tnusic of Saint-Sa'ens‘s [)unse Macabre; Wales offers the story of the rock star cat. Famous Fred; and from England. it's The Club House. in which the girls muscle in on the boys‘ territory. Stirling: MacRobert. The Fifth Element ( l 2) (Luc Besson. France/US. I997) Bruce Willis. Milla Jovovich. Gary Oldman. I27 mins. New York City in the 23rd Century. and cabbie Korben Dallas (Willis) picks up an unexpected passenger in the shape of I£Cl00 (Milla Jovovich) — an alien who holds the key to saving the world. Besson's second Iinglish language film — following the excellent Leon — is a colourful jumble of catnp designs (by Jean-Paul Gaultier). self- indulgent performances and genre rip-offs which plays for laughs as genuine sci-fi ideas run dry. Iidinburgb: Cameo.
Flubber (U) (Les Mayfield. US. I997) Robin Williams, Marcia (iay Harden. Christopher McDonald. 93 mins. This remake of 196! Disney favourite The Absent Minded Professor casts a subdued Williams as a scientist who invents a gravity defying goo. but may well lose his fiancée in the process. Combining many of the worst. most annoying attributes of films designed to have ‘family appeal‘. I-‘Iuhher merer fiops when it should tly. (icneral release. Gattaca (I5) (Andrew Niccol. US. I997) [ithan Hawke. Uma Thurman. Jude Law. l()6 mins. In the future. discrimination isn‘t based on the colour of a man's skin. but its genetic make-up. ‘Normally‘ born Vincent (Hawke) fortns a pact with crippled Jerome (Law) to use his genetic identity in an attempt to become an astronaut. The photography is washed by coloured filters and the retro-future design is as distinctive as Blade Runner. Bold ideas develop at their own pace and. despite the intrusive ‘Hollywood' moments. (Io/tum emerges as a true individual Ln an industry of clones. (ilasgow: ()deon Quay. Iidinburgh: ABC Wester Hailes. I-‘ilmhouse. UCI. Iiast Kilbride: UCI. Paisley: Showcase.
George Of The Jungle (U) (Sam Weisman. US. I997) Brendan Fraser. Leslie Mann. Holland Taylor. 9| mins. LoincIoth-clad hero (icroge (I’raser) saves San I’ransican socialite Ursual (Mann). but his trip to the urban jungle is sliortlived when he hears of the kidnap of his hairy sidekick. Ape (voiced by John Cleese). The plot is the usual blend of humour. action. slapstick. adventure and. of course. romance. while the knowing and punchy script is easily up with the best of modern Disney. Edinburgh: UCI. Ayr: Odeon. (ialashiels: Pavilion. Kirkcaldy: Adam Stnith. Stirling: MacRobert. Wishaw: Arrow.
G.l. Jane ( l 5) (Ridley Scott. US. I997) Detni Moore. Viggo Mortensen. Anne Bancroft. l25 mins. Tough. smart Jordan ()‘Neil (Moore) becomes the first woman to be accepted for training by the US military‘s elite commando unit. the Navy SEALs. but her arrival at catnp is met with barely concealed hostility. Scott's overwrought movie purports to show that women have as tnuch right as men to be dehumanised by the military and turned into killing machines. What it doesn't question is why anyone — male or female — should want to do so. Edinburgh: I’ilmhouse.
Gion Festival Music (12) (Kenji Mizoguchi. Japan. I953) 100 mins. Mizoguchi's sensitively performed chamber piece centres on a pair of geishas — one. an experienced older woman; the other. a novice who wants to bring an element of romance into the essentially sordid profession. The decline in the geisha tradition is mirrored by the change in Japanese society after WW2. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Good Burger (PG) (Brian Robbins. US. I997) Kel Mitchell. Kenan Thompson. Sinbad. 95 mins. A spin-off from US cable channel Nickelodeon's daytime series All That. this kids comedy is likely to fail through unfamiliarity. Two blokes working in a burgerjoint fight off the advances of the fast-food chain across the road with their new sauce recipe. The next Big Night? I don't think so. Glasgow: ABC Film Centre. Showcase. (ireenock: Waterfront. Paisley: Showcase.
Good Will Hunting ( l 5) (Gus Van Sant. US. I997) Matt Damon. Robin Williams. Minnie Driver. l26 mins. A young college
janitor (Damon) with a history of abuse is given the opportunity to fulfil his potential as a maths genius by a kindly therapist (Williams). Hot-shot Damon and co-star Ben Affieck won the Oscar for Best ()riginal Screenplay. but it‘s Williams in an understated performance who steals the show. An insightful script. tenderly acted. General release.
A Goofy Movie (U) (Kevin Lima. US. I996) 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: Virgin.
Hercules (U) (John Musker & Ron Clements. US. I997) With the voices ofTate Donovan. James Woods. Danny DeVito. 9l mins. British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe‘s designs marry his customary grotesqucry with Uncle Walt's softer characterisations. Hades (a magnificently splenetic James Woods) wants to exact revenge on Zeus by destroying his son Hercules. but luckily our hero has Pegasus as his steed and Phil the grumpy satyr (Danny DeVito) as his coach. Edinburgh: Odeon.
Imitation of Life (PG) (Douglas Sirk. US. I959) Lana Turner. Juanita Moore. John (iavin. I24 mins. Sirk's remake of the Claudette Colbert weepie lays on the soapie melodrama as the mothers of two intertwining families struggle to bring up their daughters. (ilitzy. glamorous Hollywood wrapped in a pessitntstic shroud. Iidinburgh: Filmhouse.
In And Out (l2) (Frank ()1. US. I997) Kevin Kline. Matt Dillon. Tom Selleck. 9| mins. When an ex-student seemingly 'outs' him during an ()scar speech. Midwestern teacher Howard Brackett (Kline) has to reassess his life and sexuality — just days before his wedding. A funny. fcelgood movie that is aimed squarely at a mainstream audience. In And Out contains nothing to startle Middle America. Kline turns in a delightful comic performance. (ilasgow: Showcase. Irvine: Magnum. Paisley: Showcase.
In The Company Of Men (18) (Neil LaBute. US. I996) Aaron Iickhart. Matt Molloy. Stacy Iidwards. 97 mitts. The misanthropy ofAmerican commerce is right up there on screen. fifty feet high. as Chad and Howard plan to date the same vulnerable woman and dump her without warning. It‘s corporate America‘s strongest- will-survive ethos which is the real target in this powerful independent that's full of sucker punches. Edinburgh: PilinlioUse.
It‘s A Wonderful Life (PG) (Frank Capra. US. I946) James Stewart. Donna Reed. Henry Travers. l29 mins. Small-town boy Stewart runs into financial difficulties and is on the brink of suicide when an elderly angel descends to earth to show him all the good his life has done for those around him. Archetypal Capra sentimentality with a superbly detailed fantasy framework and one of Stewart's most lovable performances. ()ne to warm even the tnost glacial heart. Glasgow: GI'T.
Jackie Brown (l5) (Quentin 'l‘arantino. L'S. I997) Pam Grier. Samuel L. Jackson. Robert De Niro. l54 mins. 'l'arantino's blaxploitation homage is proof that the director just loves to hear his characters run their mouths off. However. the dialogue is pure pleasure in this sprawling. funky. triple-crossing heist movie about a Federal Agent sting to trap a gun runner. A classic Hollywood thriller in the sense that it is about the enjoyment of the moment. rather simply finding out whodunit. See review. General release.
James And The Giant Peach (U) (Henry Selick. US. I996) Paul Terry. Susan Sarandon. Simon Callow. 79 mins. From the director of Tim Burton 3' The Nightmare Before C hristmus comes a wonderfully colourful adaptation of Roald Dahl‘s much- loved novel. Live action tops and tails the story. but for the most part. it's fun times with stop-motion puppets. By turns funny and scary. it stays true to Dahl’s surreal and whimsical vision. Glasgow: (iI-‘I'.
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