FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
Cold Comfort Farm ( t’(i ) (John Schlesinger. UK. 1995) Kate Beckinsale. Rufus Sewell. Joanna Lumley. 9S mitts. Beekinsale is simply marvellous dahling as the self-assured 1920s heroine who goes to live with her eccentric country bumpkin relatives after the death of her parents. The performances are idiosyncratic but never overplayed. lending jttst the right level of surrealism to the whole fun romp. Kirkcaldy: Adatn Smith.
Con Air ( 15) (Simon West. US. 1997) Nicolas Cage. John Malkovich. John Cusack. l 13 mitts. Sit down. strap yourself in. stick your head ittto the roar of the jet engine of this noisy. stretch-the-credibility movie. Cage play s a manslaughter parolee
whose prison plane ride home is hijacked by
vicious convict Malkovich. so he draws on his military traitting and strong sense of honour to save the innocents in the air from
certain death. A constant attack of big bangs.
action set-pieces . dry one-liners and illogical plot hiccups. (ieneral release.
The Crucible (12) (Nicholas Hytner. US. 1996) Daniel l)ay Lewis. Winona Ryder. Patll Scofield. 12-1 mins. Arthur Miller adapts his classic stage play based on the 17th century Salem witch trials and. although the relevance to the McCarthy hearings has drilled into history. it still questions many of today's irrational and hysterical belief systems. The finger- pointing is done by a spurned young woman. who accuses her ex-lover's vs ife of witchcraft. and soon an all-cosuming tide of evil and hypocrisy is devastating their village. lidinburgh: Cattteo.
The Day The Sun Turned Cold (13) (Yint llo. Hong Kong. 199-1) Siqitt (iovva. 'l‘uo '/.hong llua. Ma Jing Wu. 99 mins. A young man presents police vs ith the evidence that his mother killed his lather a decade ago in this highly accomplished study ofjealousy. murder and filial turmoil. Sy mpathies shift from character to character as director Yim Ho deals impassively with the unfolding plot. (ilasgovv: (i171.
“A bold, subtle and passionate film ...an accomplished study or love and courage"
""“A compassionate and heart rending film” - John Tyter ATTITUDE
“Remarkable humour...a very powerful finale"
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AUG 7 - FILM HOUSE EDINBURGH
AUG 8 - FILM WEATRE GLASGOW
42 THE LIST 251u| lAuq 199/
The Devil's Own (15) (Alan J. Pakula. US. 1997) Harrison Ford. Brad Pitt. Ruben Blades. 11 l mins. His father a victim of the ‘security forces‘. Pitt is driven into the IRA. bttt escapes to America. where he plots a daring revenge from the sanctuary of Irish- American NYPI) man Harrison Ford‘s home. The tension between the dedicated terrorist and the fatnin nest is the film's strongest suit: almost everything else is disastrous. not least the virtually unquestioned acceptance of the IRA cause. (ieneral release.
Donnie Brasco (18) (Mike Nevvell. US. 1997) Al Pacino. Johnny Depp. Michael Madsen. 127 mins. Depp plays a federal agent who gains the confidence of mob underling Al Pacino as part of a major surveillance operation in late ‘70s New York. but their growing bond threatens the forthcoming bust. Through his eyes. we learn the language. rituals. and economic realities of being a made man. (ilasgow: ()deon Quay. lidinburgh: Cameo. Kirkcaldy: Adatn Smith.
Ed Wood (15) (Tim Burton. US. 1994) Johnny Depp. Martin Landau. Patricia Arquette. 123 mins. Burton‘s fondly atmospheric homage to the so-called 'worst director of all time” is his best film to date. lt‘s ntore than a biopic pastiche. however: the emotional heart of the film is found in the genuinely caring relationship between Wood and the dying. drug-addicted Bela Lttgosi (a marvellous Martin Landau). lidinburgh: Cameo.
The English Patient (15) (Anthony Minghella. UK/US. 1996) Ralph l-‘iennes. Juliette Binochc. Kristin Scott 'lhontas. 162 mins. A mysterious stranger. suffering frotn horrific burns. is cared for by a Canadian tntrse during the final days of WWII. ln flashback. we discover more abottt the great romantic affair whose tragic climax brought him to this state. Spectacularly filmed on location. the film boasts magnificent performances frotn each and every one of the leads. lidinburgh: Cameo. l-‘ilmhouse. Everyone Says I Love You ( 12) (Woody Allen. US. 1996) Julia Roberts. (ioltllc Hawn. Woody Allen. 101 mins. Woody takes the plunge and makes a fully-fledged musical. with a story that flips from New
York to Paris to Venice. 'lhe director himself
looks distinctly pained when he sings his number. but his discomfort is notlting compared with ours when Julia Roberts opens her mouth to sing 'All My Life‘. A disappointing misfire. (ilasgow: (ii-'1'. (ireenock: Waterfront. Stirling: MacRobet‘t. 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 httge crowd scenes (tip to 40.000 extras. according to sources)
and stars on top form. 'lhe film belongs very
tttuch to Madonna in a gift of a role. which follows the rags-to-t‘iches life of liva Peron from poverty to her place in the hearts of a nation. ()nce the audience becomes accustomed to the style. the sheer scale of the movie should take effect. Stirling: MacRobert.
Farewell My Concubine ( I 5) (Chen Kai ge. China. 1993) Gong Li. Leslie Cheung. [hang liengyi. 156 mins. The story of two Peking ()pera actors and the woman who comes between them provides an intimately detailed story which is set to a constantly shifting backdrop of Chinese politics dttrittg the 20th century. 'lhe ()pera setting provides colour and spectacle. and questions how far a man will go for his art. lidinburgh: l‘ilmhouse.
Farinelli (15) (Gerard Corbiau. l-‘rance/Belgium. 199-1) Stefano l)ionisi. linrico Lo Verso. Jeroen Krabbe. 1 1() mins. Biographical details. period splendour and a ftctionalised narrative combine for an account of the life of 18th century castrato Carlo Broschi. ()rnate costumes. arresting vocal set pieces and a strong dramatic undercurrent make this a feast for the eyes and ears that doesn‘t ignore the mittd. (ilasgow: (ill.
The Fifth Element ( 13) (Lttc Besson. France/US. 1997) Bruce Willis. Milla Jovovich. (lary ()ldtnan. 127 mins. New York City in the 23ch Century. and cabbie Korben Dallas (Willis) picks tip an unexpected passenger in the shape of Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) - an alien who holds the key to saving the world. Besson's second linglish language film — following the excellent Ieun — is a colourful jumble of camp designs (by Jean-Paul (iaultier). self- indulgent performances and genre rip-offs which plays for laughs as genuine sci-fi ideas rttn dry. (ieneral release.
Flirt (15) (Hal Hartley. US/(iermany/Japan. 1996) Bill Sage. Martin Donovan. Dwight liwell. St) mins. With a theme-and-variation structure. l‘ftl'l centres on a single situatiott - a lover's ultimatum - illustrated through three separate stories. Amusing cameo appearances front Hartley regulars titillate the audience. while the rhythmic dialogue. tightly choreographed action attd colourful clutracterisation inject the film with the director‘s distinctive vibrancy. lidinburgh: 1-"ilmhouse.
The Funeral (18) (Abel terrain. L15. 1995) Christopher Walken. Chris Penn. Annabella Sciorra. 99 mins. 'lhe troubled past of a gangster family merges with a current revenge plan in lierrara‘s period movie. The visceral blood-letting and the threat of more to come make the initial impression. while Walken gives an airily haunted perfortttance and Penn is riven by inner demons barely under control. But it's their wives (Sciorra and Rossellini ). all long-suffering looks and pragmatic pessimism. who tell the real story. Stirling: MacRobcrt.
Get On The Bus ( )5) (Spike Lee. ('8. 1997) ()ssie Davis. Isaiah Washington. Charles l)utton. 122 mins. In ()ctoher 1995. a group of black men take a three-day bus trip front South Central LA to Washington DC for the consciousness-raising Million Man March. Lee conceives the bus as a microcosm of black America. but simply ticks off the issues (and the stereotypes) on an agenda. (ilasgow: (il’l'.
The Godfather ( 13) (1"rancis l'i()l'tl Coppola. US. 1971) Marlon Brando. Al Pacino. James Caan. 175 mins. Violent mafia epic that
Jurassic parklife: stegosurus goes walkies in The Lost World
follows the collapse of the Corleone empire under the old Don (Brando) and the struggle for power this causes between rival families and his own sons. Al Pacino is magnificent as the good son who has to turn bad in order to regain fatnin honour. A landmark in American filmmaking. Edinburgh: l‘ilmhouse.
The Godfather, Part II (18) (Francis Coppola. US. 1974) Al Pacino. Robert De Niro. Robert Duvall. 200 mins. Still the only sequel to win the ()scar for Best Picture. Coppola's extended gangster epic looks at the life of the Corleone family before and after the events of the first movie. De Niro is the young Vito. newly arrived from Sicily and making his mark in the Land of the Free; his son Michael (Pacino). now fully corrupted by absolute power. extends his crime empire. btit at the expense of killing family and friends. lidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse. Gridlock‘d (18)(Vondie Curtis Hall. US. 1996) 'l'tm Roth. 'l'upac Shakur. 'lhandie Newton. 91 mins. Take a pedestrian stroll through the highways and byways of heroin consumption. as Spoon (Shakur) decides to get clean. backed tip unconvincineg by Stretch (Roth). A satire on the US media and government policy. a black comedy and a druggy buddy movie. Gridlock 'd fails to settle convincingly on any one style. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Independence Day ( 12) (Roland limmerich. US. 1996) Will Smith. Jeff (ioldbltlm. Bill Pullman. 150 mins. A 50s- style invasion B-movie with 90s state-of-the art effects. lndependenee Day is popcorn value-for-money at its very best. lts gripping scare scettario doesn't take itself too seriously. throws in sotne conspiracy theories and rounds it off with the tnost devastating disaster scenes ever pill on film. lidinburgh: Cameo.
It Came from Outer Space (PG) (Jack Arnold. US. 1953) Richard Carlson. Barbara Rttsh. Charles Drake. 81 mins. Made in 3-D. this prototype 'friendly alien' movie broke some new ground. bttt also harbours some pretty familiar stereotyth (tolerant. misttnderstood scientist; shoot-tirst-ask- questions-later lawman) and some pretty naff acting. But there's are signs here of Arnold‘s talent for atmosphere and composition. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Jungle 2 Jungle (P(i) (John Pasquin. US. 1997) 'littt Allen. Sam Huntingdon. Martin Short. 105 tttitts. 'lhis l-lollywood remake of l‘rench comedy l/n Indie/t Dans La Ville tells of a workaholic businessman unexpectedly reunited with his thirteen- year-old son - who has been living amongst tribesmen in the Amazon jungle. Bttt this is no [intern/d l-‘uresl; instead the tnood is closer to ('mmdt/e Dundee as the eyes of an innocent adjust to the urban jungle. Kirkcaldy: Adam Stttith. Motherwell.
Kama Sutra (18) (Mira Nair. India/UK. 1997) Indira \"arma. Sarita Choudhury. Naveen Andrews. 1 14 mins. Kama Sutra does have some intensely erotic moments. bttt it's by no means a position-by-position dramatisation of the infamous ancient text; rather it shows love in all its contrasting hues as 16th century servant girl Maya
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