Film index
Funny Girl ([3) 0... (William Wyler. US. 1968) Barbra Streisand. ()mar Sharif. 15 l min. The performance that brotrght Streisand superstardorn and won her art ()scar into the bargain. Young l‘anny is an ugly duckling but with a hard-nosed ambition and a gritty determination to get out of the gtrtter arid be a star. liventually. Ziegfeld hires her for his new Follies presentation and her subversive comic style proves hugely popular. ()deon. lidinburgh. The Girl from Paris ( 12) 0.0 ((‘hristian (‘arion. France. 200!) Mathilde Seigner. Michel Serrault. 103mm. A 30- year-old Parisienne turns her back on city life and buys a goat farrii in Vercors. a remote region of southern France. Staying on her latid. however. is the fornter owner. who regards the female newcomer with considerable suspicion. A sympathetic portrait of the difficulties of contemporary agricultural life. where livelihoods have been decimated by mad cow disease. And it's also an impressively acted character study. which charts the wary friendship that gradually develops between two individuals seemingly divided by age. gender and background. (il’l‘. (ilasgow.
Gladiator ( l5) .0. (Ridley Seott. US. 2000) Russell ('rowe. Richard Harris. Joaquin Phoenix. l50riiin. Just before dying (‘aesar Aurelius (llarris) charges (ieneral Maxinius ((‘rowei with cleaning up his beloved. bttt politically corrupt Rome. Aurelius‘ son. (’omriiodus (Phoenix). doesn't take kindly to this arid iias his rival executed. But .Vlaximus survives and. as a gladiator. works his way back to Rome intent on revenge. Parallels must be drawn with S/mrrit'us and Ben Iltu': we‘ve not seen a Rotiiari epic iii a long time. Scott's is a handsome spectacle and exciting etiough. btit that's all it is. ()deon ('ity (‘entre. (ilasgow.
Gosford Park ( 15) 0000 (Robert Altman. lfS/lTK. 2001 ) Michael (iambori. Kristin Scott Thomas. Kelly Macdonald. 137mm. 'l'he Agatha (‘firistie-esque murder mystery at the centre of rim/sz Park is the least compelling part of Altman's otherwise finely-observed period piece. Set in November I932 over a few days during a shooting party at the eponyliious country estate of Sir William .Vlc(’ordle ((iambon) and Lady Sylvia .\lc(‘ordle (Scott 'l‘homas). (my/"ma I’urk details the relationship between the filthy rich upper class and their pttt upon servants. And what detail the filth fleshes out all 25 members of the excellent ensemble east. along with their individual stories. .\'o easy trick iii two hours. Ster Century. lidinbtrrgh; Adam Smith. Kirkcaldy.
The Grapes of Wrath (PG) .00. (John Ford. lTS. 1940) Henry Fonda. Jatie Darwell. John (‘arradine l2‘)min. The story goes that producer [)aryl l‘. Zanuck didn't believe John Steinbeck's fictionalisation ()f the plight of the poverty-stricken ‘(Jakies' (the Oklahoma farmers who migrated front the dustbowl to (‘alifornia during the Depression years) was based on fact. Ygiiiuck hired private eyes to verify the events portrayed in Steinbeck's tiovel
14 THE LIST if) 1)? Aug 200?
starvation. abuse by the West ('oast authorities and found he had. if anything. played down how bad things were for the immigrants. Ford's film does justice to both a great literary work and the tragic people it's based upon. (il’l‘. (ilasgow.
Hearts in Atlantis ( l2) 0.. (Scott flicks. liS. 2002) Anthony Hopkins. Anton Yelchin. llope Davis. l0lmin. flicks and screenwriter William (ioldman (Burt-Ii (irvsirly (lift! the Stun/(titre Air]. till (he President's Men) have adapted Stephen King's 50s/60s/70s-set riov el. homing in on a very King concern: childhood‘s end. The film describes the friendship of three eleven-year-olds and a life-changing moment iii their youth the appearance of Ted Brautigan (Hopkins). a secretive though kindly man on the rtrn front government agents. Nice performances all round. although adapting just the first third of King's book is too tiitxlest a goal. ()deon. Avr.
6 Heaven ( t5) oooo (ram 'l‘y'kvvei'. Germany. 2002) (‘ate Blanehett. (iiovatitii Ribisi. 97min. A posthumous collaboration between dead and living filmmakers. Heaven is directed by 'l‘y'kw er front a script co-written by the late Kr/ys/tof Kicslow ski. 'l‘urns otrt both filmmakers share a preoccupation with chance and coincidence. destiny arid fate. themes which are explored iii llt'urt'n‘s tale of a guilt-stricken bomber (Blarichett) and her path to redemption. Heaven boasts some geiittiriely suspenseful and gripping sequences. bttt if you come to the film thinking it's a straightforvvard thriller you'll be disappointed. l‘zir better. instead. to look on it as a spiritual fable. Selected release.
High Society (ll) ((‘liar‘les Walters. 1‘ I956) Bing ('rosby. (irace Kelly. l‘rank Sinatra. ('eleste lloltii. 107mm. (‘lassic musical cntertainnrent front the MGM studios. in which a rich bitch plays hard to get with a string of suitors. The plot of Philadelphia Slurv goes out the window. btrt with stars like these. style is everything. Adam Smith. Kirkcaldy.
Holidays in the Sun (tbc) (2002) tbcmin. A programme of British shorts looking at the faded British seaside resorts. ('('/\. (ilasgovv.
Human Body (l’) (l'S. 200i ) tbcmin. Simulation r'ide bringing you the full-blown wonder of all those really. really sirtall places inside us. IMAX. (ilasgovv.
Ice Age (t7 ) oo ((‘hrts Wedge & (‘arlos Saldanha. LS. 2002) Voices of John l.egui/.amo. (ioran Visnjic. Jack Black. 81min. 'I‘here‘s a faint air of cynicism in this story of a morose mammoth. a bumbling sloth and a wily tiger who join forces. despite all their better instincts. to return a human baby to his father. As the planet gets colder. they head in the opposite direction of the animal migration. to battle snowdrifts. volcanoes. ice caves atitl
predators. eventually delivering their charge.
The animators try desperately to make you fall iii love with this unlikely batitl of creatures. to make you see the good hearts beneath the frosty exteriors. btit they don't deliver that all important charm. wit. flair
and imagination. ()deon. Ayr; ()deon. Kiltitarnock.
Into the Deep (l’) (l'S. 200i ) tbcmin. 3i) |.\l:\X presentation. IMAX. (ilasgow. 0 lvansxtc ( is) oooo (Bct'tiat'tl Rose. l'S. 2002) Danny llustort. Peter Weller. l.isa linos. ()2min. Inspired by the real-life suicide of former llollywood taleiil agent wundcrkind Jay .‘vloloney. and by the 'l‘olstoy trovella The [hull] it] [till] //v(( It. liturvtlt' is a triumph for British director Bernard Rose. In the tradition of films like The I’luvt'r. this is partly a venomous satire on llollywood's spiritual bankruptcy. lieic personified by \Veller‘s itioiistr‘ous. scsttally i‘apaciotis star. Btit superny shot on digital video. [rumor is also an affecting study of an individual forced to confront his own mortality and the tireaninglessness of his existence: the physically commanding lluston is superb iii the central role. conveying botli his character's surface charm and burgeoning despair. l'( i( Renfrew Street. (ilasgow; l'(i(‘. lztltnburgh. Lantana ( l5) (Ray Lawrence. .-\ustra|ia/(iermany. 200i ) Anthony l.al’ag|ia. (ieofft'ey Rtisli. Barbara llcislicy. I2 I iiiiti. Prev revs screening of the espcrtly handled psychological thriller which revolves around the disappearance of a woman who tttay or may trot lia\c been murdered. l‘(i(' Renfrevv Street. (ilasgow; ()deon \Vester llailcs. lidinbur'gh.
Lost in La Mancha ( I5) 0000 (Keith l‘ttliott and l.ouis Pepe. PK. 2003) 89mm. I.ovl in l.u .llum /l(l operates atotitid two very cruel ironies: 'l'err'y (irlltam failing to cotiiplete his ten year _|t)tli'llL"\ to riiakc a movie based on ('ei'vatitcs' /)n)r Qllitrilt'. the story of a deluded old man undertaking a chivalrous quest. The second irony is that altliottgli (illilttltbs production of /'/u' Him who ly'i/let/ Don Quito/e fell apart. two other filmmakers. Fulton and Pepe. who were on hand shooting a ‘making of' documentary. got a filrir otit ol (irlliam's failure. All of which makes luv! in l.u .llum'lm morbidly interesting viewing arid provides an insight into tlrc tortuous process of making movies. (if-"l. (ilasgow: l (i( . ladirrburgh.
Lovely and Amazing t IS) 0000 (Nicole llololccnct'. [8. 2002) ('allieiiiic Keener. Brenda Bletlryn. family .\fortriiicr. ‘llmrn. It's rare for an American film to offer such a studied glimpse of the female psy cltc. but llololccticr has created a family of dysfunctional women that tries to cov cr every angle of neurosis. 'l‘he lamin .\larks comprises mother Jane (Bletliy it). who is about to go into hospital for a iirisguitlcd liposuction operation. oldest sister Michelle (Keener). trying to stirv iv e as art artist whilst languishing in a loveless tttarriagc. lili/abeth (Mortimer). struggling to make it as ati actress. and adopted black sister Annie (Raven Marks). Packed full of wry observations tltat arc crystallised by a stellar bcrforriiancc front (‘atherrne Keener. Selected release.
Men in Black II (t’(;) .00 (Barry Sonnenfeld. l'S. 2002) Will Smith. 'l'ommy Lee Jones. l.at'a l'lynri Boyle. |03min. 'l'lie taglinc for Men in [film A ll sums tip the filtii quite succinctly: ‘Samc planet. New scum'. ()r. to ptrt it another way: Same film. New special effects. ()nce again we are introduced to the quasi-official government agency. .‘vllB. w liicli secretly polices the multitude of alien immigrants who. unbeknown to Joe Public. have riiadc a home on liarth. And once agaitr Agents Jay (Strrith) and Kay (Jones) tloti shades and black suits to say c the world in cool. laconic fashion. the gags come tlttck aritl fast. tlrc chemistry between Jones and Smth remains and Sonnertleld directs w tilt the kitid of flare he completely lost on the dreadful iii/(I ll'I/(l lli'vl. (it‘llt‘t'ttl release.
Minority Report ( ll) .0. (Steven Spielberg. l'S. 2002) four ('ruisc. Samantha Morton. Max von Sydow. Hern. Submerged beneath Spielberg's patetrtcd layer of sentimental schmalt/ and another vigorously self indulgent performance front ('ruisc is a halfldecent futuristic thriller. The scribes get the credit for this: screenwriter Scott frank and the late writer Philip K, Dick. In the year 205-1 tlie triurder tale in
.-\tirerica's crime capital (Washington l)(‘i has been reduced to zero through the introduction of the controversial pi'e-crime police division. Psychics predict murders before llic‘y ltttppc'lt. ('t‘ttlsc's Detective .ltililt .-\nderton attests felons for crimes they will (or rather won't) commit. Btit when
.\lor'tott s "pie cog. predicts a rirurdcr cornrnrtted by .-\nder‘ton himself. the Detective goes on tile ttltt (ieneral release Monster’s Ball ( H) 00. (\lat‘c l'or'stct. (IS. 2002) llallc Berry. Billy Bob lliointon. Sean (‘oinbs llltlllli. “allow tn the deep South time with this painful tale of death. bigotry and aw kvvartl iedcriiptron.
’l fits is so bleak it trrakcs bltflltllk‘l'g.\ .llivv .lrrlrt look like a lake fill] of laughing monkeys. (ireat perforiitances though. Magnum 'l'lieatre. by me: Vikiiigar (inertia. l.ar‘gs
Mujhse Dosti Karoge (1') (Soul) tbcmin. .'\\l;tll cinema presentation. ()deon .'\t l'he Quay. (ilasgovv; l ('l. ladmburgli, Murder By Numbers 1 l5) .0. (Bai'bcl Sclttoedc. lb. 2002) Sandra Btrllock. Ryan (ioslrng. Bert (‘hapliir l20mm. lliis l‘)2()s ('hrcago true horror story is based on the Leopold and l.oeb case in wfiicfi two higli school law students iiiurdcied .t boy to demonstrate their nitellectual superiority. 'l‘lie film opens with student friends discussing their murder of a young woman. before long an ace detective (Bullock) has linked the crime to them whilst colleague (( 'lraplin) stubbornly pursues clues to dittg dealer (’hris Penn. 'lhe ntarrr element of surprise is missing yet every so often Schroeder prov ides tantalising glimpses of the chiller that iiitglit have been. (‘ricurt (inertia. l.iv ingston. Mystic Masseur ( Hi) 00. (Ismail .\lercliaril. l K. 2002) .'\;t\ll .‘vlaridv i. :\ycslia I)har'ket'. ()tii l’ur'i. l l7mm. Reverting to the classic Merchant-Ivory tactic of taking a good novel and gettrrrg an accomplished scribe to adapt it. \IS. \fltpllhs .llv slit .‘I(l\\('lll is brought to the screen by (‘aryl Phillips. 'lold almost entirely in flashback. it charts the unlikely rise to political ptoriiirrence of (iariesh (.\fandv i i. an aspiring author iii ‘lr'midad whose day job as a religious healer .tttls his rise to the top. .'\t two hours long it outstays its welcome. but .l/\ let .lltlvvt’lu' Itt'yct‘lltt‘lcss litittsls charm. a strong cast and a solid script lrorti Phillips. .v\dam Smith. Kirkcaldy.
Nine Queens ( l5) 0... (l‘abran Bielrirsky. Argentina. 2002) Ricardo Darin. (laston Pattls. lgnasr .-\bada|. I ISmin. ’l‘wo small titire swindlers meet seemingly by chance in a Btrerios .'\II'C\ coriv enieticc store and agree to team tip for the day. And then an opportunity to ptrll a major-league scam lands on their laps. as an espert fot'ger' contacts .\lar'cos about a set of rare stamps from \Vciriiar (ietmany. the so called Nine (Queens of the title. A huge hit tn its rtative .-\r'genttna. Brelinsky is last-mov trig .\'im' tht't’lh is botfi an engrossing coriatrtrst yarn and a sly contriientary on a society currently tn economic free-fall. l’(i(‘ Renlrew Street. (ilasgow.
No Man’s Land ( IS) 0000 'l‘anovrc. Bosnia
llcr/cgov lira/Slovenia)ltaly/l'rance/l'K/Belg min. 2002) Branko l)iurtc. Rene Bitanaiac. Katrtn (‘artltdge ‘lbmm. .v\nd they say satire is dead. Set iii the middle ol the Bosnian conflict. .\’u .llmi 't lum/ sees two Bosnian soldiers wander into said territory. formerly a rather idyllic piece of farm latrd. bill now a grim venue for trench warfare. 'l'hey bicker like Ireav tly armed children. before a good deal ot political skulduggery brings in the media tn the forrn of a ruthless British television correspondent ((‘ar‘tlrdgei and .t veiral .tiitl ambitious British l .\ general (Simon (‘allow ). ('an the situation be I‘csolvetl'.’ \\e||. not by arty of this lot.
(l)anis
'lanov ic spares no one. arid the comedy is of the kmd to make you wince as you giggle. .'\tl;ttl| Smith. Kirkcaldy.
Panic Room ( IS) 0000 (Day ttl I-rrieliei. l S, 2002) .ltitlte l'oslct. l'ot'csl
\\ fiitakei. Jared |.elo. ||2mrn. l’tuirt lt’rmni may well be more style than substance btit
ll nevertheless soon has the viewer gripped. .lodic l'ostcr's rrcli. eriiottonally bruised
tliytilct‘t‘ .tiltl lit't lt't‘llagt‘ tltttlglllt‘t ll.t\t'