FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
Message In A Bottle ( 12) (Luis Mandoki. US. I999) Robin Wright Penn. Kevin Costner. Paul Newman. 32 mins. Newspaper researcher 'I‘heresa is intrigued by a love note in a bottle she finds washed tip on the shore. Her search for the author brings her into contact with mourning widower Garret Blake. It all makes for a predictable and undemanding romance. in which Newman as Kev’s dad almost steals the show. General release.
Microcosmos (L') (Claude Ntii'idsany/Mat'ie Perennou. France. I995) .75 mins. A bug- eyed look at the world of insects. this French one-off falls somewhere between a narrativeless documentary and an ensemble piece for its array of tiny characters. What unfolds is a kind of Iife-in-a-day between the blades of grass in an overgrown meadow. (ilasgow: (il’l‘.
Mighty Joe (P(i) t Ron L'ndcrw ood. L’S. I998) Charlize Theron. Bill Paxton. I H mins. Whichever way you cut it. .IlieIi/v ./m' isjust another big monkey movie Despite infinitely more sophisticatedeffects than its I949 predecessor. this version is far less involving or entertaining ~- it's so predictable you would think the monkey wrote it. (ieneral release
Modulations I I5) I lara Lee. IIS. I998) 75 mins. Long-overdue documentation of the history ofelectronic music. from its origins through its nomadic drift through modern culture. lidinburgh: I-"ilmhonse.
Mother Kiisters Goes To Heaven I Is) (Rainer Werner I-‘assbinder. (iei'many. I975) I28 mins. l’aced with being laid off. a factory worker goes berserk and commits murder and suicide. When his famin is besieged by reporters. one daughter Ieay es the country. the other exploits the situation to further her career. while the dead man’s wife attempts to clear her husband‘s name. See l’assbinder preview. Iidinburgh: Filmhotise.
Murray Grigor Programme 2 (Hi) (Various. UK) l3tl mins approx. Artists and artistic movements are the focus of Programme _ comprising three short films. Blast. which examines the Iinglish art Vorticist movement; lil’. St nip/or. a portrait of Eduardo Paolo/xi: atid 'l'lir' (irml Hit/10f C/iiliu: l.()‘.'(’l'\ Al The [fr/HA. a filmed performance art piece. See prev iew. Glasgow: (il’l'.
Murray Grigor Programme 3 (I’ti) (Various. CK) I3II nuns approx, 'I’he work of two great architects are examined in Cur/u .8} (tr/iii and 7f!(' slit /III('( lure ()t Frank /.lo\(/ line/it. (ii'igor draws parallels between the Scai'pa and Wright by focusing on their use of light. Sec prev iew. (ilasgovv: GI’II
Naked Lunch ( I8) (Dav id Cronenberg. CS. I992) Peter Weller. .lu.ly Davis. Ian Holm. Roy Scheider. Ill nuns. Body horror maestro takes on the near impossible task of filming William Burroughs' controversial novel The Naked l.nn( /i and comes otit with a cinematic masterpiece. lidinburgh: Cameo. Niagara Niagara ( I5) (Hob (itissc'. th. I997) Henry 'Ihonias. Robin 'l'iinney. 93 mins. ()ffbeat love story which pairs two young shoplifters who stiller from ‘l'oui'ette's syndrome. With the emphasis on romance. the film concentrates on two outsiders coming to terms with a hostile world. Part of the American Independence 'I'our. (ilasgow: Cil’l‘.
The Opposite Of Sex (Don Roos. t'S. I998) Christina Ricci. Martin Donovan. Lisa Kudrow. I05 mins. Last seen gix ing a brilliantly understated performance opposite a manic one by Vincent (iallo in Burial.) 6/). Ricci continues to impress as Dedee the stipei'smart teenager on the run from her white trash family. Kiliiiarnock. ()(Ieon. Orphans ( I8) I Peter Mullah. l'K. I999) Douglas llenshall. (iary |.ewis. Stephen McCoIe. 95 mins. ()n the eve of their mother's funeral. Ionr grow n-np orphans express their grief as storm clouds gather in the skies. less the social realism of Ken Loach. more a surreal expi'essionisiii which takes everything to its illogical conclusion. Glasgow. ABC | iliii Centre. (iiosvenor. Odeoii ()ttay. l't'l Clydebank. \ iigiii lidinhnrgh Canico. l ('I l‘.isl Kilbridc L'CI.
Out Of The Present (I’( i t' \iidi'ci l iica.
28 THELIST .. ".71.
(ierniany/I5rance/Belgiuni/Russia) 95 mins) 95 mins. 'Ihis documentary about the Mir space station opens with a stunning sequence that recalls the beginning of 200/: A Space ()dvxsey: juxtaposing deep space with the station's lianh orbit. ()ut comes Kubrick's classical score. however; here the visuals are accompanied by a throbbing techno score. lidinhurgh: I-‘ilmliouse. Painted Angels ( I 5) (Jon Sanders. US. I999) Brenda liricker. Kelly McGiIlis. Anna Mottram. l 10 mins. l’ui’nrer/Angels- conveys the insecurities of displaced women and their hardships as they struggle to earn a crust through the sex trade in the I9th century American west. Refreshingly non- niale picture of the western frontier. liast Kilbride; Arts Centre.
Parting Shots I I 2) (Michael Winner. LFK. I999) Chris Rea. Felicity Kendall. Joanna l.umley. 99 mins. In the light of recent tragic events. the plot is pretty questionable too. as photographer Chris Rea learns that he has tei'iiiinal cancer and decides to tise his last day s on earth executing all those ‘friends’ and ‘loved ones" who have done him wrong. 'l‘hcre may be a couple of surprises on the way to a trite conclusion. but none so big as how this tilm was allowed to he made in the first place. See review. (ieneral release. Payback (l8) (Brian llegeland. t'S. I998) Mel (iibsot). (iregg Henry. Deborah Kara Ifnger. III) mins. An entertainineg erratic rehash of l9()7‘s l’oiiil [flu/1A. l’rivlmck finds (iibson good. it unlikely. in the Lee Marvin touin guy role. Hegeland's impressive directorial debut. while perhaps even more cynical than the earlier film. turns much more to comedy and works partly as a send- up and partly as an homage to John Boorman’s original. (ilasgow: Showcase. Iidinburgh. LECI. Paisley; Showcase
Pepe Le Moko (PU) (Juliet) Dtivivier. I’rance. I936) Jean (iabin. Mireille Balin. I.ine .\'oro. 93 mins. A Parisian gangster hides out in the Algerian casbah. btit love tempts him otit of his hideaway with ultimately tragic results. (iorgeous romantic melodrama. with a typically l'i'ench doomy poetry remaking a Hollywood genre. and (iabin at the peak of his powers. (ilasgow: (El-'I‘.
Perfect Blue ( l8) (Satoshi Kati. Japan. I998) 80 mins. The director of anime feature Run/in Z tells the story of a former pop star whose grip on reality starts to slip w hen she branches otit as an actress iii a daytime soap opera. Meanwhile. a series of murders appear to he linked to her new. raunchy image. A huge hit back home in .Iapaii. it now making a rare l‘K big screen outing. lidinburgh: Cameo
A Perfect Murdert l8) (Andrew Davis. CS. I998) Michael Douglas. (iwyneth Paltrow. \‘iggo Moi'tensen It)? mins. There is. t|tIIIC simply. no one to touch Douglas when it comes to playing alienated. iiiiddIc-class. iiiiddle-aged. white American males. Which is precisely why he‘s so perfectly cast as a manipulative. predatory ‘control freak‘ with a talent for exploiting human weakness ill this entertaining and intelligent re-working of Hitchcock‘s dramatically flat 3-D thriller. Hm! .\I /-‘or .I/im/er. Iidinburgh; Lumiere. Pi (It) ( I5) (Darren Aronofsky. I'S. I997) Seat) (itillettc. Mark Margolis. Ben Shenkiiian. 8-1 mins. 'I’he science fiction of Pi is more Stephen Haw king than Star Trek; its conspiracy theory plot makes most episodes of lli/lt' X—l'i/t'x seem like Clllltll'c‘li's‘ fairytales. Obsessed with discovering numerical patterns in life and nature. mathematical genius Max comes across a llo digit sequence that precedes a stock market crash and reveals the hidden name of (iod. Look no further for pre-nnllennium tension in its purest cinematic form. lidinhurgh: Cameo. Stirling: .’\lacRobert. Pleasantville ( I3) ((iai’y Ross. LS. I998) ‘I‘obey Maguirc. Reese Witherspoon. William II. Macy. .IcII Daniels. Joan Allen. IJ-I iiiiiis. 'Ihaiiks to a dodgy plot twist. 9(Is kids Dav id and Jennifer are lapped itito /’/('(i\(IIiIi'I/.’('. an I latte /.!i( \-sty Ie fills sitcoiii. a iiioiiochi‘otiie world where sex. ai't and passion are unknown. If this was |l|\l a gimmick iiiov ie. It would be a brilliant one. but l’.’(’(l\(lllll I.I/(' is also a relentlessly inventive comedy Clasgow (ii'osvcnor Plunkett And Macleane I I5 )‘tJake Scott. I‘K. I999) .Ioiiiiy Ice \Iillci. Robeit (Hitler. l.I\ Ierr.IIII iiiiiis Destittite
Sex and violins: Greta Scaachi and Jason Flemyng in The Red Violin
gentleman James Macleane and bankrupt apothecary turned thief Will Plunkett are thrown together in mid- I 8th century London. where they pool their talents to launch a new career as dashing highwaymen. A hugely enjoyable if empty- headed romp. Iidinburgh: Cameo. UCI. Prima Della Rivoluzione (Bernardo Bertolucci. Italy. I964) |I2 mins. At only 23 years of age Bertolucci used Stendhal's novel as the inspiration for this tale of a young man from the upper classes who is torn between Marxist ideology and his bourgeois background. lidinhurgh: Italian Ctiltural Institute.
Primary Colors ( IS) (Mike I 'ichols. US. I998) John 'I‘rav oIta. limma 'I’hompson. Adrian Lester. I43 mins. Although President Clinton's sexual pi'oclivities are all done
w ith. there is still a fair amount of satirical bite in this fictional portrayal of a Southern politician whose rampant libido continually threatens to scupper his pursuit of the presidency. lidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
The Prince Of Egypt ( L‘) (Brenda Chapman. Steve Hickner. Simon Wells. US. I998) Voices of Val Kilmer. Ralph I-‘iennes. Sandra Bullock. Michelle Pfeiffer. 99 mins. 'I'hc lixodus story. animated for the big screen. The familiar tale of Moses is told in an imaginative and inventive fashion. yet in aiming for such a bold. epic approach the human focus is lost. Iidinburgh: ()deon. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
The Red Violin ( l5) (Francois (iirard. Canada. I998) Samuel L. Jackson. Don McKeIlar. Jason I-‘Iemyng. I30 mins. Not the story of a musician. but the story of a musical instrument. Spanning four centuries. the ‘Iife story" of the violin is related in five chapters. beginning in an Italian workshop. ending with an auction in ivlontreal. Hauntingly lyrical. but uneven film. l-Idinburgh; l’ilmhouse.
The Rugrats Movie (U) (Norton Vii'gien/lgor Kovalyov. US. I998) Voices of: Ii.(i. Daily. Christine Cavanaugh. Kath Soucie. 80 mins. The weekly animated adventures of the tin-cutesy. irritatineg voiced Pickles family is big among kiddies and adults in the States. but the movie is definitely more of a junior entertainment. Might keep the little ones quiet fora while. (ieneral release.
Schizopolis (I5) (Steven Soderbergh. L'S. I996) Steven Soderbergh. 96 mins. The director of .wx. /I('\ uml I'Il/(‘U/(l/N' and ()m ()f Sig/ii confounds expectation with this absurd. anarchic piece of filiiiinaking. a shock social commentary which touches on Bunuel and Monty Python. Part of the American Independence Tour. (ilasgow: (ll-'I‘.
Seven Years In Tibet (I’ti) (Hand Nieier. I957) '76 mins. Not the Brad Pitt film. bill the one that inspired it. This is the story of Heinrich llai‘rer. who escaped from a (ieriiian prison camp during World War II. climbed the Himalayas into l’ibet and befriended the Dalai lama lidinbtirgh l.ti:iitet'e.
Shakespeare In Love ( IS ) (John Madden.
UK. I998) Joseph I'iennes. (iwyneth Paltrow. Rupert liverett. IZI) mins. I-‘iennes. a pair of hreeches and a few moody verses and a league of women will leave the cinema wondering why they never figured it out at school; Shakespeare is sex on legs. 'I’om Stoppard's script is exuberantly confident. irreverent and witty. (ilasgow': Showcase. lidiiiburgh: ABC l-‘ilm Centre. Dominion. UCI. l-‘alkii'k: Town Hall. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
She's A” That ( l2) (Robert Iscove. US. l999) Freddie Prinze Jr. Rachel Leigh Cook. Matthew Lilliard. 95 mins. While both Clueless transforms [fin/mi and Cruel Intentions twists Dangerous liaisons into an American high school setting. S/ie 'v All That is basically a teen romantic comedy remake of l’ygnirilimi - with a fair amount of stereotyping along the way. I’rin/e accepts a bet to turn nerdy schoolgirl Cook into the Prom Queen. but finds himself falling in love with the result. (ieneral release.
A Simple Plan ( I5) (Sam Raitiii. US. I998) Bill Paxton. Billy Bob 'I‘hornton. Bridget Ponda. IZI mins. 'l‘wo close btit very different brothers accidentally stumble upon 34m in a wrecked plane. and decide to hold onto the cash. Btit of course. their illegal lottery jackpot is just the start of a nightmarish descent into greed. suspicion atid murder. Scott B. Smith‘s ()sc';ii‘- nominated script constantly wrongfoots the audience. the characters constantly surprise and the acting is first rate See review. (ilasgow: ()deon ()uay. lidinbnrgh: ABC Westei' Hailes. I7ilmhonsc. I'CI.
Slam ( I 5) (Marc I.cv in. CS. I998) Saul Williams. Sonja Sohn. l()3 mins. A street poet is framed by the cops for a drugs bust and locked up in a \\’ashington DC. jail. I‘act and fiction are seemlessly intertwined to provide gritty authenticity while the dynamic performances giv e Slum its considerable dramatic effect. lidinbnrgh: I’iliiihouse.
Sliding Doors I )5) (Peter Howilt. UK. I998) (iwyneth Paltrow. .Iohn Hannah. John Lynch. 99 mins. 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 comedy splits Helen's life iii two when she misses/catches a tube train.
Utterly entertaining. l-Idinburgh: Cameo. Southpaw ( 15) (Liam Mc(irath. Ireland. I998) 77 mins. The producers of crime caper I Went Donn turn to a boxing documentary that also looks at the myth of Ireland as one big happy. tolerant family Following l'i'ancis Barrett before. during and after the |99(i ()ly topics in Atlanta. the film shows how a man from a ‘I‘i'aveller community background also has to fight for social acceptance outside the ring. See review. (ilas‘gow, (ill
The Sticky Fingers Of Time I )5) (Hilary Broughet'. I‘S. I997) 8_‘ niins_ Offbeat seems to he a key woid in the l S indies season. here the tag refcis to the study of time travel set iii the I95tls It's also about