FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (l5) (Clint Eastwood. US. I997) Kevin Spacey. John Cusack. Jude Law. 155 mins. Eastwood bites off more than he can chew with this discursive tale of life and crime in the beautifully preserved ()ld Southern town of Savannah. Georgia. The main narrative concerns the murder of the gay lover of hot) viveur Spacey. but liastwood gets side- tracked by sub-plots. A likeable movie that is subtly ingratiating rather than brazenly insistent. Glasgow: GI’I‘. Stirling: MacRobert.
Mimic (I8) (Guillermo Del 'l‘oro. US. I998) Mira Sorvino. Jeremy Northam. Charles S. Dutton. l05 mins. Genetically altered insects designed to eradicate disease- carrying cockroaches Iiave mutated and bred in the tunnels beneath New York. While scientists and other humans wander around not always avoiding the razor-sharp legs and bone-crushing mandibles of the insect predators. Mexican director Del 'I'oro juxtaposes images of poetic beauty with scenes of stark terror. A superior big hug movie. Irvine: WMR.
The Misfits (PG) (John Huston. US. I9()I) Marilyn Monroe. Clark Gable. Montgomery Clift. I24 mins. Heaven knows what mood persisted on the set of sombre Western. as it ended up being the last film for both Monroe and Gable — and Clift too was in something of a decline. despite his superb performance. Gable plays a cowboy who comes across divorcee Monroe when she's freeing captive horses with disillusioned rodeo rider Clift. Arthur Miller's intelligent script is a character study set as dusk falls on the Old West. Glasgow: Gl’l'. MouseHunt (U) (Gore Verbinski. US. I997) Nathan Lane. Lee Iivans. Christopher Walken. 98 mins. Lane and livans play hapless brothers who inherit a decripit mansion. but when they decide to renovate auction it. a resident rodent is not willing to be evicted. An excellent blend of Laurel and Hardy slapstick and black humour. Mouse/Jim! is sheer entertainment and has some real belly laughs. The tone and the pacing are spot-on throughout. and the sets and special effects are the icing on the cake. Glasgow: Odeon Quay. Showcase. Cumbernauld: Theatre. Falkirk: Town Hall. Greenock: Waterfront. Largs: Barrtields. Paisley: Showcase.
Mr Magoo (PG) (Stanley ‘I‘ong. US. I997) beslie Nielsen. Kelly Lynch. Matt Keeslar. 87 mins. When a priceless stolen gem falls into the hands of bumbling millionaire Quincy Magoo. who keeps on emerging unscathed as chaos ensues around him. This live action version of the short cartoons relies on broad physical slapstick for its comedy rather than verbal jokes. American critics slaughtered the film — ‘an insult to the intelligence of the entire human race' (USA Today). Glasgow: ()deon Quay. City Centre Odeon.
My Fair Lady (PG) (George (‘ukoiz US.
38 THE "ST 23 Jul—6 Aug I998
I964) Rex Harrison. Audrey Hepburn. Stanley Holloway. I75 mins. l-‘amiliar screen adaptation of Lerner and Loewe‘s musical slant on l’_vgnitilimi. notable for a catalogue of great tunes. Harrison‘s. somehow endearing half-spoken singing. and Cecil Beaton's splendid costume designs (especially in the racecourse sequence). Glasgow: GI’II
North 8y Northwest (PU) (Alli-ed Hitchcock. US. I959) Cary Grant. lave Marie Saint. James Mason. 1% nuns Quintessential Hitchcock comedy -actioner with Grant perfect as the everyday adman pitched into a freewheeling espionage adventure. where nobody believes his innocence btit he finds self-worth and romance along the way. Classic sequences abound. including the crop-dusting routine and the Mount Rtishmore climas. Brilliant entertainment. lidinburgh: l‘ilmliouse.
The Object Of My Affection ( I5) (Nicholas Hy'tner. US. I99S) Jennifer Aiiiston. Paul Rudd. Nigel Hawthorne. Ill mins. Nina falls for George and. as it the way of Hollywood romantic comedies. there's a major obstacle lying in the way of true love. 'lhis time. however. the complication has a twist »— he's gay. 'l‘he film plays against its genre by being more concerned with the pain of unrequited love than with romantic fulfilment. but there's a blandness that prevents it from being truly successful. General release.
Paulie (PG) (John Roberts. l’S. I99Silay Mohr. 'l'ony Shalhoub. Gena Row lands. 9| mins. Caged in a research institute. Paulie the parrot relates his life-story: from helping a little girl with a stutter to a series of adventures with various adults. Neither as immediately cute nor as bizarrely inspired as Bribe. l’tiulie nevertheless marks a step in the right direction for the Dream\\'orks studio. Jay Mohr's vocal talents give the parrot a streetwise sense. wile the mix of live action and animatronics is always realistic. See review. General release. Paws (PG) (Karl '/.wicky. .'\ustralia/l'ls'. I997) Nathan Cavaleri. Iimilie Iiiancois. voice of Billy Connolly. 83 mins. ('lcvci' doggie PC is on a mission to deliver a computer disc. btit is being tracked down by the unpleasant baddic who killed his master. Befriending computer whiu. kid Zac. the mutt links tip to a voice simulator and starts talking with the broad twang of Billy Connolly. Some genuinely funny moments allow for a whole range of teenage crises to be dealt with in an uncringcworthy fashion. lidinburgh: ()deon. Ayr: ()deon.
Psycho (I5) (Alfred Hitchcock. l'S. I9(v()) Anthony Perkins. Janet Leigh. Vera Miles. I()9 mins. Hitch's horror masterpiece has a young secretary take off to hicksville with a bagful of her boss's money. Unfortunately for her she chooses to ptit tip at the Bates' Motel. run by that nice Norman boy. The ironic dialogue ( ‘Mother's not quite herself today") make it a joy to catch any time around. We liked it didn't we mother mother'.’ See preview and review. Glasgow.
(ii-'I‘.
Red Corner ( l5) (Joti Av net. US. I997) Richard Gere. Bai Ling. l3? mins. Given that this formulaic thriller stars Richard (iere (well known pal of Tibet's Dalai Lama). it's obvious the Chinese won't come otit of it looking very good Gere plays an American businessman stitched tip for rape and murder in Beijing who faces a corrupt
judicial sy stem. The prison scenes are
certainly horrific. but the film cannot match their authenticity elsewhere. The plot is simply absurd and the characters are too flat to care about. Largs. Barrficlds.
Rude Boy t IS) (Jack Ila/an Iv Dav id Slingay. UK. I980) Ray Gauge. ’l’hc Clash. 'l'erry .'\lc(.)uade. I33 mins The Clash disow iied this drama/documentary portrait of the punk era. though its most interesting aspect is certainly the escelletit footage of the band in concert. backstage and at rehearsal. Centring on one particular disaffected and politically confused youth (Gauge). ll gives some kind of reminder of the national malaise w hich allow ed the Tories to get elected iii the first place. (iltisgtiysi King ’lilllis.
Saviour t IX) (Peter Antonijev ic. UK/US. I99S) Dennis ()uaid. Nastassja Kitiski. Stellan Skarsgard. Ill} mins. ()uaid plays a mercenary w ho undertakes to move a traumatised woman and new-born child to safety through the hell that is Bosnia iii I993. A truly brutal and damning indictment of war in general. the film finds blame for atrocities on all sides. Quaid gives an unprecedented pcrformancein a film that goes beyond what we might have expected. given the .-\iiierican input. See review. (ilasgow. (il’l‘.
Scream ( IS) (\Ves Craven. l'S. I996) Nev'e Campbell. Courtency Cos. Drew Barrymore. l l I iiiitis. ‘l'hc teenagers of \Vootlshtiro know they 're typical stalker fodder. so when a killer hits town. they gather in an enormous house to watch IioiTor movies as the real bad guy gets closer. Self- conscious references are good ftiii. the opening sequence is genuine white-knuckle material. and - if yoti know the rules —- you'll find it perfectly scary and funny. .‘vlothcrwellz .‘vloviehotisc.
Scream 2 I IS) (Wes Craven. l'S. I99S) Neve Campbell. Courtney Cos. |.eiv Sclirciber. Ill) mins. 'l'wo years after the Woodsboro murders. Sidney Prescott (Campbell) is now a college student. trying to piece her life back together. Btit when an audience member is slashed to death during the premiere of horror movie Stu/i. the nightmare begins again. The film fails to fully integrate the many in-jokey' references to horror sequel conventions. btit it's still streets ahead of what passes for horror nowadays. .‘vlotherwcll: Moviehouse.
The Searchers tI’(;) (John I-‘ord. US. I956) .loliii Way ne. \"cra Miles. .leffrey Hunter. I l9 mins_ ()ne of Lords finest Westerns. and hence one of the greatest achievements of the genre has Way nc as the obsessive lithan lidwards. a man whose five-year quest to
i“
Pigeon English: Eddie Murphy in Dr Doolittle
hunt down the liidians who murdered his wife and captured his young daughter has developed into a thirst for murderous revenge. Indeed. his drive is not only to murder the Indians btit to kill his own offspring because she's been tainted by her time with the Redskins. With Wayne at his most intense. this is one of old Hollywood's darker. richer moments. lidinburgh: I-‘iImhouse.
Serial Mom ( IS) (John Waters. US. I994) Kathleen Turner. Sam Waterston. Ricki Lake. 93 mins. Underneath the apple-pie ideals of the Sutphins' model suburban home. mom Bech is going to deadly extremes to keep her family nest feathered. 'l'he sickest. funniest American comedy to hop the Atlantic for ages. Waters latest adds a zesty twist of cruelty to satire on family values. political correctness and America's adulation of criminals in the media. Glasgow: (il’l'.
Seven ( IS) (David l‘incher. US. I995) Brad Pitt. Morgan lireeman. Gwyneth Paltrovv. l27 mins. The outline is familiar — two cops track down a serial killer — but Seven is a step ahead of its rivals. From its opening title sequence onwards. it's an extremely. dark movie which winds through the most twisted recesses of human nature. liach death is a graphic interpretation of one of the seven deadly sins. giving Alien .i‘ director liincher the material for an intense stylistic exercise it) horror. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Shall We Dance? (PG) (Masayuki Stio. Japan. I997) ls'oji Yakusho. 'l‘amiyo Kusakari. I35 mins. The biggest Japanese hit ever at the US box office. this upbeat movie might grab some of the mainstream crowd in the same way as I! l’osiiiio. Shoei leads a predictable life at work and at home until he is transformed by his new hobby —< ballroom dancing. A real charmer. with a hidden sense of emotional maturity. Iidinburgh: l‘lllttllmts‘c‘.
The Sheltering Sky t I8) (Bernardo Bertolucci. UK/ltaly. I990) Debra Winger. John Malkovich. Campbell Scott. Jill Bennett. I38 mins. 'l'hc subtlety of Patil Bovvles' novel is not fully communicated. and Bertolucci 's alterations have been frowned upon. btit ironically the departures from the test are the source of the most intense cinematic images. In the central roles as the doomed American couple seeking adventure. Winger's Kit may be flawed. btit Malkovich's Port is a superbly intuitive characterisation. lidinburgh: I-‘ilmhouse.
Six Days, Seven Nights ( I 2) (Ivan Reitman. US. I998) Harrison l-‘ord. Anne Heche. David Schwimmer. I02 mins. liord is a dissolute pilot. content with island- hopping jobs in the south Pacific; Heche is the single-minded magazine editor with whom he unexpectedly ends tip stranded on a desert island. Will bitchy comments and knockabout humour lead to romance'.’ 'lhe stars make a winning screen couple. although the film itself settles for easier comedic options and light-hearted adventure. General release.
Slaves To The Underground (18) (Kristine Peterson. US. I996) 93 mins. When Shelley is raped by her lover's best friend. she dumps him. joins an all-girl baiid and begins a steamy affair with the lead singer. Very hip, very sassy take on bisexual choices in the 90s. Part of the lesbian and Gay Film I5estival. Iidinburgh; liilmhouse.
Sliding Doors ( IS) (Peter Howitt. UK. I998; (iwy neth l’altrow. Johti Hannah. John Lynch. 99mins. Mousy-haired PR executive Helen gets fired and discovers her handsome Irish boyfriend is a two-timer. Blonde PR woman Helen is more successful and dates a handsome Scot. 'I'his sharply observed romantic coiiietly splits Helen's life in two when she tiiisses/catchcs a tube train. Utterly entertaining. and one of the best British movies of I998. General release. Sling Blade (I5) (Billy Bob 'l'hornton. US. I996) Billy Bob 'lhornton. Dwight Yoakum. J.'I‘. Walsh. I35 mins. Writer-director-star 'l'hornton's ()scar-winning (for Best Screenplay) is nowhere near as mawkish as Rum Man or Forrest Guru/i. Thornton plays a slightly retarded man jtist out of prison. who returns to his small Southern hometown only to witness the same pattern of abuse that triggered his earlier murderous attack.