FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
Celebrity (18) (Woody Allen, US, 1999) Kenneth Branagh, Melanie Griffith, Winona Ryder, Charlize Theron, Leonardo DiCaprio. 113 mins. A not always successful dissection of the nature and price of fame. The film revolves around Branagh's philandering hack and wannabe screenwriter, Lee Simon (Allen's alter-ego), who is irresistible to a succession of dazzlineg attractive women. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Cookie's Fortune (12) (Robert Altman, US, 1999) Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Patricia Neal. 118 mins. Neither a masterpiece like Short C uts, nor a piece of studio hack work like The Gingerbread Man, Robert Altman’s latest is a likeable, very minor slice of Americana. The plot is simple enough, negligible even. Neal‘s titular character commits suicide; her nieces, avaricious Close and docile Moore, arrive and find the body and frame the live-in help (Charles S. Dutton). However, Altman's inquiring visual style fails to find characters of any substance. See review. Glasgow: GFI‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
The Creature From The Black Lagoon (18) (Jack Arnold, US, 1954) Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Ricou Browning. 79 mins. Fifties' monster movie classic has a party of scientists on an Amazon expedition discovering a strange amphibious creature, the gill man, who proceeds to threaten the safety of the entire group. Impressive underwater camerawork and some sympathy for the big green fella mark this out as far superior to most of the genre. Edinburgh: Cameo. Cruel Intentions (15) (Roger Kumble, US, 1999) . Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillipe, Reese Witherspoon. 98 mins. This teen remake of Dangerous Liaisons with horny high school kids taking the place of the sexual schemers is terrific fun. Kathryn (Gellar) and Sebastian (Phillipe) are two spoiled, wealthy step-siblings living in Manhattan who devise a wager: he must seduce the new school principal’s daughter Annette (Witherspoon). If Sebastian fails, Kathryn gets his car; if he succeeds, he gets to have sex with his stepsister every which way. Irvine: Magnum. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Documentary Shorts Anthology of prize- winning shorts from The Danish Film Institute collection including: Zoo, Seasons, 10 Minutes Older, The Perfect Human and Before The Guests Arrive. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Doug's 1st Movie (U) (Maurice Joyce, US, 1999) 77 mins. The animated adventures of quirky adolescent Doug Funnie graduates from its popular Saturday morning slot on American television to big screen glory, courtesy of Disney. Movie no. 1 sees the twelve-year-old torn between taking action against environmental pollution and taking his beloved Patti Mayonnaise to the high school dance. Glasgow: Showcase, UCI, Virgin. Edinburgh: UCI. East Kilbride: UCI. Paisley: Showcase.
Entrapment (15) (Jon Amiel, US, 1999) Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones. 112 mins. Former ace cat burglar Robert 'Mac’ MacDougal (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 CatchA Thief, but not really in the same league. Glasgow: Showcase. Irvine: Magnum. Kelso: Roxy. Largs: Barrfields. Paisley: Showcase.
The Exorcist (18) (William Friedkin, US, 1973) Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Now re- released in remastered form, with a super stereo soundtrack (so you can hear those Obscenities in full). Dead good, dead scary, dead priest. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Fear Of God - 25 Years Of The Exorcist (Nick Freand Jones, UK, 1998) 75 mins. The true story behind the scariest film made - that’s right even scarier than Blair Witch - written by the BBC’s film critic, Mark Kerrnode and featuring interviews with all the major stars of the film. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
105 THE LIST 26 Aug-9 Sep 1999
Finding North (15) (Tanya Wexler, US, 1999) ) John Benjamin Hickey, Wendy Makkena. 95 mins. When his lover Bobby dies of AIDS, Travis is ready to commit suicide, but is distracted from his grief by a scavenger hunt through Texas that Bobby has pre-recorded on audio cassette. On his trip he’s joined by Brooklyn girl Rhonda, who thinks at first Travis could be her Prince Charming. As ever, the on-the-road formula becomes more about 'finding yourself’ than what seems to be the surface plot. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Fists In the Pocket (12) (Marco Bellocchio, Italy, 1965) Liliona Gerace, Paola Pitagora, Marino Mase. 113 mins. Classic Italian film from the sixties focusing on a middle class family comprising a blind widow, two epileptic sons and a mad sister. A third son's responsibilities as the sole breadwinner of the family prevent him from living his own life. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Go (18) (Doug Liman, US, 1999) Sarah Polley, Desmond Askeu, Katie Holmes. 100 mins. Liman's follow up to Swingers comprises three interlocking stories about slacker kids at work, play and getting into trouble in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Go may not have Swingers' Rat Pack jokery, nor Jon Favreau’s quirky dialogue and borrows its structure from Tarantino’s film, but the cumulative impact of the story mixing is enormously entertaining. Right here, right now, Go is the movie equivalent of Big Beat music, much of which is featured on its great soundtrack. See preview and review. Glasgow: Virgin. Clydebank: UCI. Edinburgh: ABC Multiplex, UCI. East Kilbride: UCI
Get Carter (18) (Mike Hodges, UK, 1971) Michael Caine, Britt Ekland, John Osborne. 112 mins. Get Carter stands out as a highlight in the artist formerly known as Micklewhite’s career. His superbly controlled performance as the relentless avenger on a score-settling trip to the North East of England only makes you wish Caine had played more villains. Hodges grimly effective direction proves that you don’t need to be as worthy as Ken Loach to make a document of social history. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
The Imposters (15) (Stanley Tucci, US, 1999) Stanley Tucci, Billy Connolly, Oliver Platt. 100 mins. Actor/director Stanley Tucci's follow-up to the mouth-waterineg marvellous Big Night is a farce set aboard a 19305 ocean liner, centring on the comic hi- jinks of two unemployed actors. Tucci has assembled a wonderful cast, including Connolly, Platt, Isabelle Rosellini, Campbell Scott (T ucci’s creative partner on Big Night), Steve Buscemi and Lili Taylor. Stirling: MacRobert.
It All Starts Today (12) (Bertrand Tavemier, France, 1999) Philippe Torreton. 118 mins. The story of a nursery school teacher trying to cope in a northern French town of high unemployment and despairing poverty is told here by Bertrand Tavemier
Shattered dreams:Catherine Deneuve in Place Vendome
with his usual eye for detail. There’s a feeling, however, that Tavemier believes he’s telling us something new. In fact, filmmakers have recently been tripping over themselves to tell us how prostrate the region has become. Glasgow: GF'I‘.
Jaws (PG) (Steven Spielberg, US, 1975) Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss. 125 mins. Cracking shark adventure from the days when Spielberg movies were scary. See the citizens ofAmity scream! Watch the bodycount pile up! Hear the authorities declare the water perfectly safe! Edinburgh: Cameo.
Jean De Florette (PG) (Claude Berri, France, 1986) Gerard Depardieu, Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil. 121 mins. Provence, during the 19205. Depardieu’s indomitable hunchback struggles against impossible odds to make a success of his inherited farmland, unaware that his neighbours are plotting to drive him from his land. Beautifully photographed, with flawless performances, this is a towering tribute to the highest aspirations of French storytelling. A BAF'I‘A winner for the film of the year. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
The King And I (U) (Richard Rich, US, 1999) Ian Richardson, Miranda Richardson, Martin Vidnovic. 87 mins. Animated version of the true story ofAnna Leonowens and her experiences as a teacher for the royal family in 19th Century Siam. Cracking songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and, being animated, the facility for more active roles to be taken by talking elephants, sentimental chimps and proud panthers. It's a cracking ride. Glasgow: Odeon Quay. Wishaw: Arrow.
The Land Girls (12) (David Leland, UK, 1998) Anna Friel, Rachel Weisz, Catherine McCormack. 111 mins. Down on the farm comes a film that reminds us of times passed. Not necessarily good times, of course, as it is set during the confusion of World War II, but against this dramatic backdrOp the human story it describes proves curiously affecting. Three contrasting young women join the Land Army, only to find themselves knee-deep in rustic accents and bad weather on a remote Dorset farm. Edinburgh: ABC, Odeon.
Last Night (15) (Don McKelIar, Canada, 1999) Don McKelIar, Sandra Oh, David Cronenberg. 94 mins. There are six hours left until the world ends, but there’s no Bruce Willis blasting asteroids here: Last Night is about real people experiencing real emotions. As their particular brand of anger, grief, wonder or frustration works its way towards a resolution, each character fulfils his or her dream in an against-the-clock scenario. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Life Is Beautiful (PG) (Roberto Benigni, Italy, 1998) Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi. 116 mins. A comedy about the Holocaust? Surely not. Well, that’s what Italian writer-director-star Benigni has done in fashioning a poignant comic fable about the resilience of the human spirit and the
power of the imagination. A humane and moving film. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Life (15) (Ted Demme, US, 1999) Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Ned Beatty. 109 mins. Well, it ain't Cool Hand Luke and it ain’t The Shawshank Redemption, but this prison comedy drama is a worthy addition to the genre. The focus is less on the harsh realities of life in a Mississippi State Prison than on the lifetime love-hate relationship between Ray (Murphy) and Claude’s (Lawrence) inmates over the course of a 60- year prison sentence. With a pair of committed central performances, Life is never in danger of becoming a mere comedy vehicle. See review. General release.
The Maggie (U) (Alexander Mackendrick, UK, 1953) Paul Douglas, Alex MaeKenzie, Tommy Kearins. 92 mins. A rich America proves easy fodder for the crew of a Scottish cargo boat in Mackendrick's Ealing comedy, which lacks some of the sparkle of Whisky Galore. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
A Man And A Woman (PG) (Claude Lelouch, France, 1966) Jean-Louis Trintignant, Anouk Aimee. 103 mins. This chic love story of a racing driver and a script won both the Best Foreign Film Oscar and the Palme D'Or. The theme song has become a kitschy loungecore favourite. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Manon Des Sources (PG) (Claude Berri, France/Italy, 1986) Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Beart. 114 mins. Ten years after the demise of Jean de Florette, the Soubeyrans run a prosperous carnation farm. Steering this epic rural saga towards the realms of Greek tragedy, this is a full and satisfying second half that explores the suffering of the guilty as they pay a crippling penance for man's greed and envy. The production values are as high as ever and Auteuil assumes Depardieu's mantle in his development from glaikit idiot to broken-hearted suitor. Edinburgh: Lumiere. The Matrix (15) (The Wachowski Brothers, US, 1999) Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lawrence Fishburne. 139 mins. In the future, reality is actually an illusion — the human race is enslaved by a computer virus which has taken over the world. Computer genius Neo (Reeves) is one of the few people who doesn't believe his eyes, so it’s up to him and a couple more cyber commandos to save the world. Glasgow: Odeon, Showcase. Edinburgh: UCI. Mickey Blue Eyes (15) (Kelly Makin, US, 1998) Hugh Grant, James Caan, Jeanne Tripplehom. 102 mins. Four Weddings meets The Godfather in this funny though highly predictable romantic comedy. Grant plays an Englishman abroad with a girlfriend (Tripplehom) whose Dad (Caan) has dubious Mob connections. By comparison with the more staid Notting Hill, Mickey Blue Eyes is far more engaging. It may not play to the unconverted, but for those who like him already this tale will confirm Hugh as their blue eyed boy. General release.