Film index
9The Lord Of The Rings Il’(ii ..... (Peter Jackson. New Xealand/l 'S. 2001) Ian McKellen. lilijah Wood. Liv Tyler. (’atc Blaiicliett. \‘iggn .\lortenxen. I78 iiiinx. At long last. a sword and xnrcci'y adv white that really delivers the goods. J. R. R. 'l'olkien‘s great achievement was to create an linglixh ittythology. located in a fantastical yet believable world. Jackxnn'x great achievement ix to bring the author's l000 page tome In life. not merely realising the fantastic clc— uterus with special effcctx xpcctaclc Ithough they are l't’l'\ xpeclaculai'i. but through xtni'y telling Hare and marvellous pei'l'nriiiaiiccx from his caxt. Vixceral and breathtakineg dia titatic. ’I‘liI' I'I'l/nii ship ()I The RINL’ ix an inspired labour of love and a iiinnuiiicntal acliiev cment. (iciieral i'clcaxc.
Love 2001 Ithci I\'arinux. lelll l tbc iniiix. An evening of short liliiix celebrating Valentine's Day and looking at In\ c in the new millennium. (‘('.-\. (ilaxgnw. Lovely Rita I ISI .00. Hammer. Austria. 200i i Barbara ()xika. ('hristnph Bauer. Petr l‘iala. .\0 minx. .lexxica llatixncr'x l.ni (’l\ RIIII ix a grim. dy xpcptic Ialc of teenage angst. Rita livcx on the nutxkirtx of Vienna. goes to a nice (‘athnlic xchnnl and is suffocating under the prcxxui'ex nl wild hormones. bullying. dull pai'cntx and thc tact that her hext friend. l'L‘\l. an I l year old asthmatic. xccmx to he dy mg. llll\ giiiidiiig. l)ngiiie-extiuc slice of modem inixci} perfectly encapsulates the leelingx nl iiihilixiii and anger that accniiipaiiy ux all iii early puberty. :\ little gem nl dixplaccd therapy. l‘ilmhouxc. lidinbui’gh.
The Low Down I l.\i .... Ilaiiiic 'l'hravcs. l‘K. 200] l.’\ltlL‘ll (iillaii. Kate Ashlield. ()(t iiiiiix. l'rank l.’\ltlt‘ll (iillaiii ix a pi'niiiixing xctilptnr-cum-ninch llldle‘l’ w hn‘x pissing away liix lilc \\llll ti'icndx and llattiialex. l’i'altk‘x altciitptx In gi'nw tip aic centred round liix new gii'lli'iciid I.-\xlilicld excellent l. but he xtill liax to deal \\llll liix toxic-induced Itt'bati paranoia. lack nl commuiiicatiiin xkillx and a deeply ingrained selfishness. 'l‘hix ix about the gap l‘t‘l\\t's‘lt latc
thstca
adolescence and mature I'cxignatinii. and ll xharex with the \ icwci‘ thc tnIal c\.prci.Itinii and alienation nl a inixxpcnt youth and the aching paxxagc In maturin .\ liliii about the ininutac nl behav inui ('( ’.'\. (ilaxgnw 0A Ma Soeur! (Fat Girl) I IN 0000 I(‘atlici'iiic Bi'cillat. l'iaiicc. Illlll Rn\aiic .\lexquida. :\naix Relinu\. l.ll‘t'l'it dc Ricii/n. so iiiiiix. 'l‘hc laiiiily vacation of lilIccii yt~;ii nld l'.lciia I.\lcxtiuidai and l.‘ ycai nld .\ii.Iix IRchnIixi and their pai'cntx pi'n\ idcx l'iciich feminist auteur Brcillat I57) Ill/I’II'I. with another disconcerting e\plnratinii nl female xc\uality. liixpii'cd by a iicwxpapci report of a family Ii'agcdy. Bi'cillat liax cialtcd aii iiiipi'cxxivcl) actcd liliii. liaiik .Iiid dixcniii lni'tiiig tn the viewer. which dixiiiaiitlcx thc L‘Iixy il\\lllll[lllllll\ til llic lt‘t’llitfit‘ \Illliltlt‘l' rniiiance movie. .'\lltl even ll the liliii Itii'clicx into horror-iiinv ie territory. w ith the \ inlciiI wixh-fultiliiicnt nl .-\iiaix'x dai'kcxt dcxiicx. it llL'\ ci‘ lnxex its essential aiiihiguity. (il‘l. (ilaxgnw
Made I l5i ... I_lnii l'av i'cau. l'S. lllllli Vince Vaughn. Jnii l‘av l'L‘tttl. l-aiiikc .laiixxcii 94 mins. Wannabe hn\ci' Bobby Il'av i'caui lives a low rent c\ixtciicc lci'i‘yiiig liix inippci gil'lli'ietid IJtItischIi In \vni'k. llic alliatinxx ai‘nund liix iicck. hnwcvci'. ix liix bcxt li‘iciid Ricky I\'aughiii. a bum with an abilin In pixx pcnplc nll \\ llll liix iiicictii'ial nllciixiv c lllttllllt'l'. \\ licii they aic nllci'cd a inh .Ix nut nl tnvs ii muxclc lni' iiinh chicl .\la\ Il’cIci l'.ilk I. Bobby gctx In xit back and watch as his holy idiotic li'iciid dixinantlcx the best laid planx nl \H' iiinhxtci‘x and men. :\ glniinuxly li'cncIIc though lllL'\\_\ directing debut liniii acIni
l';t\ t'L‘ttll. Sclcclcd l‘clcttst'.
The Magic Sword il I ... ll‘lt‘tlt‘l ik l)u (‘hau. l'S. l‘)‘).\I \\ ith the \niccx nl (iaiv ()ldiiiaii. chxalyii (iilxig. (lii‘y l'.l\scx. Sh . iiiiiix. :\l| ix happy uiidci King .\iIliIii”x iulc until cvil l,ni'd Rubci Iiicx tn xIcal l \cahliiii \thii the vsniidi'nux wcapnii bccniiicx 1an III the forbidden l'nicxt. plucky young Kay lc_\
Iliix ix a little gciii.
/\'IIiIiI;iiI I
i‘cckniix xhc'x hiav c enough In x;i\ c Ilic day ’l'hix animach lcaIuic sticks In the Disney lni'iiiula actinii. haw led niiI balladx. knnky xidckickx but the aiiiiiiatinn iIxcll Iackx \Valt‘x gi'acc. \lttL’Rtlltt'll. Sliiliiig
30THE LIST 57 i::' Nil-24.2.,
Johnny Depp‘s police inspector falls into a drug-induced reverie mulling over the Jack the Ripper murders in From Hell
The Man Who Wasn’t There I IS. ..... tine] ('ncii. l S. Illlll I Bill} linl‘ lhni'iiInii. l'iaiiccx \lcl )niiiiaiid. .l.iiiicx (iaiidnlliiii Ill) Iiiiiix Set [It llic(‘alilniiiiaii
lnickwatci lI‘\\ll ni Santa Rnxa ciica thc l‘l-lllx.
/I’iI ,llIII: ll/in llmiz'.’ //.II II Iakc» itx cuc liniii thc c} Iiical vanild nl piin ciiiiic \viiIcix like .laiiicx \l. (liiii. llic talc Iuiiix no .I i‘cgulai‘ lclla. lliniiitnii'x iiiild iii.iiiiici'cd l‘.tll"c‘l lid ('iaiic. \vlin ix unwittingly Ilic catalny lni .: xpii'alliiig xcticx nl c“-c'lll\ beginning \‘.llll ciidiiig with. \scll.
iiilidclit} .iiid c\tnitinii .iiiI iiiivbc ynti tan gucxx llic ('ncii bintlicix' latcxI i'ciihciitinii nl .: cl.I\\l\ llnllyvvnnd llllll gciiic ix Ilicii iiinxt .Iudacintix In date. iiii\iii;_' li.iid linilcd. xiiiall Inuit liliii Iinii \sitlt c\ixIciiIi.ilixiii .Iiid iiictapliyxicx lt‘x .i '\\l_\ hiiiiinuicd. icIin xtylt'tl. wickedly plnIch. lltiHltl} gt'llt. Sclcclcd lt‘l‘c'dxc‘
Mansfield Park ISI 0... d’aincia lx’n/ciiia. l S. Illlllli l'i.iiiccx l H 'niiiini. \lcxxaiiIhn \i\nl.i. lniiiiy l \lillci ll.‘ ll‘iill\. lx’n/ciiia liax xupplciiiciilcd hci .id.ipI.IIinii \v illi c\ti.ich liniii _l.inc \IixIcii'x nun lettch .iiid iniiiiialx. Itiiiiiiij; Ilic iin\cl'x liciniiic .i pnni _‘_'lll \'.hn ix adopted by wealthy iclativcx and taken In live iii tlic giand linuxc nt Ili.~ Iitlc iiitn .I tiuick \titlcd. xliaip tniigucd licc xpiiiI lititldiiig \viitci 'l he llllll may iint lic xtiictly l.IiIlilIil In Ilic iinch. liiit lllt‘lt'.\ iin llll\l.tlxlll_‘_‘ iIx intelligence. \Igniii and \sit. l‘iliiilinuxc. ldiiibuigh
Me Without You 1%.... Isantlia (inldliathcrl K. 3001' \iiii.I l'iicl_ \liclicllc \\illi;iiiix.()li\ci \lilliuiii Iliix lilll llick l‘naxlx a pan nl xI.ii Itiinx liniii l ml and \\ illiaiiix llicii nii xciccii iclatiniixliip .Ix l‘cxl
lllw iiiiiix
tiicndx \l.Illll.I .Illtl Ilnlly iciiiaiiix IitIcily convincing Iliintigliniit iIx chli .lllil llnw liniii lniidnit xiibuib x. linnlgiilx in Ilic "le Ihinugli lliighlnii l iiivcixity xIIideiiI l|.itiii.itcx iii Ilic Mix In ( 'ciitial | niidnii pinlcxxiniialx Inwaid lllt‘ t'titl Ul lll.Il Ilt'vdilt'. (lllltll‘ilcllk'l tllt‘\\t'\ llL'l' litltcixvxct pciind diaiua iiiiiiiaculatcly
l)i.I\\ lll_‘_' nii lici nvvii p.IxI In cn \‘.lllt‘ Ilic llllll \\ llll l,.iuiciicc ('niiat liniii/I II'IIIIII'i. xlic lllltlt'lxlll\ iinxtalgia lni the cia \\ itli gciitly iiinckiiig litiiiinui (amen. l'diiiluiigli. \l.iclx’nlici'._ Stiiliiig
Mean Machine l.\I O Iltaiiy Sknliiickd ls. It'lll \ iiiiiic .lniicx. .l.t\t‘ll SI.iI|i.iiii. l).i\ iIl llv'lllllllllj,‘\ iiiiiix liii.i;:iiic .i liliii .Ilinut .i piixnii ll‘l'll‘dll tcaiii. xt.Iiiiii;.‘ .lniicx. lcaltiiiiij: xIcicntypcd cli.Ii.icIcix lcll nvci liniii Ihc |\ \Ilu'lll Ill/MIMI .Iiid lilcxxcd with tlic \llll.t_L'I‘ giaiiiy \ iin.I|x. cnd ('nckiicy dialogue and iiiaclin pnxtiiiiiig nl IIII
SizI I III ‘. llIc [\Intlticctx nl ll'l \IIIII' inn" lam \iuulilig liti/lt [I ate l‘x‘lllllil Iliix pixx pnni. [ttilttxllldl .l\‘- lIIliicxx \iid iI‘x .iii lll\lllllll_‘.‘ iciii.ikc nl l\)I|l‘t'll \ldiicli'x hiuixiiig. lict‘ccly .iiiti .tlllllI'lll.Il|.tll \iiiciicaii lnntlmll llltt\lt' \t'lt'c'lc'tl lt'lt‘.I\v‘
Meet Me In St Louis «I O...
I\ iiicciitc \liiiiiclli.l S. I‘IlelIludy (i.Iil.iiid. \laig'aict (l'lliicii. \l.Iiy \xlni Iliiiiiiix Rclcaxcd Illlllllt' \‘-.tllllllx‘. Iliix iiitixical \\.Ix .iii nptiiiiixlit .ittciiipt In ciiipliaxixc l.iiiiil_\ \.ilucx. hut \liiiiiclli iicvci wallnwx iii iinxtalgia liixtcad Iic v’tlllllttth ll \\llll xpaiky and x.iik_\ l.iiiii|_\ dyiiaiiiicx Sct Ill I‘IIH. tlic put Iipnii l.iI|ici \\.Illl\ tn iiinvc liix |.Iiiiily liniii St I nIiix
In \c“ York but faces resistance from liix gaggle of gii'lx w ho have romances to get on w ith. and the laxtapproaching \Vnrld l‘air In chin}. l’ci'lcct caxting and pci'lnriiiancex, along \Hlll xnitgx like ‘llavc Yourself .-\ .\leI'I’,\ little ('hi'ixtmax' add In the warm glow. 'l‘he l.uiiiici'c. lidiiibui'gh.
Miller’s Crossing I lsi COCO. IJnel ('ncii. l'S. l‘NIti (iabriel Byrnc. Albert l'iiincy. \larcta (iay llardcii. Jnhn 'l‘urturro, .lnn l’nliIn. J.l‘.. l-i‘ceiiiaii. llS mins. 'l‘lie (‘oen Brntherx' latcxl npux ix a predictably quirky - but xty |ix|i reworking of genre Iiiatet‘ial in Iliix case the gangster flick. Set in an unnamed l'.axt-cn;ixl city in the Wills. it centres on the falling—nut hch ceii mob-leader l'inncy and his right-hand man B} we when both take a xhiiic In the xamc broad I llarden l. l’nxxibly the bcxl. man under-rated liliii of 1991. l‘(‘l. lzdiiibui‘gli,
Mirror l l5: .... l.’\l1tll'Cl 'l‘ai'knvxky. l‘SSR. l‘)_-ll \lai‘gat‘tla 'l‘ct‘ckhnv a. l’liilip Yaiiknv xky. lgiiat l)anillixe\. l0(i mins. An ai'Iixt i'cllcctx on liix early life and i'clatiniixhipx iii Iliix man intenser personal of all 'lai'knv xky 'x works. \liilti-Itiyci‘cd and at times alman iiiipencti'able. it llC\ ei'thelexx iciiiaiiix a catalogue of sensitive and ciiigiiiatically arresting iiiiagct‘y. one of the cincma’x clnxcxI apprmimatinnx In poetry. ladiiihuigh l'lllll (iuild. lidiiiburgli.
0 Monsoon Wedding I ISI .00. I_\lii'.i \ait'. India/l 'K. 300] i Xtiscct'ttddin Shah. |.ilchc l)uhc_\. \iiay Raar. ll.i mins. ()ii the cv c of the longed-for. cooling moti- xnnii xcaxnii. the far-flung mciiiberx of an uppci middle claxx Indian family gather in Delhi tor a typical Puniahi wedding. But as the big day dawiix, the wedding contractor‘x pi'niiiixcx bccniiic more c\axi\c. while the hitdc'x l.ai‘d~pi'cxxcd latlici' worries how he is going In pay for everything. .\'air'x sprawling. carnnalcxtiuc drama cniiibinex the colour and vibrancy nl Bollywnnd with an earthy i'cal- ixin. .'\lltl while xlic can he sharply satiric. \aii' Ii'catx lici characters. high and low. with- nlll cntidcxccttxlnlt. Selcclcd release.
0 Monsters, Inc. It‘i 0... Wm l)nctci'. [S 200] l Jnhn (inndiiiaii. Billy
(‘i‘y xtal. Steve Btixcciiii. 92 mins. The latest (‘(il aniiiiatinn liniii ‘Im Sim-v makers l’isai' ix xet largely in .\lnnxtrnpnlix. a city inhabited by the lnulcxt nl licaxtx. 'l'hc iiioiistei'x pow ci' their city by sending 'xcai'ct'x‘ through doors which Iclcpni't them into children's rooms. lincc there. they pull laccx at the kids. pi'n- dIiciiig xhi‘Ickx of terror. which are bottled hack in .\lnnxti'npnlix and used as a source of cnci'gy. It's a neat idea. but what really lifts the llllll ix Ilic xciixc ol fun that pervades the \vlinlc Ilinv ic. .llnnvlt'rv. [/11 runs ax xiiionthly ax a lairgi‘nund xlidc. that iin niic ix Inn big In ciiiny. Sce lcattii'e and i'cv icw. (iciici'al l‘clt'tht‘.
Moulin Rouge I III 0000. llia/ luluinann. l‘S. 2001 i liw an .\lc(ii'cgor. \icnlc lx'idiiiaii. .lllll Brnadbciit. l0.\' iiiiiix. l.u|iiiii.iiiii's lnllnvv up In li’nim'n IC- Julie! is a vs ildly unrestrained. gloriously camp. Itidc as hell iiiuxical ln\c xIni'y tliat i'e-iiivciitx tlic lniiii. liniii the ( inldcii :\gc Hollywood song and daiicc xpcctaculaix tip. lulit'iiiaiiii has
transformed the eponymous l‘)th century Parisian dancehall-cum-brothel into the rave capital of liurope, weaving 20th century pop music hitx into the very dialogue of the film so that it becomes almost opera. And spiralling around a fairytale romance between .\lc(iregor‘s idealistic poet and Kidman's dance girl is a barrage of riotous imagery and design. There's no middle-ground with l.uhriiiann'x liliii; if you abandon yourself to it it'll leave you intoxicated with pleasure. Selected release.
0 Mulholland Drive I15) 00”
Il)avid Lynch. US. 200] ) Naomi Watts. Laura lilena llarring. JUstin 'l‘heroux. I46 mins. (iiven the troubled production history of Lynch‘s latest slice of nightmare noir — it was originally a pilot for a [IS television series which was cancelled ~ it‘s nothing short of miraculon that Mulliolland Drive shines with the lihnmaker's idiosyncratic brilliance. Although set in the present day (albeit with retro stylingi. Lynch draws on his fascination with 40s and 50s Hollywood and its secret history of crime. here involving two actresses. amnesiac Rita (Naming) and amateur sleuth Betty (Watts). The proceedings veer into the kind of waking nightmare territory that either llummnxes or delights viewers as Lynch mixes the bizarre. almost laughable with the moments of electrifying fear. Selected release. My Dog Skip (l'i ... IJay Russell. IS. 2000) Kevin Bacon. Diane Lane. Frankie .\luni/.. ()5 mins. My Dog Skip is an unashamedly sentimental coming-of—age story about a nine-year-old boy's relationship with hix pct Jack Russell terrier. set during World War Two in the small Mississippi town of Ya/no. The liliii casts a nostalgic glow over the past. but it doesn't shy away from giving ux glinipxex of harsher realities. including nole to the era's racism and the traumas of war. But the prevailing mood is appropriately one of gentle sweetness. l,'(i(‘ Cinemas. lidiiiburgh.
My Neighbour Totom IIJI I Hayao .‘vliya/aki. Japan. 1988) 87 mins. Gentle fantaxy exploring rural Japan circa the 1950s as seen through the eyes of a pair of young girls who move to the country and discover the spirits of the forest. Part of the Studio (ihibli season. (iilmorehilKilZ. Glasgow. Nurse Betty I 18) .000 (Neil l.aBute. IS. 2000) Renee Zellweger. Morgan freeman. (ireg Kinnear. 110 mins. When xmalltown Kansas waitress Betty (Zellweger) witnexxes the murder of her white trash car xalexman. she suffers a reality shift that leaves her believing the cheesy melodramatic world of her favourite daytime soap. xi Reason '1?) live. to be real. Much of the film‘s humour is derived from the disparity between iiielndrama and real life; the occasions when they intersect are simultaneously hilarious, painful and poignant. Not as misanthropic as l.aBute'x fier two films, Nurse Betty is nevertheless far more vital than other llnllyvvond comedies. ()deon. Ayr.
0 Brother, Where Art Thou? I 12) .... IJoel (‘oen. LS. 2000) (ieorge ('lnoncy. Jnhn 'l‘urturro. Tim Blake Nelson. 107 minx. Preston Sturges' Sullivan '5' Travels and llomer’s 'l'liI' ()Ily'sxev are the xtarting points for this 30s-set screwball comedy. Smooth-talking liverett L'lysees .‘vlc(iill I(‘looneyi. simpleton Delmar I.\'elxnni and maladjusted Pete (Turturro) are members of a chain gang on the run looking for buried loot. 'l‘heirjoumey tip and down the xtate of Mississippi brings them into contact with assorted eccentrics based on llomer'x mythological figures. A lighter work for the (‘oens. more Raising Arizona than l-‘argn. but it‘s still a rare treat. A truly captivating confederacy of dances. MacRobei't. Stirling.
One Week I IS) Ilidward Kline/Buster Keaton. l'S. l‘)20i 27 mins. Knockabout cniiiedy and extraordinary sttiiit work from the king of xlapxtick. (’(‘:\, (ilasgow.
Only Yesterday IP( i) I lsao 'l‘akahata. Japan. lWl i I It) mins. Depiction of modern Japan xeen from the perspective of
tvv enty something woman 'l'aeko. As she ponders the direction her life has taken. the film llaxhes back to the 60s. and these anecdotal xcenex are crammed with pop culture references. Part of the Sttidio (ihibli xcaxnn. l‘iliiihnuxc. lidinburgh.