FILM REVIEW
a pilot is having an affair. so the advice from his judge uncle is that it’s better to be widowed than divorced: in other words, enlist the services of a professional hitman. A provocative. breezy jest of a film that is unlike the
Dicky Attenborough makes his first movie in fourteen years, and it’s about revived dinosaurs. Is there a connection? Ponder on, as The List 3
reviews the films opening in ‘ Scotland over the next two weeks.
drama of director
i Leconte’s previous works. Monsieur Hire and The Hairdresser's Husband.
Those who have accused
! it of misogyny just
i haven't looked deep
i enough. See preview.
THE OLD LADY WHO WALKED IN THE SEA
The Old Lady . . .: “contrived atmosphere’
Jeanne Moreau stands out as the only i worthwhile attraction in this hali- I Tango (15) The wife of ' tautly controlled, intimate 3 band (3]; of 13p,“ “warns”,
i menopausal leatousies and lame-brain i toyboys. The grande dame oi French
, cinema generates a screen presence
i that the lacklustre plotting and
E contrived atmosphere cannot quite
f extinguish. Moreau plays uppehclass
: thiei and swindler Lady hi, who trades 5 on her social status and a reputation
ior eccentricity to pull oil a series oi devious capers. She’s escorted by middle-aged roue Pompilius (Michel Serrault), whose iragile masculinity is challenged by the arrival in the smart resort where the couple ply their trade oi young hunk Luc Thullier, whom the lady takes on as her pupil and prospective lover.
The scene is quickly set tor a iusillade oi emotional trade-oils and insults, as Lady M consorts with
I I beach-bum Thullier and swaps .1 r ; invective with the helpless Pompilius.
But, lrankly, actor Serrault is equally
helpless under the direction oi
Laurent lleynemann, which is so Ieaden that, by the time the threesome
come unstitched at a Far East
potentate’s opulent bash, you’re more likely to be analysing the wallpaper than studying the action. The exotic locale, Guadeloupe In this case, seems merely a thin attempt to grait on a little visual excitement, as is the central, pseudo-absurdist image oi the title. it sounds harsh, but a comedy that isn’t iunny can be an excruciating
; experience. (Andrew Pulver) l The Old Lady Who Walked In The Sea
(18) (Laurent lleynemann, France, 1992) Jeanne Moreau, Michal Serrault, Luc Thullier. 95 mins. From Fri 16:
. Edinburgh Filmhouse. From Sun 25:
Glasgow Film Theatre.
I House oi Angels (15) A rural community‘s suspicions are aroused when the hip grand- daughter of a deceased landowner arrives from the city with boyfriend and motorbike to take over his house. Will their arrival mean the village is about to be swamped with
1 drugs. homosexuals and
other markers of urban
l life? Englishman abroad Nutley effectively dissects ’ the racism and bigotry of a small community with much humour. lt scored a hit with the Swedes, but its themes are universal. See preview.
I The Abyss: Special Edition: James Cameron refers to The Abyss: Special Edition. with its additional 28 minutes of footage. as ‘the extended play dance mix’. Time constraints prevented him from including early scenes of character development. some more action in the middle and. most importantly. an apocalyptic climax in which the underwater conflicts involving n'g foreman Ed Harris, his rig-designer wife Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and psycho SEAL commando Michael Biehn were paralleled by an
escalating political crisis above the surface.
Using their ability to control water. the undersea creatures. or NTis (Non-Terrestrial lntelligences) send a series of massive tidal waves toward major population centres. Then, in a scenario reminiscent of Robert Wise‘s 1951 sci-ft classic The Day The Earth Stood Still. they relent - hoping that their 7 warning will encourage ' mankind to step back
nuclear Armageddon. Forced to choose between the intimate human drama of Harris's self-sacrificing dive into the abyss and the wider global conflict, Cameron opted for the emotional core of the picture. Now restored, the new ending broadens the film‘s political perspective without detracting from the essential human elements. The resulting “director's re-cut’ is more ambitious, more satisfying and definitely to be seen on the big screen. (Nigel Floyd) The Abyss: Special Edition. Edinburgh Odeon, Thurs 22 July: Glasgow Odeon Sun 25 July only.
w i from the brink of a i
5 _ 3 PARIS is ounnmu
’3
. . (t t , .‘ .1" t V is . ‘ i Onto the iloor the models strut out, ’ competing ior glory in such categories as Evening Wear, Sports Wear and Town and country. A documentay about iashion shows? llot quite, when other categories include First Time In Drug, Butch Oueen and Bungee Boy, 5 and the accent is not on the clothes, but how the models - all gay black men - are wearing them. This is the voguing scene in liew York, where it’s rich to bitch, the boys loyal to their ‘houses’ and the houses ilercely competitive with each other. Where the iashion values oi Dallas and Vogue not only ride supreme but are transcended in the ilash oi a sequin. Jennie Livingston’s ilowing documentary ilashes up, literally, the categories on show at the Drug Ball, but it's iar irotn being a transient piece oi voyeuristic iashion wear.
., 1' 9‘ .3” » 1 \‘t . . s - v i ‘.
...
Frorn their boudoirs the older queens tell oi the voguing scene over the years, while younger boys talk about their lives and explain their hopes tor the iuture. These are people who are doubly ghettoised and long to be able to parade themselves in the sun instead oi inside some sombre llarlem hall. People who daren’t leave their homes because oi harrassment, or who walk the streets at night looking ior clients. With a pulsating disco soundtrack this is the sort oi celebratory documentary which leaves you smiling but your heart a little sadder. (Thom Oibdln)
Paris is Burning (15) (Jennie Livingston, OS, 1990) Paris Oupree, Dorian Corey, the Xtravaganza crew, et al. 78 mins. Mon 19-Wed 21 , Glasgow OFT; Thurs 15-Sat 17, Edinburgh Filmhouse.
'
THE FEHCIHG MASTER
1860s Madrid is a turbulent place. as monarchists and liberals clash over the political future of the decadent Queen lsabella. Striding sublimer through the chaos. however. is one Don Jaime de Astarloa (Antonutti). whose ascetic dedication to the art of honourable swordplay enables him to rise above the conflict. But when the
3 sultry Adela (Assumpta
Sema) requests his services as a teacher, his innate chauvinism crumbles as his heartstrings stir slowly into action.
With emotional topography almost identical to Tous Les
Matins Du Monde — a
sleekly presented clash ' between dispassionate ' spirituality and heady
emotion — The Fencing Master exudes the
restrained tone and elevated concerns of classical European
3 filmmaking. But what
begins as a promising
romantic drama burgeons
into a fully-fledged period political thriller. as Don Jaime finds himself
: enmeshed in assassination
conspiracies and the like.
Director Olea bn'ngs
considerable strength to the construction of the
intimate details of the
melodrama: rather less
. conviction. though. to the wider canvas. Still The
Fencing Master is a
t thoroughly enjoyable . piece of cinema. with : enough bite to make it ‘ memorable. Highly
recommended. (Andrew
Pulver)
The Fencing Master (12) t (Pedro Oleo. Spain. 1993) ' Assumpta Sema. Omero
Antonutti. Joaquim de
‘ Almeida. 88 mins. From
‘ Fri 16. Edinburgh: ; Cameo.
_
TEENAGE
iiiiurittir intuit
TURTLES 3
Another Turtles movie! A prospect as appealing as a pizza slice reheated for the third time. This time. they’re back in 17th century Japan in order to save April. in a straight reptile vs reptile battle in the summer cinemas. those turtles are going to squashed under the dinosaurs' feet. ninja skills or not. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 (PG) (Stuart Gillard, US, 1992) Elias Koleas, Paige Tumo, Stuart Wilson. From Fri 23. General Release.
18 The List 16—29 July 1993