Film index
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin t )5) 0.. (John Madden. l'K/l 'S/France. 200l ) Nicolas ('agc. Penelope (’ru/. John Hurt. 120 mins. This adaptation of Louis de Bernieres' bestseller sees (ireece taken by the Italian Army during World War II. ('aptain (’orth and his sqtiad of opera enthusiasts arrive on the island of (‘ephalloriia causing much uproar. And when the (‘aptain rs billeted to Dr lannis' (Hurt) house. ('orelli and the Doctor's beautiful daughter. Pelagia ((‘ru/i. fall in forbidden love. Madden has stuck to his guns and made a mov ie at once distinctly European and likely to appeal to American audiences. ('ommercial. unfaithful to the book. but still head and shoulders above any of the ey e candy Holly wood has to offer. Selected release.
Cats And Dogs (PG) 00.
(Lawrence (iuterriiari. l'S. 300T ) Jeff (ioldblum. Eli/abeth Perkins. Miriam Margoylcs. X7 miris. This refreshing approach to cute talking pets films is a kind of subversive Lassie meets Mission: Impossible. These dogs don't just talk. they use surveillance equipment and have a solemn mission to protect scientist (ioldblum as he invents a cure for dog allergies. The cats are evil. hell-bent on conquering the world; their special agents have deadly ninja skills and vicious weapons. The animatroriic effects are of a pretty hiin standard. but it‘s the animal trainers you're in real awe of. The occasional wander into sentimental territory and slowing tip of pace can be forgiven by the madly original idea. lively action sequences and knockabout humour. General release. Chicken Run (t') 000. (Nick Park/Peter Lord. l'K. 2000) Voices of Mel Gibson. Jtrlia Saw alha. Miranda Richardson. 85 mins. For their first feature Aardmari sttidios have re-written the WWII P.().W. experience as an ()rwelliari satire. albeit with laughs. So. Stalag 17 becomes a battery farm and the camp commandant farmer 'l‘weedy's domineering wife. while in the htrtclies. Ginger rallies her fellow hens to fly their coop. Though the characters aren't as established as Wallace and Gromit and the feature length running time slow s the action. Aardrnan continue to work real wonders with their familiar Plasticine animation. MacRobert Arts (‘entre. Stirling.
The Cider House Rules t fl) .0. (Lasse Hallstroni. LS. 3000) Tobey Maguire. Michael (‘aine. (‘harli/e Theron. llo mins. Maguire takes the lead as Homer Wells. an orphan who grows tip to continue the worthy work of his mentor and surrogate father. Dr Larch ((‘ainei ()ri route to manhood. Homer undertakes a small-scale odyssey around 1040s New England. during which time he works on an apple farm and has an affair with farm owner (‘andy Kendall (Theron). Somewhere between Irving‘s screenplay and Hallstrom's direction there's an overabundance of sentimentality which undermines Irving‘s brand of tragi-comedy. ()deon. Edinburgh.
Cirque Du Soleil (t') 000 (2001) Showcasing the skills of a French circus group. pltis some new simulation ride technology. The plot is weak and a little too slow. and perhaps inappropriately symbolic for kids. btit the expertly choreographed dance scenes and colourful backgrounds are admirany presented. l'GC Cinemas. Edinburgh.
The Colour Of Lies (Au Coeur Du Mensonge) ( l8) .0. (Claude (‘habroL France. 1998) Sandririe Borinaire. Antoine de (‘aunes. Jacques Gariibliri. 1 13 mins. A more straightforward thriller than we’re used to frorii (‘habroL (iamblin is a struggling. ageing artist. Rene. implicated in the murder of a ten-year-old girl. Btit if Rene looks guilty. what about his wife. Viviane (Bonnairei? Not guilty of the crime of course. but of a lesser offence. of embarking on an affair with an undeniably obnoxious media celebrity. Germain (de Cannes). (‘habrol settles here less for psychological depth than the width of social culpability. and offers tip an impressive study in toxic milieu. Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow. The Contender ( IS) .00 (Rod Lurie. LS. 2000) Gary ()ldman. Joan Allen.
12 THE LIST 9-16 Aug 2001
The script's not up to much, but Steve Coogan once again proves his
Jeff Bridges. (‘hristiari Slater. IZo mins. ln writer-director Lurie‘s post-(‘linton dream version of a Democratic presidency. Allen's high-minded senator becomes the subject of a sex scandal. She is targeted by ()ldriian's right-w ing congressman when President Jackson liv ans (Bridges) chooses her to
succeed the recently deceased v ice-president.
Lurie. however. hasn't found a way of making committed liberal drama without descending into sarictiriiony. Accept The (‘onteiider as a fantasy. though. and it works effectively as a political thriller. Adam Smith Theatre. Kirkcaldy.
The Crucified Lovers ( 12) 0.0 (Keriji Mi/oguchi. Japan. 1954) I02 mins. A favourite of Japanese critics. this Mi/oguchi work follow s the doomed affair between a merchant's wife and a household servant in 17th century Kyoto. The handling and visual style looks rather stunted today. although the harsh price paid by the lovers still has an impact. The Lumiere. Edinburgh. Dolphins (t') (2000) The producers of the most successful [MAX movie ever. Everest. take tis undersea into the aquatic home of dolphins. With narration by Pierce Brosrian and music by Sting. IMAX Theatre. Glasgow.
Don’t Look Now ( I8) 0000. (Nicolas Roeg. l'K. l‘)73) Donald Sutherland. Julie Christie. 103 mins. Restoration expert with second sight visits Venice. where he meets up with two old sisters who claim spiritual communication with his recently drowned daughter. Against a Marin-like backdrop of unexplained deaths. he becomes obsessed with a tiny. red-coated figure he spies scurrying through the city's dark alleys. Splendid supernatural suspense movie. as subtly textured and brilliantly edited as any of Roeg's work. with the added advantage that it's a rather good yarn. l'('l. East Kilbride.
Dr Dolittle 2 (PG) .00 (Steve (‘arr. L'S. 200T ) Eddie Murphy. Kristen Wilson. voice of Lisa Kudrow. 87 mins. A Mafioso racoon turns tip at the doc’s home and demands that he visit Beaver. Godfather of the forest creatures. Beaver's problem is that two nasty humans want to ‘develop‘ their home. If only Dolittle can mate endangered species bear Ava (voiced by Lisa Kudrow) with circus dude bear Archie. then by law the forest will be protected. Simple. cheesy and eco-friendly. General release.
Dracula 2001 (IS) 0.. (Patrick Lussier. ['S. 200l ) Gerald Butler. (‘hristopher Plummer. Johnny Lee Millar. ()9 mins. In this contemporary take on Bram Stoker‘s horror classic Abraham van Helsing (Plummer) has kept Dracula locked tip in a vault for the past I00 years. The secrecy with which van Helsing guards it. however. draws the attention of robbers and their tomb raiding succeeds in releasing the prince of darkness (Glasgow -born actor Butler doing an okay job). Thereafter the action transfers to New Orleans. 11 was only a matter of time before the most famous horror villain of all was given the Scream treatment. but this Wes Craven-produced filrii fails to deliver; Dracula 200] feels more like a Hammer era B-movie. ()deon. Glasgow.
Ed Gein ( 15) 0. (Chuck Parello. LS. 200] ) Steve Railsback. (‘arrie Snodgress. Ryan Thomas Brockington. 90
comic genius in The Parole Officer
mins. The true story of lid Gem has been the foundation for three of the finest horror movies in the cation. (‘oming at the tale of this simple man and serial killer extraordinaire indifferent ways. Psycho went for the domineering mum angle. The Texas ('hainsaw Massacre adopted the isolated nutter approach. while The Silence ()f'lhe Lambs fieshed out Ed's skin trade. In Ed (iein. there's a bit of all three. btrt they ‘re all filmed in a ham-fisted. campy and ultimately utterly banal way. l'(i(‘ (‘inemas. Edinburgh.
Elvis: That’s The Way It Is - Special Edition it') 0... (Denis Sanders. l‘S. 300l ) ‘)7 mins. Sanders‘ original documentary. chronicling The King's first stage show s in more than a decade (time spent developing an almighty drug habit and appearing in terrible rom-com mirsicals). was a soporific affair. This Special Edition. boasting around ~10 new minutes. is a rev elation with four more songs and loads more insider footage. Within sev en years Elvis was dead. a bloated parody of what he was here. This is one musical and historical document you do not want to miss. The Filmhouse. Edinburgh.
Evolution (PG) .0 (Ivan Reitman. LS. 200] ) David Duchovny'. Julianne Moore. ()rlando Jones. l0l ruins. Reitman reprises his 80s mega-hit. Ghostbusters. substituting iiTs for spooks. Evolution's ‘alienbusters' are lead by i)tlc‘lltiv'tly"s Mitf- West school teacher (the wild card role that was previously Bill Murray's) and Moore's current government expert. The plot is pure high concept: a meteorite crashes on Earth leaking alien goo which kickstarts billions of years of evolution in a couple of days. (‘ue (‘Gl monsters - btigs. fish. amphibians. dinosaurs and apes - a non-starter romance between Duchonvy and Moore and some very lame jokes and you‘ve got a summer blockbuster package. Selected release.
0 Fiddler On The Roof ( t'i oooo (Norman Jewison. l'S. 1*)7l) (‘haim Topol. Norman Crane. Paul Michael Glaser. 181 mins. Based on Sholom Aleichem‘s play. Fiddler is the story of Tevye. a Jewish milk- man living in pre-Revolutionary Russia. l'nlike the majority of musicals. where fixed smiles and colourful dance routines are de rigour. this is a much more sombre affair. set in poverty btrt filled with dry humour. Tevye‘s marriage plans for his daughters and their rebellion against the all-pervasive ‘tra- tiitions' form the core of the film. Jevvison's direction is slick and his pacing even. but it is Topol as Tevye who carries the film with a role he seems to have been born for. The Filmhouse. Edinburgh.
0 Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (PG) 0... (Hironobu Sakaguchi. Montonori Sakakibara. t'S/Japan. 200l ) Voices of Ming-Na Wen. Alec Baldwin. Steve Btiscemi. I05 mins. Final Fantasy unquestionably represents a quantum leap for animation. Adapted from the phenomenally successful Japanese role- playing computer game series. The Spirits Within tells a new story in which the Earth of 3065 has succumbed to an alien invasion. (‘o-produced by a Japanese and American crew. co-directed by game creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and voiced by Hollywood talent. the Eastern spiritualism and questing ele-
ment of the game is given the standard Holl} \vood blockbuster treatment The results are mrved human movement is still problematic but often astonishingly l‘elic-v able. The future of film has arrived See lcar ture and rev ievv (ieneral release
Ginger Snaps ( Is» 0000 (John
Faw cett. ('anada. 2001 i Katharine Isabelle. Emily Perkins. Mimi Rogers 10S mins Writer-director FawccttR sardonic treatment of the American bourgeoisie gives this horror mov re the feeling of an acutely observational romp. Isabelle's blossorriirig iiy mph sprouts a tail after a werewolf attack. but after riiuch perplexity begins to bear it with fortitude spreading her infection with her sexual favours As her slavisth devoted \tslcl' lt'lcs it) intervene. (irrigcr tfalfslotltls from empowered teen to tragic monster Despite Hollywood‘s long flirtation w ith lycanthropy. Faw cett's funny. tragic film still coritrrves to be original ()deon. (ilasgovv. l'(i(‘ (dllL‘ltlds. ltdiriburgh.
A Hard Day’s Night ( t r 000
(Richard Lester. l'K. WM) John I cnnon. Patil McCartney. (ieorge Harrison. Ringo Starr. 8“ turns. This re-relcasc of the Beatles' screen debut. complete w illi digitally restored soundtrack. sees the lab l‘our supposedly preparing for a live TV performance Actually. rigging with the exuberant energy of youth and the fearless arrogance of those who are adored. they dodge their manager. taunt their fans and make a playground of the streets Tester 's mock documentary received two Acadcriry Award nominations. Today. the camera tricks may seem less than impressive. but the innocent upbeat humour comes as .i timely relief. l'(‘|. Edinburgh.
Harriet The Spy 1 P( i) 0..
(Bronwcn Hughes. l'S. I‘Noi Michelle Tt'achtenbcrg. Rosie O‘Donnell. (ircgory Smith. I02 mins. Precocious schoolgirl Harriet. conv iriccd she has a future as .r writer. notes down the miriutae of daily life in her journal; bill when her classmates discover her‘ criticisriis of them. she has to work hard to w in back popularity. 'l‘rachtcnberg gives a fresh. sparky perforriiarice. btit the teacherly tone won't amuse accompanying grow ri-ups. (ilasgow Film Theatre. (ilasgow. Help! I’m A Fish if) .00 llegncr. Stefan Ficldriiark. Denmark/(icrmany/lrclarid. 200| l Voices of Alan Rickman. Terry Jones. Teryl Rolhcry. 78 mins. This cheerful offering involves three kids: pesky Fly. his sweet little sister Stella and their geeky cousin (‘huck After sneaking out of the house they coiiic across a secret tunnel by the sea. in which lives a professor (voiced by Jones) w ho‘s created a formula to turn humans into fish. lo and behold ourjunior heroes are soon swimming with the fishes. trying to find an antidote and doing battle with an ev il pilot-fiin (villainous Rickman). Younger children should enjoy it. btrf if you're looking for humour or any real moriicnts of high drama. you'll be disappointed. See rcv iew. (ierieral release.
High Heels And Low Lifes f is)
0 (Mel Smith. t'K. 300! ) Minnie Driver. Mary .\lc(‘ormack. Kev in McNally. 86 mitts. High Heels And Low l.ffes is so lacking in ariibition it‘s depressing. Kim Fuller's screenplay starts w rtli ari unpromising idea two gorgeous girls blackmail a gang of crooks otit of their hard stolen dosh and takes it nowhere. Mel Smith. who worked with Fuller on Not The Nine ()'('lock News. directs iii a style that's best described as cack-haridcd Mcanw lirle. Driver and Mc('ormack glam it tip and act ‘kookie' to little effect. The kind of rubbish that gives Brit cinema a bad name. (ierieral release.
Himalaya (PG) .00 (Eric Valli. France/Sw it/erland/l 'K/Nepal. 3000) Thilcn Lhondup. (iurgon Kyap. Lliapka Tsamchoe. 10-1 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. rerses 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
(Michael