Jacob‘s Ladder ( l8) (Adrian Lyne. CS. I990) Titn Robbins. Elizabeth Pena. Danny Aiello.
I I3 mins. Vietnam vet Jacob Singer is seeing some very strange things. like nurses with demons' horns and people with faces straight out of a Francis Bacon painting. As his grip on the reality of his present life begins to slip. he has recurring flashbacks to the night his platoon was wiped otit during the war. The director of l'itlttl .‘lHI'tlt'IIU/I and the writer of (i/im/ combine to ptill off one of the most terrifying. yet ultimately moving. paranoia thrillers of recent years. Iidinburgh: Catiieo. Kolya ( I 2) (Jan Syerak. Czech. I996) Zdenek Syerak. Andrej Chamilon. l.ibiise Sfratikova. HIS mins. Woinaniser and batchelor l.oitka marries a Russian woman who wants a Czech passport atid. w hen she skips the country. is left to look alter her five-year-old soti. Separated by language. nationality. age and blood. surrogate father and child discover how to care atid love across such divides. This winner of the Best I-‘oreign Language liilm oscar is a resonant mix of gentle humour atid wecpy emotion. with fiiie performances and brilliant crafting. (ilasgow: (if-'I'.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (l’(i) (India. I998) Sharukh Khan. Rani Mukheriee. l9() mins. Romantic family contedy concerning a mother w ith a mysterious past who i'eyeals all to her daughter on her birthday. In Hindi without subtitles. lidinbui'gh: Cattieo.
The Land Girls ( I 2) (hand Leland. t'Is’. I998) Anna I‘riel. Rachel \y'eisz. Catherine McCoiiiiack. l I l mins. Down on the farm comes a liltn that reminds tis of times passed. .\'ot necessarily good ttnies. of course. as it is set during the confusion of World War II. btil against this dramatic backdrop the human story it describes proves curiously affecting. Three contrasting young women tom the Land Army. only to find themselves knee-deep in rustic accents atid bad weather on a remote Dorset farm. Iidinbiirgh: Bruntoii 'I‘heati'e. Little Voice t I5) (Mark Herman. l'ls'. I998) Jane lltil'l'tic'lss. Brenda Blethyti. Michael Came 97 iiiitis. llort'ocks tect'eates her acclaimed performance in .Itiit Cartwriglit‘s I993 hit play as a repressed \‘orthern girl who reveals a i'emaikable gilt for impersonating great pop divas. I.itt|c \'oice's astonishing talent is discovered and exploited by her brassy. titan-hungry mother's latest lover. failed talent agent Ray Say. llorrocks is sensational as are Bletliyn as the mother and Caine as the sleazy agent. See preview and
rev tew. (ieneral release.
Lou Reed: Rock 8: Roll Heart ( I5) i‘l‘unoihy (iieenl'ield. L'S. I997) 85 mins. I’ortratt ofthe founder member of Velvet l'uderground. from Reed's literary studies under the legendary Delmot'e Schwart/ through Warhol's I’actory scene to his solo career in the seventies atid beyond. Part of the \Mli ()ti Tour season. (ilasgiiw. (iI-"I', lidinbtirgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
The Magic Sword (l') (l'it'ederik Du Cliatt.
l S. I998) With the voices of (ialy ()Idman. .lessalyii (itlsig. Cary Izlwes. 8S Illllls. All is happy under King Arthur's tule ittitil ev tl l.oi'd Rulier tries to steal lixcaltliiit'. When the wondioiis weapon becomes lost III the l'itil’liltltlc‘ll I‘orest. plucky yotitig Kaylcy reckons she's braye enough to save the day. This animated feature sticks to the Disney formula action. baw led-out ballads. kooky sidektcks bttt the animation itself lacks \Valt's grace. lidtttburgh; ()deon.
The Mask 0t Zorro (l’(i) (Martin Campbell. l'S. I998) Antonio Banderas. Catherine '/.eta .Ioiies. Anthony lltiplsllls. I37 mins. As apiece til iiltl-sclititil matinee lltikttlft. Ill/It‘ .I/(ka ()f Zomi flashes its blade w ith the best of them. but it's also clever enough to draw in a new audience by plundetiiig eyery Illtlllllt'sltlllml of the ac tion-adxentuie foriiitila. With the dark l..'lllll looks of .i romantic hero atid a physical ability to pull off the film‘s actobattc stunts and comedy. Bandeias is perfectly cast at) l‘.t‘l'(il l'l_\|lll for the 9()s. Swoi'dlights haven't looked this good since liasll Rallilititlc lttsl headed for the staircase. (ieneral release. Meet Joe Black (Martin Iii-est. t'S. I993) t I2) Brad Pitt. Anthony Ilopkiiis. Claire liorlatii. ISI mins. Shortly before his (iStIi birthday. old-fashioned niedta tycoon \Villtam I’arrish (Hopkins) suffers a heart attack. How ever. the (iiim Reaper turns otit to be an enigmatic young ntati (l’itt) who. it) return for some insights into the way that humans live. offers l’at'i'ish a few more precious days of lllt‘. l)C\|)llt‘ lllL‘ lk‘Sl L'lltit‘ls til lllL' c‘ttsl. lltls suiiipluously iealised adult fantasy mov ie is an
Talking tough: Samuel L. Jackson in the Negotiator
over-inflated vanity piece suffering from a chronic inability to fitid the emotional heart of an essentially simple story. See rev tew. (ienet‘al release.
Metallica Untitled ( )5) (Way ne tshain. t’S. I998) l4() ittitis. Rockttmenlary covering the l99(i/97 world tour iii which the spectacular stage show s were upstaged. as it were. w ith a series of disasters including a collapsing stage atid roadie on fire. Part of the .\'MI-'. ()ii Tour
season. (ilasgow: (ll-T. lidinburgh: l:llll)lI()lIs‘C.
The Mighty (I’Ci) (I’cter Chelsom. ITS. I998) Sharon Stone. (iena Row lands. Harry Deaii Stanton. 99 ttiitis. It's hard to imagine tlits filtii finding and satisfying an audience iti adults or children. Adults may be drawn by the heavyweight acting talents. btit would then be left agog as the two nippers foil abusive thugs with little more than water pistols and integrity. Younger viewers may well entoy the boys' visions of ktiiglits roaming through modern urban America. btit couldn‘t fail to be disturbed by the heart-tending scenes it) which l’reak‘s crippling disease takes its inev itable. tragic toll. Iidiuburgh; Cameo.
Miller's Crossing t I8) (Joel Coet). I‘S. I990) (iabriel Byrtie. Albert I-‘tnney. Marcia (iay Harden. John 'I‘urturro. Joti I’oIito. J.l-Z. l-‘reeman. I IS mins. The Coen Brothers' latest opus is a predictably qtttrky-but-styltsh reworking of genre material —- in this case the gangster flick. Set in at) unnamed liast-coasl city it) the I93()s. it centres on the falling-out between mob-leader l’inney and his right-hand man Byrne when both take a shine to the same broad (Harden). Possibly the best. most under- rated filtn of WW. Iidinburgh: I-‘ilmhouse. Les Miserables t I 2) (Bille August. t‘S. I998) Liam Neeson. (ieoffrey Rush. Claire Danes. I34 mins. With preconceptions of the hit musical left It) the foyer. the moy ie can be entoyed for what ll really is a sombre dtial character study concentrating on the psychological cat-and-mouse game played by ex-coiivict \alltcan atid police Inspector .layet't. August. director of I’e/lt' 'I‘lit' ("iiiii/ticmi'. has made a litiropean ai‘thoiise mov ic filmed iii) a Hollywood budget. lidtnbtirgli: Brunton Theatre.
Mulan ([7) (Barry Cook. Tony Bancroft. L'S. I998) The voices of Ming-Na Wen. Donny Osmond. liddie Murphy. 89 iiitiis. After Disney 's tastin designed \enture titto (ireek mythology with Ht’l't'll/('\. the studio has brought its lens to bear on the rich and colourful possibilities of Chinese legend. Details of character. tiiovetiient and expression are as Iiiie as should be expected from the world‘s best known cartoon studio. btit the stunning large-scale set pieces ate truly astonishing. (ilasgow. l ('l Clydebank. lidmburgli: ()deon. Show case. I CI. .-\y l. ()deon. Kiltiiarnock: ()deon. I’aisIey.
Show case.
My Name Is Joe ( IStiIs’en l.oacli. t'ls'. I998) I’eter Mullan. |.ouise (ioodall. I)a\ id McKay. |()5 mins. My Name /\ ,/m"s blend of comedy. social drama. love interest and tense thriller makes for a more accessible mos ie than w e'd normally expect from l.oach. Recovering alcoholic Joe Kavanagh (Mtillaii) meets aiid falls it) love will) health visitor Sarah ((ioodall). but his well intentioned scheme to get a young frtettd otit of the grip of a vicious drttg dealer looks likely to backfire oti everyone he cares for. (ilasgow Showcase. l'Cl Clydebank. lidmbiirgh; Cameo. ( )deon. l'Cl. Ayr: ()deon. Kilmarnock. ()deon. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith l’aisley Showcase.
The Negotiator ( IS) Samuel L. Jackson. Kevin Spacey. J.T. Walsh. I40 itiitis. When Danny Roman. the best hostage negotiator iii Chicago. is framed for murder by his fellow boys iti blue. he takes hostages and seals himself off it) an office high-rise. As aii extra safeguard. he demands that negotiations are handled by his peer from another precinct. Take a deep breath at the beginning. because you won't let it otit until the final credits roll. Irvine: Magtitttn.
The Opposite Of Sex ( IS) (Don Roos. L'S. I998) Christina Ricci. Martin Donovan. Lisa Kudrow. IIIS mins. Ricci play s Dedee Truitt. a sixteen-year-old super-bitch who rtttis away from Louisiana to live tn Indiana will) her half- brother Bill (Donovan). who is still grieving for his dead lover. Tom. Dedee swiftly steals Bill's new dishy -but-dim boy friend. announces her pregnancy. and flees the state with Tom's ashes atid SIOJXXI of her brother‘s money. A dark comedy brtmfuI of two-tuning and double-crossing llaw ed by a w ilfully un-I’C treatment of sexual politics and unnecessary dally ing w ith postmodern narration. See review. (ilasgow: l‘CI Clydebatik. lidinburgh: Catnco. ()deon.
Out Of Sight ( IS) (Steven Soderbergh. L‘S. I998) (ieorge Clooney. Jennifer Lopez. Ving Rliatties. l23 mins. This stylish adaptation of lilmore Leonard‘s tiovel teams Clooney's bank robber Jack l5oley with Jennifer 1.0pez‘ chic. Chanel-wearing cop. Soderbergh catches perfectly Leonard's sly. deadpan wit. wlule infusing it with a wistftil melancholy. Smart. sexy atid deliciously bitter-sweet. (ilasgow-z ()deon Quay. Irvine: Magnum.
The Parent Trap (l') Dennis Quaid. Natasha Richardson. Lindsay l.ohan. I35 mins. This updated version of the Hayley Mills original casts l.ohan in the dual role of identical twins completely unaware of each other's existence until they discover the truth at summer camp. \t-y er hay itig met the other parent. American Ilallie and lingltsh Annie agree to swap identities. It makes for a sweet natured. well meaning story that trades on elements of farce and the odd bit of slapstick. (letteral release. Pi (7r) ( I5) (Darren Aronofsky. l'S. I997) Sean (iullette. Mark Margolis. Ben Shenkman. 8-3 mins. The science fiction of Pi is more Stephen Hawking than Slur Trek. its conspiracy theory plot makes titost episodes of TM .\'-l-‘i!ey seem like children's fairytales. ()Iisessed w ith discovering numerical patterns iii life and nature. mathematical genius Max comes across a thi dtgtt sequence that precedes a stock market crash and reveals the hidden name of (iod. look no further for pre— millenniuni tension iii its purest cinematic form Suppoited by the short film The .-I//iutiim. See preview and rev lL‘\\. Iidiiiburgh: Cameo.
Pilton Video — Eat My Shorts Community
\ tdeo group's pilot for a new filtiiiiiakttig schettie. The three liltiis. li’liim/i Hell Hurry. /.m At l)l'tllt' atid Sft‘t’llt/ ‘l‘liiitrelitv. were made in an integrated ‘ttimi-studto’ eny ironmetit
w here bttddtng writers and directors honed their skills. A documentary show itig the process w ill be screened w ith the shorts atid the w ill be an opportunity to talk w ith the filmmakers. Iidiiibiirgh: I~'iltiiIioiise. Portishead PNYC (Dick Carruthers. l‘K. I998) 7l lllllls The originators of hip hop. sinister ambient. call ll what you w ill. on film performing tunes front their second album live act w ith a .ill-[ilt‘c'c‘ string orchestra in New York City. .luIy I997 Supported by the scratch
index FILM
mix video Road Trip ( I0 mins) screened by the band on stage prior to their set. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
The Portrait Of A Lady (I2) (Jane Campion. US. I996) Nicole Kidman. John Malkovich. Barbara Hershey. I44 mins. Campion's follow-up to The Piano is a dark and difficult adaptation of Henry James‘s novel which stays true to the original‘s subtle psychological observations. Kidman - at once proud. naive. sensitive and determined - is excellent as the young woman almost destroyed by a disastrous marriage. while Malkovich is a little too cold and ambiguous. Beautiful. but emotionally remote. Kelso: Roxy.
The Prince Of Egypt (U) (Brenda Chapman. Steve Hickner. Simon Wells. US. I998) Voices of Val Kilmer. Ralph Fiennes. Sandra Bullock. Michelle Pfeiffer. 99 mins. The Exodus story. animated for the big screen. With some artistic licence. it follows Moses from his discovery as a baby by Pharaoh's wife. through his formative years as a Royal Prince to his fall from grace when he discovers his true Hebrew background. The familiar tale is told in an imaginative and inventive fashion. yet in aiming for such a bold. epic approach the human focus is lost. (ieneral release.
Psycho (I8) (Gus Van Saiit. L'S. I998) Vince Vaughn. Anne Heche. Julianne Moore. lIO mins. Yes. it‘s a stupid idea. Van Sant remakes one of the best-known filtus of all time. btit in colour and with a few tiny variations — some effective. some crass. Otherwise it's exactly the same btit not the original. like a forged painting. Although slow-paced by the standards of Servant. the story still grips and the excellent new cast give rail performances rather than impersonations of the originals. See review. (ieneral release.
The Railway Children (PG) (Lionel Jeffries. UK. (970) Dinah Sheridan. William Mervyn. Jenny Agutter. I08 mins. A trio of youngsters fitid that their involvement with the railway that runs past their garden is to lead them into adventure. Pleasing fatnin filtii. lit tip by a bright performance from a very young Ms Agutter. lidinburgh: Lumiere.
Rush Hour (PG) (Brett Ratner. CS. I998) Jackie Chan. Chris Tucker . 97 tuins. Chan has surely US .superstardom with this mismatched buddy movie. Cliati is Hotig Kong cop Lee. sent to America to assist iii the hunt for the kidnapped daughter of his friend. the Chinese consul. He is paired with maverick l.A cop Tucker suffering delusions of competence. It's the kind of mindlesst enjoyable. action- packed rotnp that you might wish the Let/ml Ili'u/mii films still were. Cilasgow: ()deon Quay. Showcase. L'CI Clydebank. Edinburgh: ABC Multiplex. L'Cl. Iiast Kilbride: L’CI. Kilmarnock: ()deon. Largs: Barrfields. Paisley: Showcase.
Saving Private Ryan ((5) (Steven Spielberg. L'S. I998) Toni Hanks. Tom Sizemore. Matt Damon. I70 mins. Like no film it) recent metnory. Saving Private Rvu/t focuses its attention squarely on the brutalities endured by American soldiers in World War II. Central to this impact is the already legendary opening half hour. detailing with remorseless brilliance the carnage of the D-Day landings. The actual meat of the story. in which Hanks is sent off with the remnants of his unit to locate the eponymous Ryan. is built on rugged rather than subtle lines. Motherwell: Moviehouse. Stirling: MacRobert.
The Secret Of Nimh (Don Bltitlt. L'S. I983). With the voices of Derek Jacobi. Iilizabeth Hartman. Arthur Malet. 83 tnitis. Forced to flee her cosy field a mouse. and a single mother to boot. seeks the help of the
my stei'ioiis rats of Nimh. Animated cartoon feature by a group of ex-I)ist)ey artists who believed their erstwhile etiiployers were letting standards slip. 'l‘hough their artistic credentials are obvious the narrative strength isn't. Stirling: .-\llatipark.
Seven Samurai (PG) (Akira Kurosawa. Japan. I954) 'l‘oshiro Mifune. 'l‘akahashi Simura. 300 mins. A group of timid villagers seek protection against the excesses of a brutal warlord by hiring seven heroic samurai. Seminal Japanese action picture. with a slow - btiilditig dignity matching the best of John lord. and iii its stylishly aesthetic handling of screen violence a profound influence on the likes of Sam I’eckinpah. Highly recommended. lialkirk: l’l'll.
Continued over page
[72) Ian I999 THE LIST 37