FILM index
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34 THELIST 13—26 Jun I997
FILM INDEX continued
Marvin's Room ( I 2) (Jerry Zaks. US. 1996) Leonardo DiCaprio. Meryl Streep. Diane Keaton. Robert De Niro. 98 mins. An all- star cast earn worthy points in this drama about a troubled family. Keaton. who has been caring for her bedridden father. is diagnosed with leukemia; estranged sister and single mother Streep has been coping with the mental problems of her teenage son (DiCaprio). Depressing material and a movie-of-the-week scenario is lifted by the quality of the acting. (ilasgow: (ii-'l‘. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Matilda (PG) (Danny De Vito. US. I996) Mara Wilson. Danny De Vito. Embeth Davidtz. 98 mins. Capturing the delicious wickedness of Roald Dahl's writing, director De Vito fully exploits exaggeration and playful camera work to tell the tale of a gifted child who uses her super brain to outwit her neglectful parents. ()ffsetting the lovable Matilda against a series of horriny inflated bad characters. the film's empowering message for children will appeal to the mischevious kid in everyone. Edinburgh: UCI. East Kilbride: UCI. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Men. Women: A User's Manual (12) (Claude l,elouch. France. I996) Bernard 'I'apie. I-‘abrice I.uchini. Alessandra Martines. I23 mins. Controversial former Marseille football club boss and wheeler- dealer businessman Bernard 'I‘apie plays a philandering tycoon who gets his comeuppance when a vengeful old flame switches his medical report with an ailing undercover copi. 'Ihe healthy one starts to get sick. the sick one starts feeling fine again. It never even begins to add tip. btit Ielouch‘s dazzling camerawork and luscious Parisian cinematography are captivating enough to command the attention. Glasgow: (il-‘I'. Edinburgh: Eilmhouse.
Merci La Vie ( l8) (Bertrand Blier. I-‘rance. I990) Charlotte (iainshourg. Anouk (irinberg. (ierard Depardieu. Michel Blane. I I7 mins. 'l‘wo I-‘rench teenagers embark on a road journey that takes them back to the Occupation as well as across the country. Blier's ferocious wit takes on big themes like AIDS and the Holocaust. creating an effective btit self-conscious blend of buffoonery and sobriety. (ilasgow: (iI’l'.
Microcosmos (U) (Claude Nuridsany/Marie I’erennou. l‘rancc. I995) 75 mins. A hug- eyed look at the world of insects. this I-‘rench one-off falls somewhere between a narrativeless documentary and an ensemble piece for its array of tiny characters. What unfolds is a kind of Iife-in-a-day between the blades of grass in an overgrown meadow. 'Ihe award-winning macro- photography and imaginative sound evoke
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and surpass the artificial worlds created in all those science fiction movies. Edinburgh: ()deon. lrvine: Magnum.
Mississippi Masala (15) (Mira Nair. US. I99l) Denzel Washington. Sarita Choudhury. Roshan Seth. I I2 mins. Expelled from Uganda. an Asian family face further upheaval in the American South when the daughter falls for a struggling carpet cleaner. An unusual slant on inter- racial hostility from the director of Salaam Bombav’, which could have benefitted from a little more grit. (ilasgow: (il’l'.
Mon Homme ( l8) (Bertrand Blier. France. 1996) Anouk (irinberg. (ierard Lanvin, Mathieu Kassovitz. 98 mins. Blier's off-the- wall tale follows desperate-for-Iove prostitute Marie ((irinberg) as she stumbles over battered down-and-out .leannot (Ianvin). falls in love and enlists him as her pimp. Fans of the director will know what to expect. htit those less accustomed to his roundabout ways may find his politically incorrect style difficult to take. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (PG) (Jacques 'l'ati. France. 1953) Jacques 'I’ati. Nathalie l’ascaud. Michelle Rolla. 9| mins. M. Hulot. the bachelor with the accident-prone touch. arrives at a jaunty coastal resort and devastation very soon ensues. Comic timing at its most irresistible. as 'I'ati gets away with a number of memorable. slow-burning gags. all undercut by the stabbing notion that we all have an uncle exactly like Hulot. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Mother Night (l5) (Keith Gordon. US. I996) Nick Nolte. Sheryl lee. Alan Arkin.
I I3 mins. At the outbreak of WW2. Howard Campbell (NoItc) is a successful American playwright resident in (iermany. recruited by his country to send coded transatlantic radio broadcasts back to America while posing as a rabid Nazi sympathiser — which causes problems after the war. A beautifully layered. constantly surprising story adapted from the novel by Kurt Vonnegut. Edinburgh: Cameo. I-‘ilmhouse.
Mum's The Word (15) (Paul Carriere. Canada. I996) 53 mins. A fascinating documentary about four Canadian women who had the courage to stand up to small town conventions and come out as they approached the age of 50. With first love short Acquiring A raw For Raffaella. (ilasgow: (ii-'1‘. Edinburgh: Eilmhouse. Muriel‘s Wedding (15) (PJ. Hogan. Australia. I994) Toni Collette. Rachel (iriffiths. Bill Hunter. l()5 mins. Ueg duckling Muriel decides to leave behind her boring life in I’orpoise Spit and search for her Prince Charming in the big lights of Sydney. A bouncy Abba soundtrack and fairy tale ambiance add to the charm of one of the year‘s best crowd-pleasers. As sparkling. in its own way. as The Adventures Of Priscilla. Edinburgh: (.‘ameo.
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Paying the price: Mel Gibson and Rene Russo in Ransom