recent spate ol' [‘8 sex comedies. 4!) 4t) manages to stand a cut ahov e the rest. With a snappy and sharp dialogue. this film is surprisingly likeahle. Studio ('inema. l)unoon.
Gladiator ( tSi coo (Ridley Scott. l‘S. 3000i Rtissell ('rovye. Richard Harris. Joaquin Phoenix. lStlmin. Just het‘ore dying ('aesar .v\ui'elius (llarris) charges (ieneral .\la.\imus ((‘rovvei \vith cleaning up his helov ed. hut politically corrupt Rome. AureliUs' son. ('ommodus (Phoenix). doesn't take kindly to this and has his rival executed. Btit .\l;t\lllttts survives and. as a gladiator. \vorks his vyay hack to Rome intent on revenge. Parallels iiitist he dt‘avvn vv ith Spun/(“m and [Jen Ilur; we've not seen a Roman epic in a long time. Scott's is a handsome spectacle and exciting enough. hut that's all it is. ()deon (‘ity' ('entre. (ilasgovy.
The Guru ( l5) .0. (Daisy Von Scherier. IS, 2002) Jimi Mistry. lleather (iraham. Marisa 'l‘omei. lt)t)min. 'l‘hc Noll/ire III/l team do Bollyvvood. Dance teacher Ramu (iupta (Mistry l moves from
Bomhay to .\'evy York to pursue his dream of
hecoming an actor. But the only joh he can tind is on a porn film and. unlortunately. he can't get it tip. Help is on hand. hovyey er. vy hen his co-star Sharonna ((irahami takes pity on him and starts giving him advice on improving his sexual performance. Subsequently Ramu realises his dream of becoming a star by passing himselt‘ oil" as a se\ guru. mixing Bollyvvood dance moves \v ith Sharonna's advice. The occasionally hilarious results may make your (l)elhii helly ache. See rev ievv. (ieneral release. Heaven ( Hi 0000 (Tom 't‘y kvv er. (iermany. 2002i (‘ate Blanchett. (iiovanni Rihisi. ‘)7min. A posthumous collahoration hetvyeen dead and living tilmmakers. l]l’(ll'('lI is directed hy 'l’y kvv er l'rom a script co-vvritten hy the late Kr/ys/tol Kieslovv ski. Turns out hoth tilmmakers share a preoccupation vs ith chance and coincidence.
destiny and late. themes \vhich are explored in Heme/1's tale (ii a guilt-stricken homher (Blanchetti and her path to redemption. Heaven hoasts some genuinely suspenseful and gripping sequences. hut it you cotne to the tilm thinking it‘s a straightl'orvvard thriller you'll he disappointed. l5ar hetter. instead. to look on it as a spiritual lahle. Selected release.
High Society (l't ((‘harles \Valters. [8. 1950» Bing (‘roshy. (irace Kelly. l’rank Sinatra. ('eleste llolm. l()7min. ('lassie musical entertainment from the MGM studios. in vvhieh a rich hitch plays hard to get vs ith a string ol suitors. The plot of Philadelphia Story goes out the vy indovv. hut vvith stars like these. style is everything. Brunton 'l‘heatre. lidinhurgh.
Human Body (l'i (\‘arious. [‘S. 200]) Min the. Simulation ride bringing you the full—hloyvn \vonder ot‘ all those really. really small places inside its. lMAX. (ilasgovv.
I Have Found It (l'i (Raiiy Merton. lndiafl'amil. 2(l()()i littmin. The lmagine.»\Sl:\ season continues u ith this
Indian version ol Jane Austen‘s classic Sense
(UNI Semi/Jilin. here relocated \\ ithin Tamil culture. (ilrl‘. (ilasgovv.
Ice Age (l't O. ((‘hris \Vedge a (‘arlos Saldanha. IS. 3002) Voices ol John l.egui/amo. (ioran \'isn_iic. Jack Black. Slmin. 'l‘liere's a taint air of cynicism in this story of a morose mammoth. a humhling sloth and a vv ily tiger \\ ho join lorces. despite all their better instincts. to return a human hahy to his lather. As the planet gets colder. they head in the oppostlc direction til. the animal migration. to hattle snoudrilts. volcanoes. ice cav es and predators. eventually delivering their charge. The animators try desperately to make you tall in lo\ e vv ith this unlikely hand of creatures. to make you see the good hearts heneath the t'rosty e\teriors. hut they don't deliver that all important charm. “it. flair and imagination. ()dcon. .»\yr'. ()deon. Kilmarnock.
0 Insomnia ( is. a... ((‘hristopher .\'olan. l'S.-\. 2002) Al Pacino. Rohin \Villiams. Martin l)ono\ an. llSmin. Nolan re-directs the Nor“ egian thriller of the same name as a smartly -p|otted (hy llillary Seit/i .-\inerican crime drama vvhich halances line characterisation and thematic concerns \v ith stunning set pieces. The lilm centres on a hattle ot' \\ ills hetvveen l’acino‘s veteran cot‘ and \Villiams' disturbingly normal killer. Said hattle occurs in the northern Alaskan tovv iiship ol Nightmute. a place of perpetual day light vvhere l’acino‘s Will Dormer can't get no satislaction. never mind sleep. You're unliker to see such conlident genre tilmmaking come otit ot' llollyvvood again this year. See rev ievv and lestival feature. The l’ilmhouse & l'(i('. lidinhurgh.
Into the Deep (t‘i (Various. t's‘. loot) Min the. 31) lM:\.\ presentation. lM.-\.\'. (ilasgovv.
Iris ( l5! 0... (Richard liy re. I'K. 3001 l Judi l)ench. Kate \Vinslet. Jim Broadlwnt. 00min. 'l‘he lov c story ol No of this century 's most signilicant vvriter academics. lris Murdoch and John Bayley. is lovingly created from Bay Iey 's recent memoirs. lt ultimately plots .‘vlurdoch's descent into the agontsittg log of :\l/lieimer's. hut is inter-cut vv ith scenes ol‘ the early. tentative love hctvv een these (\yo ()xl‘ord starlets. Although the later years are more involving than the early ones. the tvvo narratives svvitch \vith dett slickness. Take tissues. you might need a levy. ()dcon. Kilmarnock.
Ivansxtc t 18» 0000 (Bernard Rose. l'S. 2002i Danny lluston. l’eter \Veller. l.isa linos. ()Zmin. lnspired hy the real-lite suicide ol' l'ormei' llolly \vood talent agent \vunderkind Jay Moloney. and by the 'l'olstoy novella ’I’lie Deal/i (if/vim l/Vlt‘ll. [\‘(lllnlt‘ is a triumph [or British director Bernard Rose. In the tradition ol' films like The Plain. this is partly a venomous satire on llollyvvood's spiritual lxinkruptcy. here personilied hy \Veller‘s monstrous. sexually
index Film
rapacious star. But superhly shot on digital video. Ivunnli~ is also an all‘ecting study ol an individual lorced to confront his (mt) mortality and the meaninglessness ot' his existence: the physically commanding lluston is superb in the central role. conveying hoth his character's surface charm and hurgeoning despair. Selected release. JLB Special Preview (cert the! Min the. .-\n exclusive opportunity to see this documentary on the lite and the pioneering vvork ol the inventor. John l.ogie Baird. Royal Museum Lecture 'l‘heatre. lidinhurgli. Kate & Leopold tl’(it C. (James Marigold. l'S. 3WD) Meg Ryan. Hugh Jackman. l.iev Schrciher. lllmin. Leopold (Jaekmant. an linglish Duke in 1876 New York. is heing lorced to marry for money. (iiving chase to a truth e t‘ellovv he linds at a party at his home. the (no men linally tall from the Brooklyn Bridge. vaitching to 21st century Manhattan. the man in question. Stuart (Schreiheri. has discovered a portal to cross time and has inadvertently taken Leopold hack with him. Stuart's dovvnstairs neighhour happens to he his ex-girllrieml Kate (Ryan). ('ue love interest tor Leopold. What t‘ollovvs is an often tiresome. only occasionally amusing combination of time- travel. humour and romantic comedy. intersim'sed \\ ith the clumsily delivered message that in modern times vve have forgotten the important things in lite. especially the arts of courtesy and courtship. Adam Smith. Kirkcaldy.
Kind Hearts and Coronets (Hit 0... (Rohert llamer. I'K. l‘J-Wt Dennis l’rice. Alec (iuinness. Joan (ireenvvood. Valerie llohson. ltlomin. Blacker than black lialing comedy has a suave and sophisticated l’rice ls‘illttlg (ill an entire lamily tree (all play ed by (iuinnessi in order to move himsell closer to the d'Asco) ne tamil) title. l.ovv-key cynicism and disarming callousness make it a true gem of British post-vvar cinema. See Rough cuts. (il’l'. (ilasgovyf
John Naughton - GQ
NH?!
1"? Aug; 5‘, Sop ‘31)(‘9 THE US? 19