The Adventures Of Pinocchio (U) (Steve Barron. US. l996) Martin Landau. Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Udo Kier. 96 mins. More faithful to the original novel tliati the Disney cartoon. this mix of animatronics. computer animation and live action still falls short of the ntark. Landau is a sympathetic (ieppetto and the period detail gives a nice fairytale mood. btit the sentimentality and moralising (and the shoddy cricket animation) undermine its good elements. Borders: (ialashiels.
The Age Of Innocence (U) (Martin Scorsese. US. 1993) Daniel Day-l.ewis. Michelle Pfeiffer. Winona Ryder. IRS mitts. Up-and-coming lawyer Newland Archer risks the wrath of l87tls New York society when he falls in love with the scandal- shrouded Countess ()lenska. despite being already engaged. Scorsese is magnificently faithful to l-Idith \\'harton's novel. while painting its troubled emotions with an eloquent camera. ()pttlent atid richly detailed. with no release from the internalised pain of passion. lidinbtirgh: Cameo.
American Buffalo ( l 5) (Michael Correiite. US/UK. l995) Dustin Hoffman. Dennis l’ranz. Seait Nelson. 87 mins. NYI’I) Ii/iu' veteran Franz plays the down-at-heel proprietor of a junk shop whose plans to steal a rare coin are hijacked by fellow loser Hoffman. Corrente's film of David Mamet’s play sticks so close to its theatrical roots. it barely acknowledges its new cineatic form at all. 'lhe cast of three indulge in the profanities of the rapid-fire dialogue. bttt this production is worth it for the only for the performances. lidinburgh: Catneo.
Asphalt (l’(i) (Joe May. (iermany. I929) (itistav l-‘rohlick. Betty Amann. lilse Heller. 9() mins. A classic example of (ierman silent cinema's expressionistic ‘street tilms‘. in which a female thief seduces a policeman and drags him into a web of intrigue. 'lhe film mixes documentary grittiness with avant garde effects to create a uniquely dark vision of Berlin in the l92tls. lidinbtirgh: l-‘ilm Guild.
The Big Sleep (PU) (Howard Hawks. US. l9-fS/46) Humphrey Bogart. Lauren Bacall. John Ridgely. Martha ViL‘KL‘l's‘. l l(i/l 14 mins. Two versions of the classicfilm miir showing on consecutive days: the restored original version (more plot. less romance) and the better known I946 re-edit. Raymond Chandler's Marlowe gets caught tip in the peccadilloes of the Sternwood family as he tries to stop a spot of blackmail. Needless to say. the broad knows more than she lets on. Witty. sultry and atmospheric thriller with Bogey and Bacall doing their excellent double act. (ilasgow: (ii-'l‘. lidinburgh: Filmhouse.
Le Bonheur ( l 5) (litienne Cliatiliez. l-‘rance. I995) Michel Serrault. liddy Mitchell. Carmen Maura. ltlo mins. Serrault excels in this warmly comic tale of a harried businessman who escapes his dull marriage and work problems by taking tip another identity at a country retreat with Carmen Maura and a new family. the humour has a serious touch to it. and it’s also worth checking out footballer liric Cantona in his first big screen cameo. Central: MacRobert. Bound ( l8) (Larry and Andy Wachowski. US. l99(i) Jennifer Tilly. (iina (ierson. Joe l’antoliano. 97 mitts. lix-con Corky ((iershon) is seduced by Violet ('lilly') into helping steal $2 million from mob money- launderer Caesar (l’antoliano). btit the sting doesn‘t go smoothly. After a slightly cliched opening. oozing with steamy lesbian sex. the Wachowski‘s neo-noir thriller truly comes into its own. Tightly plotted and ftill of stylish quirks. its story takes unpredictable twists to keep any of the characters holding all the cards at one time. See preview and review. (ilasgow: (il’l'. ()deon Quay. Showcase. Edinburgh: l’ilmhouse. UCI. Braveheart ( l5) (Mel (iibson. US. I995) Mel (iibson. Patrick Mc(ioohan. Sophie Marceau. I77 mins. Mel (iibson's long and bloody account of the life of Scottish warrior hero William Wallace boasts some reitiarkable battle scenes aitd great performances. Aiming to entertain on a wider scale than the more literate Rob Roy”.
28 THE IJST 2] fob—6 Mat 1997
Brute/imrr's Scottish passion is tempered by a few Hollywood moments -- touches of sentimentality and ‘dramatic’ historical inaccuracy. \‘evertheless. it's a fine. full- blooded attempt to tap into the spirit that fires Scotland's history and heroes lidinburgh: (New.
Breaking The Waves ( is) (tars von 'l‘rict'. Denmark/frame. I996) limily Watson. Stellan Skarsgard. Katrin Cartlidge. ISS‘ mins. In a close-knit Calvinist community It) the north of Scotland. a young woman faces banishment frotit the church when she makes a self-sacrificing pact with (iod iii order to save her husband's life. L’nlike von 'l'rier's austere arthouse works (liumpu ). this intimate melodrama is raw and e\posed. limotional connection transcends everything else iii one of the most moving films e‘. er made. Central: MacRobert.
Carla's Song t IS) (Kett l.oach. t'ts'. ismm Robert Carlyle. ()yanka (':ibe/.is. Scott (ilenii. l27 mitts. .\ more commercially viable outing for l.oaclt. without a loss of political cottitiiitment. Carlyle plays (ilasgwegian bus driver (ieorgc. w ho gives tip everything to hpr refugee Carla return to Nicaragua and find her boy friend. ’l'hc love story aspect of the first (Scottish) hall of the film is its strongest point; the revelations lll Central America don't hold surpiises but without Hollywood gloss. the war scenes seem more realistic. Carlyle is excellent mildly tough and totally charitiing. (ilasgow: (il’l'. ()deons. lidinbtirgh: Cameo. Borders: (ialashiels. Kelso.
Carry On Henry (PG) ((iei-altl 'l'hoiiias. t'is'. I970) Sidney James. Kenneth Williams. .loaii Sims. 89 mins. Well. he’s not Charles Laughton. but James's Cockney king has a certain lttst for life. Abo\e average clow iiitig around iii Tudor costumes by the usual team (ilasgow': (ii-'l'.
The Craft ( l5) (Andrew l’Ieniing. l’S. l99oi Robin 'l'ttnney. l’airit/a Balk. .\'e\c Cattipbell. Rachel 'l'rtie. lill lllttts. A
newcomer to an LA school falls llt v. itli a trio
(if misfits -— 'thc bitches of l5;ist\s ick‘ who turnout to be a teenage witches coycu. Revenge on their toritientors begins to backfire however. as queen goth Balk goes otit of control. Scarier than a lot of teen horror. particularly it) the slimy. creepy- ci‘awly departiitent. btit only for an adolescent audience. (ilasgow. ()deou ()iiay. The Crucible ( l3) (Nicholas Hytner. l'S. l99(i) Daniel Day l.ewis. Winona Ryder. Paul Scofield. l2~l mins. Arthur Miller adapts his classic stage play based on the WW century Salem witch trials and. although the relevance to the .\lc( artliy hearings has drifted itito histoi y. H still questions many of today ‘s irrational and hysterical belief systems. The fttigetrpointing is done by a spurned young woman. w ho accuses her cx-lover's wife of w itclici'att. and sooii an all-cosuiiiing tide of c\ it and hypocrisy is devastating their \ illage. Deception becomes a stronger force than the truth iii a truly compelling and important film. See feature and review. (ilasgow: ()deons. Showcase. l‘Cl Clydebank. Virgin. lidinbtirgh: Cameo.
DZ: The Mighty Ducks (U) (Sam Wcisman. US. l99-l) limilio listey'cl. Cat'stcn Norgaard. l()7 itiiiis. Ice-hockey coach listey'el. conveniently forgets eyery thing he learned first time round (remember. the original was Champions in the cinema and T/lt’ Mtg/iii: [lucky on \ ideo) attd fttids himself shaping tip the kids in Team l'S.v\ for the (itmtlyvill (iames. ‘l'he I'i\als are the. chm. mighty Iceland. a bunch ( f racistly painted Nazi types. Totally desoid of charm. Central: l’alkirk.
Dead Man Walking ( l5) (Tim Robbins. l'S. I995) Susan Sarandon. Sean Penn. Robert l’rosky. l22 mins. A titiii (Sarandoni begins her own difficult spiritual journey w hen she becomes religious advisor to a brutal murderer (l’enn) facing the death penalty. Sarandon‘s presence is tinsliowy and committed. Penn's vivid and deeply insightful. and Robbins's achievement is to make a film whose intensity and compassion ranks it far above the ttsiial run of Hollywood pulp. lidinburgh: Cameo. Dragonheart (l’(i) (Rob Cohen. t S. mum Dennis Quaid. Sean Connery. Dayid ’l'hewlis. I03 mins. Distlltisioiied but noble knight Bowen (()uaid) teams up with tlte last of the dragons (voice and mannerisiits by
Connery ) to free the land from a tyrant king ('l'hcw lis l. Dungeons atid dragons for all the family in a film that is only fun when the expertly animated. fire-breathing beast is on screen ()thei'w isc the storyline lnmbers along lfdiiibuigh‘ ()deon, liife: Kirkcaldy .-\H( '.
Ed Wood ( ISM Tim Burton. US. I994) .lolttitty Depp. \lat'tin Landau. Patricia .\t'qitette l:i mins. Burton's fondly atmospheric homage to the so-called 'worst director Hi all little. is his best film in date. It‘s more than a biopic pastiche. however: the emotional hcait of the film is found iii the genuinely caring relationshipbetween \‘s'ood atid the dying. drug-addicted Bela
l ugost (a ttt.’tt'\eilotis .\lartiit |.andati). Depp play s Wood .is a bundle of energy and innocent i'oitianttcism. capturing the spirit of dogged determination that makes the stibtect such an appealing character. l5dinbut‘gh; Cameo
Evita - l.‘l I. laii l’.t:kei. l'S. l99fi) Madonna. .\ntoiizo Bandetas. Jonathan l’iycc l W llllll\ l’arkct 's genuine epic. based on the liiit Rice/Andrew l.|oyd Webber musical. boasts huge crowd scenes (up to -l().()(i() s“.ll;t\. according to sources) .iiid stats on top form. the film belongs very much to Madonna ill a gift of a role. which follows the rags-to-riclies life of liva l’eron from poyctty to bet place If) the hearts of a nation. it's narrated Ill song by sardonic resolution;in ('he (iticyai'a ( Bandet'as). bitt once the audience becomes accustomed to the style. the sheer scale of the moin should take t'llt‘cl (it‘llt't'dl tt’lt‘ihc‘.
The Exorcist ( lSI (William l‘riedkin. US. I974) linda Blair. l-fllcii Biirstyn. Max \'on Syd-iw llll mitts liaincst priest You Sydow \lt‘t‘s Ill lit \;l\c‘ [\(Wt' lllllt‘ [\()s\L‘\\L‘(l lll this hugely cllectiye scai'cfcst. Dead good. dead sfaiy. dead [)lit‘\l. (ilasgow: City (‘eiitte ()deou. l‘dinburgh. ()deon,
Extreme Measures ( t Si (.\ticliael .\ptetl. |99(i. l'Si llizg'h (iiant. (iene Hackitian. Sarah Jessica l’atket. l lS mins. Hugh Grant (in its in a beheyablc perfoi mancc as a “mint doctor It) a top New York teaching hospital v. ho stumbles upon a dark conspiracy that threatens bis .ateci. if not his life. A decent. old fashioned tiicdical thriller with some clunky discussions of ethics and an overly coiiiriy cd plot. it‘s better than your average llolly wood lltl-l‘tlllllc‘l'. life: St Andrews. Suaihclyde. (iieenock. F8T901lSitlot'lCtlt'tl. [8. “’90) l't'dttc‘Cs .\icl )otmand. Steye Buscemi. William H. Macy. 97 turns Hoping to make some bucks. a cat salesman attettipts to hayc his wife kidnapped by liitinctt. but quickly blood is spilt. .\s the pregnant police detective on the case. \lcl )Ht'tlldlltl proy ides a wariii-heartcd centre for the Hun ic. while the abstti'dist plot and w eiid local colour gain momentum. it'll be considered a classic. giyen time. lfdtnburgh ('attieo.
Fear ( IS) (.latncs l'ioley. l'S. I990) Mark \\'.'ihlberg. Reese \\'tthcrspoon. William Petersen. 9'7 tiiiiis. \Vahlberg (former rapper Marky Mark) is a powerful presence in this unfortunately weak and hackiieycd psycho thriller. .\s the spurned lover of beautiful \Vithcrspoon. w reckitig resenge on her family. he iinbucs his character with a scductne. violent energy. But the film as a whole is sometimes laughable and increasingly ridiculous (ilasgow: ()deoti ()itay
Feminist Texts l.\‘() mitts. week three of the (il’li's ‘Wotiiaii And l’tlm‘ evening course. open to the public for individual screenings. looks at women beltiiid the camera. particularly the female filmmakers of the 7()s and 80s w ho were directly influenced by academic feminism. .-\Itcrnativc views to the mainstream are illustrated through screenings of shorts aitd feature excerpts from work by Chantal .-\kerman. 'l‘ina Keane. Laura Mulyey and Yyoiine Rainer. Mon 3 (till). (ilitsguw. (ill.
Fierce Creatures i ll) (Robert Yoiiiig/l-‘red Schcpisi. l‘K/US. I996) Joliti Cleese. Jamie l.ee Curtis. Kevin Kline. Michael l’alin. 93 mins. The team from A I’m/i ('u/leil lliiiir/u team up again for a completely different story. Kline has dual roles as a crude media tycoon and the son he sends to turn the l-‘nglish /()() he's just bought ittto a profit- making machine by chucking oitt the fluffy animals and filling it only with 't'ierce .‘ieatiircs'. 'l he film lacks bite. however. aitd
Hitlist
The best Film this fortnight.
FIRS RUN
Grace Of My Heart Allison Anders's best
film yet tells of a singer-songwriter fighting for respect in both the music industry and personal relationships. See preview and review. Glasgow: Showcase. Edinburgh: UCI.
The Crucible Arthur Miller adapts one of the greatest plays of the 20th century for the screen, and it loses none of its complexity or power in the process. See feature and review. Selected release. Bound Watch the steam rise in the cinema as this stylish lesbian noir thriller twists and turns its way through a tightly constructed plot. See preview and review. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Fi/mhouse.
Trees Lounge Actor Steve Buscemi also writes and directs this warm and honest character-driven drama about a Long Island barfly. Edinburgh: Cameo. Ransom When his son is kidnapped, self-made businessman Mel Gibson decides not to play by the rules. Slick action and thrills all the way. General release.
Ridicule Patrice Leconte's period comedy-drama is as lush a movie to come out of France for some time. But don’t be fooled by the surface — underneath, it bites. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Fi/mhouse.
RE-RELEASE
His Girl Friday Howard Hawks's snappy screwball comedy pits bullying newspaper editor Cary Grant against smart reporter Rosalind Russell. They certainly don’t make ’em this good anymore. Glasgow.“ GFT. Edinburgh: Fi/mhouse.
the TV stalwarts in the smaller roles are often embarrassing. A light farce that doesn't match their earlier effort. (ieneral release. The First Wives Club (PO) (Hugh Wilson. US. I996) (ioldie Haw ti. Bette Midler. Diane Keaton. l()3 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 iii rapid succession as Hawn. Keaton and Midler play it. respectively. sexy. (lit/.y 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. Central: MacRobert.
Fly Away Home (U) (Caroll Ballard. US. I996) Anna l’aquin. Jeff Daniels. Dana Delany. l()7 mins. When her mother is killed iii a car crash. young Amy (The I’iiuiofs l’aquin) is sent to live with her estranged father in Canada. Soon they've hatched a plan to help a flock of baby geese migrate south for the winter by leading them iii a modified glider. An orphaned kid. some fluffy animals — btit this gets beyond the formula by injecting some credible