Cats and Dogs (PG) 000
(Lawrence (iuterman. LS. 200] ) Jeff (ioldhlum. lili/aheth I’erkins. Miriam Margoy les. 87min. This refreshing approach to cute talking pets Iilms is a kitid of
suhy ersive Luvsiv meets .llissimi: lili/H).\.\H)lt'. These dogs don't just talk. they use surveillance equipment and have a solemn mission [0 protect sc‘lcttlisl (ioldhlttm as lie invents a cttre for dog allergies. The cats are evil. hell-hent on conquering the world; their special agents have deadly ninja skills and vicious weapons. The animatronic effects are of a pretty high standard. htit it's the animal trainers you're in real awe of. The occasional wander into sentimental territory and slowing tip of pace can he forgiven hy the madly original idea. lively action sequences and knockahout humour. MacRohert. Stirling.
Changing Lanes ( IS) 000. (Roger Michell. LS. 2002) Ben Afileck. Samuel l.. Jackson. William Hurt. ‘Nmin. Doyle (iipsmt (Jackson). 1! recovering alcoholic lighting to keep his kids in a custody battle with his ex-w ife. and high flying attorney (iavin Banek (Affleck) are involved in an auto accident on a New York freeway. From this seemingly small altercation. a sequence of events is set in motion that will see Banek and Doyle seriously messing with each other oy er the course of a very long (iood l‘riday. (hanging lune.) is an intelligent. gripping thriller. The optimistic ending. however. is somewhat otit of place. Selected release. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (t')
0... (Keri Hughes. I'K. NOS) Sally Anne Ilowes. Dick Van Dy ke. Lionel Jeffries. l-lSmin. Lengthy. effects-filled children's adventure conceived in the wake of Mary I’nppim' huge commercial succes hut with a charm (and great songs) all of lIs own. Dick Van Dyke is the mad inventor whose flying car propels his children and romantic interest llowes to a far-off land of adventure. MacRohert. Stirling.
Christie Malry’s Own Double Entry ( IS) (l’aul Tickell. I'K. 2002) Nick Moran. Neil Stuke. Kate Ashlield. Min thc. The wide hoy star of Luck. Stork and Two Smoking Barre/v. takes the lead in this adaptation of an ohscure 70s satirical novel ahout a loopy accountant who takes the idea of douhle entry hookinaking to ridiculous extremes. Moran will he making a personal appearance along with the director to talk about the liliit. See Rough cuts. l‘ilmhousc. lidinhurgh; MacRohert. Stirling.
A Christmas Carol - The Movie (t') 0 (Jimmy T. Murakami. I'K. 200]) Voices of Kate \Vinslet. Nicolas ('age. Simon ('allow. Stlmin. Despite the advances made in computer-generated imagery. there is still a case for the traditional form. Sadly. it‘s not one made hy this poorly executed Iilm; the animation is flat and static. scarcely hetter than that found on Saturday morning kids' TV. Nor does the storytelling do (‘harles Dickens justice. sweetening and softening an already sentimental original. The final straw. however. is the introduction of a pair of cute. slapstick mice. Bah. humhug. Selected release.
City of God ( IS) (l‘ernando Meirelles. Brazil. 2002) l29min. The international resurgence of Latin American cinema shows no signs of slowing down. l-‘ollow ing the likes of ('wtlm/ Silurian. .‘lIHUI't’S I’r'l'rus. l” Tu .llumu 'Iitmlu'en and Nine Queen.) comes an exhilarating Brazilian drama. (‘irv of (iml. Based oi) l’aulo Lins's sprawling novel and spanning some three decades. its an epic account of the growth of organised drug-dealing it) a slum holising project. the so-called (‘ity of (Sod iii Rio de Janeiro. (il'vl‘. (ilasgow.
Clockstoppers (Po) 0.. (Jottathan l'rakes. LS. 2002) Jesse Bradford. Paula (iai‘ces. Michael Bielm. 94min. A futuristic wristwatch catapults high school student Zak (Bradford) into ‘hypertime‘. where the world is fro/en. yet he and his heatttiful Ilispanic girlfriend ((iarces) can move around freely and have lots of innocent ftn). I'ntil the evil head of Quantum Technologies (Bielm ). who wants to take over the world. kidnaps and threatens to kill Xak‘s science teacher Dad. For all its neat ideas. snazzy f/x and youthful energy. this is hy-the-numhers kiddie sci-fi. MacRohert. Stirling.
Courage of Lassie (t') 000 (l-‘red Wilcox. I'S. l‘)-l2) lili/aheth 'I'aylor. 92min. ln MGM's third canine adventure. ey'et‘}'()iie's favourite collie hecomes a war hero. After which wee young l.i/ Taylor manages to turn the scamp into a good domestic pet. Ah. MacRohert. Stirling. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (l2:\) .. (\Vootly Allen. 1.5. 2002) Woody Allen. lIeIen llttnt. David ()gden Stiers. 102mm. Set in New York in 19-10. Jar/e .S‘i‘m‘pimi pays homage to the era's carefree mystery comedies and hoasts a similarly throwaway plot. (‘rack insurance investigator (‘W Briggs (Allen) tries to solve a series of jewel rohheries he has himself committed while under the influence of a nefarious stage hypnotist (David ()gden Stiers). Making his task even harder. however. is the hostility of his firm’s new efficiency expert. Iltint‘s hrisk career gal Betty Ann l-‘it/gerald. Sadly. .lm/e
Clin’s getting on i it inlod Work
.S‘mrpimi marks a new low in Allen’s increasingly erratic career. with the filmmaker going over familiar ground. from the jail/ standards on the soundtrack to his usual stammering shtick. But the result is tired and largely unfunny. l'(i(’ Renfrew Street. (ilasgow; l'(i('. lidinhurgh. Cyberworld (l’(i) (Various. 2002). Mitt the. New 31) film for the giant screen featuring animated characters from An: to The Sinrpsuns. IMAX. (ilasgow.
The Dancer Upstairs ( t5) 0... (John Malkovich. l'S/Spain. 2002) Javier Bardem. I.aura Morante. Juan Diego Botto. 133mm. Malkovich's first film as a director is set in an unnamed Latin American country where honest. underpaid police investigator Atigtistii) Rejas (Bardem) is trying to track down the shadowy leader of a ruthless terrorist organisation. The state strikes hack with ferocity of its own. hut Rejas strives to remain uncorrupted. his otin solace a developing romantic friendship with his daughter's hallet teacher (Morante). Its portrait of violent fanaticism all too timely. The Dinner ('pvluirs is chilling. morally complex. psychologically astute and sometimes mordantly funny. As you‘d expect. its also superhly acted. ahove all hy the magnificent Bardem. l‘(i(' Renfrew Street. (ilasgoyy; l'(i('. lidinhurgh. Days and Nights in the Forest (Po) (Satyajit Ray. litdia. l‘)()‘)) Soumitra ('hatterjee. Sharmilla 'l‘agore. Shuhhendu (’hatterjee. l 15min. hour hachelor friends from ('alcutta drive to a hungalow in the countryside for a holiday. where they interact with local women. A delicate study of relationships that‘s almost like a ('hekhov play. Part of lmagineASlA (iI’I‘. (ilasgoyy. Deathwatch (t5) 0 (MichaelJ Bassett. I'K. 2002) Jamie Bell. 93min. A World War 1 ghost story which lacks everything one has a right to expect from a supernatural movie terror. stispense. atmosphere. even a ghost. A squad of British soldiers is stranded hehind enemy lines. Taking refuge in a fog-hound nearhy trench. they immediately sense that something is
index Film
wrong. “here are the (ierman soldiers who were holding this position'.’ Then. one hy- one. memhers of the squad start meeting with my sterious. violent deaths. Images and ideas are equally vague and murky. forcing the actors to act in a mist of confusion. Billy [fl/ion star Bell‘s limited acting ahilities are cruelly exposed hy the sloppy dialogue. which is littered with historical anomalies. including modern military slang. A comprehensive disaster. (ieneral release. Devil Doll (cert the) CO. (Tod Browning. LS. 1936) Lionel Barrymore. Maureen ()'Su|livan. Rafaela ()ttiano. 79min. llaving heen framed hy his Parisian partners. former hanker l’aul I.avond (Barrymore) escapes from Devil's Island after seventeen years of incarceration. Revenge is all that kept him alive. so Lavond sees a golden opportunity to ply some of it in his fellow escaped convict. a mad scientist who has invented a way of shrinking living beings to the size of children's toys and controlling them with willpower alone. ()dd as the notion of miniature killers might he. stranger still is the disguise l.evond adopts in order to sneak hack into l’aris: Barrymore. a fairly imposing actor. dresses himself up as Madame Mandelip. sweet old lady and dollmaker. lle'd he right at home in l-"rmks. ('(IA. (ilasgow.
Die Another Day ( 12A) 000 (Lee 'l'amahori. l'K/I'S. 2002) Pierce Brosnan. llalle Berry. Rick Yune. 135mm. ‘Bond 20‘ opens with 007 hetrayed during a mission to assassinate rogue North Korean (‘olonel Moon. which although successful sees him suhsequently left to rot in prison. Released fourteen months later. Bond makes the unearthing of the individual who hetrayed him a personal vendetta. So far. so divergent from the standard Bond plot. 'I‘hereafter. however. Die Another Day relaxes hack into the familiar formula: globe-hoping. girls and gadgets. The appearance of Berry's American agent. hikini-clad from the (‘arihhean sea. is a direct reference to l'rsula Andress' memorahle entrance in Dr .\'n. And the new film tlitis celebrates the Bond film franchise's 40th anniversary hy paying homage to previous films. llowever. Die .'lII(’l/l(’l' [My is a top heavy film. with a great opening set-piece and disappointing finale. Still. Brosnan remains tnore than up to the role. (ieneral release.
Dirty Pretty Things ( IS) .0. (Stephen I‘rears. (K. 2002) 2002. 90min. In this gritty tale of London's illegal immigrants Nigerian ()kwe lijiofor) and Turkish Senay (Tautou) make a dark discovery ahout goings on at the hotel which they hoth work nights: the sale of human organs. The leads are good. particularly lijiofor. who elicits real sympathy as the wary Nigerian. Ame/iv star Tautou also impresses in her speaking part. Veteran director l-‘rears know s how to get good performances out of his cast despite the language difficulties. Btit it‘s a shame none of the ahove talents were served with a decent script. one not full of cliched dialogue and unimaginativ e thriller genre conventions. See feature and review. SCIL‘CICLI release.
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