Film index
4 Film Index continued
The Iron Giantit') ooooo (Brad Bird. I‘S. l‘)‘)‘)) Jennifer Aniston. Harry ('onick Jr. Vin Diesel. so mins. In this animated film adaptation of Ted Hughes's classic children's story about a boy w ho befriends a 50ft. robot from outer space. the action is transported from rural Iingland to small- town America in the late I950» The resulting film is a fast-mov irig 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. ('arlton. Stirling.
Irony Of Fate ( l5) (Various. (iermany. NUS) inins. Iiight (ierman short comedies featuring the tale of a chainsmokcr. and out- ol-luck bricklayer. an illegal Polish worker and a parody of Ilolly wood movies. (iocthc Institut. (ilasgow.
James And The Giant Peach it”) .00. (Henry Selick. LS. 1096) Paul 'I‘crry. Stisan Sarandon. Simon ('allow. 7‘) inins. From the director of Tim Burton "s The Nightmare lie/ore ('Irrivlmus comes a wonderfully colourful adaptation of Roald Dahl‘s much-loved novel. Live action tops and tails the story. but for the most part. it's ftiii times with stop-motion puppets. By turns funny and scary. it stays true to Dahl's surreal and whimsical vision.
(iilmorchilKi I 2. (ilasgow.
Jason And The Argonauts (l') 0... (Don (’haffey. l'K. WM) Todd Armstrong. Nancy Kovack. (iary Raymond. I03 mins. Totally brill adventure yarn as our hero Jason sets out to retrieve the legendary golden fleece and is helped by a number of the gods or) ()ly‘mptis along the way. Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion effects remain among the best of his career. most notably the lirial conflict with an army of skeletal soldiers. (iilniorehillU 12. (iltisgow.
Jules Et Jim (PG) .0... (Francois 'I'ruffaut. France. 196] ) Jeanne Moreau. ()skar Werner. Henri Serre. l05 mins. 'l‘ruffaut's early masterpiece. telling the comi-tragic tale of an eternal triangle straddling the First World War. Bohemian. mercurial Parisienne (‘atherine (Moreau) divides her affections between Jules (Werner) and Jim (Serre ). whose deep friendship overrides their rivalry in love and their separation by war. But Truffaut has a salutory fare in store for the threesome. which is both devastating and poetic. Powerful stuff. Filiiihouse. lidinburgh. Kids Return ( IS) 0... (Takeshi Kitano. Japan. l‘)‘)b) Masanobu Ando. Ken Kaneko. Leo Morimoto. I07 mitts. 'l‘w'o high-school pals start out by extorting pocket-money from their classmates. but soon drift into the boxing ring and flirt with the malign outskirts of yaku/a activity — all way stations on the road to nowhere in particular. Shot in blue-grey tones with an unobtrusive camera. the film's slight lack of narrative momentum is balanced by performances that ring true all round. (iilmorehilKi l 2. (ilasgow.
Kishiwada Bad Boys ( l8) coo (l/uts‘u Ka/uyuki. Japan. l‘)‘)()) Ka/uyuki's eccentric rather than realistic depiction of the lives ofJapan's poor kids is both visceral and melancholy. (iilmorehill(‘r l 2. (ilasgow. Larks On A String 1 IS) 0000 (Jiri Men/cl. ('lechoslovakia. I969) 90 mins. Many think this the ('zech filmmakers masterpiece. and though it was harmed until 1990 it was awarded a (iolden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Adapted from a collection of stories. lurks is set in a small town in the 50s where a group of bourgeois dissidents have been forced to undergo ‘re- education' by working in a factory. Surprisingly cheerful for all that. The Lumiere. Edinburgh.
The Last Metro (PG) 0000
(Francois 'I‘ruff‘aut. France. 1980) (‘atherine Deneuve. (ierard Depardieu. Jean Poiret. [31 mins. In the occupied Paris of 19-12. Deneuve takes over the running of a Montmartre theatre while her Jewish hUsband is in hiding. Meanwhile the company includes a number of performers who are also in their own ways under threat from the Nazis. (ilossy and well cast
32 THE LIST 1—15 Mar 2001
w anime drama. with 'l‘ruffaui working in his most entertaining and commercial vein. Filiiihouse. lidinburgh.
The Legend Of Bagger Vance (Po) 0.. (Robert Redford. LS. 2001 ) Will Smith. Matt Damon. ('harli/e Theron. 1% mins. Redford returns to one of his favourite themes a quasi-mystical sporting pursuit as a metaphor for life and this time it‘s a golfing fahle. The tale concerns a mysterious caddie (Smith) who acts as a guardian angel to a former golfing champ (Damon). burnt-out after returning from WWI Iiurope. and guides him towards redemption. As one expects from Redford. 'I‘lre Leena/()1 Bugger limee is long. leisurely paced and expertly crafted. As with a round of golf. some people w ill be enthralled by the struggle to master the inner game. some will be bored. while others w ill simply enjoy the scenery. (ieneral release. Liam ( l5) .0. (Stephen Frears. I'K. 300l ) lari Hart. Anthony Borrow s. ('laire llackett. 88 mins. Made by Frears on a roll after High I‘irle/rlv and I'irr/ Sir/e. [JUN] offers a child‘s eye perspective on growing up in poverty in ('atholic Liverpool in the 1930s. by telling events from the viewpoint of its sev en-year—old title character (lioi‘rows). Despite some fine performances. this BB(‘ production never quite shakes off its television drama sensibility. Jimmy Mc(}overn's screenplay certainly loads the dramatic dice. whilst the (‘atholic (‘hurch is rather predictably caricatured for comic effect. The visual style is unremarkable. nevertheless it's a commendable example of low-key British filrnmaking. (il’l‘. (ilasgow. The Limeyi 18) 0... (Steven
Soderhergh. l'S. l‘J‘N) 'I‘erence Stamp. Peter
Fonda. Luis (human. 8‘) mins. Stamp's criminal cockney reject. Wilson is off his manor and in Los Angeles to avenge his daughter's death in Smlerbergh's take on (dis 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 ()0s icons Stamp and Fonda as Wilson's nemesis. record prtxlucer Terry Valentine. is inspired. (’ameo. Iidinburgh. The Little Vampire it") 000 (Hi lidcl. I'K. 3000) Rollo \Vecks. Richard Ii. (irant. Jonathan Lipnicki. ()5 mins. Tony (Lipnicki). fresh from the orange groves of ('alifornia. moves with his family to beautiful Scotland. He quickly becomes the riiost unpopular kid in his class. but finds a playmate when a ten-year-old vampire conveniently falls down his chimney. ('an Tony join in the quest for the missing amulet and help the fanged Rudolph and his family become human'.’ l)espite its Hollywood re- vamp. Angela Sommer-Bodenburg‘s well- loved novel emerges with its sense of fun intact. However. while this film certainly doesn't suck. ultimately. it lacks real bite. Selected release.
Love And Other Cruelties t IS) (Various. (iermany. WOO) A programme of (ierman short including tales of love and hate. lonely hearts and lovers tiffs and human kindness. liarly works by Tom Tykw'er (director of Run Lulu Rim) are included in the selection. (ioethe Institut. (ilasgow.
Meet The Parents ( 12) 000 (Jay Roach. LS. 3000) Ben Stiller. Robert De .\'iro. Blythe l)anner. I07 rnins. lt's everyone's idea of a nightmare weekend. Having fallen in love. you are forced to spend time of varying quality with your potential in-law-s. This is the tricky task which faces Stiller as he prepares for the company of De .\'iro‘s ('old War secret agent. his daunting wife and a plethora of friends and family you'd go to the ends of the earth not to have to choose. The beauty or beastliness about Meet The Parents is the safe predictability of the gags. De .\'iro's performance is somewhat flat. but Stiller's edgily fatalistic performance is a joy. Selected release.
Merlin The Return (PG) 00 Matthews. I'K/l'S. 2000) Rik Mayall. (‘raig Sheffer. Patrick Bergin. 88 mins. Mayall's Merlin has banished the evil sorcerer Mordred (Sheffer) to the depths of the earth and put King Arthur (Bergin) and his Knights into a deep sleep. When
(Paul
Lasse Hallstrom lays on the drama thick and sweet in the saccharine adaptation of Joanne Harris’ Chocolat, starring Juliet Binoche and Johnny Depp
Mordred threatens to surface again thanks to the experimental efforts of scientist babe Joan Maxwell ((‘arrere). these llth century men aw ake to find themselves in a modern world. forced to do battle with oil tankers rather than dragons. While the action jumps in and out of the dimensional time gate. the plot becomes rnuddier and rnuddier. Mayall and co do their best to inject some humanity into the film. but end up strangled by an unwieldy script and poor special effects. MacRobert. Stirling.
Muppets From Space (t') coo
(Tim Hill. l‘N‘). I‘S) Dave (ioell. Steve Whitinire. Frank ()1. 88 mins. For their sixth big screen adventure. the focus of our Muppet attentions is (ion/o. that blue. hooked nosed . . . thing. .\'o one is really sure what (ion/o is. so when he gets a message which he believes is from space. the race is on to rriake contact with his extra terrestrial brethren. .lIu/Jpers from Space captures the spirit of the first movie and the original TV' series where the subsequent films never did. (il’l‘. (ilasgow'.
My Own Private Idaho ( Ix) ooooo ((ilts Van Sant. l'S. lWl ) River Phoenix. Keaiiu Reeves. William Richert. l05 mins. Shakespeare's Henry II' I’urly / and 2 are given a sleazy. conterriporary twist in Van Sant's follow-up to the admirable Drugs-lure (‘mrlmyp Screen heart-throbs Phoenix and Reeves make brave career moves by playing
a rent boy and the preppie lay‘ahout object of
his affections. but lo good effect. A compelling. idiosyncratic. left-field gem. (‘ameo. lidinburgh.
Mysteries Of Egypt (t‘) (Bruce Neibaur. LS. 200] ) ()mar Sharif. Kate Maberly. mins. ()mar Scarif stars in the first National (icographic film to appear in IMAX. imparting tales of tombs. treasures and the amazing achievements of this anicent civilisation. IMAX Theatre. (ilasgow.
Necklace Of Wrens ( 15) (Pat Collins. Ireland. 2000) 41 mins. Documentary portrait of the poet Michael Ilartnett. who fought (w in compulsions. refraining from the old drink and writing in linglish. With contributions from Seamus Heaney. Paul Duncan and musician Sean 'l'yrell. Part of the Irish Film Festival. The Lumiere. lidinburgh.
Nurse Betty ( 18) 0000 (Neil l.aButc. LS. 2000) Renee Zellweger. Morgan Freeman. (ireg Kinnear. l 10 mins. When smalltow'n Kansas waitress Betty (Zellweger) witnesses the murder of her white trash car salesman. she suffers a reality shift that leaves her believing the cheesy melodramatic world of her favourite daytime soap. A Reason '1); Live. to be real. Much of the film's humour is derived from the disparity between melodrama and real life: the occasions when they intersect are simultaneoust hilarioUs. painful and poignant. Not as misanthropic as LaBute‘s first two films. Nurse Berry is nevertheless far more vital than other Hollywood comedies. The Lumiere. Edinburgh.
1 02 Dalmatians (t') coo (Kev in Lima. l'S/I'K. 2000) (ilcnn (‘lose. (lei‘ard l)epardieu. loan (iruffudd. U0 rnins. ('rttclla's back. And [his time she's lilla. Thanks to a shot of mind-altering Pavlovian treatment during her stay at ller Majesty‘s Pleasure. the larger than life baddie is released into the community as an animal- loving philanthropist. ()nly when Big Ben strikes twelve does the spell snap. letting her revert to character. her passion for Dalmatian fur renewed. [02 is a generation on from the original cute canines. btit the shape of the story is virtually identical. while the scripts too caught up in the machinations of the human world to give the dogs enough of a look in. (ieneral release. One Life Stand ( 15) 000 (May Miles Thomas. L' ’. 2000) Maureen (‘arr. John Kielty. (iary Lewis. I 15 rnins. 'l'homas' self-funded digital film short in (ilasgow scooped all the major BAI’I‘A Scotland Newcomers awards last year. Fair enough; an incredible feat getting the film made in the first place. but Thomas (who makes a personal appearance at this screening) not only makes good use of her digital camera. she‘s also crafted a heart-felt drama about a single parent mother and troubled teenage son relationship. (il’l‘. (ilasgow'.
Out Of Sight ( IS) com (Steven Soderhergh. I'S. I‘NS) (ieorge (‘looney. Jennifer l.ope/. Ving Rhames. l23 mins. This stylish adaptation of lilmore Leonard's novel teams ('looney's bank robber Jack Foley with Jennifer l.ope/.' chic. (‘hariel- wearing cop. Soderherin catches perfectly Leonard's sly. deadpan wit. while infusing it with a wistful melancholy. Smart. sexy and deliciously bitter-sweet. lidinburgh Film (iuild at The Filiiihouse.
Paths Of Glory (PG) 0.”. (Stanley Kubrick. LS. 1957) Kirk Douglas. Ralph Meeker. Adolphe Menjou. 86 mins. Moving portrayal of the madness of war has three men selected for trial for cowardice after a futile World War One mission unsurprisingly fails. Douglas is superb as the defence law yer during the court martial scenes. shot on location in the French chateaux. Kubrick‘s lengthy tracking shots through the trenches are among the most effective scenes of battle ever filmed. (‘ameo. Iidinburgh.
Pay It Forward ( l2) 0.. (Mimi Leder. IS. 2000) Kevin Spacey. Ilelen Ilunt. Haley Joel ()sment. l23 mins. This 'heartwarming' drama begins with a cynical journalist stumbling across a series of apparently random acts of kindness. which turn out to be orchestrated within a structure similar to a chain letter. traceable back to Las Vegas school kid Trevor McKinney (().sment). Trevor‘s life isn't an easy one. His mother Arlene (Hunt) is an alcoholic go- go bar waitress and his abUsive father (Jon Bon Jovi) is absent. but in new teacher Mr Simonet (Spacey). the boy finds a surrogate parent whose class project prompts Trevor to conceive ‘pay it forward'. Leder handles