FILM INDEX
FILM
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
I Beaumarchais ( l5) (Iidouardo Molinaro. France. I996) Fabrice Luclrini. Michel Serr'ault. Michel l’rccolr. l()() mins. Playwright.)trdge and spy Pierre-Augustin (‘aron (le Beaumarchais gets tip the nose of Hill) century Parisian aristocracy while meddling in political rntrigtre and various sexual feats. This huger entertaining romp moves at a frantrc pace. ccntring on its clrarisrtratic central character. a sort of James Bond precursor. History as spectacle. See review. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Beautiful Thing ( l5) (llettie Macdonald. I‘K. I996) (ilen Berry. Linda Henry. Scott Neal. 90 mins. Jamie. a teenager having a hard time at the local comprehensive. falls for neighbour Ste. who himself is on the receiving end from his ex- boxer dad. First-timer Macdonald's direction is unllashy. but attuned to the inner lives of these motley individuals. and the cast work wonders. Bright. summery and full of life‘s possibilities. Edinburgh: Cameo. Fife: Adam Smith.
I The Birdcage ( I5) (Mike Nichols. L'S. I995) Robin Williams. Nathan Lane. Gene Ilackman.
I I9 rtrirrs. A rerrrake of La Cage Aux Fol/es with plenty to say about contenqxrr'ary America's hypocrisy. Williams is superb (and more restrained) as the gay niglrtcltrb owner whose attempts to impress the right-wing parents of his son's fiancee go awry. Funny and sensitive. with excellent performances. Central: MacRobert.
I Blade llunner: the Director‘s Cut ( l5) (Ridley Scott. US. l982/92) Harrison Ford. Sean Young. Rutger Ilauer. I I6 mins. ()ut go the pseudo-noir narration and the tacked-on happy ending; in comes a more defined sense that Deckard himself may be a replicant. The look and feel remain as powerful. and the acting is superb. A flawed masterpiece is now a restored masterpiece. Edinburgh: ('ameo.
I Blanche ( l 5) (Walerian Borowezyk. France. I97I) Ligia Branice. Michel Simon. Lawrence
NOW SHOWING
Stealing Beautyns)
1.00, 3.40, 6.20, 9.00pm
The Secret of Roan IIIISII (PG)
1.30, 3.55, 6.25, 8.50pm
The Last Supper (15)
2.00, 4.20 (both not Sunday), 6.45, 9.15pm From Friday 13 September
Emma (u)
1.20, 3.55, 6.30, 9.10pm
Stealing B :auty (18) 1.00, 3.40, 6.20. 9.00pm The Last Supper (I5)
1.35, 3.50 (both not Sunday), 6.05, 8.40pm
SEE LISTINGS FOR LATE NIGHTS AND MATINEES
CAMEO
'l'rimble. 90mins. Inside a l3th century castle. a group of men ranging from page to king lust after the Baron's beautiful young wife. More than an excuse for mild erotic teasing. this second live action feature by the Polish animator finds a note of tragedy in its fairytale format. and is renratkable for its photography which renders characters and locations in a two-dilltensional style. Edinburgh: ('ameo.
I Blue In The Face ( l5) (Wayne Wang. ('3. I995) Harvey Keilel. Roseanne. Victor Argo. 89 mins. l'sing Kcitel's cigar store manager's tangled love life as a loose narrative thread. the makers of Smer returned to the set for an improvised portrait of Brooklyn and its residents. Witty celebrity cattteos aplenty from Madonna. Jim Jarmusch and Michael J. Fox. in what is nothing less than a party on screen. Strathclyde: liast Kilbride Arts Centre.
I Boyfriends ( I8) (Neil Hunter/Tom llunsinger. L'K. I995) 85 mins. Made at the no-budget end of the British film industry. this gay variation on The Big Chill follows three male couples — all going through ternpestuotrs times in their relationships - as they spend a weekend in the country. Glasgow: Gl-T. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Braveheart ( (5) (Mel Gibson. US. r995) Mel Gibson. Patrick McGoohan. Sophie Marceau. I77 mins. Mel Gibson's long and bloody account of the life of Scottish warrior hero William Wallace boasts some remarkable battle scenes and great performances. Aiming to entertain on a wider scale than the more literate Rob Roy. Brar'elrear'r's Scottish passion is tempered by a few Hollywood rnotnents — touches of senlirnentality and ‘dramatic' historical inaccuracy. Nevertheless. it's a fine. full-blooded attempt to tap into the spirit that fires Scotland‘s history and heroes. Edinburgh: ()deon.
I Brides III Dracula ( l8) (Terence Fisher. UK. I960) Peter Cushing. David l’eel. Martila Hunt. 85 mins. No Christopher Lee; instead it's Peel who's locked away in the castle with mum llunt securing the young ladies he requires to satiate his blood lust. One of the better Hammer sequels. Glasgow: Gl’l‘.
I Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business (l5) (Helena Solberg. Brazil/L'S. I994) 92 mins. With hats like the Ii.(‘. fruit mountain. ('armen Miranda lit up the silver screen. This documentary portrait uses rare archive footage. interviews with friends and family and fictional sequences to get behind the Hollywood image of this vibrant woman. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: (ii-T.
I Desperado (I8) (Robert Rodriguez. l'S. I995) Antonio Banderas. Salrna llayek. Joachim De Alrneida. IOO mins. Part sequel. part big budget remake. Desperado delivers all the shoot-outs and explosions denied rrs in Rodriguez's inventive debut El Mariachi. Banderas srnoulders as the revenge-driven guitarist. but the emphasis is not on plot - delight instead in the glorious action set pieces. The ultimate firearm flamenco. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr.
I The Devil lever Sleeps ( I5) (Lourdes Portillo. Mexico/US. I994) 82 mins. Blending documentary and narrative. this Mexican murder mystery extends the personal quest of the filmmaker for her uncle's killers to a wider social stage. With the short experimental film Pulse. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GF'T.
I Bialrolirrue ( l8) (Jeremiah Chechik. US. I995) Sharon Stone. Chazz Palminteri. Isabelle Adjani. l07 mins. The wife and mistress ofa brutal boys" school headmaster plot his murder. but twists and turns follow when they try to cover their tracks. A pointless remake of the I955 French classic which quickly spins out of control into pastiche and self-parody. Glasgow: ABC Sauchiehall Street. Virgin. Edinburgh: ABC. UCI. Strathclyde: UCls.
I Doctor Strangelove (0r flow I Stopped Worrying And learned To love The Booth) (PG) (Stanley Kubrick. UK. I963) Peter Sellers. George C. Scott. Sterling Ilayden. 93 mins. Devastating black comedy on the lunacy of the nuclear age with Sellers ideally cast in three roles (US President. jolly Brit captain. and demented teutonic boffin) and Slim Pickens the good ol' boy heading for oblivion to a chorus of ‘We'll Meet Again'. Still alarmingly relevant. With La Jetee. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Emma (U) (Douglas McGrath. UK/US. I996) Gwyneth Paltrow. Jeremy Northam. Toni Collette. III mins. Austen-ills continues as Emma Woodhouse (Paltrow) rneddles in other people's love lives while ignoring the fact that her own happiness is right under her nose in the shape of handsome Mr Knightley (Northarn). An attractive and luscious-looking piece. but a lot has been sacrificed for reasons of length. leaving fans of the book wishing forthose six-part TV adaptations. See review. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Cameo. UCI. Strathclyde: UCIs.
I MUS) (Charles Russell. US. I996) Arnold Schwarzenegger. James Caan. Vanessa Williams. I30 mins. Amie plays a witness
protection cop whose latest job is to protect Williams from the bad guys (and US g0vernment officials) whom she's spotted doing illegal arms deals. Plenty of big guns. quips and gags. and good turns from veterans James (‘aan and James Coburn. but the shmt-‘em-up storyline is wearing thin. General release. I F3390 ( l8) (Joel Coen. US. I996) Frances McDormand. Steve Buscemi. William H. Macy. 97 mins. Hoping to make some bucks. a car salesman attempts to have his wife kidnapped by hitmen; but quickly blood is spilt. As the pregnant police detective on the case. McDormand provides a warm-hearted centre for the movie. while the absurdist plot and weird local colour gain momentum. It'll be considered a classic. given time. Fife: Adam Smith. I Flipper (PG) (Alan Shapiro. [75. I996) Elijah Wood. Paul Hogan. Chelsea Field. 96 mins. Difficult city teenager Sandy (Wood) doesn't warm to ex-hippy uncle Porter ( Hogan) down in the Florida Keys until along comes friendly dolphin Flipper. The story brings to mind aspects of Andre and Free Willy. but there are only so many scripts that can accommodate an acquatic star. Predictable stuff in the heart-warming category. General release. I The Great Escape (U) (John Sturges. US. I962) Steve McQueen. James Garner. Richard Attenborough. I73 mins. The classic WW2 escape drama. with a fine ensemble cast trying to get out of the Nazi stalag. McQueen's ‘Cooler King' became a screen icon. particularly in the scene where he attempts to jump over a field of barbed wire fences on a motorbike. Fife: Adam Smith. I Great Expectations (PG) (David Lean. tiK. I946) John Mills. Bernard Miles. Finlay Clinic. 1 l8 mins. Lean's adaptation of the Dickens novel remains cinema's definitive version even after half a century. An orphan meets an escaped convict and is introduced into a new world of adventures and finely observed characters. Photography and design at its best. Glasgow: (ii-T. I Buantanamera ( I5 ) (Tomas Gutierrez. Alea/Juan Carlos Tabio, Cuba. I995) l05 mins. For his final film before his death from cancer this year. Alea retearned with his co-director from the Oscar-nominated Strawberry Arul Chow/are for a satirical stab at modern Cuba's political and financial crises. Three people travelling across Cuba in a funeral car keep crossing paths with a philandering truck driver and his friend. finding bureaucratic frustrations at every stop. See preview. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GFT. I Builtrip ( I5) (Gerard Sternbridge. Ireland. I995) Andrew Connolly. Jasmine Russell. Peter llanly. 90 mins. Irish army corporal Liam (chillingly played by Connolly) tries to keep his loyal but fearful wife Tina (Russell) in line with a militaristic set of house nrles. but underneath his disciplined exterior is the turmoil of a guilty secret. Understated direction. great performances and an imaginative story give this uncomfortably powerful film a mean punch. Glasgow: GFT. I La Ilaine (I8) (Matthieu Kassoy'itz. France. I995) Vincent Cassel. Hubert Kounde. Said Taghrnaoui. 85 mins. This edgy. black-and-white portrait of racial tension and police brutality on a run-down estate outside Paris won twentysornething Kassovitz the Director‘s Prize at the I995 Cannes Film Festival. Three ethnically mixed lads come up against the cops when one of their pals is hospitalised after a raid. Urgent. compelling frlmmaking that's as punchy as a blow to the head. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Ilands III The Ilipper ( l8) (Peter Sasdy. UK. I97 I ) Eric Porter. Angharad Rees. Jane Merrow. 85 mins. Like father. like daughter: Jack the Ripper"s female offspring grows up to follow in her dad's footsteps after witnessing the murder of her mother. Lurid Ilamrner with Freudian twists. which makes it one of the studio's more interesting psychological studies. Glasgow: GFT
I Home III The Baskertrilles ( l8) (Terence Fisher. UK. I958) Peter Cushing. Christopher Lee. Andre Morell. 86mins. Sherlock Holmes goes Ilarnrner in his most famous case. which is here given a much richer - and darker - sense of Gothic cruelty. Good acting from all. particularly Cushing as the detective. Glasgow: GFT.
I II!!! To Make An American (loin ( l 5) (Jocelyn Moorhouse. US. I995) Winona Ryder. Anne Bancroft. Dermor Mulroney. I I6 mins. A multi- generational cast of wonderful American actresses — in addition to Ryder and Bancroft. there's Ellen Burstyn. Kate Nelligan. Jean Simmons and Samantha Mathis - appear in a multi-generational women's movie. When Ryder ponders over a marriage proposal. advice on love and men is forthcoming from her female relatives. Unfortunately. Hollywood has knitted up this pattern before. Central: MacRobert.
I The Wet III llotre Bane (PG) (Gary Trousdale/Kirk Wise. US. I996) With the voices of Tom IIulce. Demi Moore. Kevin Kline. 90
mins. Young Ouasimodo is kept prisoner in
Catch the best Film this fortnight.
FIRST IIIJII
I latin American Film Festival Now in its seventh year, the international showcase brings a top selection of comedies, documentaries and dramas to Glasgow, with a special tribute to the late Tomas Gutierrez Alea (whose Memories Of Underdevelopmenr is pictured above). See preview. Glasgow: GFf.
I ‘I'he Secret 0! Bean lnlsh John Saylcs‘s beguiling Celtic fantasy, about the Irish Selkies of myth and legend, is a magical treat for children and adults alike. Glasgow: GFT? Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Independence Day Alien invasion on a scale never seen before, as state- of-the-art effects make the destruction of the world‘s major cities startlingly realistic. Cinema as popcorn spectacle. General release.
I Bulltrlp Gerard Stembridge‘s feature debut is a gripping character drama revolving around a bullying In'sh army corporal and his fearful wife. Packs a mean and unforgettable punch. Glasgow: GFT
IIEPEIITOIIY
I la Jetee A rare chance to catch Chn's Marker‘s enigmatic short. thrust back into the spotlight as the inspiration for 12 Monkeys. With Dr Strangelove. Edinburgh: F ilmhouse. I things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead Possibly the best of the recent spate of modern American noirs. with Andy Garcia in fine form as a small-time crook finding his own redemption. With Hannah Robinson’s well-crafted short, Sheila. Central: MacRoberr.
medieval Paris's great cathedral by the evil Judge Frollo. but when the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda comes on the scene. the boy's heroic instincts save the day. Strong vocal performances. stunning cilyscapes. grand songs and an expertly mature handling of adult themes make this an instant classic with plenty to say about moral hypocrisy. General release.
I Hustler White ( l8) (Bruce LaBruce/Rick Castro. US/Jap/Ger/Can/UK. I996) Bruce LaBruce. Tony Ward. Kevin P. Scott. 79 mins. A trawl through Santa Monica Boulevard's parade of perversities with underground gay auteur LaBruce provides his most mainstream work yet. That said. it's still rough and ready-for-anything. technically ropey. but funny in an off-centre sort of way. See review. Glasgow: GET. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Independence Day ( l2) (Roland Emmerich. US. I996) Will Smith. Jeff Goldblurn. Bill Pullman. I50 mins. Day One: alien ships hover over the world's major cities. Day Two: they attack. Day Three: mankind goes into hokum overdrive and gears up to kick some alien ass. A SOs-style invasion B-movie with 90s state-of-the art effects. Independence Day is popcorn value. for-money at its very best. A gripping scare
24 The List 6- l9 Sept I996