France. I996) Julie (iayet. Jean-Michel l‘ete. 85 mins. Fans of grainy verite will find much to adtnire in Bouhnik's debttt. set in a haven for Paris's pimps. drop-outs. junkies and street low-lifes. like iii a documentary. the camera wanders the narrow hallways and uncovers the hotel's inmates in all their squalor-laden glory. Althottgh there is undoubtedly talented filmmaking on display. Seleet Hotel falls into a ‘chic anti-chic' category that wows fashion magazine editors but may leave others cold. See review. Glasgow: Gl’l‘.
Secrets And Lies ( l 5) (Mike Leigh. UK. I996) Timothy Spall. Brenda Blethyn. Phyllis Logan. 140 mins. Leigh's l’alme [)'()r-wimting follow tip to Naked is a bittersweet take on suburban domestic life. Yottng black optician Hortense searches for the tnotlter who ptit lter up for adoption as a baby. bttt is surprised to discover it’s white working-class Cynthia. Genuinely emotional. with great performances by Marianne Jean-Baptiste arid Timothy Spall. but the showstopping turn comes from Cannes winner Brenda Blethan. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Sister My Sister ( l 5) (Nancy Meckler. UK. I995) Julie Walters, Joely Richardson. Jodhi May. 89 mins. A respectable bourgeois household shocks l93()s l-‘rancc with the incestuous- relationship of its sibling servants. The script and director show their theatrical roots with a tedious build tip and endless meaningful glances. so despite some solid performances. it's too slow where it should be suspenseful. Edinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
The Slab Boys ( l 5) (John Byrne. UK.
l997) Robitt l.aing. Russell Barr. Louise Berry. 98 mins. John Byrne combines his plays The Sluh [Jon and ('uttin 'A Rug for a semi-autobiographical vision of urban lads dreaming about making it to the work dance and then to a better life. However. despite its wonderful stylised look. this film just doesn't do the theatre pieces justice. The cast (with the exception of Robin l.aing) overact to the back stalls and the banter doesn't get the sharp delivery it needs. but the magnificent sets save the feature from being too much of a disappointment. Paisley: Showcase. Stirling: MacRobert. Space Jam (U) (Joe P} lka. US. I996) Michael Jordan. Bttgs Bunny. Wayne Knight. 87 mins. Nasty alien cartoons have captured Bttgs Bunny and are going to enslave the Looney 'l ones in their amusement park on \loron Mountain. btit Bttgs has the braim ave of challenging them to a basketball gane and enlisting the talents of Michael Jordan for his team. Lacking the class of Who l-‘t‘orttet/ Roger Rabbit." and the pace of a real basketball game. Space Jam should divert the kids on Satttrday mornings. Glasgow: ()deon ()uay. Edinburgh; ( )tlcon. (ileltt'ollles.
Spawn ( I?) (Mark Dippe. US. I997) John lcgttilamo. Michael Jai White. Martin Sheen. 97 mins. Yet another cottuc book character to graduate from the page to the screen. left for deatl by his corrupt bosses.
Making up is hard to do: Louise Berry in The Slab Boys
covert soldier Al Simmons (White) undergoes transformation irtto Spawn and is sent to lead Hell's army in the destruction of mankind. lt's Leguizamo's astonishing performance as Clown. theDevil's envoy. that dominates this cinematic equivalent of an ear-drum splitting computer game. See review. General release.
Speed 2: Cruise Control (12) (Jan De Bont. US. 1997) Sandra Bullock. Jason Patric. Willem Dafoe. l2l mins. 'lliis sequel to the 1994 hit fails to play on the vehicle- out-of-control idea in the same creative way. Bullock returns as Annie on vacation with her cop boyfriend (Patric) when their ship is hijacked by computer genius and nutter Willem Dafoe. who tampers with the controls of the liner. sending it speeding towards the shore. l’atric‘s unmemorable screen presence comes nowhere near the charisma of Keanu. bttt De Bont‘s action skills make the move tense and spectacular. General release.
Swingers (l5) (Doug l.iman. US. I996) Vince Vaughn. John l-‘avreau. Ron Livingston. 96 mitts. Wannabe actor Mike attd his pal 'l‘rent drive to Vegas to play the tables and pick up some babes. Later. in LA. the boys hang ottt with their friends. wandering the trendy bars. Which is just about all there is to .S'n'ingers - a heap of talking. the odd homage (Scorsese and 'I‘arantino) and lots of male bonding. A ltighly watchable. very funny and entertaining piece of low-budget lilmmaking. lrvine: Magnum.
Thelma 8: Louise (15) (Ridley Scott. US. l99l ) Susan Sarandon. Geetta Davis. Harvey Keitel. Michael Madsen. l29 mins. 'l‘he buddy/road movie genres are turned on their heads as Sarandon and Davis grasp the steering wheel and head off leaving a trail of murder and mayhem in their wake. ()n one level. the film is the critical catalyst that had the feminists cheering and pttt the stars on the cover of Time magazine; just as importantly. it's an accessible piece of entertainment with excellent central performances. Glasgow: (irosvenor.
Tierra ( l5) (Julio Medem. Spain. I996) Carmelo Gomez. limma Suarez. Karra lilejalde. l25 mins. The latest by the writer- director of lines and T/te Ret/ Squirrel) describes a place that is botlt physical and metaphysical. Attgel (Gomez) believes that a part of him does not exist. but speaks to him ottt of the cosmic darkness. Housewife Attgela (Suarez) is loved by Angel‘s ‘angel'. while sexttally vociferous teenager Mari (Silke) is desired by Angel the man. Uncompromisittg. inventive. controlled and fascinating. Edinburgh: Catueo.
True Romance ( IS) (Tony Scott. US. 1993) Christian Slater. Patricia Arqttettc. Dennis Hopper. ll9 mins. Comic bookstore assistant Clarence meets. sleeps w ith attd marries novice hooker Alabama within a matter of hours. then the lovebirds tind themselves on the run with an accidentally stolen case of cocaine. l.ittteligltt-stcaling cameos and writer Quentin 'larantino‘s verbal set-pieces lire this excellent mov te.
the epitome of disposable pop culture for the fast-food generation. Edinburgh: Cameo. Twin Town (l8) (Kevin Allen. UK. I996) Rhys lfans. Llyr Evans. Dougray Scott. 99 mins. The quaint her The Engine image of Wales is seriously derailed by Allen's anarchic comedy. When their father is refused compensation for a work accident. the badly behaved Lewis twins start an escalation of violence that blows open a dnigs deal and leads. ultimately. to mass murder. The darkening plot structure pulls the film away frotn its farcical early scenes into a brilliant combination of bizarre comedy. nasty brutality and poetic justice. Edinburgh: Catneo.
Unhook The Stars (15) (Nick Cassavetes. US/lirance. 1996) Gena Rowlands, Marisa 'l'omei. Gérard Depardieu. l()4 mins. Following in the footsteps of his famous father — American indie godfather John Cassavetes casts his mother. Gena Rowlattds. as a middle-aged widow who starts to reconsider her own life through the changes happening to others around her. The film qttickly ntakes tis feel that the characters are the driving force behind the unfolding drama. Rowlands. maternal yet isolated. capable yet vulnerable. is absolutely wonderful. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Warriors 0f Virtue (PG) (Ronny Yu. US. 1996) Angus Macl‘adyen. Mario Yedidia. Marley Shelton. l()2 mins. Whisked off to a parallel world. young Ryan is threatened by evil l.ord Komodo (Bruveheurt's lvlacliadyen) but protected by live kung fu fighting kangaroos. A dodgy script that rips off T/te Neret'etttline Story. Power Rangers attd Teenage Mutant Ninth Turtles is lifted by an entertaining combination of great production design. llong Kong martial arts skills and decent Hollywood special effects. lrvine: Magnum.
West Side Story (PG) (Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins. US. l96l ) Natalie Wood. Richard Beymer. Russ 'l'amblyn. Rita Moreno. ISS mins. Romeo .‘illt/ Juliet revisited against a background of New York
index FILM
gangs. Great songs of course. but the playing of the stylised dancing against a realistic background contrives to make it all look rather camp these days. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
When We Were Kings (U) (Leon Gast. US. 1996) Muhammad Ali. George Forman. Norman Mailer. 84 mins. An Oscar winner in the Best Documentary category. this splendid account of the historic ‘Rumble In The Jungle' boxing match between Ali and l-‘orman gets beyond the punches thrown in the ring to convey the sense of black pride being born. Amazingly dramatic. Glasgow: Gl-‘l‘. Edinburgh: Cameo. East Kilbride: Arts Centre.
The White Balloon (U) (Jafar Panahi. lran. I995) Aida Mohammadkbani. Mohsen Kaftli. l-‘ereshteh Sadr Orfani. 84 mins. A young girl goes to the market to buy a goldfish. bttt loses her money on the way. The material may be the most mundane of concerns. but this film. which unfolds in real time. is as nerve-wracking as any Hitchcock thriller. With its truth to detail. stylistic simplicity and wonderful depiction of innocence and purity. it reawakens faith in the medium of cinema. Glasgow: GET. Who Killed Pixote? (18) (Jose Jofftly. Brazil. I996) 120 mins. A reconstruction of the turbulent life of child actor Fernando Ramos da Silva. who played the title role in Hector Babenco‘s well received I980 movie T’it’ttft'. Fleeting fame drove the near illiterate boy to crime and an untimely death. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: Gl’l‘.
Women In Arab Cinema Curator and film programmer Rose lssa offers an overview to how women have been represented in Arab cinema over the years attd what opportunities are open to female filmmakers in Islamic countries. Glasgow: (il’l‘. Women In Iranian Cinema In an illustrated lecture. lrattian film critic Hamid Reza Sadr considers the position of women in Iranian cinema. itt front of and behind the camera. with special reference to the Islamic revolution. Glasgow: Gl’l‘.
so farewell then
your sweet temper
Lesley Lawrie
we’ll miss your curls,
your countless pearls
of wisdom, and your boundless wit; the dangerous sports you made us try, (not one of which hurt us a bit); your healthy exotic-fruit-based diet (where did you have to go to buy it?) your hard work every Festival,
and absolutely best of all . . .
on prodution tuesdays.
GOOD LUCK. IN YOUR NEW JOB!
from the lost list lot you’ve left behind
12 Sop-25 Sep l997 THE UST 31