FILM INDEX
suddenly become besieged for over 24 hours. A gripping thriller. not without subtle humour. Glasgow: GFT. I Cyrano De Bergerac (U) (Jean-Paul Rappeneau, France, 1990) Gerard Depardieu, Jacques Weber. Anne Brochet. Vincent Perez. 135 mins. A stirring adaptation of Rostand‘s classic. romantic tragi-comedy. Full of grandly mounted. bustling crowd scenes (Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino won a Felix for their production design). it revolves around typically superb performance from Dcpardieu as the large-nosed hero. Although performed in rhyming verse throughout (with somewhat dodgy subtitles by Anthony Burgess). and a touch overlong. the film‘s dramatic and cinematic qualities are outstanding. Central: MacRobert Arts Centre. I A Day At The Race: (PG) (Sam Wood. US. 1937) The Marx Brothers, Allan Jones. Maureen O’Sullivan, Margaret Dumont. 111 mins. Not the best ofthe Marx Brothers‘ films - the musical numbers and romantic subplots are a bit too plentiful - but it does have a fairquota of classic comedy set pieces and dialogue sequences. As for the plot. it hasthe Brothers' trying to help out a girl who owns a sanitorium and a racehorse. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Dog's Birthday ( 18) (Jaime Humberto Hermosilla, Mexico. 1974)Jorge Martinez de Hoyos. Hector Bonilla. Diana Bravo. Lina Montes. Marcello Villamil. 86 mins. The corruption of middle-class values in Mexico is condensed in this story of two apparently straight couples. whose cosy existence is shaken when the two husbands decide to leave their homes and go off together. The film gives a very clear expression of some of Hermosilla‘s most recurring themes— repressive women and homosexuality. Glasgow: GFT. I Dona Hertinda and Her Son ( 15) (Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, Mexico. 1985) Arturo Meza, Marco Antonio Trevio, Guadalupe del Torro. 91 mins. Occasionally ponderous but generally likeable gay Mexican satire in which the strong-willed matriarch Dona Herlinda ensures that her son is a happily married husband and father despite his ongoing passionate affair with young music student Ramon. Glasgow: GFT. I The Doors (18) (Oliver Stone. US. 1990) Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan. Kyle MacLachlan, Kevin Dillon. Frank Whalley. 141 mins. It‘s 1966, andJim Morrison, aspiring poet and film-maker. joins a band ad transforms himself into the Dionysus of the Love Generation. From that point on, there‘s no let-up until his bathtime demise as an overweight alcoholic, aged 27. Kilmer‘s superb characterisation as Morrison dominates to such an extent that the other actors struggle to assert themselves even one-dimensionally, and little insight is given into what fired Morrison‘s self-destructive genius. Still, Stone‘s ‘tits 'n‘ acid‘ version of The Doors‘ history. while selective and highly inaccurate. is never boring. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Dying Young (15) (Joel Schumacher, US.
1991 ) Julia Roberts, Campbell Scott, Vincent D‘Onofrio, David Selby. 112 mins. A young woman takes on the demanding job of live-in personal nurse with a terminally ill playboy, and inevitably they fall in love. Julie Roberts gets her teeth (and lips) into her first ‘serious‘ Hollywood role, but, in the end, the film only scores half a hanky on the weepie scale. Unsatisfying in virtually all departments. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge, Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon, UCl. Central: Caledonian. Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon, UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbride.
I Edward Scissorhands (PG) (Tim Burton.
US, 1991) Johnny Depp. Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest. Vincent Price. 105 mins.
ONLY THE LONELY
Only The Lonely (12) (Chris Columbus, 1991, US)John Candy, Maureen O’Hara, Ally Sheedy, James Belushi, Anthony Quinn. 104 mins. The only thing we needed less than anotherJohn Hughes movie was a movie co-produced by John Hughes and written and directed by the slickly mediocre Chris Columbus, of Home Alone fame. Nevertheless, here it is, and to be fair, it could have been worse. For despite being a shameless clone, there are hints of something darker lurking beneath its polished surface and manipulative sentimentality.
The ever-reliable John Candy plays a Chicago cop who is dominated by his widowed mother and haunted by lrish-Catholic guilt, a combination that has done nothing for his love life. He drives the police meat wagon, and it’s while delivering a still to the funeral parlourthat love blooms. Ally Sheedy, in herlamlliar ‘ugly duckling' mode as an undertaker who makes-up the corpses to look like film stars, is the woman in question. Candy‘s mother, of course, dlsapproves of his new ‘Dago’
girlfriend, and tries to nip the affair in the bud. Meanwhile, Candy’s unhapplly married brother (James Belushi) is trying to get him transferred to Florida, so he can look aftertheir mother in her dotage. All Candy has to do is to make a decision about his own life without, for once, putting his mother and brother first: but atteryears of knuckling under, that’s easier said than done.
Candy and Sheedy’s resolutely ordinary relationship is nicely observed, and his mother’s spiteful attempts to sabotage their nervous romance are often wince-inducineg vicious. It is all the more repulsive, therefore, that the expected (but by no means simplistic) ‘happy ending’ should exonerate Candy’s selfish, cruel and racist mother. Boy Orbison’s title song says almost as much in three minutes, without striking any such sour notes. (Nigel Floyd)
From 13 Sept. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge, Grosvenor, Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon, UCI. Strathclyde: Cannon, UCI Clydebank, UCI East Kilbride.
Burton follows up the excesses of Batman with this fairy tale for the 90s, which works as a welcome return to the darker side of the genre. Depp is the unfinished creation ofThe lnventor (Price). who lives alone in a crumbling mansion. unable to even scratch his nose without needing stitches. Discoverd by a friendly Avon lady. his talent for coiffure and topiary makes him a neighbourhood favourite until tragedy strikes. Beautifully shot, tenderly acted and full of hidden depths. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge, Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon. UCI. Central: Regal. Strathclyde: Odcon Ayr. UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbride. WMR Film Centre.
I The Exorcist ( 18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Exorcist 2: The Heretic ( 18) (John Boorman. US. 1977) Richard Burton. Louise Fletcher. Linda Blair. 11()mins. The horror film that once turned heads receives an unworthy sequel in this silly mumbo-jumbo about priest Burton trying to understand the demons still lurking within the hapless Ms Blair. Edinburgh:
Cameo.
I The Fabulous Baker Boys ( 15) (Steve Klovcs. US. 1989) chfBridges. Beau Bridges. Michelle Pfeiffer. 113 mins. Writer/director Kloves makes an aUspicious debut with this evocative tale of broken dreams. fraternal jealousy and slowly awakening passion among three very ordinary cabaret performers. Veteran piano duo Jeff and Beau draft in Ms Pfeiffer‘s smokey chanteuse to save their act‘s declining fortunes. but asthc trio go on the road together. romantic and professional relationships are soon in turmoil. (‘rackling with some ofthe sharpest dialogue in years. this is a moody. mature picture. beautifully shot and scored. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Field ( 12) (Jim Sheridan. Eire. 199(1) Richard Harris. John Ilurt.Tom Berenger. Brenda Fricker. 11(lmins. Based on John B. Keane's stage play. Sheridan‘s follow-up to the immensely successful My Left 1’00! is a rural tragedy set in 1939. Harris stars as The Bull. an lrish farmer in competition with an American for the purchase of the field he's worked for years. As their struggle intensifies. so violence and revelations are unleashed which draw him inexorably to an awful fate. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Flatliners ( 18) (Joel Sehumacher. US. _l 1990) Keifer Sutherland. Julia Roberts. Kevin Bacon. 111 mins. Arresting adventure flick in which the bankable Ms Roberts plus Messrs Sutherland Jnr and Bacon play a band of medical students exploring the fine line between life and death. By tampering with life support machines. they're able to reach the moment when all the vital signs have stopped and the monitors are showing llat lines (henCe the title). before being brought back by their associates. But the side-effects of the process are to prove dangerously unexpected. lidinburgli: Filmhouse.
I FXZ: The Deadly Art Of Illusiont 15) (Richard Franklin. US. 1991) Bryan Brown. Brian Dennchy. Rachel 'I‘icotin. Joanna Gleason. Philip Bosco. 108 mins. When movie special effects genius Rollie 'l'yicr (Brown) is coaxed out ofretirement. he finds himselfcaught up in a w cbof deceit and murder. Sounds familiar”? Sure is. Stars and plot twists turn out again for sequel to the successful 198(wthriller —and that‘s not necessarin a bad thing. Glasgow: ()dcon. lidinburgh: l'(‘l. Strathclyde: Kclburne. ()dcon Ayr. UCI Clydebank. L.7(’l East Kilbride.
I Ghost ( 12) (Gerry locker. US. 199(1) Patrick Swayze. Demi Moore. Whoopi Goldberg. 'l‘ony Goldwyn. 126mins. Death doth part happy couple Swaer and Moore when the former falls y ictim toa late-night mugging. Not content merely to pass on. however. he returns to try and get back in touch with his wife via medium Goldberg (who won an ()scar for her supporting role). in an attempt to warn her about financial and other dangers. Amiable supernatural comedy-drama. which spawned a few inferior imitations. Iidinburgh: Filmhouse.
I GoBots: Battle of the Rocklords ( Po) (Ra) Patterson Don Lusk Alan Zaslovc. US. 1986) With the voices of Margot Kidder. Telly Savaias. Roddy McDowell. Michael Nouri. 74 mins. 'l‘onka toys take on the universe. ('y-Kili. the renegade GoBot. has travelled through hype rspace to join forces with the evil .‘vlagmar (Savalas. typecast even by voice ). where they seek to take the planet ()uartex by force. But our mechanical heroes soon come to the rescue. Strathclyde: U(‘1 (lydebank.
I Guilty By Suspicion ( 15) (lrwin Winkler. lES. 199(1) Robert De Niro, Annette Bening. George Wendt. Sam Wannamaker. 1115 mins. A new attempt by the American film industry to come to terms with the McCarthy era. when Hollywood was purged of anyone deemed to have communist connections. with devastating effects. De Niro stars as a highly successful director destroyed by rumours, with Betting as his supportive cx-wife. Wan namaker —r who was himself blacklisted ~ as an attorney. and Martin Scorsese in a minor role as another harassed director. Despite cumbersome pacing. the performances and good intentions are strong enough to make this a very watchable movie, and the courtroom climax is well worth waiting for. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Hairdresser's Husband ( 15) (Patrice Leconte. France. 1990) Jean Rochcfort. Anna Galiena. 90 mins. The romantic tale ofa young boy who resolves to marry a hairdresser. and — in eccentric middle age — does just that. According todirector Lecontc. the film ‘is not autobiographical. although it really ought to have been'. since the boy‘s resolution is one he himself made. but failed to keep. A witty. sexy and eccentric movie with dark undercurrents from the directorof Monsieur Hire. Edinburgh: (Tameo.
I Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(18) (John McNaughton. 1986) Michael Rooker. Tom Towles. 'l'racey Arnold. 80 mins. Based loosely on the true life (and subsequently recanted) confessions of Henry Lee Lucas. McNaughton‘s
16 The List 13 - 26 September 1991