film
index
All That Jazz (15) (Bob Fosse. US. 1979) Roy Scheider. Jessica Lange. Leland Palmer. 123 mins. Fosse touches on autobiography as he chronicles the demise of egotistical. womanising director/choreographer Joe Gideon (Scheider). In an odd way. it feels like this is what would have resulted had Fellini gone to Hollywood. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Anastasia (U) (Don Bluth/Gary Goldman. US. 1997) Voices of Meg Ryan. Christopher Lloyd. John Cusack. 94 mins. With this widescreen romantic musical adventure. animator Don Bluth offers a film that rivals Disney. Rewriting history somewhat. evil magician Rasputin puts a curse on the Tsar‘s family and causes the 1917 Revolution. The child princess Anastasia survives. but grows as an orphan. unable to remember her past. With extraordinary action sequences. exquisite characterisations and beautiful songs. General release.
Apocalypse Now! (I8) (Francis Coppola. US. 1980) Martin Sheen. Marlon Brando. Robert Duvall. Dennis Hopper. 153 mins. Vietnam as The Ultimate Trip. We follow US Army assassin Sheen downriver and deeper into the Heart Of Darkness ruled over by Brando's mad Colonel Kurtz. Alternater pretentious and visually overpowering (the Valkyries helicopter attack. for example). its grandiloquent folly somehow pierces right to the bone of the conflict. Edinburgh: Cameo.
As Good As It Gets ( l 5) (James 1.. Brooks. US. 1997) Jack Nicholson. Helen Hunt. Greg Kinnear. 139 mins. Neurotic writer Melvin suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. but compensates for his lonely life by becoming a master of abuse. Carol. the waitress in a local restaurant. is the only person tough enough to take him on. As romantic comedies go. it‘s an odd pairing. but the match works thanks to a sharply witty script and spot-on performances from Nicholson and Hunt. General release. Barton Fink (15) (Joel Coen. US. 1991) John Turturro. John Goodman. Judy Davis. I 17 mins. When socially-committed playwright Barton Fink ('l'urturro) is consigned by the Hollywood machine to write wrestling films. he slumps into a writer's block as large as his mysterious next-door neighbour (John Goodman). Unprecedented winner of best film. actor and direction awards at 1991's Cannes Film Festival shows the Coen‘s at their most menacing and absurd best. Edinburgh: Cameo.
The Big Lebowski ( 18) (Joel Coen. US. 1997) Jeff Bridges. John Goodman. Steve Buscemi. I 13 mins. The Coen brothers give their unique twist to a Chandler-esque 1.A noir. as 70s hippy throwback Jeff "llie Dude' Lebowski (Bridges) is drawn into the sordid affairs of his millionaire namesake. Suddenly he has to sleuth his way through disorganised crime. Trademark oddball characters. surreal imagery and excellent performances grace this virtuoso comedy. Glasgow: ()deon Quay. Showcase. UCI Clydebank. Edinburgh: Cameo. UCI.
Blood Simple (18) (Joel Coen. US. 1983) John Getz. Francis McDormand. M. Emmet Walsh. 99 mins. Auspicious debut frotn the Coen brothers team. Walsh excels as the seedy Sheriff investigating a simple murder whose devilish Texan chronicle of double- crossing is anything but simple. An enthusiastic attempt at contemporary film noir. which keeps everyone guessing even after the final frame. Falkirk: Town Hall. Blues Brothers 2000 (PG) (John Landis. US. 1998) Dam Aykroyd. John Goodman. Joe Morton. 124 mins. Eighteen years have passed since the boys brought good music back into the souls of the masses. Jake Blues is gone to the big gig in the sky. but Elwood embarks on a crusade to re-f’orm the original hand. Now his sidekicks are Mighty Mack McTeer. his black stepbrother and a ten- year-old orphan. On one hand. there's inept staging. stilted dialogue and rotten acting. One the other are the silly gags. car crashes - and great music. See review. General release.
Das Boot: Director's Cut (15) (Wolfgang Petersen. Germany. 1981) Jurgen Prochnow.
28 THE lIST 14—28 May 1998
Herbert Gronmeycr. Klaus \\'enncmann. 207 mins. A hunter-killer sub is unleashed on Allied shipping in the North Atlantic. but the captain shares few of the Nazi ideals of his superiors. This visceral. twisty action drama redefined the ensemble realistn. and its claustrophobic brilliance is only redoubled in this 207-minute version. Falkirk: Town Hall.
The Boxer (15) (Jim Sheridan. UK/US. 1997) Daniel Day-Lewis. limin Watson. Brian Cox. 112 mins. Sheridan's follow-up to In The Natne ()f The Father brings the current drive towards a peaceful settlement right up to date. Day-Lewis is perfect as the slow-burning ex-IRA man trying to rebuild his life and rekindle love with his childhood sweetheart despite resistance in his neighbours. The boxing scenes have a hard. realistic aggression. while the political perspective allows its to understand the demands that peace makes on a divided Republicancommunity. Glasgow. ()deon Quay. Kirkcaldy: Adatn Smith.
Braveheart (15) (Mel Gibson. US. 1995) Mel Gibson. Patrick McGoohan. Sophie Marceau. 177 mins. Mel Gibson‘s long and bloody account of the life of Scottish warrior hero William Wallace boasts some remarkable battle scenes and great performances. Aiming to entertain on a wider scale than the tnore literate Rah Roy. Braveheart's Scottish passion is tempered by a few Hollywood moments - touches of sentimentality and ‘dramatic' historical inaccuracy. Falkirk; Town Hall. Breakdown (15) (Jonathan Mostow. IFS. 1997) Kurt Russell. Kathleen Quinlan. J.T. Walsh. 93 mins. When their car breaks down in the desert. a nightmare begins for yuppie Russell after his wife accepts a lift from truck driver Walsh. then disappears off the face of the earth. A solid. silly. amiably suspenseful romp that's stuck firmly within its particular corner of the suspense genre and is on first name terms with every cliche 111 the immediate vicinity. If you can bear the familiarity of the journey. then sit back and enjoy the ride. General release.
César (PG) (Marcel Pagnol. France. 1938) Raimu. Pierre Fresnay. ()rane Demazis. 123 mins. The final part of l’agnol's ‘lylarseilles 'l‘rilogy' sees him takitig over the reins as director and encouraging fine performances from the cast. Ccsztt'iof. son of Marius and Fanny. believes his stepfather Panisse to be his biological parent. bttt goes on a quest when he is told the truth. Glasgow; (if-'1'.
A Corner Of A Foreign Field ( IS) (Udayan Prasad. UK. 1986) 52 mins. The director of My Son The Fanatie's TV documentary encourages three men and two women from the British Pakistani community to talk about their lives. After living in Britain for 25 years. they still note racial divisions in society. Glasgow: (3171'.
The Crucified Lovers ( 12) (ls’enj'i MiZoguchi. Japan. 1954) 102 mins. A favourite of Japanese critics. this Mizoguchi work follows the doomed affair between a merchant‘s wife and a household servant in 17th century Kyoto. The handling and visual style looks rather stunted today. although the harsh price paid by the lovers still has an impact. Glasgow: Gl-T.
Dance Hall (PG) (Charles Crichton. UK. 1950) Natasha Parry. Diana Dors. l’etula Clark. 80 mins. As a dance contest approaches. the visitors to the local palais undergo various little melodramas. Unlike the majority of British cinema from this period. the film takes on a nco-realist style and focuses on working-class women. Glasgow: GFI‘.
Deconstructing Harry I 18) (Woody Allen. US. 1997) Woody Allen. Kirstte Alley. Billy Crystal. 94 mins. Author Harry Block has writer's block. and his friends have all but abandoned him dtte to his habit of recasting them as characters in his best-selling ‘fiction'. Allen plays with the receised. perceived idea of ‘Woody Allen'. and Starr/list t'llemories floats in the background. There are flaws in the film. but there are also many. many prime Woody throwaways. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Deep Impact (12) (Mimi Leder. US. 1998) Morgan Freeman. Tea Leoni. Robert Duvall. 121 mins. A massive comet is tearing towards Earth at extinction-level speed. President Morgan Freeman reveals that an underground shelter has been built to house
a chosen few. and a national lottery will decide who gets to join the bigwigs down below. Deep Impact is a perfectly respectable disaster epic. rather like they used to make 'em. only flasher. As lotto fever rages. the filrn conveys disconsolation tnore than desperation. See review. General release.
EX ( l 8) (Mark Schlichter. Germany. 1995) 84 mins. After the funeral of a friend who was killed while racing a stolen car. a gang return to Iiast Berlin where they spend the day listening to loud music and snorting cocaine. A hard~edged vision of a generation heading towards self-destruction. Glasgow: GFI‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Face/Off ( 18) (John Woo. US. 1997) John 'l’ravolta. Nicolas Cage. Joan Allen. 133 mins. FBI agent Sean Archer ('l'ravolta) undergoes radical surgery to become terrorist Castor 'l‘roy (Nicolas Cage): btit when Troy comes ottt of a coma and undergoes a similar operation. he too is able to slip into his enemy's domain - domestic and professional. Part horror. part sci-1i. full-on action. with a cast that's uniformly excellent. The day when an action movie could be dismissed as mere popcorn- munchin' entertainment is over. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
Fairytale: A True Story (U) (Charles Sturridge. UK. 1997) Florence Hoath. Elizabeth liarl. I’aul McGann. 98 mins. In telling the story of two Edwardian girls who cause a sensation when they capture a photographic image of fairies. Fairytale manages to be more coherent and less downbeat than the similar Photographing I'ait'ies'. A carefully judged film that provides moving entertainment for the family audience. Edinburgh: ABC.
Fargo ( l 8) (Joel Coen. US. 1996) Frances McDormand. Steve Buscemi. Williatn II. Macy. 97 mins. Iloping to make some bucks. a car salesman attempts to have his wife kidnapped by hitmen; but quickly blood is spilt. As the pregnant police detective on the case. McDormatttI provides a warm-hearted centre for the movie. while the absurdist plot and weird local colour gain momentum. It'll be considered a classic. given time. Glasgow: City Centre ()deon. Edinburgh: Catneo. Falkirk: Town Hall.
Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (18) (Russ Meyer. US. 1966) Turana Satana. 83 mins. 'llirce go-go dancers release their tensions by driving sportscars through the desert and behaving aggressively towards men. Classic Meyer cult-trash. Screened by Fleapit Cinema Club as part of Func'l' 98 and
follw ed by a club night with lounge-core DJ. Frankie Savaloy. Glasgow: The Arches. Flubber (U) (l.cs Mayfield. US. 1997) Robin Williams. Marcia Gay Harden. Christopher McDonald. 93 mins. 'lliis remake of 1961 Disney favourite 'I'lte Absent i'l'IlIN/Ull Professor casts a subdued Williams as a scientist who invents a gravity defying goo. but may well lose his fiancée in the process. (‘ombining many of the worst. most annoying attributes of films designed to have 'family appeal'. I-‘luhher merely flops when it should fly. Edinburgh: UCI. Odeon: Ayr. Iiast Kilbride: UCI. Galashiels: Pavilion.
Fly Away Home (U) (Caroll Ballard. US. 1996) Anna Paquin. Jeff Daniels. Dana Delany. 107 mins. When her mother is killed tn a car crash. young Amy (The Piano's 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 in a modified glider. An orphaned kid. sortie fluffy animals - bttt this gets beyong the formula by injecting some credible emotional depth itito the performances by the two leads. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Gattaca ( 15) (Andrew Niccol. US. 1997) Ethan Hawke. Uma Thurman. Jude Law. 106 mins. In the future. discrimination isn't based on the colour of a man's skin. bttt its genetic make-up. ‘Normally' born Vincent (Haw ke) forms a pact with crippled Jerome (Law) to use his genetic identity in an attempt to become an astronaut. 'llie 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
‘Ilolly wood' moments. Gattaca emerges as
a true individual in an industry of clones. Edinburgh: Cameo. Irvine: Magnum. Largs: Barrfields.
George Of The Jungle (U) (Sam Weisman. US. 1997) Brendan Fraser. Leslie Mann. Holland Taylor. 91 mins. Loincloth-clad hero Geroge (Fraser) saves San Fransican socialite Ursual (Mann). but his trip to the urban jungle is shortlived 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: Odeon. Galashiels: Pavilion.
Gion Festival Music ( l 2) (Kenji Mizoguchi. Japan. 1953) 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. Glasgow: Gl’l‘.
Good Burger (PG) (Brian Robbins. US. 1997) 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 burger joint 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. Edinburgh: Odeon. Greenock: Waterfront.
GoodFellas ( 18) (Martin Scorsese. US. 1990) Robert De Niro. Ray Liotta. Joe Pesci. Lorraine Braco. Paul Sorvino. 145 mins. Liotta plays Henry Hill. a real-life mafioso. with De Niro as his mentor in crime. And while the bullets. fists and carving knives fly. Scorsese brings us back to that unavoidable question — yes. it's glamorous and lucrative to live this way. but can anyone really live with the consequences? Edinburgh: Cameo.
Good Will Hunting (15) (Gus Van Sant. US. 1997) Matt Damon. Robin Williams. Minnie Driver. 126 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 Affleck won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. but it‘s Williams in an understated performance who steals the show. An insightful script. tenderly acted. Edinburgh: Dominion.
Great Expectations (15) (Alfonso Cuaron. US. 1997) Ethan Hawke. Gwyneth Paltrow. Anne Bancroft. I 10 mins. Hollywood's free adaptation of Dickens's novel turns a dank. foggy tale into a dayglo romance incorporating art. sex and the media. Hawke plays a young artist who becomes the toast of New York. but can't get Paltrow out of his mind. Adding colour are Robert De Niro as a gruff convict and Anne Bancroft doing her version of Miss Havisharn. It's at its best when faithful to the novel. but when the action shifts. the film dies a quiet predictable death. Glasgow: ABC Film Centre.
Gummo (18) (Harmony Korine. US. 1997) Jacob Reynolds. Nick Sutton. Chloe Sevigny. 89 mins. A combination of both beautiful and repulsive images. (‘ummo — from kids scriptwriter Harmony Korine - is a jumbled collage of strange scenes. Two scrawney boys cycle around a dreary middle-American town killing stray cats. while two teenage girls and a solitary kid with pink rabbit ears crop up randomly throughout. Like a weird scrapbook of sometimes raw. sometimes poetic sketches. Gummo has the trendy feel of a youth generation movie. See feature and review. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Happy Together ( 15) (Wong Kar-Wai. Hong Kong. 1997) Leslie Cheung. Tony Leung. Chang Chen. 96 mins. Two gay guys from Hong Kong try to make a fresh start in Buenos Aires and disrupt their routine of breaking up and getting back together again. Narratively simpler than Wong's previous movies (C hungking Express. Fallen Angels). but certainly not devoid ofdistinctive directorial style. Happy Niger/1w features a colourful collage of amazing