back to Rome intent on revenge. Parallels must be drawn with Sparticus and Ben llur; we‘ve not seen a Roman epic in a long time. Scott‘s is a handsome spectacle and exciting enough, but that‘s all it is. General release.
Gone In 60 Seconds (15) ** (Dominic Sena, US, 2000) Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Vinnie Jones. 118 mins. A re-working of H.B. Halicki‘s 1974 cult car-chase movie which, despite its flashy paint-job and hip-hop in-car stereo soundtrack, lacks grunt and growl beneath the hood. Forced out of retirement when his kid brother, Kip (Ribisi), crosses some heavy duty criminals, legendary car thief ‘Memphis' Raines (Cage) must reunite his old crew and steal fifty cars in one night, or kiss his siblings ass goodbye. The original had too many car chases and not enough plot or characterisation; this has too much plot, too many characters and not enough metal- crunching, tyre-squealing action. General release.
A Goofy Movie (U) iii (Kevin Lima, US, 1996) With the voices of Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Jim Cummings. 74 mins. After a school prank backfires, Goofy decides to take troublesome son Max off on a bonding fishing trip. Max is trying his best to be cool, but that isn't easy when your dad's this particular Disney star. An incident-packed journey provides plenty of laughs which should keep restless kids and accompanying adults amused. Dunfermline: ()dcon. Kilmarnock: Odeon. Gossip (15) tint (Gregory Poirer, Us, 2000) Lena lleadey, James Marsden,. 91 mins. Three college media students (Headey, Marsden and Reedus) try and enliven their dull, privileged lives by spreading juicy gossip about their campus. Harmless college japes turn nasty, though, when an idle rumour leads to a rape charge. Gossip takes the sexual tensions and shifting allegiances of the threesome from Shallow Grave, the bitter college rivalry from Heathers, the neat plot twists and turns from the Scream trilogy to create a fairly decent mystery thriller. See review. General release. Hamlet (U) think (Laurence Olivier, UK, 1948) Laurence Olivier, Eileen Hastie, Basil Sydney. 155 mins. Not as stirring as his Henry 1’, but less embarrassing than his ()thello,
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Olivier's take on the Prince is cinematically accomplished, but he‘s not at his best as an actor. The gloomy mood is sustained, and there are some gems to be found in the smaller roles. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Hercules (U) but (John Musker & Ron Clements, US, 1997) With the voices of Tate Donovan, James Woods, Danny DeVito. 91 mins. British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe's designs marry his customary grotesquery with Uncle Walt's softer characterisations. Hades (a magnificently splenetic James Woods) wants to exact revenge on Zeus by destroying his son Hercules, but luckily our hero has Pegasus as his steed and Phil the grumpy satyr (Danny DeVito) as his coach. Classical purists might grumble, but this is one of the studio‘s most dynamic and entertaining features. Glasgow: Odeon At The Quay. Hideous Kinky (18) their (Gillies Mackinnon, UK, 1998) Kate Winslet, Said Tagmaouhi. 98 mins. From the battlefields of France in Regeneration to the Morocco of the 1970s, Mackinnon adapts Esther Freud‘s novel about a young woman who leaves London and a failed relationship behind and takes off with her kids for sunnier climes, peace, love and happiness. Stirling: MacRobert.
High Fidelity (15) **** (Stephen Frears, US, 2000) John Cusack, lben Hjejle, Jack Black. 113 mins. Nick Hornby‘s story of a vinyl junkie who‘s more interested in his music collection than his relationships with women is practically a British institution. Yet, Cusack — and C0-Wl’iiCl/[31’0dUCCI’ pals D.V. DeVincentis and Steve Pink — have drawn on their own pasts to make a film that's as funny and profound as the book. But the great script, cast and music wouldn't have meant a thing without a filmmaker of Frears‘ calibre taking charge. General release.
Himalaya (PG) *** (Eric Valli, France/ SwitzerlandeKNepal, 2000) Thilen. 104 mins. In the high mountains of the Himalayas, a village prepares for the annual yak caravan to market. However, the young Chieftain has been killed and the old clan head. refuses to recognise the hot-headed Karma as his successor. A worthy insight into the lives of a hardy people, the landscape is breathtakingly shot, and the attention to local detail feels
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authentic. The plot has less going for it, being at heart a fairly hackneyed story of an heir to the throne having to prove he is worthy of the crown. See review. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (PG) tit (William Dieterle, US, 1939) Charles Laughton, Maureen O‘Hara, Cedric Hardwicke. 117 mins. Not exactly pin-up material, Laughton woos his gypsy love in and around the Notre Dame and wins much audience sympathy in the process. Stylishly and atmospherically directed. You might not remember Quasimodo's name, but his face rings a bell. Edinburgh: Odeon.
In All Innocence (En plein coeur) (15) **** (Pierre Jolivet, France, 2000) Virginie Ledoyen, Gérard Lanvin, Carole Bouquet. 101 mins. Middle-aged lawyer Michel (Lanvin) is seduced by gorgeous Cecile (Ledoyen) after she‘s accused of breaking into a jewellery shop. Adapted from Georges Simenon's novel, this is plot driven French cinema in the style of L 'Appartement and Place Vendome, but with enough of a social edge to hint at 905 French films with a political conscience: The Bait and La llaine. In fact, the film‘s story comes as readily from class contrasts as the expected sexual enticements. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
It Came From Outer Space (PC) its: (Jack Amold, US, 1953) Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Charles Drake, Russell Johnson. 81 mins. Made in 3-D, this prototype ‘friendly alien' movie broke some new ground, but also harbours some pretty familiar stereotypes (tolerant, misunderstood scientist, shoot-first-ask-questions-later lawman) and some pretty naff acting. But there's are signs here of Arnold's talent for atmosphere and composition (he went on to make The Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Incredible Shrinking Man). Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Jackie Brown (15) *ttt (Quentin Tarantino, US, 1997) Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro. 154 mins. Tarantino‘s blaxploitation homage is proof that the director just loves to hear his characters run their mouths off. However, the dialogue is pure pleasure in this sprawling, funky, triple- crossing heist movie about a Federal Agent
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sting to trap a gun runner. A classic Hollywood thriller in the sense that it is about the enjoyment of the moment, rather simply finding out whodunit. Edinburgh: UGC Cinemas.
Jaya Ganga (15) (Vijay Singh, France/India, 1996) 85 mins. Evocative tale about a Paris- based Indian writer‘s journey down the Ganges from its source in the Himalayas to the sea. Haunted by the memory of a woman named Jaya whom he associates with the sacred river, the young man attempts to wrote a book about his voyage. Director Singh makes a personal appearance after the screening on Sun 3 Sep. Glasgow: GF'I Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
La Jetee (12) with (Chris Marker, France, 1962) 29 mins. An extremely rare opportunity to see this influential piece about the power of memory. An image of a woman at the end of a pier haunts a man as he wanders through a post- apocalyptic world. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Kadosh (15) *tii (Amos Gitai, lsrael/ France/ltaly, 2000) Meital Barda, Ya'l Abecassis, Yoram Hattab. 112 mins. Both a respectful study of the milieu, and a critique of the damage it does to women‘s lives, Gitai details, but never allows us to comprehend the Hassidic experience. Certainly the knowledge of Gitai‘s earlier work (Field Diary and A House In Jerusalem), and also of the director's left wing stance will point the viewer in a particular direction. Nevertheless, this is as subtly effective as one-sided cinema is likely to get. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Kikujiro (12) **** (Takeshi Kitano, Japan, 2000) ‘Beat' Takeshi, Yusuke Sekiguchi. 122 mins. Kitano plays the title role (interestingly, also his father's name), a small-time criminal who finds himself the surrogate father to nine- year-old Masao (Sekiguchi) when the boy sets off in search of the mother he has never met. In a departure from the gangster films his European reputation is built on, Kitano‘s sharply observed comic road movie shows the Japanese director/actor in more slapstick mode, giving his offbeat wit a freer rein. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
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GLASGOW FILM THEATRE 0141 323 8128
24 Aug-7 Sep 2000 THE LIST 19