Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, credits. brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Miles Fielder.
Antz (PG) (Eric Darnell. Tim Johnson. US. l998) 'lhe voices of Woody Allen. Sharon Stone. Gene Hackman. 83 mins. When worker ant Z-4l95 (Allen) meets Princess Bala (Stone). he falls completely in love; btit. while trying to prove himself as a soldier. he uncovers a dastardly plan by General Mandible (Hackman) to flood the colony. Ant: is brightly coloured and ftill of gags. so adults will chuckle while kids are pulled in by the slick computer animation. See review. (ieneral release.
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (I5) (.Iay Roach. US. I997) Mike Myers. Iilizabeth Hurley. Michael York. ()4 mins. Austin Powers. the 60s silliest superspy. is brought out of suspended animation and pitted him against his old nemesis. But the world has moved on three decades. so his tin-PC catchphrases and behaviour create a bit of a comic time-clash. Written by and starring ll’uvne's World's Mike Myers. Airs/iii Powers" has perfect detail. spot-on casting and a hilarious mix of clever pastiche and toilet gags. St. Andrews Picture House.
Bandit Queen I I8) (Shekhar Kapur. India. I‘M-'1) Seema Biswas. Nirmal Pandey'. Marijoj Bajpai. l l9 mins. Using the story of Indian outlaw Phoolan Devi. Kapur savagely attacks the caste system and the way it allows men to continually abuse women. Huger controversial in its home country (although it was funded by Channel 4). Bum/ii Queen is a major international film. and as far from normal Indian fare as Ken l.oach is from an MUM musical. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Bicycle Thieves (PG) (Vittorio I)e Sica. Italy. I048) Lamberto Maggiorani. linzo Staiola. An unemployed Italian workman has his bicycle stolen. and badly needs it for a new job. so he and his small son search the busy streets of Rome for it. The epitome of Italian neo-realism. with the Roman setting vividly sketched and the performances compellingly natural. so that this unromantic drama takes on an overwheming power. Masterly stuff. Iidinburgh: I:IIlllll()lISC. Blade ( IS) (Stephen Nori'ington. US. l998) Wesley Snipes. Stephen Dorff. Kris Ki'istofferson. IZI mins. Young Brit director Norrington‘s techno-vampire movie — based on the Marvel Comics character — is marred by weak storytelling and flashy computer- game v isuals_ ()iie hoped for sustained atmospherics and coherent mythology: instead. this fashionably updated take on vampire lore squanders its innovative ideas on a series of disjointed set-pieces that never achieve any cumulative power. See review. (ieneral release.
Blade Runner: The Director's Cut ( IS) (Ridley' Scott. US. Will/()3) Harrison Ford. Sean Young. Rutger Hauer. I lo mins. ()ut go the pseudo-non narration and the tacked on happy ending; in comes a more defined sense that Deckard himself may be a replicant. The look and feel remain as powerful. and the acting is superb. A flawed masterpiece is now a restored masterpiece. Edinburgh; I-"ilmhouse.
Le Bossu ( l 5) (Philippe De Broca. I'l'illlCC. l‘)‘)7) Daniel Auteuil. Vincent Perez. l-‘abrice I.uchiiii) IZS mins. ()riginally written in the form of a I‘)th century serialised novel. I.(' lios vii Iias an abundance of plot. with the action centering on the exposure of an aristocrat's dastardly bastard brother. and the restoration to wealth of an heiress. It's never easy to engage with characters who have less dimensionality than a Walt Disney cartoon. ()nly an uiidemanding audience would let this go and be satisfied with the film. I’alkirk: I’I‘H. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Buffalo 66 ( l 5) (Vincent (iallo. US. I998) Vincent (iallo. Christina Ricci. Angelica Huston. I ll) mins. Life for Billy Brown is so awful that lie reconstructs himself from lies upon his release from a live year prison spell. Kidnapping a young girl named Layla. Brown colicocts a story for his parents. whom. it turns otit. bear very little love for
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their son. While (iallo has a black sense of humour and finds absurdity in the lives of the film's lower-class American characters. it becomes clear that Buffalo 66 is a deeply life-affirming film. (ilasgow: (iilmore Hill. The Castle( l 5) (Rob Sitch. Australia. l‘)‘)7) Michael Caton. Anne 'leiiiiey'. Stephen Curry. 86 mins. In this rough-and-ready but surprisingly engaging comedy. a naive Australian family take on the might of a faceless corporation when their suburban home is threatened by an airport development. The film is dramatically awkward in places and runs out of steam before its admittedly brief running time is up. but the filmmakers' affection for their characters pulls it through. Stirling: MaeRobert.
Cube ( l 5) Vincenzo Natali. Canada. NOS) ()2 mins. Sis people awake in a cubic chamber with a door in each wall. With no memory of how they got there. they quickly learn they are in a maze made of similar cubes. many of which are booby-trapped with lethal devices. Should they attempt to escape'.’ And how‘.’ A fine example of creativity on a Iovv budget. the evecution of this nerve-racking sci-Ii thriller is as ingenious as its concept. Iidinburgh: ()deon Iialkirk. I-‘I’H.
Daens ( I 5) (Suit) Coninv. Belgium. 1993) Jan Decleir. (ierard I)esarthe. Anne de Boeek. 134 mins. The economic success of a 19th century Belgian mill tow n has been won at the cost of appalling conditions for the workers. so socialist priest Adolf Daens sets out on a crusade and wins a seat in parliament. to the disgust of the Conservative Catholic Party. Decleir's rugged authority carries the movie. which is decent middlebrow viewing with unimpeachable intentions. (ilasgovv' (il’l‘. Dark Victory (PG) (Iidmund (ioulding. I'S. I939) Bette Davis. Humphrey Bogart. l()5 mins. Davis has a high camp field day as a spoilt Long Island heiress who learns she has only has months to live. Part of (ilasgayl Glasgow: (il’l‘.
Das Boot: Director's Cut I I5) (w'oltgang Petersen. (iermany'. IQSI ).Iurgeii Prochnow. Herbert (irunmc,\er. Klaus Weunemann It)? mins. A hunter-killer siib is unleashed on Allied shipping in the North Atlantic. but the captain shares few of the Nazi ideals of his superiors. 'I'his visceral. twisty action drama redefined the ensemble realism. and its claustrophobic brilliance is only redoubled Ill this 3(l7-minute version, (ilasgovv. (it'osvettol'.
The Daytrippers ( IS) ((‘ireg Motlola. ('5. 1997) Hope Davis. I.iev Schreiber. Parker Posey. 87 mins. Strained as a family unit. the Malones pull together when daughter IiIiza suspects her husband is having an affair. So begins a chaotic and disputatiotis trawl through New York in a station wagon. Mottola's script is as painfully incisive as it is funny and compassionate. IIIal it succeeds as a film is thanks to its talented
cast. who revel in the psychological subtleties of their parts. Iidinburgh: I-ilmhouse.
Divorcing Jack I IS) (David Calfrey. UK. I998) David 'l'hewlis. Robert Lindsay. Laura Fraser. ll() mins. The year is l‘)‘)‘) and the independent state of Northern Ireland is united around slick Prime Ministerial candidate .‘vlichael Brinn. The focus. however. is on journo Dan Starkey. his failing marriage. his boo/.iiig and his infidelity with an art student who gets murdered 'I‘he puzzle estends to all quarters of the new state. Irvine; Magnum.
Dr Dolittle (Pti ) (Betty ‘I‘homas. IS. “’98) Iiddie .‘vlui'piiy. ()ssie Davies. ()liver Platt. 85 mins. A turkey with Rev Harrison in its original form. and still pretty due this time round. ‘I'his wild family adventure offers crude bottom humour for tire [iii/w audience. but the talking animals gimmick battles with cheesy morality and nothing comes together. ()verall. the film might have benefitted from a simpler. less snappy and more family orientated tale. while Murphy 's comic judgement has again become decidedly questionable. (ieneral release.
The Driver ( l5) (Walter Hill. I'S. l‘)7.\‘) Ryan ()‘Neal. Bruce I)ci'ti. Isabelle Adiaiii. 9| mins. llill‘s second film can be viewed as either an evistential thriller. or a car chase movie about an ice cold getaway driver and the obsessive cop trying to nail him. Take your pick. ‘Ihe dy namic chases rival even the most famous screeching vvheelfest of them all in [iii/Iiir. Iidinburgh: I-"ilmhouse Dunston Checks In (I’ti) (Ken Kwapis. US. I995) .lason Alcvandcr. I-aye Dunavvay. Iiric Iloyd SS mins. IhereK monkey business aplenty when a ievvel thief smuggles his oraiigutan partner-iii-crime into a posh hotel. Adults will get even more out of this than kids. because the humour is irresistible. the characters suitany loathsome or adorable. and Sam the (hang a star in the making.
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The Eighth Day I IS) (.Iaco \aii I)oi'liiael. I‘raiice. two) Daniel Autciiil. Pacal Dutpieune I H mins. The follow-up film by the director ol rm.) /.i' I/i'i'ov will disappoint most. annoy many and win over only a few Auteuil plays an uptight businessman whose life is ti'aiisl'oi med when he comes into contact with .3 man with Downs Syiitliome (Iluziuenne. 'I he Illlll shifts its styles boldly from sentiment to comedy to drama. and its moments of bi/ari'e magic realism give it a lift. but ultimately Il fills mto the dreadful handicapped people are touched by (iod' cliche beloved of Hollywood (ilasgow: (il’l‘.
Elizabeth ( I5) (Shekhar Kapiir. I'K. I‘NS) ('ate Blaiichett. (ieofl'rey Rush. (.‘hris‘topher Iicclestone, III) mins. Not your typical frock flick. Shekhar Is'apur's film may be ravishing to look at. btit it‘s altogether darker and more disturbing than you'd evpecl .\ political thrillei from ‘I‘udor history. in which Blanchett's pc‘l'ltu'llltlllv'c
Sharp dresser: Wesley Snipes in Blade
turns cherished notions about Iingland's Virgin Queen on their head. A gripping and intelligent work. Glasgow: ()deon Quay. ()deon City Centre. Showcase. UCI Clydebank. Iidinburgh; ()deon. UCI. Kilmarnock: ()deon.
Eve ( lS) (Joseph Losey. I’rance/Italy. l962) Stanley Baker. Jeanne .‘vloreau. Virna l.isi.
I IS mins. A decade before the better-known Hon '1 Look Now. Losey' also made a film of considerable emotional power and set it in Venice. Here. the fine. but underated Baker plays a loud mouth Welsh novelist trapped in a loveless marriage. Out of the frying pain and into the fire goes Baker when he meets Moreau's cold-hearted temptress live. Baroque. exotic. pessimistic [ii-c and dated in the best way. ie. they don't make 'em like this anymore. Iidinburgh: Filmhouse. Ever After (PCi) (Andy 'I‘ennant. US. l9“)8) Drew Barrymore. Dougray Scott. Angelica Huston) Ill) mins. Why film a story synonymous with Walt Disney animation? Because it purports to be the definitive one. The filmmakers invest the tale with some PC values. most obviously in its heroine who shows 'girl power“ independence and intellect. Barrymore manages to be both sweet and gutsy. bill the surprise lies in Scott's engaging turn as the Prince. (ilasgow: I'CI Cly'debank. Iidinburgh: ABC Multiplex. IX‘I. [East Kilbride: UCI. Kilmarnock: ()deon. Wishaw': Arrow.
Eve‘s Bayou ( IS) (Kasi Lenimons. US. IQ‘)S) Samuel L. Jackson. Lynn Whitfield. Debbi Morgan. IOS mins. Set firmly in the Southern (iothic storytelling mould shaped by William I-"aulker. Ilarper I.ee. 'I‘ennessee Williams. t’l (If. actress I.emmons' directing debut is a blast. The prolonged opening family party sequence. in which some uncomfortable secrets and lies are unearthed. introduces the inhabitants of the eponymous Louisiana property. The ensuing melodrama is played out by uniformly excellent cast. Iidinburgh: Cameo.
The Evil Dead (IS) (Sam Riami. US. I982) Bruce Campbell. Iillen Sandweiss. Betsy Baker S.< mins. I5iv'e unsuspecting youngsters head off for a healthy weekend in a mountain cabin. only to fall foul of
w icked demons whose purpose is — wait for II wholesale slaughter. livery horror cliche is cvploited and subverted in this stylish. cheapo \c‘liltic‘kcl'-shocker made Willi imagination by an inventive young team. Iidiuburgh: (‘ameo
The Exorcist ( IS) (William I‘riedkiii. L‘S. I973) Linda Blair. Iillen Burstyti. Mas Von Sydow. I l() mins. Iiaruest priest Von Sydovv steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this huger effective scarefest. Now re- released in remastered form. will) a super stereo soundtrack (so you can hear those obscenities in ftill). Dead good. dead scary. dead priest. (ialashiels: Pavilion.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas ( I .s‘) i'l‘erry' (iilliam. US. NUS) Johnny Depp. IIS mins. As adaptations of cult books go.