reviews
The End Of The Affair mins ill" ll" zit- ‘.\\\\"'
Dangerous passions and explosive drama in The End Of The Affair
Neil Jordan's film output hasn't been for everyone. Some see Mona Lisa as hackneyed small scale gangsterism, The Company Of Wolves as unscary fantasy horror, while The Crying Game may well be the most over-rated movie of the 905. Then, there are the likes of We’re No Angels and High Spirits for which few words exist to describe the horror in their viewing. For those of us taking that standpoint, The End Of The Affair comes as a
welcome and revelatory delight.
Starring the glacial Julianne Moore and the stony Ralph Fiennes, their dual coldness thaws to light up a story which, in less confident hands, could have fallen on its angst-ridden arse. Based on the semi-autobiographical Graham Greene novel, the pair play Sarah Miles and Maurice Bendrix, star-crossed lovers if ever you saw them, while Jordan regular Stephen Rea, plays the wronged yet deeply unsympathetic husband.
Throw in an uncharacteristically subtle performance from Ian Hart as the private detective steadily drawn into their dangerously passionate world, and another melting Michael Nyman score, and you have both the makings
and the delivery of a minor classic.
The End Of The Affair all turns on one dramatically explosive moment which comes out of nowhere and will leave you breathless as the truth about it becomes clearer. It's also gratifying to know that someone can still turn out fine art on the back of an average track record. (Brian Donaldson) Available for video rental from Mon 27 Aug on Columbia Tristar.
RENTAL
Topsy-Turvy
(12) 162 mins
Who'd ever have thought :t. Mike Leigh doing a 19th century perrotl drama,7 Frocks and frorrts there might be in this drarnatrsatror‘. of the rot ky but frurtful working relatronshp between popular opera artists Gilbert and Sullivan, but the character comedy rs pure LOIQII, The emphasrs rs on preparations for a London production of The Mikado and, while there are too many musical numbers, the cast are superb, from leads Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner to Scots Shirley Henderson and Kevrn Mt Kidd. rFox Pathei (Miles Freltlerr
MYstery, Alaska (15) mins tbc ti.-
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and The Insider's Russell Crowe So, how did it end up being relegated to a strarght-to-vrdeo release7 Is it shite? No, actually it's an entertaining sports comedy in whit h Russ's tough rte
hot key prayer rerna'r‘s 'oyal against all otltls to the team o‘ the eponymous tiny snow-hound town where hot key as rel.gron The ever-reliable Dan At kroyd brovrcies some (()II‘.r( bat k-ap ’Bueha Vistar ‘Nlht‘h Fre (fer
Agnes Browne
(15) 88 mins
Artgelrta Houston (Irret ts ant: stars at this (omit tale of a Torn Jones—f1xated \‘/l(l()\.‘-/ and mother of seven, ekr'rg out a irvrrig rn Ireland an the iate l9bOs Houston must have consulted The Big Book of Irish (th nes before
comment rng frlrrrrng, as this is art poverty, heatist ar‘ves and tenacity :n the face of atlversrty Twee ( .":(l"(l( ters and a t'l:msy plot means that the best things about it are the TUH‘ Jones numbers whit h br‘rr‘t; blessed relief it'()li‘ a soaridtrat k of aggravatineg insistent folT-c intisrt Dowhrrght silly lUrwersah rDawn Kot'ei
Best (15) 102 mins
Football films rarely store and this Vlt“.‘.’ of George Best hits the post and
reviews VIDEO/ DVD
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Stereophonics - Performance & Cocktails
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RETAIL
Cookie's Fortune (12) 118 mins
House On Haunted Hill Evee when Robert A t'r‘a" woth out i W 1" H" ' W h z I H I.” l a studio ptttr'e, his it rr‘r'bakr'x; E I ‘ “‘ I. I. ' V . ‘7 2 rerearls streets a”eatr of ()i".("' 3 I a 'I l H V. . ’ i 'nar'rstrtni'n ‘: 'ns Here, the (Wet tor of' «rt/7 A S H, r’\./thsll.’///€’, ti'l(l Sim/t (Hi8 World At War .— Volumes 1 & 2 turns his atrtear's .'H‘:"(2 to a". a”r:ab,e, ' v : -: " :v ' : ' y, (().".‘|( 'rtzu‘tre' "lysftv‘y se'. ’r‘- srr‘a .tovrn Ho: y Sprngs, I'.I ssssrpbr As ustra,
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Gregory's Two Girls (15) 111 mins
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The Lost Son
(18) 98 mins
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STAR RATINGS Unmzssabie Very good Worth a shot Beloxt' .‘in-‘HKJO You've been warned
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2.1 Star: 1:» THE llST 55