V
IDEOS
RENTAL Hurricane Streets (15) 85 mins *‘ki‘k
Like Juice and Kids, among others, Hurricane Streets provides a snapshot of teenage life in urban America. Marcus (the skilful Brendan Sexton III) meets and falls for Melena. Their relationship blossoms but when his crew's previous pettiness lead them out of their criminal depths, Marcus has to act to survive. A well—paced and thoughtfully written movie with brats that, for once, aren’t all spoiled. Despite ending rather abruptly, it thankfully doesn't turn moralistic in search of a conclusion. (Columbia Tristar) (MR)
Snake Eyes
(15) 94 mins *‘k‘k‘k
As famous opening shots go, Snake Eyes' lengthy tracking of Nicolas Cage's flashy, corrupt cop around an Atlantic City boxing arena rates alongside Welles’ Touch Of Evil and Altman's The Player. The shot culminates with the murder of the attending Secretary of Defense. Thereafter, Cage and old pal Gary Sinise lock down the arena and attempt to unravel the assassination plot, all the clues for which are contained in that opening shot. Great, puzzle-solving fun. (Buena Vista) (MP)
A Perfect Murder
(15) 103 mins ***
Inspired by Hitchcock's fun but flawed Dial M For Murder, Andrew Davis' version is an intelligent thriller which turns a few tables and gives more meat to the Gwyneth Paltrow character than the fragile bones of Grace Kelly’s clothes-horse. Michael Douglas is at his slimiest best as the husband, Viggo Mortensen hunks around to decent effect but David Suchet’s detective may draw too many minds towards a moustachioed Belgian. Again, fun but flawed. (Warner) (BD)
Ever After (PG) 116 mins *t*
In this variation of the Cinderella story, out go the Disney magic pumpkins and
r in come feisty feminism and the
“dustbin”
I l l l
0099 has a tab in the dark in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
socialist principles of Thomas More’s Utopia. Drew Barrymore is the put- upon orphan, Anjelica Huston her social-climbing stepmum and Dougray Scott the ’quite charming' Prince Henry. Scott, at his most handsome, proves himself as a Hollywood leading man, while the film — pleasant enough in itself - finds wise words in a well- worn fairytale. (Fox Pathé) (AM)
Left Luggage
(15) 96 mins *‘k*
Antwerp in the 19705 and liberated, hippy girl Chaja (Laura Fraser) takes a job as a nanny with the Kalmans, a family of Hassidic Jews. She is a non- practising Jew, and has a troubled relationship with her parents who have both survived the death camps. Her new job also sets modern ideals against thousands of years of tradition and suffering. However, her attitudes are changed by her relationship with the Kalmans' young son. This is a moving and thoughtful film. (Fox
Pathé) (PR)
RETAIL
Ordet
(12) 119 mins *‘kakir True faith clashes with harsh orthodoxy
in a remote, solemn-faced Danish village. When the daughter-in-law of a stubborn old farmer dies in childbirth, his 'insane' son — who believes he is
‘ Christ — claims he can resurrect her if
everyone would believe in him enough. Long pans give Carl Dreyer’s film a slow and steady pace, but its power comes as much from cinematic visuals as theatrical intensity. A simple tale that’s deeply affecting. Also available this month is Dreyer's disappointing final film, Gertrud. (BFI £15.99) (AM)
SmIIIa's Feeling For Snow
(15) 116 mins *‘kt
With what is known in the business as an all-star cast, this is a thriller which could have had 'superior' linked to it were it not for the dull 'chase’ of the final quarter. Julia Ormond is Smilla, a reclusive maverick whose suspicious mind leads her into an investigation of a child’s death. Slowly she uncovers the awful corporate conspiracy truth. There
Q. 9
(0C. 1.. 118 mins, *1”). Available to rent from Mon 3 May
set-int 29Au-13 May 1999
RENTAL/RETAIL,
Stella Does Tricks '
(18) 95 mins the
After her debut in Trainspotting. Kelly Macdonald's starring role in Coky Giedroyc's grim sleeper could be seen as both an extension and a departure from Diane. Stella Does Tricks covers some of the same ground - drugs. ambition. men abusing their position - but in a much grittier, less glossy manner. And, in the and, probably less successful way.
Macdonald plays the eponymous anti-heroine. a Scots lass who has been forced to take the trail south to London where she finds employment in the skin trade. She
flees from home due to an abusive
father, only to fall into the grubby hands of her pimp, one Mr Peters (played at turns nice then sleazy by James When The Boat Comes In Bolam). Their relationship appears functional and friendly enough, but a brutal attack on her brings all that to an end. And, as her father discovered, revenge is a dish best served flaming hot.
Macdonald is less distant than she was as Diane and just about pulls
the film out of the threatens to plumb. ' n
m“! '¢*'-{3r§.-‘i.it’$ '
.39,
as her sensitive junkie friend is a mite irritating but makes a'passable doppelganger for Richey 'Manic‘ Edwards.
So. how's Tricks? Despite evoking the downtrodden life of the dispossessed in the Big Choke vividly enough. it’s not as good as it could ‘ 1
have been. (Brian Donaldson)
I Available to rent or buy on BF! Video from Mon 3 May, priced £15.99.
Pros and cons: Kelly Macdonald 8!? Stella Does My
.11
are faultless performances from Gabriel Byrne and Robert Loggia and even
Ormond's innate distance works a treat in this role. (20th Century Fox £12.99) i (BD)
Antz
(PG) 79 mins *‘k‘k
When Woody Allen and Sylvester Stallone are reduced to voicing cartoon ants, you know work must be slow in Hollywood. Still, Allen’s neurotic, self- deprecating schtick is perfectly suited to the role of 2-4195, an insecure
, insect with big dreams. Meanwhile, ‘ there’s strife in the anthill, as a soldier
plans to depose the queen, kill most of the population and lead a new breed of elite beetles. With adult appeal and
nifty animation, Antz won’t bug you. . (CIC £16.99) (PR)
‘1 Wild Things
(18) 107 mins ivk Hard to believe that John McNaughton directed the unforgettably chilling
‘- Henry, Portrait Of A Serial Killer. This,
apparently, is an erotic thriller; the few thrills come in the anticipation of the next twist but that quickly becomes dull and it could only be erotic to fans
1 of those leggy ZZ Top videos. Matt
Dillon is falsely accused of sexual
assault by Denise Richards but is it false 5
and was it assault? Your mission, if you care, is to figure out who treble-crosses who. (Entertainment £14.99) (BD) Gummo
(18) 86 mins it
Harmony Korine was happy to go on
record and tell the world that Gummo was more akin to his filmic vision than Kids, his controversial writing debut. A few cats get viciously bumped off and there's much use of the cussiest of swear words, but this rambling non-
. narrative about trailer parkers has nothing disturbing or, worse, interesting about it. Less visually arresting than the publicity shots or cover would suggest, it has little to
5 recommend it. Unless you're a dog.
(Entertainment £12.99) (80)
Body Without Soul
(18) 96 mins *
This documents the lives of Czech teenage boys who sell themselves to men for sex and appear in gay porn films. While highlighting their plight, it is a grim, repetitive, drawn out affair. Most disturbing of all is porn filmmaker Pavel who films the boys- while discussing the joys of pathology and dissecting a corpse while chatting to the camera. Brave as the director Wiktor Grodecki might have been to approach the subject, that alone does not make it a good film. (Millivres
; £15.99) (MR)
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Brian Donaldson, Miles Fielder, Alan Morrison, Mark Robertson, Peter Ross
STAR Riiii'NGs
* *‘k‘k‘k Unmissable
i l 1: i t it Very ood
I ir Hr Wort a shot
1 l t 9: Below average
I I t You've been warned