film
index
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate. credits. brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Miles Fielder.
The Adventures Of Pinocchio( U) (Sieve Barron. US. I996) Martin Landau. Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Udo Kier. 96 mins. More faithful to the original novel than the Disney cartoon. this mix ofanimatronics. computer animation and live action still falls shon of the mark. Landau is a sympathetic Geppetto and the period detail gives a nice fairytale mood. but the sentimentality and moralising undermine its good elements. Stirling: Allanpark.
Affliction ( I5) (Paul Scrader. US. I999) Nick Nolte. James Coburn. Sissy Spacek. 8-1 mins. There's no arguing the dedication that underpins Nick Nolte's performance as smalltown New Hampshire lawman Wade Whitehouse in Schrader’s otherwise inaccessible filnt. Patronised by his employer. divorced by his wife. hated by his daughter and living in the shadow of childhood beatings by alcoholic father. Wade is forced to grin and bear it. Stirling: MacRobert.
The African Queen (PG) (John Huston. UK. I95l) Humphrey Bogart. Katharine Hepburn. Robert Morley. l05 tttins. Splendid World War One adventure Itas the marvellous pairing of grizzled Bogey and spinsterish Hepburn as they make their way tip the Congo fighting swamps. the Hun. and each other to quite thrilling effect. Great character interplay courtesy ofJames Agee's gritty dialogue. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
An Ideal Husband (PG) (Oliver Parker. UK. I999) Rupert Everett. Cate Blancltett. Julianne Moore. IOO tttins. When scheming Mrs Cheveley blackntails brilliant politician Sir Robert Chiltern behind his loving wife‘s back. Ioafing Lord Goring comes to his friend's assistance iii this fitte adaptation Oscar Wilde‘s play. The cracking cast do justice to the archetypal Wildean witticisms. Edinburgh: Cameo. Motherwell: Movieltousc. Another Land (Antit Goren. I998) 85 mins. Examination of the meaning of ‘home'. from a personal and public perspective. set against a background of political upheaval in Israeli between l992—98. Part of Descriptions Of A Struggle. an Israeli/Palestinian film season. Edinburgh: Fruitmarket Gallery.
Ant! (PG) (Eric Darnell/lint Johnson. L‘S. I998) The voices of Woody Allen. Sharon Stone. Gene Hackntan. 83 mins. When worker not Z-4l95 meets Princess Bala. he falls completely in love: but. while trying to prove himself as a soldier. he uncovers a dastardly plan to flood the colony. Brightly coloured and ftill of gags with slick computer animation. Edinburgh: Odeon. Ayr: Odeon. Aprile(I5) (Nanni Moretti. Italy. I998) Nanni Moretti. 78 ntins. Between the Marclt I994 general election that brought right- wing media mogul Silvio Berlusconi to power and the April I996 election of Italy's first left-wing government and the birth of his first son. Moretti wavers between making a documentary on the state of Italian politics and realising an old dream — a film musical set iii the 50s about a Trotskyist pastry chef. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
The Aristocats (U) (Wolfgang Reitltermait. US. I970) With the voices of Phil Harris. Eva Gabor. Sterling Holloway. 78 mitts. A street-wise alley cat woos an upper-class feline against the backdrop of turn-of-tlte- century Paris. Loads of loveablc cats. dogs. mice detectives aitd human adversaries. alongside sonte of Disney's more under- rated songs. Edinburgh: St. Bride‘s Centre. Artemesia ( l8) (Agnes Merlet. France. I997) Valentina Cervi. Michel Serrault. Miki Manojlovic. I I8 mins. Agnes Merlet‘s study of the first woman painter in the history of art (who was persecuted in seventeenth century Italy for practising it) is a visually lavish period drama cousins. Well-crafted. solidly-acted cinema. See review. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Asterix Conquers America (U) (Gerhard Hahn. Germany. I995) 85 mins. While brewing tip a potion. village druid Getafix is
captured by the Romans and taken over the sea to America. Intmediately Asterix and ()belix set off to save hint. coming across a tribe of Indians. stampeding buffan and other Western adventures. Stirling: MacRobcrt.
Bean (PG) (McISmith. UK. I997) Rowan Atkinson. Peter MacNicol. Pamela Reed. 97 mins. Bean the movie makes an attentpt to broaden the range of Atkinson's tremendously successful 'I'V sight-gag character by sending hint off to California to be mistaken for an art expert. Most gags are agreeably daft; several are tiresomer Iavatorial. Glasgow: Gt'osvcnor.
Because Of That War (Orna Ben Dor. I988) 90 ntitts. Multi-award wittning documentary about the memory of the Holocaust. Itere reflected by second generation Israelis. Part of Descriptions ()f' A Struggle. an lsraeli/I’alestinian Iiliit season. Edinburgh: I-‘rtiitmarket (iallery
Bhaji on the Beach ( I 2) ((iurinder Chadha.
UK. I993) Kim VitItana. Jintnti Hm'kishin. Sarita Khajuria. l00 mitts. A grotip ofAsian women front Birmingham leave their day- to-day cares behind them and head in a van for Blackpool. Btit the problems of culture clashes and dontestic violence follow them. A magnificently fresh. tipliftittg view of life in Britain through Asiait eyes. Glasgow: GI‘T.
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss ( I5) (Tontnty O'Haver. US. I999) Sean P. Hayes. Brad Rowe. Meredith Scott Lynn. 89 ntitts. 'I‘echiiicoloiir. Cincntascope. iVIeIodrama. 'lltree words that conjure up images of a Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. which era director TOIIIII'I)’ ()‘ Havci‘ almost perfectly recreates on celluloid. The look sets the tone for the story of Billy Collier. a young. gay. photographer intent on takittg a series of photographs mimicking classic screett kisses front. yep. Hollywood's Goldett Age. See preview and review. Edinburgh: Cantco.
Le Bossu( I 5) (Philippe De Broca. I-‘raitce. I997) Daniel Atiteuil. Vincent Perez. Fabrice l.uchini) l28 mins. Originally written iii the form of a nineteenth century sei'ialised novel. [4‘ [ins-xii has ait abundance of plot. with the action centering on the exposure of an aristoct’at's dastardly bastard brother. arid the restoration to wealth of art heiress. It's never easy to engage with characters who ltave less dimensionality than a Walt Disney cartoon. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Bride 0t Chucky ( l 8) (Ronnie Yti. US. I999) Brad Dotirif. Jennifer Tilly. Alexis Arquette. 89 mins. The dismembered Corpse of the pint-sized honticidal mattiac is exhumed for this knowing Itorror sequel to the Child Is Plut- series. The new edition offers diversion iii the form of Jennifer 'Iilly as the once-human Chucky's vengeful ex- girlfriend 'Iiffany. Glasgow: UCI Clydebank. Edinburgh: UCI. liast Kilhride: UC I.
A Bug's Life (U) (Joltii Lassctei‘. US. I998) Voices of Dave I-‘oley. Kevin Spacey. David Hyde Pierce. 95 mitts. The colony ofAnt Island is being oppressed by a gang of menacing grasshoppers. Wltett inventive btit clumsy worker ant I-‘lik incurs the wrath of gang leader Hopper. he heads off to Iiitd help heavyweight Itelp itt tlte battle against his oppressors. Edinburgh: Odeon. Kilmarnock: Odeon. h'lotherwellz Moviehouse.
Celebrity(l8) (Woody Allen. US. I999) Kenneth Branagh. Melanie Griffith. Winona Ryder. C harlize 'llteron. Leonardo DiCaprio. I I3 mitts. A itot always successful dissection of the nature of fante. 'Ilte film revolves around Branagh's pltilanderiitg ltack and wannabe screenwriter. l.ee Simon (Allen‘s alter-ego). who is irresistible to a succession of dazzlingly attractive wonten. lidinburgh: Canteo.
Central Station( l5) (Walter Salles. Brazil. I998) Vinicius dc ()Iiseira. I-‘crnanda Montenegro. l l0 ittiits. The story of a young Rio de Janeiro street urchin and a fornter schoolteacher who go on tlte run together. A filtti explores that Latin American mainstay: the search for a missing loved one. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Children Of Shatila (Mai Masri. I989) 50 ntins. Documentary made iii close collaboration with Palestinian two children living in the Sltatila refugee camp iit Beirut.
which came to world attention after the Sabre-Shantila massacre. Pan of Descriptions Of A Struggle. an Israeli/Palestinian film season. Edinburgh: Fruitmarket Gallery.
Chronicle Of A Disappearance (Elia Suleiman. I996) 84 mins. Back from New York. Suleiman uses his perspective as a visitor to Israel to document how much the Arab population in Israel is losing its identity. Part of Descriptions Of A Struggle. an Israeli/Palestinian film season. Edinburgh: Fruitmarket Gallery. Chunglting Express (I2) (Wong Kat-Wat. Hong Kong. I994) Brigitte Lin. Takeshi Kaneshiro. Tony Leung. Faye Wang. 97 mins. Such a glorious concoction of humour. energy. style and kookiness rater comes our way. The two loosely overlapping stories are set around a fast food stall in Hong Kong. with mismatched romance and indulgent heartache the menu for today. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Cocoon (PG) (Ron Howard. US. I997) Don Ameche. Wilford Brimley. Hume Cronyn.
I I7 mins. Earlyish directing outing for golden boy Howard who has made a career of almost unbearable schmaltz. Here. be rather cleverly casts a veritable Who's Who of Golden Age Hollywood actors as the inhabitants of an old people's home who receive a new lease of life through an extra terrestrial encounter. Glasgow: GFT. Contact (PG) (Robert Zemeckis. US. I997) Jodie Foster. Matthew McConaughey. James Woods. I50 mins. Based on the Carl Sagan bestseller. this epic story of man's first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence is beset throughout by arrant nonsense and miscalculation. Foster is the researcher speeialisittg in the monitoring of radio waves front the ether who picks up a coittmunication signal from another planet. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Crash( l 8) (David Cronenberg. I996) James Spader. Holly Hunter. Elias Koteas. IOO ntins. A cool. insidiously disturbing study of an evolving human pathology based on eroticised car crashes. Every hetero and homosexual permutation is explored as the fixed boundaries of 'normal‘ sexuality give way to a creatively 'perverse' fluidity. Provocative. extreme. exhilarating. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
The Criminal ( l5) (Joseph Losey. UK. I960) Stanley Baker. Sam Wanamaker. Margit Saad. 97 mins. Losey‘s crime pic features a stunning performance by Baker as a self-destructive loner caught between a sadistic prison warden and the underworld kingpin who wants to kill him. The director‘s American sensibility gives it a visual style that sets it apart from other British movies of the time. Glasgow: GFT. Cruel Intentions (I5) (Roger Kumble. US. I999) 97 ntins. Sarah Michelle Gellar. Ryan Phillipe. Reese Witherspoon. 98 mins. This teen remake of Dangerous Uui'smis with
horny high school kids taking the place of the
lexual schenters is terrific fun. Two spoiled. wealthy step-siblings living in Manhattan who devise a wager to a seduce the new school principal‘s daughter. General release. The Debt Collector (I8) (Anthony Neilson. UK. I999) Billy Connolly. Ken Stott. lain Robertson. I I0 ntins. Reformed and out of prison. ex-Ioan shark Nicky Dryden is a rich. happily married celebrity on the Scottislt art scene. btit policeman Keltie is determined to crash his party. A tale that picks away at the nasty jealousies and small- mindedness that can fester beneath the surface of a small nation. Glasgow: UCI Clydebank. Virgin. Edinburgh: UCI. East Kilbiide: UCI. Paisley: Showcase.
Deep End Of The Ocean (I5) (Ulti Grosbard. US. I999) Michelle Pfeiffer. Treat Williams. Wltoopi Goldberg. I05 mins. Pfeiffer puts her experience of motherhood to good use in this IIIOISI-DlIl-I‘IOl-Sopplng missing child drama. It begins in Maddison. Wisconsin in I988. where Beth Cappadora. the adoring mother and wife. crumbles when her three-year-old Ben. is abducted. Nine years later. a young boy knocks on the door and Beth is convinced it is Ben. Largs: Barrfields.
Derby O'Gill And e little People (U) (Robert Stevenson. K) Children‘s film adventure boasting an early appearance by a certain Sean Connery. Edinburgh: St. Bride‘s Centre.
Deportation (Avi Mograbi. I989) I2 mins.
index FILM
Short film dealing with the exile of palestinian detainees by the Israeli authorities. Part of Descriptions Of A Struggle. an Israeli/Palestinian film season. Edinburgh: Fruitmarket Gallery.
Le Diner De Cons (I5) (Francis Verber. France. I999) Thierry Lherrnitte. Jacques Villeret. Catherine Frot. 80 mins. Each Wednesday upmarket professional. Piene and his friends invite someone for dinner as a plaything for their own amusement. in this case an accountant whose hobby is making models out of matchsticks. If one finds ' interesting the idea of a lonely accountant abused for his stupidity before the tables are ‘ turned. then Verber’s film offers much mirth. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
8 1/2 (Federico Fellini. Italy. I963) Marcello Mastroianni. Claudia Cardinale. Anouk Aimee. Many regard this moody magnum opus as the Italian muesrm‘s finest hour. Following a scenario not unlike the one that faced Fellini himself when he was under pressure to come up with a sequel to the massive international success of La Dolce Vita. Mastroianni plays a film-maker plagued by intellectual insecurity and Catholic guilt . Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Elizabeth (15) (Shekhar Kapur. UK. I998) Cate Blanchett. Geoffrey Rush. Christopher Ecclestone. I20 mins. Not your typical frock flick. Kapur's film may be ravishing to look at. but it's altogether darker and more disturbing than you'd expect. A political thriller from Tudor history. in which Blanchett's performance turns cherished notions about England's Virgin Queen on their head. Stirling: MacRoberi. Entrapment (I 5) (Jon Amiel. US. I999) Sean Connery. Catherine Zeta-Jones. I I2 mins. Former ace cat burglar Robert ‘Mac‘ MacDougaI (Connery) attracts the attention of sexy insurance investigator Gin Baker (Zeta-Jones). She is determined to find evidence connecting him with that opening sequence robbery. just as he is determined to not have that crime pinned on him. It's all very To Cafe/1A Thief. but not really in the same league. General release.
Event Ilorizon( I 8) (Paul Anderson. US/UK. I997) Laurence Fishburne. Sam Neill. Joely Richardson. 9| mins. The crew of a rescue ship discover that hell has been unleashed inside a missing craft that reappears near Neptune. as their deepest fears begin to terrorise them in physical form. Effectiver a haunted house movie set in space. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Fertile Memory (Michel Khleifi. I980) 99 mins. Khleifi documents the lives of two Palestinian women living in Israel: Farah. a widow living with her children and grandchildren and Sahar. a West Bank novelist. Part of Descriptions Of A Struggle. an Israeli/Palestinian film season. Edinburgh: Fruitmarket Gallery.
Festen (The Celebration) (I8) (Thomas Vinterberg. Denmark. I998) Ulrich Thomsen. Henning Moritzen. Thomas Bo Larsen. I06 ntins. The eldest son of a country hotelier returns to Denmark for his father's 60th birthday celebrations. But the seemingly innocent family reunion becomes a nightmare as some shocking family truths are revealed. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Field Diary (Amos Gitai. I982) Made in the occupied territories during the invasion of Lebanon. Field Diary employs the power of the camera against the power of the gun. Part of Descriptions OfA Struggle. an Israeli/Palestinian film season. Edinburgh: Fruitmarket Gallery.
Frenty (I8) (Alfred Hitchcock. UK. I972) Jon Finch. Alec McCowen. Barry Foster.
I I6 mins. Not regarded as one of hitch's best. the grisly tale of an ex-RAF officer framed for a series of strangulations in London has ntuch going for it. Anthony SchafTer's script. Hitchcock's extremely black humour and a fine sense of place. Edinburgh: Canteo.
The Frightened City (I5) (John Lemont. UK. l96l ) Sean Connery. Herbert Lom. John Gregson. Alfred Marks. 98 mins. London-set gangster caper. in which the goodfellas come to blows over a protection set~up. and a pre-Bond Connery has the opportunity to flex a few muscles through his sweater. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
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