FILM INDEX
FILM .m-
Fllms screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
I Alaska (PG) (Fraser Heston. US. I996) Thora Birch. Vincent Kartheiser. Charlton Heston. 109 mins. A young brother and sister go searching in the Alaskan wilderness for their father. missing in a plane crash. Their adventures bring them into contact with a grizzled hunter (Heston) and a cute polar bear cub. Good wholesome family entertainment with some tense action scenes. Glasgow: Virgin. Fife: ABC.
I Antonia’s Line (15) (Marleen Gonis. Netherlands/Belgium/UK. I995) Willeke van Ammelrooy. Els Dottermans. Dora van der Overloop. 104 mins. The Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for I996. Antonia '5 Line is the family saga of five generations of women from a rural Dutch community. The story. told with magic realist elements. is fragmented and incidenet-driven. but it's uplifting in its engagement with the sexual politics Gorris has explored in previous films. Glasgow: GFT. Strathclyde: East Kilbride Arts Centre.
I l’Avventura (18) (Michelangelo Antonioni. Italy. 1960) Monica Vitti. Gabriele Ferzetti. Lea Massari. 145 mins. Slow and detached from plot devices. Antonioni‘s focus concentrates more on the developing relationship between a couple searching the Sicilian landscapes for a missing friend than the how or why of the disappearance itself. A prime example of European chic. memorably photographed. Glasgow: GFT.
I Barton Flnlt (15) (Joel Coen. US. 1991 ) John Turturro. John Goodman. Judy Davis. 117 mins. When socially-committed playwright Barton Fink (Turturro) is consigned by the Hollywood machine to write wrestling films. he slumps into a writer's block as large as his mysterious next- door neighbour (Goodman). Unprecedented winner of best film. actor and direction awards at 1991's Cannes Filrn Festival shows the Coens at their most menacing and absurd best. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Beaumhais ( I 5) (Edouard Molinaro. France. 1996) Fabrice Luchini. Michel Serrault. Michel Piccoli. 100 mins. Playwright. judge and spy. Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaurnarchais gets up the nose of 18th century Parisian aristocracy while meddling in political intrigue and various sexual feats. This hugely entertaining romp moves at a frantic pace. centring on its charismatic central character. a sort of James Bond precursor. History as spectacle. Central: MacRobert.
I Beyond The Clouds (l8) (Michelangelo Antonioni/Wim Wenders. France/ItaIy/Germany. 1995) John Malkovitch. Fanny Ardant. Peter Weller. 113 mins. Despite being in his eighties and having suffered a stroke. master filmmaker Antonioni completed (with minimal help from Wirn Wenders) this four-part exploration of sexual love and the outer masks that people wear. The overall impression is one of stark. meditative beauty. See preview and review. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Big Blue (15) (Luc Besson. France. 1988) Rosanna Arquette. Jean-Marc Barr. Jean Reno. 120 mins. Barr and Retro. friends since they were children. are divers competing to reach the greatest depths without the aid of breathing equipment. and also rivals for the romantic attentions of Arquette. A commercial smash in its native France. Besson's filrn is a stunningly photographed visual experience (shown here in 70mm) in varying shades of blue. And the dolghins are nice. Glasgow: GFT.
I load Staple (18) (Joel Coen. US. 1983)John Getz. Francis McDormand. M. Emmet Walsh. 99 mins. Auspicious debut from the Coen brothers' direction/production team. Walsh excels as the seedy Sheriff investigating a simple murder whose devilish Texan chronicle of double-crossing is anything but simple. An enthusiastic attempt at contemporary film noir. which keeps everyone guessing even after the final frame. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Braveheart(15)(Mcl Gibson. US. 1995) Mel Gibson. Patrick McGoohan. Sophie Marceau. 177 mins. Mel Gibson's long and bloody account of the life of Scottish wam’or hero William Wallace boasts some remarkable battle scenes and great performances. Aiming to entertain on a wider scale than the more literate Rob Roy. Bravelreart's Scottish passion is tempered by a few Hollywood moments - touches of sentimentality 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: Odeon
I The Bridges or Madison Cottnty (I2) (Clint Eastwood. US. 1995) Clint Eastwood. Meryl Streep. 94 mins. Robert James Waller's book is literary tripe. so admiration for director-star Eastwood increases a thousand-fold as he conjures one of his finest achievements as a filmmaker. It‘s a classic love story between a passing photographer and a woman whose husband and children are off at the state fair. and Eastwood has created a work with real tear- jerking potency despite its utter lack of sentimental gushiness. Central: MacRobert.
I Carla'sSong (15) (Ken Loach. UK. 1996) Robert Carlyle. Oyanka Cabezas. Scott Glenn. 127 mins. A more commercially viable outing for Loach. without a loss of political commitment. Carlyle plays Glasgwegian bus driver George. who gives up everything to help refugee Carla return to Nicaragua and find her boyfriend. The love story aspect of the first (Scottish) half of the film is its strongest point; the revelations in Central America don't hold surprises nor does the director seem totally at home with the ‘action' elements. Carlyle. however. is excellent — mildly tough and totally charming. Loach will be on hand after this preview screening on Wed 15 Jan to take questions in a discussion session. See next issue for Robert Carlyle interview. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Casino (18) (Martin Scorsese. US. 1995) Robert De Niro. Sharon Stone. Joe Pesci. 178 mins. Lifetime gambler Ace Rothstein is chosen as the mob's man in Vegas. and runs the casinos smootth trntil things fall apart during the 70s. Scorsese's latest gangster epic has a touch of Greek tragedy about its downfall of a self-made man. but it's too much in (Imu/Fe/lus‘ territory to be special. The cinematography and editing are as textbook as ever. and Stone delivers the performance of her career. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Cinema Paradiso (PG) (Giuseppe 'l‘omatore. Italy/France. I988) Phillipe Noiret. Jacques Pen‘in. Salvatore Cascio. 123 mins. Told largely in flashback. the winner of the 1990 Oscar for Best Foreign Film traces young Salvatore's infatuation with his village cinema. and his growing friendship with its projectiouist (played to perfection by Noiret). Essentially. it's Tornatore‘s lament for the joyous movie-going experience of his youth and a recognition of the price we pay for our maturity. Glasgow: GFT. I The Confessional (18) (Robert Lepage. Canada/UK/France. 1995) Lothaire Bluteau. Patrick Goyctte. Kristen Scott-Thomas. 100 mins. Acclaimed theatre director Lepage makes his film directorial debut with a complex. but marvelloust visual tale that clashes past against present. Pierre (Bluteau) returns to Quebec and his quest for identity merges with flashbacks to the time when Hitchcock came to town to shoot I Confess. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Craft ( 15) (Andrew Fleming. US. 1996) Robin Tunney. Fairttza Balk. Neve Campbell. Rachel True. 101 mins. A newcomer to an LA school falls in with a trio of misfits - ‘the bitches of Eastwick' — who turn out to be a teenage witches coven. Revenge on their tormentors begins to backfire however. as queen goth Balk goes out of control. Scarier than a lot of teen horror. particularly in the slimy. creepy- crawly department. btrt only for an adolescent audience. Edinburgh: UCI.
I Daylight (12) (Rob Cohen. US. 1996) Sylvester Stallone. Amy Brenneman. Viggo Mortensen. 110 mins. After an explosion in an underground tunnel traps a band of survivors. it's up to disgraced err-emergency chief Stallone to lead them to safety and himself to redemption. An obvious remake of The Poseidon Adventure in a different setting. Daylight has some decent special effects. btrt the characterisations and internal tensions are somewhat lacking. General release.
I lies PardesUS) (Dev Anand. India. 1978) 146 mins. Dev Anand directs and stars in a film about legal and illegal immigrants in Britain. In typical Bollywood style. the story is interspersed with action. music and dance. In Hindi without subtitles. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Dragonheart (PG) (Rob Cohen. US. 1996) Dennis Quaid. Sean Connery. David Thewlis. 103 mins. Disillusioned but noble knight Bowen (Quaid) teams up with the last of the dragons (voice and mannerisms by Connery) to free the land from a tyrant king (Thewlis). Dungeons and dragons for all the family in a film that is only fun when the expertly animated. fire-breathing beast is on screen. Otherwise the storyline Iumbers along. Strathclyde: ABC. Magnum. Odeon Ayr.
I Ema (U) (Douglas McGrath. UK/US. I996) Gwyneth Paltrow. Jeremy Northam. Toni Collette. 111 mins. Austen-ills continues as Emma Woodhouse (Paltrow) meddles 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 (Northam). An attractive and luscious-looking piece. but a lot
has been sacrificed for reasons of length. leaving fans of the book wishing for those six-part TV adaptations. Central: MacRobert. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Evita (12) (Alan Parker. US. 1996) Madonna. Antonio Banderas. Jonathan Pryce. 135 mins. Parker's genuine epic. based on the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. boasts huge crowd scenes (up to 40.000 extras. according to sources) and stars on top fonn. The film belongs very much to Madonna in a gift of a role. which follows the rags-to-riches life of Eva Peron from poverty to her place in the hearts of a nation. It’s narrated in song by sardonic revolutionary C be Guevara (Banderas). but once the audience becomes accustomed to the style. the sheer scale of the movie should take effect. General release.
I The Exorcist ( l 8) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. I 10 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scary. dead priest. Glasgow: Odeon.
I Eye For An Eye (18) (John Schlesinger. US. 1996) Sally Field. Kiefer Sutherland. Ed Harris. 101 mins. Karen (Field) listens helplessly on a mobile phone as her daughter is raped and killed. When the suspect is released on a technicality. she follows him around and meets up with a dodgy vigilante group. The momentum of the tense. distressing opening scene isn't carried through. and this straightforward thriller won't win any prizes for originality. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I Fallen Angels ( 15) (Wong Kar-Wai. llong Kong. 1995) Leon Lai. Takeshi Kaneshiro. Michele Reis. 94 mins. Similar in setting and style to arthouse hit Chungking Express. this tale of love and death in the neon-soaked nights of Ilong Kong is much darker irt tone. with characters that seem just a little more psychologically disturbed. Overlapping lives of a hitman. his female boss. a petty thief and a distraught woman are filmed in a distinctive style that skewers both the frame and the emotions. Fife: Adam Smith.
I The First Wives Club (PG) (Hugh Wilson. US. 1996) Goldie llawn. Bette Midler. Diane Keaton. 102 mins. When their husbands dump them for younger. firmer flesh. a trio of well-off. middle-aged ladies get together for revenge. Laugh-out-loud lines follow each other in rapid succession as llawn. Keaton and Midler play it. respectively. sexy. ditzy and ballsy in parts that fit each like a glove. Upbeat and well-crafted in a way that will make boyfriends cringe while the women in the audience cheer. Glasgow: Showcase. Edinburgh: UCl.
I Flipper (PG) (Alan Shapiro. US. 1996) 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. btrt there are only so many scripts that can accommodate an acquatic star. Predictable stuff in the heart- warming category. Edinburgh: Odeon.
I Free Willy (U) (Simon Wincer. US. 1993) Jason James Richter. Lori Petty. Michael Madsen. 112 mins. After moving from one set of foster parents to another. young Jesse finds himself helping out with chores at a marine amusement park where Willy the orca whale has also been separated from his family. Land and sea rebels become soul mates. and the plot heads down a distinctly ET-like path. Easy-to-grasp adventure for the kids; a little too simplistic and manipulative for a more sophisticated audience. Glasgow: Virgin.
I From The Journals 0f Jean Seberg ( 15) (Mark Rappaport. US. 1995) Mary Beth Hurt. 97 mins. The life of actress Jean Seberg is presented via film extracts - from A Boat De Souffle to Airport - and the less iconic method of ‘confessional' comments voiced by Mary Beth Hurt. Director Rappaport notes the contradiCtion within Seberg — a woman who charmed a generation on screen. but led a confused private life filled with scandal and suicide attempts. Self-destruction and exploitation go hand in hand to create a convincing portrait. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Babbeh (PG) (Mohsen Makhrnalbaf. Iran/France. I995) Shaghayegh Djodat. Hossein Moharami. Roghieh Moharami. 75 mins. When an older woman prepares to wash her 'gabbeh' - an intricate carpet depicting a tribe's travels - a beautiful girl appears at her side and proceeds to recount her life story. Makhmalbaf‘s cinematic fable is a beautifully photographed and strikineg coloured celebration of personal freedom. Like the gabbeli itself. the film's individual images provide the starting point for sections of oral storytelling. thereby linking folk craftsmanship and international cinema. See review. Glasgow: GFT.
I The Ghost And The Darkness (15) (Stephen Hopkins. US. 1996) Michael Douglas. Val
catch the best run this fortnight.
FIRST RIJI
III Seine Mother’s Son The story of IRA hunger strikers at the time of Bobby Sands is told through the eyes of the mothers of the prisoners involved. giving a human and emotional edge to the politics. See feature and review. Limited general release.
III Shine The true story of Australian pianist David Helfgott, whose promising career was cut short by mental illness. is the basis for this exceptional film. Remarkable performances at every level. Glasgow: GFT. Odeon Quay. Edinburgh: Cameo.
III 101 Dalmatians Disney's live action version of the much-loved cartoon has a villainous Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil. but the true stars are a pack of cute puppies who’ll make everyone go ‘ahh'. General release.
I Sleepers A gripping courtroom drama ensues when two former inmates of a juvenile detention centre murder the guard who sexually abused them. General release. flEPEflTOflY
I When the Cat’s Away A lightly comic and insightful view of Parisian life disguised as the search by a whole community for a missing cat. Edinburgh: F r'lmhouse.
I Throne Of Blood Akira Kurosawa’s visually startling version of Macbeth, set in the oppressive atmosphere of medieval Japan, is one of the greatest Shakespeare films ever made. Glasgow: GF’I?
Kilmer. Bemard Hill. 109 mins. Young colonial Kilmer arrives in Africa to build bridges. but when two vicious lions get a taste for human meat. he determines to kill the beasts with the help of hunter Douglas. The natives. however. reckon these are no mere big cats but evil spirits. Needlessly racist and devoid of intelligence. humour or emotion. this unexciting actioner lacks suspense. See review. General release from Fri 17.
I A Goofy Movie (U) (Kevin Lima. US. 1996) With the voices of Bill Farmer. Jason Marsden. Jim Cummings. 74 mins. After a school prank backfires. Goofy decides to take troublesome son Max off on a bonding fishing trip. Max is trying his best to be cool. but that isn't easy when your dad’s this particular Disney star. An incident-packed journey provides plenty of laughs which should keep restless kids and accompanying adults amused. Glasgow: ABC Clarkston Road. Edinburgh: ABC.
I Guide (PG) (Vijay Anand. India. 1965) 183 mins. One of the classics of Bollywood‘s golden age. which stars Dev Anand. The film - shown in Hindi with no subtitles - tells the story of a girl seduced away from her tyrannical husband by a tourist guide and fulfilling her dream of becoming a dancer. Later. the guide is mistaken for a holy man after he emerges from a spell in prison. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
38 The List 10-23 Jan 1997