Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate. credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (U) (Michael Curtiz. US. l938) lirrol l-lynn. ()livia De Havilland. Basil Rathbone. 102 mins. Sparkling. ()scar-winiiing evcitement as Flynn and his merry men fight the evil Prince and the wicked Rathboiie to help the poor and capture the hand of the fair l)e Havilland. l’eerless sword-play and an infectious sense of hiin spirits. (ilasgow: (il’l’.
Un Air De Famille ( I5) (Cedric Kltlpisell. l’rance. l‘)‘)7f Jean-Pierre Bacri. (‘laire Maurier. Agnes Jaoui. |()‘) mins. Klapisch‘s follow-up to the delightful When The (11/ 'v /lll'(l_\' is a witty expose of faitiily interaction. (iathering to celebrate a birthday. the family's dinner conversation crescendos from gossip to bitchiness. 'l'hc film retains an element of its stage roots. but has a sharply comic point of view. lidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse. Stirling: MacRobert. Amateur ( I5) (Hal Hartley. US. I‘M-ti Isabelle Htippert. Martin Donovan. lilina Loweiisohn. 105 mins. Isabelle. an e\-llllll writing porn stories. meets aiiinesiac Thomas on the streets of New York: soon they find that his past is somehow Iiiikcd to Sofia. a porn actress. and two violent corporate assassins. The patented Hartley dialogue and wit is ever present. btit this time there area few filmic jokes thrown in with references to specific genres and other movies. lidinburgh: ('aiiieo.
Amistad ( IS) (Steven Spielberg. l'S. 1007) Anthony Hopkins. Morgan l-‘reeiiiaii. Djimon Hounsou. l5] itiiiis. After a revolt on a shit) off the coast of Cuba in IS“). a group of slaves are captured by an American naval cutter and ptit on trial for piracy and murder. Spielberg botches this fascinating tale not because of historical inaccuracy. but through narrative incompetence — the film falls apart in the courtrtmiii. where scenes come across as [A ll!” done in period costume. Kirkcaldyt Adam Smith. Stirling: .‘vlacRobert. Anastasia (U) (Don Blulh/( iai'y (ioldiiian. US. l‘)‘)7) Voices of Meg Ryan. Christopher Lloyd. John ('usack. 0-1 mins. With this widescrcen romantic musical adventure. animator Don Bliitli offers a film that rivals Disney. Rewriting history somewhat. evil magician Rasputin puts a curse on the 'l‘sai“s family and causes the WW Revolution. The child princess Anastasia survives. but grows as an orphan. unable to remeiiibei' her past. Willi extraordinary action sequences. exquisite characterisatioiis and beautiful songs. Motherwell: Moviehouse
As Good As It Gets ( l5i (James |.. Brooks. US. I097) Jack Nicholson. Helen Hunt. (ii'eg Kiiiiiear. IR‘) mins. Neurotic w ritcr Melvin suffers frqu obsessiv'e-coiiipulsive disorder. but compensates for his lonely life by becoming a master of abuse (‘arol. 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. (ilas‘govv': ()deon Quay. Cumberiiauld: 'llieatre.
Barney's Great Adventure (t’i 7: lllllls‘. A kids'l‘V phenomenon. Barney the purple dinosaur's big screen debut finds him down on a farm with a trio of kids in search of a magic egg. The all singin’. all dancin' Barney struts his way through the simple story with regular singalongs. making the film perfect for under-fives. (ieneral release.
Before The Rain ( IS) (Milclio .\lanclie\ski. UK/llance/Alacedonia. I‘M—ti Radc Serbed/ija. Katrin (’aitlidge. ll5 inins. 'l‘hi'ee interlinked tales shed light on the current Balkan conflict by' concentrating on fraught relationships and love affairs in Macedonia and London. The film‘s main strength lies in the authenticity of its naked emotions and superb landscape photography. creating a heartfelt lament for a splintering culture. lidinburgh: l-'ilmhouse.
30 THE llST 9—23 Jul 1998
The Big Lebowski ( I-S') (Joel (pen. t'S.
l‘)‘)7) Jeff Bridges. John (ioodiiian. Steve Buscemi. ll3 iiiins. The (‘oen brothers give their unique twist to a Chandler-esque l.A noir. as 70s hippy throwback Jeff “the
Dude' l.ebowski (Bridges) is draw ii into the sordid affairs of his millionaire namesake. 5 Suddenly he has to sleuth his way through disorganised crime. 'l‘rademark oddball characters. surreal imagery and evcellent performances grace this virtuoso comedy. (ilasgow: (il-‘l‘. lidiiibiirgh: Cameo.
Blues Brothers 2000 (Mb (John Landis.
US. I‘NS) Dam Aykroy-d. John (ioodiiian. Joe Morton. IZ-l mins. liightcen years have passed since the boys brought good music back into the souls of the masses. .lake Blues is gone to the big gig in the sky. btit lilwood embarks on a crtisadc to re-foriii the original band. Now his sidekicks are Mighty Mack Mc'lcer. his black stepbrother and a ten-ycar-old orphan. On one hand. there‘s inept staging. stilted dialogue and rotten - i acting. One the other are the silly' gags. car crashes —- and great music. lidiiiburgh: Cameo. li'vine: Magnum. l.args; Barrfields. Boogie Nights ( [8) (Paul Thomas | Anderson. US. l‘)‘)7) Mark Wahlberg. Burt Reynolds. Julianne Moore. l5) mins. Doing for porn filmmakiiig what (ithr/ft'l/(tv did for gangsters. Boogie Niel/Iv charts the rise. 5 fall and redemption of a fictional porn I superstar (Wahlbci'g) against the enormous changes wrought in the industry between the 7tls and Slls. large-scale social commentary and small-scale human dramas account for the film‘s epic feel. vv lfile the kitscli laslilons and funky disco souiidtiack create a film that is as ambitious as it is entertaining. (ilasgovv: (il’l‘. lidinburgh: l-‘ihiihoiise. Boys Shorts ( 13) S4 nlills. first love. tensions between father and son. and sex in public toilets are btit three of the subjects covered in this collection of siv gay shorts. l’ait of the Lesbian and (iay l‘ilm l‘cstival. lidinburgh: l-‘iliiihousc.
Breakdown ( l5) (Jonathan Mostow. l'S. l‘)‘)7) Kurt Russell. Kathleen Quinlan. J.'l. Walsh. ()3 mins. When their car breaks down in the desert. a nightmare begins for yuppie Rtissell after his vv ife accepts a lift from truck driver Walsh. then disappears off the face of the earth. A solid. silly. amiabl.‘ suspenseful romp that's stuck firmly w itliiii its particular corner of the suspense genre and is on first name terms w ith every cliche in the immediate v iciiuty. If you can bear the familiarity of lhejoui'ncy. then sit back and enjoy the ride. (ilasgovv; Showcase. Carrie ( | 8) (Brian l)el’aliiia. t’S. |‘)7(ii Sissy Spacek. l’ipet' Laurie. .loliii 'l'i‘avolta. US mins. l)el’aliiia's adaptation of Stephen King is still the hiin school angst movie to endl'em all. Distressingly awkward teen Spacek's adolescent evperience is so humiliating that she develops telekinelic powers. and the school bullies arc to get their coiiieuppance when their prom night pranks fly right back in their faces. Dcl’alma does have an undeniable flair for the big moment like the elaborately staged final massacre. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (t’i (Ken Hughes. UK. 19th Sally Anne How es. Dick Van l)y kc. l.ioiie| .lef'fi'ies. I45 mins. l.eiigthy. effects-filled children‘s adv entui'c conceived iii the wake of .l/(irv I’nppmv' hugecommercial success. btit with a charm (and great songs) all of its ow ll. Dick Van Dyke is the mad inventor whose fly ing car propels his children and romantic interest Hovv es to a far-off land of adventure. (ilasgovs': (il‘vll.
City Of Angels ( l2) ( Brad Siberliiig. l’S. l‘NSi Meg Ryan. Nicolas Cage. l)eniiis l5ranl. ll7 mins. (‘age plays an angel who falls in love with heart surgeon Ryan in this earnest btit unintentionally leadcn remake of Wiiii Wendei's' sublime “'11in 0/ Hum: Moments of high emotion are off-set by flashes of humour. btit the (iothic magnificence of Wenders' film is replaced by a soft focus. filtered earnestness that pushes the story towards soapy iiielodi‘ama
(ienei'al release.
Cry Baby ( I2) (John Waters. [18. [Win Johnny l)epp. Amy |.ocaiie. Stisan 'lyicll. S5 mins. Baltimore. I954. and droolsoiiie drape Johny l)epp's across-the-tracks romance with once prim Square gal l.ocanc is the calaly st for open warfare between the tow n's teen factions. btit love is to prove
‘ i: ’3;
On a knife edge: Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade
itself stronger than prison bars. Boasting the usual theoretical trash casting (Traci Lords. l’atty Hearst. lggy l’op). lapsed slea/e merchant Waters' most mainstream effort to date is an evubei'ant and knowing satire on 50s juvenile delinquency movies. (ilasgow: (El-'l‘.
Dark City t I St (Alev l’roy'as. UK. NUS) Rufus Sevvell. Kiefer Sutherland. William Hurt. ltlt) mins. l’art noirish thriller. part paraiioic sci-fi. l’royas' follow-up to The ('ron' boasts stunning effects. design and photography. Sevv ell plays an aiiinesiac who wakes to find he is wanted for murder in a night-time city run by a mysterious clique Although it succeeds as a mystery. it's less assured in its final sci-fi incarnation. (ilasgow: ()deon Quay. lrvine: Magnum. Deep Impact ( f2) (Mimi l.edei'. t’s‘. I093)
Morgan l-iceman. lea l.eoni. Robert l)uvall.
Ill mins. A massive comet is tearing towards liarth at evtinction-lev'el speed. l’rcsident Morgan l‘rceiiian reveals that an underground shelter has been built to house a chosen few. and a national lottery will decide who gets tojoin the bigwigs down below. l)ei'p Int/nu I is a perfectly respectable disaster epic. rather like they tisetl to make ‘em. only flasher. .-\s lotto fever (ages. the film conveys disconsolatioii more than desperation (ilasgow: ()deon Quay. Show case. l'(‘| ('lydebaiik. lidinburgh. l'('l. liast l's'ilbride: [Kl (ialasliiels. l’avilion. l’aisley: Showcase. Diary Of A Mad Housewife ( ISi (l-rank l’erry. l'S. W70) Richard Benjamin. l5raiik l.angella. ('arrie Snodgress. 95 mins. Tired of her workaholic husband. a bored housew ife embarks on an affair with a writer but he's so self-centred. this relationship is just as bad. Rarely screened these day s. this swiping satire gets to the
heart of success-driven America. lidiiibui‘gh.
l'ilitihotisc.
Don't Look Back (l).A. l’ennebaker. L'l's'. l‘)(i7l Bob Dylan. Joan Bael. Donovan (to mms. I)ylan on tour in linglaiid in No.5 opening tip to the camera and meeting up
vv ith the likes of Alan l’rice. Allen (iinsberg and a sycophaiitic Donovan. The songs "l’he limes 'l'hey Are A-(‘hangmgK ‘Subterraneaii Homesick Blues'. etc cvcellciit. and master docuiiieiitarist l’eiiiiebaker has a good feel for the boredom of the ioad lidiiiburgh: l5ilmhoiise.
Eve's Bayou ( I5) (Kasi l.emmoiis. l’S. l‘)‘)7i (no iiiins. Actress Kasi l.emiiions makes her debut as writer-director with this
critically acclaimed sojourn through 'l'ennessce Williams country from the viewpoint of a ten-year-old girl. Samuel l.. Jackson stars as the head of a morally corrupt family. Special preview scieenings before the film opens in late August. (ilasgow: (il’l‘. lidiiiburgh: l‘iliiihousc.
The Exorcist ( i S) (William l‘riedkiii. l‘S. l‘)73i Linda Blair. lillen Bui‘styii. Mas Von Sydovv. llt) mitts liarnest priest \'on Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Now re- relcased in remastered form. with a super stereo soundtrack (so you can hear those obscenities in full i. l)ead good. dead scary. dead priest. (ieiieral release Fairytale: A True Story (tiiit‘fiai les 9 Sturridge. UK. WW) l-‘lorcnce lloatli. lili/abeih l5arl. l’aul Mc(iann. ()8 iiiins. lii telling the story of two lidwaidian girls who cause a sensation when they captuie a photographic image of fairies. l'iiflAltlft' manages to be more coherent and less downbeat than the similar I’liu/oeiii/i/iiuc I’rtirii'v. A carefully judged film that
provides mov ing cntcitaiiiiiicnt foi the
family audience lidinburgh. ( ldeon (ialashiels. l’av'ilioii (ilcnl'titlies‘ (inc-ma. Kiliiiariiock: ()deon.
Flubber (l‘i (l.es May field. l'S. l‘tfl7i
Robin Williams. Marcia ( iay Harden. ('hristUPher McDonald. “3 iiiiiis. 'l his
remake of NM Disney favourite 'llu’
sl/Mt’lll .‘fl’lt/t't/ l’lltft‘vvril’ v'.|\l\ it subdued Williams as a scientist who invents a gray ity defying goo. btit may well lose his fiancee
in the process. (‘oiiibiiiing many of the
worst. most annoying attiibutes of films designed to have family appeal". l'fH/t/it'r merely flops when it should fly. (ilasgow: ()deon Quay. l’('l ('lydebank. Ay r. ()deon. lrv'iiic; WMR. Kiiiiiarnock. ()deon. Motherwell: Moviehouse.
The Full Monty( l5i (l’eier (‘aiianeo. t'ls’. 1997i Robert Carlyle. ‘l'om Wilkinson. Maik Addy; ()3 mins. ('arly le plays (iai‘y. an unemployed Sheffield steelwoiker who.
along with an odd miv of foimer colleagues. decides to go one better than the
('hippendalc troupes that fill the local halls. (‘attaneo's laugh-out-Ioud film comes from
the same tradition as linivvu/ ()fr. mising eotnetly \\ ill] a strong social conscience and showing unemployment as an eiiiasculating evperience. It‘s the ordinariness of these blokes that gives the liliii both its humour
and its depth. (ilasgovv: (il-‘l‘. Motherwell: Moviehouse. i