 205 riiiris. (‘haractciistically la\ ish Visconti adapatation ofGiuscppe I)c Larripedusa's classic novel of the Italian Risorgiriicnto has a splendid Burt Lancaster as the Prince of Salina reflecting riroiirnfully on the rise of the bourgeoisie w hen his nephew l)e|ori iiiai'rics merchant's daughter (‘ardinalc I'ndeniahlv overlong and rather slow-irioving.
“BRIGHT, iNffiiLIGEN?‘ Aim FUNNY... BEAUTIFUL“
PLAYED”
BARRY NORMAN. FILM '96
JOSIANE BALASKO
The Husband
ALAIN CHABAT
OM
The Wife
VICTORIA ABRIL
9‘5" CLAUDE “FRI "IIINYI ‘flCYONIA AIR“. JOIMNI “HMO ALAIN CMMY 'IIINCN TWIIY (MON MAUOCY)“ A on. Iv JONANI MLAIKO «an. -- e
FRIDAY 15 MARCH - GlasoFilm Theare Filmhs Edinburgh
The Other Woman
JOSIANE BALASKO
“fii‘ifiififigii’ serif”
GUARDIAN
was? rare
fififiifliififi... a fiiiiiifi???
iififi Jfigififig message
THE TATLER
The List 8-21 Mar I996 27