REVIEW FILM
’ SAILING onAMA ,iggg;;°hrrgggggggmgfthe i GAY onAMA WHITE SQUALL conveying the wind-rushing thrill of STONEWALL
the open water under sail, yet he
Ridley Scott’s up-and-down career reserves the peak at the film’s takes another heave with this technical achievement and visceral formulaic seagoing saga which, power lor the extended set-piece
perhaps typically tor its erratic but i when the ship hits a killer storm (the
undeniably gifted maker, still manages ‘white squall’ ot the title) and goes
to contain one of the finest sustained down. Although shot mainly in the
‘ sequences he’s ever committed to studio tank, it’s an absolutely
celluloid. terrifying spectacle, made even more Based on a real-life memoir, it begins : stomach-wrenching by the tact that
with the familiar routines by which a we’ve grown to care tor the
teenage crew grow from boys to men '. individuals fighting tor their lives in
under the tutelage ol Jett Bridges’ front ot us.
hard-but-tair sailing school skipper. After this, I was virtually in shock for
Lessons in character and discipline the rest at the day, and it’s a shame
are soon learned, sexual way-stations . that Scott follows it with a courtroom
passed when the Albatross plays host t inquest of quite dismaying banality. ln smnewa": rceremmn and
to a party ot Dutch schoolgirls, and I the end, it’s a deeply uneven movie, serious history
the movie seems to be pushing along 2 but those who witness the end of the
happily enough. Meanwhile, we realise 5 Albatross will surely remember it tor a
The Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village. on the
how good both Bridges and on-screen very long time. (Trevor Johnston) night the). buried judy spouse Caroline Goodall are in their = White Squall (15) (Ridley Scott, US, Garland. were a crisis in roles, bringing easy assurance and an ‘ 1995) Jeff Bridges, Caroline Goodall, the progress at‘ gay and emotional core to the well-travelled 2 John Savage, Scott Walt, Jeremy Sisfo. civil tight-Si" America- Whlte Squall: ‘a deeply uneven movie‘ materiar. 129 mins_ Not that this has stopped
Nigel Finch from making a highly camp and thoroughly entertaining drama out of them.
It's l‘)()‘). the Summer of Love — for anyone who isn't gay. that is -- when Matty Dean (Frederick Weller) arrives in New York in search of the sort of sexual liberation not available in his home town. He linds it. to a degree. down at the Stonewall Inn: boys in drag. same sex dancing. police raids and arrests for
W i the cops crashing down on everyone. Big time. i Hue/terry exudes cool li'ottt every
; flame. The clothes. the soundtrack. the I snappy one—liners. the accessories and f the graphics enhance its credibility enough to create a truly ()(ls' feel and hit that teen market spot on the head. 1 These kids are not computer nerds. but rollerblading cybernauts.
lt w ill also appeal to a wider audience
Just when you thought it was sale to venture onto the inl'obahn. along comes this well-built little computer movie. gunning down the outside lane with beatbox pounding and sun glistening oil the slickest ol' attitudes. .-\nd what an attitude: it's the cinematic equivalent
“I illl'lil‘l” SHIP“ (“Id illm‘N 1“ 3 than its ‘lZ‘ rating. thanks to Miller and not wearing the requisite CIICCIIW I“ (“wrung Fm”. mind {mm .lolic looking: somewhat developed three items ofdress ['10 “nth‘l'lfi‘l”? It‘l'll‘lllil. beyond their supposed age and the suitable to your gender. l)ade t'lr'uirts/ntriirre's Johny l.ec airliner anarchic litit‘ Holly woodi theme Although LaMiranda Miller). new to NYC. hitches tip with a Ur knit gating one over their elders bv (GUillcrmO Dial) and the bum" “l “‘mIWWI Md“- I‘lk'lll‘lmil ms breaking the iaw although their kind mth drag W?“ are. not l‘illw'lsl”l" Kill“ ("\IIE’CIIWI JI’IICI ot' backing is pot'tt'aved asa victimless mil-(mg a Roimcal l'nknovvn to them. he is really top k.mnu Whip. Hap/HipV Hume,“ m kccp mar WhOIL thStylL 1‘8 a
political statement. Meanwhile. conservative homosexuals like Ethan (Brendan Corbalis) try to change public attitude. from the inside by dressing sensibly and
hacker Zero (.‘ool. famous for crashng 1507 Wall Street computers at the age ot’elevcn. \Vhen wannabe hacker Joey
the computer babble to a minimum. it 1/“
\llllt‘l‘s l‘rom a hackncycd and drawn- '/ . ‘ 4 . g . out ending t'l'hom l)ibdinr (Jesse Bradtord) tries to gain c‘l'L‘tIlI‘lIll) “my” M. , /_o, ,lum gun/H; ('5'. Nos, with a righteous hack into a mining ./(,,,,3\./1(,,.thy/(,1lin‘gp/H,”_/,,/,'(,. wmt‘hn) ‘ C‘mllmlcr‘ “9 ‘Il‘ml‘lc‘ “m” l’rx/rt'r' .‘i'it'vt'rrv HIS rut/iv. I‘ll'rrrll l'r'r' _i‘. . . . a serious crime and unwittineg brings (,‘mrm/ rrlmvr Hackers: ‘exudes cool from every trame’ mafcmng mind '.“ C‘rdcs'
Stonewall is prime
faction and most excellent low-budget filmmaking. As Matty swings between
older films on their heads, as it seems I:.uMiranda mm mm” Finch allows us to
Acrtou TllBlllEB . i
that anyone - even Seagal - is . ‘ r . EXECUTIVE DECISION 7 expendable. This is short-lived, S’V‘pi? mine ".m- [.m- A team OI Eastern tanatics IBd ‘ though and the nose-diyes into _ “mild? .\ ‘IIUL‘S “huh ,
. . t o . . kept lolk tn the closet. i\ot by “and 5mm!“ Skylacks a 747 g" r Iom‘ma- link"!!! the tummy OI "5 that Finch ever preaches. route to WaShlflgton “0 - °§t8nslb|y to i better contemporaries, it has neither He picks up little dramas extort the release of a captive the characterisation and tension of a and individual crises. and terrorist. At US Intelligence, amateur I good thriller, nor the pace and presents them through
pilot Kl!" 311558" Wigs that this is a ingenuity of an all-out action flick. At Mall.” “"“W‘FYC‘ PIOV *0 "3'8359 a 980°05‘11" dose 0' times it’s downright corny - and with “"“IC “ Chm“ 0‘ “WW
poison gas right under the President’s i no hint at tongue-in-cheek_ find‘gillouythlig,thc nose. nusse" and Happy acm- Fans 0' Kurt ""558" and brave pliiilvhiie i‘rlosnic engineer Oliver Flatt are the" aimosass Hal'e Belly may see it commentary on the action. persuaded by Steven 59393. and his ; differently, Of course, but does it This is both a celebration military types to sneak aboard the 747 really stand a Chalice With the film’s and a serious history With them - in mid-air. Unable to distributors fretting over such key which has you dancing in contact its operatives, Washington j issues as its title? Dismissing their the aisles while tearing has ‘0 “Bide Whether 0' "0t ‘0 executive indecision as to whether it 5"“ mm.“ '0‘ ‘0. mlnk ‘ destroy the plane before it gets too 1 should be Critical or Executive, 313?}? close. ! critical opinion itself is likely to be ‘,.s,(,,(l.‘,, “UK 99;) i“ ",5 Airport ’96 by any Other name’ pretty desided- (mo Macnonald) (I‘lll.[[(1flrl().[)l.(12. Frederick inst like the other 705 spin-offs from Executive Decision (15) (Stuart Baird, not”. Brent/art (mm/n. the original airline disaster movie. ; US, 1995) Kurt Russell, ilalle Berry, 99 mins. r-‘mm I-‘n' 10. Executive Decision: ‘nose-dives into Executive Decision begins with a 905 3 Oliver Pratt, 133 mins, Fm," Fri 10. (r‘lusguu-s (,‘F’li formula‘ { cynicism which threatens to tlip those [ Genera] release, Edinburgh: Film/Woe.
I The List 3-16 May l996 31