INDEX FILM
its rivals. horn its opening title sequence onwards. it‘s an extreriiely dark movie which winds through the most twisted recesses of human nature. Iiach death is a graphic interpretation of one of thc seyeri deadly sins. Siy‘irig :I/lt'l.‘ .i’ director I'rnchcr the material for an intense sty lrstrc exercise in horror. Strathclyde: ()deon Ay r.
I Seven Samurai rl’(ii r Akita Kurosayy'a. Japan. i054) 'I'oshiio .\Iiftirie. 'I‘akahashi Siiiinra. 300 mins. A group of titiitd y iIIagcis seek protection against the eycesscs of a brutal yyailoid by hiring seven heroic samurai. Scriiinal Jatiariesc action picture. yr. ith a sloyy -btitldirig digrirty riiatchrtig the best of Johri lioid. and in its stylisth aestlrctrc handling of screen \. rolerice a protourid influence on the likes of Sam I’eckinpah IIiinIy tecorrimerided. Iidrnbuigli: I-iliiihouse.
I Sgt. Bilko tl’(i i (Jonathan Lynn. l 'S. I‘MS) Steve Martin. I)ati Ayktoyd. Phil Hartman. 05 turns. There are no surprises in this routine Stcye Martin \ehtcle. lifted frorii the Phil Srlyers Sills TV slitiyy‘. Here the scarri-boy Master Sergeant continues his private \ctidetta yyitli .\Iaior 'I horn. By turns funny and boring. the script has too much sheen and no real Iricpoyser, See icy teyy. (ieneral release.
I La Signora Senza Camelie r IS» r \Iicliclaiigclo .Aritoiiioui. Italy. I053) I.ucia Rose. Andrea (‘ecclii. (iirio ('eryr. I05 llIilIs. .A shopgul becomes a lti()\'iC .star. marries a producer arid is pushed beyotid her talent in a frlrii aborit Joan of Arc. Aritotiiorii makes criticism oI both the treatrrierit of yyorrieri in society and the more riianipulatiye end of the tilrii industry. Iidiiiburgh: I'ilm (Ituld.
I Stories From The Kronen l/lUUI'ItH I).'/ Krone/r ( IS) t.\Iout\o .'\IIIICIIyI.’ll'I/. Spain. I‘M-Ii ()3 riiitis. A rather disappointing. loosely structured look at the Ityes of a grorrp of Spanish youngsters \yho hang around their local cafe. Tensions he beneath the surface of then relationships. birt. ultimately. they seem rather cliched arid iiieIodianiatrc. Spamin i'IIlII liestiy'al. (ilasgoyy: (il’l'. Iidiiiburgn: I'rltiihousc. I Strange Days (ISitKatliiyti lIichoyy. t's, I‘)‘)5i Ralph I-‘ienues. Angela Rassett. Juliette I.e\yrs. I30 mirrs. A cross bred hybrid of IIIIII rioii'. futuristic thriller. political coriiiiientaiy arid rotriarice. IIigeony ‘s allegory slimy s technical skill. but doesn't yyeaye its plot threads into a satisfying \\ hole. Iirerirics is the successful retailer of bootleg dreams. recorded Iiye then jacked into by y ieyyers cstwriericrrig the same adrenalin itisli. btit eyentually murder crashes the
party. Scorcliirig \ istrals. yshatey‘er the fitial outcoriie. Stratliclyde: l'('| Iiast Kilbride.
I The Swan Princess (1‘) (Richard Rich. t'S. I005) With the yoices ot Johri ('Icese. Jack I’alarice. Steven Wright. ‘H iiiiris Smut larAt' iii its fairytale form. \ytlli all the cypected ingredients that modern children's aritrriated features contain - talking animals. bland but cute heroes. iiius‘ical routines Au ey iI magician casts a spell on a princess. triitiirig her into a \\\.’ilI. And any trlm that features I’alaiice dorrig a song called ‘No More Mr Nice (iriy‘ has to be yyortli a yisit. I‘ife: .\I(i.\I.
I Thumbelina tl') (Drill IIIuth. l'S. I‘NM Aniriiator IIIutIi comes close to riyallirig Disney yy rtli this charming fairy tale tilled \yrth little folk. princes. easy-to-folloyy messages and a Barry \Iariiloyy soundtrack. Young kids M” 1m c it and men the cynically hard-hearted may soften. (ilasgoys: .\I(i.\I I’arkliead.
I Time (It The Gypsiesr I5) rIiriiir‘ Kristin rda. Yugoslayra. I‘)‘)()I I)a\'or I)utirio\rc. Bola itXIUlrn ic. I.iubtca Adzoy‘rc. I-IZ riirris. Ina rotiin btit fecrtrid Yugoslay iaii gypsy community. young l’eiliati rl)uimo\ rci Iiyes \y itli his gtandtiia arid aspires to marry Alia IIIPKUHII. but is too broke. When the my sterrous (iypsy Sheik Ahtiicd ('I‘odoioy ici atii\es in toyy n. he sees a chalice to better himself. and returns is itIi him to Italy for tutoring in ditty dealings. 'l‘eeriiiiig \y itli life and spectacularly scored. this is a gritty. brrrtal cotiredy: cprc in scope and huger etitoy able. Iidrriburgli: Idlmltrnht
I Toy Story (I’(i i (John I.asseter'. I‘S. I‘I‘ISI \\'ith the yoices of Tom Hanks. Tim Allen. Don thkles. SI miris. It isn't ittst the state-of-the‘art images that distinguish I)isriey‘s first coriiputei- generated animation feature. it‘s got a cracking adyeutiite story too. A tale ot friendship and scIfrbeIref combined yy rth an exciting rescue and against-the clock tension, 'liti' Stun rs sprinkled yy rtli comic asides. Don't be fooled rrito thinking these toy s are rust for the kids See feature and icy ieyy. (ierietal release.
I Trainspottingrhs'i (Danny Boyle. t‘K. rims) Ii\yari .\Ic(iregor. Iiyy eri IIreriirier. Robert Carlyle. Jontiy I.ee Miller. 03 units John IIodge's screenplay perfectly captrues the desperate humour of Ir \ itie \\'eIsh's noyel. keeping the episodic structure of Junkie scenes for the first half. before concentrating more on Reiiton in London in the later stages. last and stylish direction. creatii'c soundtrack and acting that's off-tIie-rails excellent. A citieiiiatic blast frorii beginning to end. \yhich also shoyy s a
complex — and true -— understanding of the Irrre and fatal consequences of drug-taking ('ierieial release.
I Ulysses' oaze tI’(iI ('I'Iieo .-\IigeIotipoti|os. (iieece/Iaarice. I005) Ilary'ey Is'eitel. .\Iara \Itiigeiistei'n. IirIarid JtKL'PIIsOII. I.\‘() uiiris. Kettel plays an Ariiericari frltiiriiakei yyho goes to (ireece in search of an early piece of undeyeloped film. IIis tourney echoes the llotiieiic odyssey of l'ly sses but also tiioyes us deeper into the troubled heart of the Balkans, Arigeloupottlos is a genuine master. and this ambitious film shows remarkable formal accomplislimeiit and eriiotrorial poyy er. The presence of Kcttel and a script substantially iii litiglisli should open Iiiiii tip to a \s idci audience. (ilas'goyy: (EFT.
I Umberto D (I’(i I ( \‘tttor ra I)e Srca. Italy. I‘)53t (‘arloBattista.\1arraI’ra('asilto. l.eria(iciiiiarr 8‘) iiirris. An elderly cry iI scr\arit can hardly afford to pay his rent. but refuses to part yy itli his pet dog. Writer and director team (‘esare [ayattiiii and De Srca from [here/e "Hm I'('\ here produce another riioy trig film from an eyeryday liuniati drama. the plight of the old iii a society that fails to adequately care for them. Iidiiibuigh: I'iIniliotise.
I Underground r15) (limit Kusruiica. liratice/(iermany/Ilungary. I995) .\Iikr .\Iariojloy'ic. Lazar Ristoy'sk'i. Miriana Jokoy ic. I07 miris. A black niaiketeer‘ cons a cellar full of refugees into beliey'irig that WW2 still rages oyeiliead. and so becomes a top dog iii the Yugoslav comrrirrnist regime. Kristui ica's riieditatiori on 50 years of Balkan history is set against a background of national tragedy. but the tone rs erripliatically upbeat and one biilliarit .set- piece foIonys another. A I’aliiie l)'()r-ys inning celebration of the human spirit. See ICViny‘. (ilasgoyyz (iI'T
I The Usual Suspects I IS) (Bryan Sitiger. I'S. I005) (iabiiel Byrrie. Keyiri Spacey. Stephen Baldyy iri. I()(i niriis. There's a good setise of non fatalisrti hanging oy er 'I‘lit' ( 'stru/ Stir/tech. ysliicli is guessing game crrierria at its best. A perfectly riiatched team of crooks discoy er that their chance meeting yyasn't so random after all: they 't‘e being used iii an intricate vendetta by legendary gangster boss Keyser‘ Sose. So stylish. it sends a tingle doyyii the spine; brrt the ludicrous use of Pete I’os‘tletyyaite's character almost rriideriiiiries it all. Iiditiburgh: ()deori.
I Visions 0t Light (I’( it (Arnold (ilassriiari/l‘odd .\Ic(‘artIiy/Stuart Samuels. l'S/Japan. 1992i 02 mins. A real delight -- an odyssey through
by E’MiR KUSTURICA
UNIE
Once upon a time there was
a country...
“A MAJOR FILM"
THE TIMES
“SPECTACULAR. ..
VISIONARY. .. BREATHTAKINC"
THE EVENING STANDARD
MIKI MANOJLOVIC LAZAR RISTOVSKI MIRJANA JOKOVIC SLAVKO STIMAC
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decades of glorious cinematography from the masters of the craft. coriiplete yy'ith eyceipts arid IIIICH Icyy s. As y rsually enthralling as it is enlightening Iiduibuigh' I'IIIII (illiltl.
I What's About I’rll'r/ltt' I)r' [.rt (.UNH rl5i r \‘erituia I’ons. Spam. I‘I‘I-II I()() iiirris. i‘iIIL‘Cll essentially unconnected stories yy eaye together to fortii aii oyerall portrait of seritrtiierital relationships. desire and iealotisy. Based on the \york of (3mm \Iori/o. it‘s not Altman. btrt it's enthralling. Spanish I'IJIII I-cstiyal. (ilasgosy: (Il-‘I‘. I-‘diriburght I'ilnihotise. I The White Balloon (l 'i r’Jafar I’ariahi. Iran. I‘NSI Aida .\Ioh.riiiiiiadkhaui. .\IoIisen Kafili. i'L‘IC\IIIL‘II Sadr ()rfani. SJ niiris. A young girl goes to the market to buy a goldfish. bttt loses her money on the may The material may be the most mundane of concerns. bill this film. yyhrch tiiitolds in real time. is as ncrye \yiacking as arty Ilitchcock IIIllIICI. With its truth to detail.
sty ltstrc simplicity and \yotideiful depiction of innocence and purity. it ieayyakeris fattli iii the medium ot cinema (‘erittalj \IacRobeit.
I The Witches r I’( ; I t Nichatas Rot-3.x 11s. I‘)‘)()) Arirelrca lIristoii. .\Iar Xetterhng. Roxy an Atkinson. 92 turns. .\'iiic yearold Iuke is \yairicd by his \oiyyegiaii gratiriy about the eycrprescnt threat posed by \y itclies. yyhich isn't much help because \ytthiti the rieyt hall Iioiii Ire stumbles on their annual coriyeritioti in a small Ixtiglish hotel and gets himself changed into a mouse A pleasing adaption of Roald l)a|il's children's story has director Roeg (iii unusually straiglittoryyaid mariner i creating a superior kids moy ic that has you rootuig for the mice all the yyay. I'tfc Is’obiii‘s.
I Withnail & I t l 5 i r Hrucc Robinson. I'K. I‘I.\'7i l’aul \Ic(iariri. Richard I. (iiatit. Richard (iiiItiths III" IIIIIIs suiy ry trig I‘W) Ioiidou giro squalor take a break iii .i picturesque I akc District cottage. “here one of them stitters the attentions of the ageing horiioscyual oyyrici. criteitaitirrig IIiitiin comedy has .1 second stab at glory. and it's the bleakcr end or the decade elcriiciits that Iiayc lasted best. (ilasgoyy ()deoii. Iidriibtiigh: ()deori. l'( ’l, Strathclyde l'('ls
I You Men Are All The Same Int/m /.n\ Hum/um Sim lam/vi I II! t \Iariucl (ioiiie/ I’eieua. Sham. I‘I‘I-II 9S iiirris. 'I hrce iiieti decide to Iiye togetliei to protect tlieiiisclyes from their coiiiriiou enemy 'aoriieii. A stylish black comedy that knocks some hard-held ideas yyhrle ptoy idtiig the laughs. Spamin I‘IIIII Iicstryal. (ilasgoyy‘ (iI’l‘. Iidiribuigh: I'IIIIIIIUtlst'.
Iiyyo out ot-yyork actors
PALME D'OR BEST FILM
“A LAN DMARK EVENT IN
CONTEMPORARY
CINEMA"
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
“A TOUR-DE- FORCE"
THE OBSERVER
ERNST STOTZNER SRDAN TODOROVIC MIRJANVA KARANOVIC MILENA PAVLOVIC
‘ '. An .\tlilrr r.rl [\r Man..." "l!'\t‘lll.lllllll ervasml In [\tltlttml liyr
The List 22 Mar-4 Apr I996 31