[)ltAMA TEN (cert tbc) 94min .0...
DRAMA
DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD
(12) 116min .0
Based on the best—selling novel hy Hehecca Wells. Drvrrie Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a Deep South chick flick in the vein of Steel lVlagno/ras. a sentimental comedy drama that celebrates; the fortitude of Southern women while relegating the men to the sidelines. With the action taking place from the late-19130:; to the rind—1990s. the film aims at a saga-length depth and richness. hut as directed lher dehrrti hy Tlielriia arid Lorrrse screenwriter Callie Khourr. it is a sprawling. self-indulgent mess. Sandra Bullock's successful New York l)|£ly‘.‘./l'lglll Sidda Lee Walker has a testy relationship With her highly- strung Southern helle mother VIVI rEllen Bui‘styni. But when Sidda atti‘ihutes her creatiyity in a newspaper interview to her difficult
.;» i i. Sprawling, self-indulgent mess
her daughter.
Her lifelong friends. the self- pi'oclaimed Ya-Ya Sisterhood. make it their mission to open Sidda's eyes to her riiother's trouhled life history — cue flashhacks featuring Ashley Judd as the younger VIVI. Will the Ya-Yas. played hy Fionulla Flanagan. Shirley Knight and Maggie Smith iwhose dry. deadpan wrt provides the film's hest momentsi heal the hreach’? The yiewer ‘~.".’IH most likely he too numh wrth horedom to care. tJason Besti
.,_ l Elli.
Film form in all its glory
Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami’s latest indicates that for all the glories available in film form, there’s no tool more important than an aesthetic wisdom. What we have here are ten scenes of a beautiful career woman in Tehran driving various people from one place to another. In each instance their conversations become interrogative, or confessional, with the woman simultaneously learning about, and teaching others, aspects of life.
The film’s impressiveness lies in the way Kiarostami films philosophy without negating real life, and films it in such a way that there’s no intellectual hierarchy, just a number of problems each of us possess but that others can help us to solve. So just as the central character’s son can fish out his mum’s bad faith, so a prostitute can cause our central character a degree of anxiety by claiming she understands men and the notion of love better than any married woman can. But then, in the wake of the discussion with the prostitute, our central character offers wisdom to others based on the uncomfortable info she’s just learned.
A critic once compared Kiarostami to Mowlana, ‘the 13th century mystic poet who made the complexity of philosophy easily comprehensible and who showed us in a simple manner what life is’. From this perspective, for all the sense of apparent aesthetic informality, Ten is a remarkably fully achieved work. (Tony McKibbin)
I lmrlioirse. lc’rrilxrrgli from lri [’7 Sep.
Tliltli ll H SWIMF@N (12) 90min .0.
Strange title. Until. that is. you realise that swimfari is part of the emal
addr ;-ss r f 'hunny hoiler' and new girl I". tou'r". Madison ithe lafar"Attraction reference is considerably more than accidentalr. who has enihraced inodei‘n r'iethods of comiiiunication to firid new ‘.'/ays to stalk the ohiect of her desire. hrgli school s‘.‘riininrng (;’l£lllll) and scholarship hopeful. Hen desse )fl't'lfiffll'fi'i. With a handy set of r:Ioset skeletons to ser‘.e the plot. and a hianii girlfriend he loves. Ben heds ior. 'atlier. poolsi the pretty. cello playing Madison 'l rika Christensen. .‘rho played Michael Douglas' druggy daugt‘tei‘ ll‘ lraffic'. and definitely gets more than he hargained for.
Fails to live up to early promise
the 'tht:llilf)l‘ here. it .‘.’()ll|(l seem. mounted though. shot as rt is in a '.".'as to wake a teei‘. thriller that may high contrast. ccloui‘ mirted style he of sonie appeal to a iiioi'e mature “.'.’ltl(lll serves the mood '-.‘.rel| «and audience. though 't rindouhtedl,’ some of the underwater photography
succeeds more on the youth angle. is strikingi. hut the film fails to live lll)
they riiight've gotten array '.'J|lll i‘. too. to early promise. as it sturnhles over if only hecarise of those pesky kids. the eycesses of the plot to its rather .‘rhose perfor'iiances are alu'rays more routine and sornex'rhat predictahle
(LOl‘i‘Jll‘fLLllfl than tl‘e story they are conclusion. rltod \r‘v’hitei
asked to tell. If s liaii/lsoiirely I General release from In Qt) Sep.
childhood. Vivi severs all contact with I General release from Fri 27 Sep. DRAMA
MINOR MISHAPS
(15) 104mm 000 a
John has never taken life very seriously. So when he informs his unstahle daugl‘rter Marianne that her mother has heen killed she initially thinks it's yet another rest. He's the man who cried wolf. If you want another mythical totem. we also have the return of the prodigal daughter. in the shape of Eva. an artist whose air-2.. leshianism has left her isolated hy
familial prejudice.
throw in a son whose i.i'vrorkload inadvertently sees him neglecting his own family and an uncle whose enforced early retirement has him living out his life on the sofa and you have ‘.'.rhat's usually hilled a ‘hrttersweet comedy'. If it all sounds a hit Mike Leigh. then rt prohahly should as director Annette K Olesen utilised the hearded Brit's lllll)l'()V method as well as her nation's Dogrne filmmaking approach; the performances are worthy hut slight. the humour almost too suhtle to he witty.
And as such. the film looks oddly dated and filled wrth deia vu: if see another family funeral which goes wrong that” he one more too many. Mirror Mrs/raps is unfortunately the most accurately titled film of the year. rlfii‘ian Donaldsoni I (3/ 7. (ilasgor'r: l-r/riiliotrse. FrlrriIJirr'gli from l~rr 20 Sep.
t . i . Filled with déja vu
ii i N comr hv 3 THE NEW GUY (12A) 88min .0
the not so cherished people at school |ahel themselves "hlips'. l)i//y rDJ Ouallsi is a hlip. there is nothing remotely new in writer l)avrd Kendall's set up: the teenage dilemma of trying to he true to yourself whilst also seeking to he popular. (Iringrng dialogue. ridiculous scenes. inspid acting and little inspired direction from Ed Decter, makes this an 'all the worst moments' cit ss helix/een American Pie and Hot Shots.
Whilst the majority of the cast are ‘."/()(}lll| to watch it yle lovett listen up'i. ttli/a Dushku iplayrng Danielle. the ohrect of Di//y's affectionr hIa/es with true spirit throughout. even when the script i’eguires her do a pure eye candy hikiiii change. Surprisingly, the celehrity cameos give iife to the fririi. ‘.'.’lllt Vanilla Ice. 'loiiiiiiy l ee. lony l-lawk and David l-lasselholff taking the piss. To top it all Jerry O'Connell ri'eriiemher him from Screattt .’.".)i and his hrothei' make a great pair of complete high school idiots. The Nev.“ Guy is really rather heen there—rlone-that. hut if you can sit through the first hour. you may come out laughing. rMatt Ramaggei I General release from Fri ('"(l Sen.
Been-there-done-that
':i Sen n‘ 0;! THE LIST 29