FILM REVIEW
liltt’c'lsLRtlsliitl‘s SCtli'c‘li hit his lillliL‘l'. I and 55(ltltl in used hills. stashed in a paper hag. But while the twists niighl l he soap-like in their coitiplesity. they Amid the swashbuckling epics and ; ser\e to underline the humanity of the i other glossy. computer-aided * protagonists rather tltan to create a false i Hollywood fare. it is more than ; sense ol‘ suspense, l pleasing when an .-\ti‘.erican liltn slips Which is as you would e\peci of a quietly onto our screens with a lull film from low -key director Way nc hand of top class performances. a truly : \\'aiig. based on a short story t'.-\uggie intriguing plot and nary an e\p|odiilg i \\'ren‘s (‘hrisliiias Story ') hy New York galleon or pi\ilaled toy in sight. ; noxclrst l’aul .-\rtslcr. Smoke hears the Sum/re is based around the unlikely ltcst hallmarks of lioth. dealing as it location of a Brooklyn tohaceonists : does with downheat characters where .»\uggie \\'rcn tllarvey Keiteli struggling to get along with each other , dispenses the cigars and homespun and cope with their individual losses. lt l philosophies to a loyal hand of nicotine i\ a delightful and compelling treat 3 junkies. {\ltlUllg his customers is l \\lllt'li lca\cs you thoroughly satisfied
novelist l’aul llciitaitiin (William Hurt) hut still yearning lt~r niot'e. '\l‘tl that
who gt\cs Raslttd (’ole tescelient comes in the shape of soon-robe
Richard III: ‘uses its locations brilliantly’
newcomer llarold l’erritieau) a place to released companion movie. llt’tu‘ /ll 'l'lit' t . stay alter the young homeless lad saves I'm t'. i'l‘lioni l)ihdin)
, . i liitii l‘i'oni heing inn ov er. ; Miro/w i IF; ( Hill/ii llli/ie. ('5'. l‘x'W—l - n“ “"9"?” ‘3‘ '5“ It'll“! l lhc plot-lines tntcrweay trig around I llaiit'i Aurel. Hill/tint llitrl. Hum/(l ; aliv )ei'iot it it allllg o a . j i _ l ' ,fi l. i lhcse characters dcly succinct ; l’t ll’l/lt‘Ull. ltti't'xl ll/n/u/t't'i: /(l.\ Hit/is. Slrakcspeatc play is. docs ‘ . .. _ _ ‘ R, ; ._ _ l.‘ l” I H _./ , . i H Chrih. ("CUIth [he I tlcscitpttoti. lhcy include .-\uggic s ; lltll/l ll , .Ii,n. lowland, E ‘ , ‘ _ In") Richard limmmmux daily prlgt‘tttiagc to photograph his i /.////:/iti.'t\t l'l'tllll /'l'l .\ .l/ttr' (I/tixg'ttit' ' mm 01‘ Rip/um] ///_ “Na 1 shop. l’aul‘s fight against writer‘s i I‘ll/a llit tl/l't’. i SmOlteI ‘dellghilul and compelling treat’
oit the Richard liyt'e‘s l National Theatre l production (which toured to Scotland some years hack). places the action in lingland during the l‘)3()s. giving the crookhacked king's ascent to the throne distinct Nazi overtones.
The political terrain
; Mi Tilly’s role in Bullets Over Broadway), but it works, mainly due to Sorvino’s gutsy performance, which is
;.. ; particularly effective in the V‘ ? Whalevet he seems to do. Oscar still mismatched encounters between her ” loves Woody. With another Academy and Allen. Physically overpowering,
“k ‘t ‘h‘ i ) l m 5 Award for an actress in one of his garisth dressed and possessed of a
' E F F‘ f‘_‘ . g- .. I 5 films - Dianne Wiest last year, Mira ' voice to hail taxis with, she verges on Shakespeare is detined ht . . .
historical conflicts of a ' SOI'VIIIO thls - Woody Allen proves the cartoon, but seems somehow particularly English hm t that, however inconsequential his ’ closer to New York life than the
so the trappings or : movies can get, there is still writing of ; Manhattan middle classes the director fascism — oppressive l distinction to be found there usually traffics in.
uttifortits. evocative rctl somewhere. , The film is at best merely diverting,
and black insignia. Nuremberg-style rallies - merely tart tip the liard's thematic concerns without really enlightening us
Allen casts himself as sports writer and Allen’s stock character casts a i lennv, who adopts a baby with his art 2 pail of familiarity on proceedings, as dealer wife (Helena Bonham Carter) do the big name cameos. His humour after she decides she can’t afford a is typically sharp, although the
aim. Ridmh mm. ' year off at this stage in her career. ; theatrical device of the Greek chorus plottings. 'rhttt \‘tlitl. the After a few years, the kid’s precocious : loses its sparkle pretty quickly and costunies do give ii ' nature sets him thinking about who j much of the rest is Woody by numbers
modern cinema audience a visual indication of the itiaiii oppositions: church
the natural mother is. Mom turns out - to be Judy Cum (Sorvino), a hooker and i . .l. . . .., . . , part-time porn actress, and stupid Mighty Aphrodite (15) (Woody Allen, Sign“ "mm "\ m - - « A ~ g with it. 5 us, 1995) Woody Allen, Mira Sorvino, rfiimmi amt-n m a * ‘ Hardly original characterisation Helena Banham Barter. 95mins. From
tight 10‘ mitts. the tilm Mighty Aphrodite: ‘metelv divettittg' (there are strong echoes of Jennifer Fri 26. General release. follows Richard of
tClrli‘v‘dthitiLtiowidi'titikkhe tantrums. outrageous truotes zltitl murders family. friend attd impossible demands. lhere are Isaac foe in order to gain the , and Naomi. wandering hand iii hand i “mmalc WNW)“ 0f POW” down the street and bumping into iii the land. Twisted iii choreographer Mark Morris. There are
“My “lid Will. h“ itCl‘t’tt‘ lsaac atid i'iaitha Kilt discussing gowns. _ are a hater revenge
— he and his audiences have been here too often before. (Simon Wardell)
wrecked (m a world N“ Null 9‘” him“ i” lltc’bCKIItPtdC 'l‘liere's Roseanne. consigned to the maxed with ham” “0W1 “l lil-‘h‘t’n- hm." \Ot‘k tlt‘Slilttsjt‘ . . henches with her rnstamattc camera.
Tm. WW“ i5. u pc'rmd lsaac Mi/rahr is reading a review of his 'i‘here's a faceless model. struggling to “m. mmic with a Wm] spring show: ‘lt rs uncertain whether ; [gimme a thighacngth boot, 3 killer central plot. which Mill'ilhl‘b Ct’llCCllOIt i“ hit“. liltll 01' ltltll. i More than simple voyeurism. i "*0" “5 lWilll‘mS C'"Pl."‘- MUG-“W! however. (Jump/ml is a stylishly brilliantly and features Fashion photographer Douglas ’ constructed liliii. All htit the final “lilgllll‘cc'” i‘cfl-“rmitttccs Keeve‘s documentary follows Mizrahi | fashion show is shot in black and white. . 1‘)" in the six months between that tart t with intense close-ups. wildly i perfectly judged cameos. review and the following autumn s .; eareening camera work and a hazy. out- .
show. But Unzip/it'd is more than an elongated version of The Clot/it's Slum-
til-locus feel. The contrivance works.
l'ni still rtot etitirely . . . . emphasising the cut and design of the
convinced by the concept.
but ghakcspcam rm and will appeal to a wider audience. It clothes hefore revealing them in full. mm}- bccn [mated m Such is an entertaining and remarkath garish colour on the catwalk. Here. at splendidly cinematic Ctttttlitl film that goes behind the scenes least. is fashion revealed as art. (Thom tctttts. (Alain Morrison) to capture both the egotistical i)ihdin)
Richard Ill (/5) (Rl('/i(il'(/ poniposity and the breathless i ling/rpm! ( /5) (Douglas Kr'ei'e. US. 1“""7"“""- UK' [996) 1“" enthusiasm of an industry which i NOS) /.\‘(l(l(‘ ill/:i'u/ti'. [nut/s of McKeuen' Amen" appears at least tothe outsider to be ' ~ '- I'l- /' ‘ "1)! " Z)‘ 7? Bening. Jim Bram/hem. . t .. t. . . i .\ll/)(llli()( t 3,1) (Ill) (( ( )illlts. .
103 ,m-ns. Fm", Fr,- 26’ all fur coat and nae knickers. llllllS. l-‘rmit Fri /9 Apr: Iftlt'iilmrg/i 0103mm... MGM Isl-[m There are iguana-throated sycophants. l-‘t‘lni/tuuxc. I'l'nlll Mm] 6 May: (ilusgmt' Centre, Edinburgh; MGM hard-as-nails fashion editors, selfish Film 'I'lteun-e. Unzipped: ‘entertaining and remarkably candid
24 The List i9 Apr-2 May I996