BACARDI BLACK
REVIEW FILM
THE ACCOMPANIST
Under the German occupation of World ; War ll, hunger vies with despair for the : hearts and minds of your average Parisian. Sophie Vasseur (Romane Bohringer), a diligent and accomplished pianist, is no exception, so when she gets the opportunity to enter the opulent and well-fed world of singer Irene Brice (Elena Safonova) ; as an accompanist, second thoughts don’t cross her mind.
For a while, Sophie is content to eat at the singer’s table, her dreary home life forgotten. She instinctively covers 3
up for lrene’s affair with a Resistance I leader and dispassionately observes Irene’s wheeler-dealer husband
safety and an obvious ending.
The Accompanist: ‘completely lacks substance‘ 2
the stultified pianist growing ' ‘ increasingly jealous of her mentor, ; Richard Bohringer puts in his usual
competent performance and only i Elena Safonova has to cope with some ‘
majorly cringemaking scenes as she hardship. However, the occupying ‘ goes through the obligatory concert
Charles (Richard Bohringer) go about the ‘out of order’ trading which provides their shield from wartime
forces demand ever increasing = routines. What the film completely
collaborative gestures from the Rrices lacks, however, is substance. The
and soon all three flee to England for 1 story of three selfish people existing
through a war has never more deserved the question: So what?
; (Thom Dibdin)
' The Accompanist (PG) (Claude Miller,
The Accompanist comes straight out of the middle-brow drawer of French film-making which can promise so much and yet often delivers so little. France, 1993) Romane Bohringer, Everything is correct - and mostly Elena Safonova, Richard Rohringer. present, for a cracking little art-house 111 mins. From Fri 26, Edinburgh: movie. Romane Bohringer is perfect as , Filmhouse.
HARD TARGET
Back in liong Kong, the typical John Woo hero has a bit of the samurai In him, a bit of the cowboy; here, he shows an element of the medieval knight, complete with motorbike
(oust. Chance Boudreaux (Jean-Claude 1
Van liamme) is a ilew Orleans drifter hired by a young woman to find her down-and-out father. In the process, he uncovers a sadistic big-game hunt where the prey are homeless army veterans, only to become an unwilling target himself.
Big budget stunts, stylised action sequences and a cracking narrative are set against a Big Easy backdrop where the bourbon has soured. Once again, Woo takes specific locations - bayou swamps, a Mardl Gras warehouse - and twists them to his advantage. Although the characters show less depth than in his home- grown films, the trademark set-pieces have survived the journey across the water. lot the director’s greatest achievement, perhaps, but an American action movie that is far superior to other studio offerings. (AM) llard Target (18) (John Woo, US, 1993) Jean-Claude Van Carlene, Lance llenriksen, Yancy Butler. 95 mins. From Fri 26. General release.
liard Target: ‘superfor American action movie'
.spnnmrer/ by BACARDI BLACK
_ cur FINA
A charming and timely Israeli film. somewhat overtaken by events. but
still relevant for its
message of the
. possibilities of harmony
in the Middle liasl. ' Sergeant Cohen (Moshe
lvgi) is captured during the Lebanon campaign by a Palestinian unit: as the group struggle northwards
to Beirut. the soldiers‘ hostility is replaced 3 gradually by grudging
respect. Football. and the World Cup in particular. is the bonding mechanism. but tension is never really absent from their dealings
'. even through their mutual ; dependence is clear. Not
. the most stylish or original of tilms. but Eran Riklis directs with
admirable honesty and even-handedness. (Andrew Pulver)
Cup Final ( 15) (Eran Riklis, Israel, I991) 114 mins.
From Thurs 2. (Ilusgmr:
3 01-7:
‘ _
DAUGHTERS 0F
? THE DUST
Julie Dash‘s eloquent vision of early 20th century life on the Sea islands of Georgia. USA.
interweaves women’s oral
history of slavery with their precognition of modern urban African- American life. 1902. and the Peazant family are preparing to leave the islands for New York. The
: move. resisted by the
grandmother who is still tied to the old ways. is complicated by the return of Yellow Mary Peazant. who has been working as a prostitute. and Viola Peazant. who went to the
mainland to train as a Baptist missionary.
Using a radical mix of narrative techniques and languages. Dash has created a complex film
'; which demands concentration from the
viewer but rewards with a clear and sustained insight to an all-to-often ignored culture. (Thom Dibdin) Daughters Of The Dust (PG) (Julie Dash, USA, 199/ ) Cora Lee Dav. Alva Rogers, Barberu 0. [12 mins. Wed 24 and Thurs 25, Edinburgh:
F ilmhouse.
The List 19 November—2 December 1993 15