of his village and ultimately, expulsion from his tribe. An episodic narrative, occasionally lacking in pace, The Horse Thief lingers on the rituals of the tribe, with a steely gaze that renders their strangeness all the more striking. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
The House On Haunted IIlII(18) tit (Vifrlliam Malone, US, 2000) Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Chris Kattan. 92 mins. Rush mugs and leers outrageously as Stephen Price, a twisted amusement park tycoon who invites a small group of guests to his wife’s birthday celebration at a derelict lunatic asylum, the scene of mass slaughter two generations before. This building has plans of its own and, instead of the expected group, five complete strangers show up, each of whom has been offered $1 million to stay the night. No cash prizes, though, for guessing what happens after they find themselves locked in. General release. How The West Was Won (U) tit (Henry Hathaway/John Ford/George Marshall, US, 1962) Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, John Wayne. 162 mins. Panoramic western which attempts to reproduce the enormity of the west - the land, the people, the myths - through the life of a pioneer woman and is only partially successful. But the sheer sweep, the grand music and all of the stars still impress. Edinburgh: St Bride’s.
IThinlt I Do (15) *** (Brian Sloan, US, 1998) Alexis Arquette, Guillermo Diaz. 87 mins. A group of George Washington University graduates are re- united at a social gathering (in this case a wedding) and unresolved issues are settled by the score. Although matters are settled a tad too tidily, as an ‘alternative lifestyle' take on featherweight romantic comedy, it succeeds well enough. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
In The Company Of Men (18) **** (Neil LaBute, US, 1996) Aaron Eckhart, Matt Molloy, Stacy Edwards. 97 mins. The misanthropy of American commerce is right up there on screen, fifty feet high, as Chad and Howard plan to date the same vulnerable woman and dump her without warning. lt’s corporate America's strongest-will-survive ethos which is the real target in this powerful independent that's full of sucker punches. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Inspector Gadget (U) *** (David Kellogg, US, 1999) Matthew Broderick, Rupert Everett, Joely Fisher. 79 mins. Disney's take on the French kids' cartoon follows the part human, part gizmo Gadget’s (Broderick) quest to become a proper, respected cop. Unfortunately, the dastardly Claw (Everett) has a scheme for world domination, which includes creating an evil doppelganger of the trenchcoated wonder. The inspector’s many contraptions will delight younger viewers, and oldies will be amused by the plentiful self-referential moments. General release.
Iron Giant (U) *tttt (Brad Bird, US, 1999) Jennifer Aniston, Harry Conick Jr, Vin Diesel. 86 mins. In this animated film adaptation of Ted Hughes's classic children's story about a boy who befriends 50ft. robot from outer space, the action is transported from rural England to small-town America in the late 1950s. The resulting film is a fast-moving thrillfest featuring bongo- beating beatniks, a great rockabilly soundtrack and explosive destruction on a grand scale. This being a kids film, through, it's violence with a conscience. General release.
The Legend Of 1900 (15) *t* (Giuseppe Tomatore, Italy, 1999) Tim Roth, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Melanie Thierry. 125 mins. A baby is born and abandoned aboard a transatlantic liner on the first day of the 19th century. Named 1900, he leads a life that becomes increasingly more fabulous, never setting foot on land. The innocent figure is so easily a cliche and so the film’s success depends upon it striking a chord of emotional truthfulness which defies our powers of reasoning. That it does strike that chord is debatable. Edinburgh:
Filmhouse.
Life Of Brian (15) ***** (Terry Jones, UK, 1979) Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle. 93 mins. The Gospel According to Monty Python ofl’ended a whole host of religious dominations upon its initial release, which rather obscured the fact that behind the controversy lay their most sustained humour to date. A host of very funny setpieces and smart cameos from all the team climaxes in a rather fetching musical crucifixion. Edinburgh: Lumiere. Life On A String (15) **** (Chen Kaige, China/UK/Germany, 1991) Liu Zhongyuan, Huang Lei, Xu Qing. 103 mins. An old blind musician and his young blind disciple find love and violence in a village they happen upon in their travels. Poetic and magical filmmaking from the director of Yellow Earth, with essential themes of obedience and self-denial that can be interpreted on many levels. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
The Limey (18) **** (Steven Soderbergh, US, 1999) Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Luis Guzman. 89 mins. Stamp's criminal cockney reject, Wilson is 03 his manor and in Los Angeles to avenge his daughter’s death in Soderbergh’s take on 605 cinema and the British crime movie. But this is no simple revenge caper, although the action thrills and the one-liners are smart. The casting 60$ icons Stamp and Fonda as Wilson’s nemesis, record producer Terry Valentine, is inspired. Stirling: Carlton. Longshots Festival See Rough cuts. Glasgow: GilmorehillGlZ.
Ma Vie En Rose (12) **** (Alain Berliner, France/Belgium/UK, 1997) Georges Du Fresne, Michele Laroque, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey. 93 mins. Happy seven-year-old Ludovic loves cross~ dressing and is convinced he will grow up to become a girl. His parents hope it’s a passing phase, but hostility from their neighbours causes problems. The child’s eye world is visually striking, the message of accepting the ‘difference’ of others worth repeating, the performances by all tremendous. A refreshingly honest look at a complex subject. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Margie (U) *** (Henry King, US, 1946) Jeanne Crain, Glenn Largin, Alan Young. 94 mins. A woman reminisces about her college days in the 203, when she married a French teacher. Pleasing nostalgia all the way. Edinburgh: St Bride’s.
The Matrix (15) *iitt (The Wachowski Brothers, US, 1999) Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lawrence Fishbume. 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. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Muppets From Space (U) tit (Tim Hill, 1999, US) Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz. 88 mins. For their sixth big screen adventure, the focus of our Muppet attentions is Gonzo, that blue, hooked nosed . . . thing. No one is really sure what Gonzo is, so when he gets a message which he believes is from space, the race is on to make contact with his extra terrestrial brethren. Muppets From Space captures the spirit of the first movie and the original TV
~ series where the subsequent films never
did. Glasgow: Showcase. Kilmamock: Odeon. Paisley: Showcase.
My Favourite Martian (PG) «kt (Donald Petrie, US, 1999) Christopher Lloyd, Jefi‘ Daniels, Elizabeth Hurley. 93 mins. Big screen version of the 605 television series that wasn't any great shakes back then. The sitcom scenario involves a television producer and a stranded Martian who has the ability to assume human form. Glasgow: UCI. East Kilbride: UCI.
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