Problem is he abuses the land to make money — until he falls in love wrth an Indian woman called Pony. He writes a book and soon gains Cult status telling the world (including the film‘s director, the wee Dickie Attenborough) how to live like a native and respect the environment. Eventually we discover he is a take from England who is just living out his childhood dream. How nobody realises this I will never know. I mean Brosnan in pigtails — I ask you. (Fox Pathe rental)
(Jane Hamilton)
DRAMA GROOVE (18) 84 mins ee
Films about going clubbing and popping pills are painful at the best of times. but when the Americans make them they're excruciating. The weak plot revolves around various ‘rave kids' (i.e. sappy Americans) breaking into a San Francisco city warehouse to take drugs. hug a lot and drink bottles upon bottles of water to avoid getting ‘Iike totally dehydrated'. After much dealing with issues. feeling the rush and living the moment. the whole sorry mess builds to John Digweed turning up ‘to spin some like. totally sick vinyl'. Doubtless Digweed really believed in this film and wasn't using it as a PR exercise to help him break America. (Columbia rental; $219.99 on DVD)
(Catherine Bromley)
DRAMA FLAWLESS (15) 106 mins eee
Is it a weepie. a comedy or a crime thriller? The problem with Flawless is that it tries to be all three and in doing so loses its focus and impact. Robert De Niro plays an ex-cop who's forced to seek voice therapy from a neighbour, drag queen Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman). after suffering a stroke following a shooting in his building. From mutual dislike to friendship their relationship grows. backed up by comic drag-queen antics and plenty of wisecracks.
The leads deliver strong performances. but just when things get moving we‘re flipped back to the paper-thin crime storyline. Flawless never fulfils its potential.
(MGM rental)
(Louisa Pearson)
COMEDY
THE REPLACEMENTS (12) 113 mins 00.
W'm mm
EREPLACMN'IS
"1rd: - ®
In 1982. the NFL‘s million-earning gridiron players went on strike over a pay dispute. To finish off the season. the team owners brought in replacement players and this light-hearted comedy romp is loosely based on those events.
Coached by Gene
Hackman, Keanu Reeves stars as a failed quarterback given a second chance. This is schmaltzy fun, with a barrel-load of cheesy
one-liners and some entertaining casting. The
normally charming Jon
Favreau plays a 3 psychotic cop turned
defender. Rhys lfans shouts a lot a as
drunken Welshman
kicker and obligatory love interest is cheerleader Brooke Langton. It all adds up to a whole huddle of fun. (Warner rental; $319.99 on DVD)
(Mark Robertson)
MELODRAMA WHERE THE HEART IS 12 (97 mins) .00
For maximum viewing pleasure of this film you will need the following: one box of chocolates. comfy TV clothes (tracky bottoms. woolly socks) and two dozen tissues. Where The Heart Is is unashamed melodrama. a top rate chick flick, if that's not an oxymoron. Tears will begin to
i stream when heavily
pregnant Novalee Nation (Natalie Ponman) is dumped outside a middle America Wal-
boyfriend. But warm
5 occasional chuckles will I the Milk Tray as Novalee has her baby and is
: befriended by loveable
Judd. Stockard r Channing and James
(Miles Fielder)
tv@list.co.uk
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Digimon: The Movie (Fox £14.99; $219.99 on DVD) Pokemon-style Japanese animation for kids. and only kids. Number Seventeen (Universal £10.99) Early Hitchcock spoofing dark house chillers.
Ready To Rumble (Warner rental; retail $10.99) American wrestling comedy starring goofy
David Arquette.
Red Planet (Warner rental; $319.99 on DVD) Space mission to Mars adventure starring Val Kilmer.
The Sopranos series 2 volumes 4—6 (Warner $12.99; DVD price tbc) Tony and the boys. doing what they do best.
Man by her no-good feelings in your belly and have you reaching for
local eccentrics Ashley
Frain. (Fox Pather rental)
DRAMA
THE FABULOUS BAGEL BOYS 8801, Thu 24 May, 9pm on
Charlie’s Angels Kitsch but quality movie adaptation with Hollywood's
hottest as the angels — HMV DVD exclusive features unique sleeve image and a set of film art cards
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 2 Superb package across 6 DVD's for this cult TV series — extras include four audio commentaries, three featurettes. set designs and character profiles
A Man Called Hero
Classic cult martial arts film starring Ekin Cheng — released as a two DVD set — extras include a making of, trailers. music promos and biographies
The Sopranos - Series 2
First instalment of the second series of the brilliant TV gangster soap - extras are spread across the DVDs in the shape of interviews and documentaries
Son Jovl - Crush Tour
The JOvi's first DVD release of their recent tour — includes 6 extra live tracks. 30 min backstage programme. photo gallery. discography and music promos
2001: A Space Odyssey
Special edition box set of the influential sci-fi opus - comprises of the usual disc with a few extras. the soundtrack CD. booklet and a collectable film cell from the movie
Pitch Black
Culty sci-fi horror starring Vin Diesel - extras include audio commentary from director David Twohy. production notes and features and webcast footage
Universal Soldler
Great no brainer action fest directed by Roland Emmerich - a host of extras including trailers. making of documentary and commentary by the director
As The Fabulous Bagel Boys combines two of my favourite things. namely Glasgow and bagels. I settled down to watch this with huge excitement. An early scene. in which fish out of water ‘tec Michael French (ex of EastEnders) is greeted with a “good morning' from a random local woman quickly establishes David Solomons' drama as being located in fantasyland rather than, as claimed. Glasgow's 'leafy suburban southside.‘
French is the sophisticate from the London Met transferred to investigate a murder under the guidance of canny Scots stereotype. Inspector Morris Rose (Denis Lawson, who substitutes acting with an awesome range of facial tics). Rose is aided and abetted in his investigations by brother Lionel (Alex Norton) who runs the local kosher deli, currently threatened with closure.
Despite some amusing scenes. this often feels like two stories mushed together to fill an hour. A full series would do better to highlight the more compelling community/family stOry that takes place in the deli. (Allan Radcliffe)
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Oenls Lawson overplays it In thls dell drama
FILM
MATEWAN
Channel 5, Sat 26 May, 3.10am 0000
You couldn't ask for no more from no darn film, no siree bob. John Sayles. the undisputed king of American independent cinema. brings us this witty. gripping and politicised western which dramatises the labour dispute between the Stone Mountain Coal Company and West Virginia miners circa the 19203. When the workers strike, the bosses respond by bringing in black and Italian scabs. igniting the already sparking violence.
Sayles sets superb performances from regulars Chris Cooper (playing an idealistic strike-breaker), David Strathairn (wily lawman) and Mary McDonnell (stoic single parent) against a beautifully observed portrait of rough backwoods life tempered by bitter conflict. As usual, Sayles champions the underdogs. but he also refuses to oversimplify matters by merely tarring and brushing his heroes and villains in black and white.
This is sturdy stOrytelling and bold cinema. And look out for the director himself, taking a trademark juicy cameo, here as a fire and brimstone preacher. (Miles Fielder)
24 May—7 Jun 2001 THE LIST 1 1 1