FILM INDEX
Visconti's handling of the epic final ball sequence is a furtlter demonstration of his mastery of composition for the wide screen arid
Filmhouse. I A little Princess (PG) (Alfonso (‘ttat-on. US. 1995) Eleanor Brort. Liam Cunningham. Liesel Matthews. 97 rrrirrs. Young Sara is forced to leave her privileged life irt India for a New York girls' boarding school wlterr WWI breaks out. Things ttttrt for tire worst. however. wltert her father is reported missing-in-actiorr and. penniless. she is subjected to the cruelty of schoolmistress Miss Minchin. A rrtovie with a sense of real rrragic and love of storytelling. that is beautifully designed and intelligently acted. General release. I loch less (ll) (John Henderson. IS. 1995) Ted Danson. Joely Richardson. Kirsty Graham. 100 rtrins. An American scientist comes to Scotland to disprove the existence of Nessie. bttt is charmed by the place and the people. So far. so [JK'U/ Hem. Btrt irt its later stages. this fartrily movie leaps into action. keeping yott on the cdg - of your seat. Better than you might expect. btrt not remarkably special. General release. I The lost Honour of Katharina Blunt ( l5) (Volket' Schlondorff/Margarethe \'on 'l‘rotta. Germany. I975) Angela Winkler. Mario Adot f. Dieter Laser. 10o mitts. A yotrrtg woman discovers that her one rrrglrt stand is a suspected terrorist; irrtrrrediately her life is torn apart by the destrtrctive forces of a right-wing police force and the gtrtter press. A disturbing. btrt higltly recommended version of Heinrich Boll's novel. Edinburgh: Iiilmhouse. I love In The Time or Hysteria ( IS) (Alfonso (‘uaron. Mexico. 1991 ) Daniel Gimencz. (‘laudia Ramirez. Luis dc lcaza. 9-l rrrirrs. A modern day Don Juan gets catrgltt up in what would be a typical scx farce situation if director (‘trat‘on hadn't given it a safe sex spin. Its treatment of lllV issues is poised between bad taste arid praiseworthy comic invention. Edinburgh: l:llllllI()ll\‘C. I The Madness 0f King George (PG) (Nicholas Hytner. UK. 1994) Nigel Hawthorne. Ilclen Mirr'en. Rupert liverett. I 10mins, Alan Bennett's adaption of his owrt stage play is a great British filrrt irr its ow it right with no lingering sense of theatricalin Nigel Hawthorne's excellertt portrayal of the King. his demented behaviour threatening the stability of the nation. gives the filrrr an emotional cote. while the script's themes are intelligently handled throughout. Borders: Roxy. I Mean Streets ( ts) (Martin Scorsese. LS. 1973) Harvey Keitel. Robert de Niro. David Proval. I ll) mins. 'l‘ony's Bar is the base for four young ltaIran-Americans. whose irtcreasirtgly illegal activities lead to tragedy. \"rvitlly observed character study which combines breathtaking technique with a pervasive sense of corruption. Keitel and de Niro give of their very best. Edinburgh: ('ameo. I The Host Desired Man I)fl' lit-tragic .llumr (l8) (Sortke Wot'tmann. Germany. 1995) Til Schweiget'. Katja Riemann. Joachim Krol. 98 mins. The trtost successful ltomegrowtr Gerrttart movie to date. with rrtore laughs than the country's usual comic otrtpttt. A woman sends her philatrdering husband packing. btrt becomes even more suspicious when she discovers his new rtrale flatrrrate naked in his wardrobe. 'I'he crass final reel ruirts any sense of subversion. See review. lidinburgh: liilmhouse. I Muriel’s Wedding ( I 5) (PI. Hogan. Australia. 1994) Toni Collette. Rachel Griffitlts. Bill Hunter. 105 rttins. L'gly duckling Muriel decides to leave behind her boring life irr Porpoise Spit and search for her Prince (‘harming iii the big lights of Sydney. A bouncy Abba soundtrack arid fairy tale ambiance add to the charm of one of the year's best crowd-pleasers. As sparkling. itt its own way. as The Iltll'l‘llflll‘t’) ()fl’rirt'illu. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I flaked Lunch (18) (David (‘ronenbertn IFS. 1992) Peter Weller. Judy Davis. lart llolrrt. Roy Scheider. I21 ntins. Body horror maestro takes on the near impossible task of filming William Burroughs' controversial rtovel 'l'lrt' Nuka Lunch and comes out with a cinematic masterpiece. [Elements frorn Btttroughs' own life merge with a surreal narrative and the book‘s bizarre. drug-induced sexual imagery. leaving a bewildered. btrt impressed. audience in their wake. By no means easy watching. btrt well worth the effort. Edinburgh: (‘ameo I Nixon (15) (Oliver Stone. US. 1995) Anthony Hopkins. Joan Allert. James Woods. 192 rtrirts. Avoiding the conspiracy traps we might have expected (Watergate. etc). Stone concentrates less on the politics and rrtore on the man driven by inner demons to succeed at all costs. In this way. Nixon becomes an American tragedy. founded on llopkins‘s astonishing performance which goes way beyond impersonation. Nevertheless. the President did nasty things. so all we can hope for is sympathy for the devil. See feature and review. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon. UCI. Borders: Pavilion.
his later conception of filrrt-as-opera. lidinburgh:
Strathclyde: ()deort Ayr. LiCls.
I Othello ( 12) (Oliver Parker. US/I’K. 1995) Laurence l-‘isltburne. Kenneth Branagh. Irene Jacob. 12-1 mins. A sexier stab at Shakespeare — director Parker reckons the story is art erotic thriller —— with l‘ishburne a magnetic presence as the Moor whose jealousies bring tragedy to his rrew marriage. As Iago. Branagh is allowed one too many asides to the camera. btrt succeeds irt making the audience complicit with the plot. Lively and accessible. Glasgow: GI‘T.
I Park Row (Samuel litrller. IIS. 1952) Gene livans. Mary Welch. Bela Kovacs. S3 rrrirrs. A war between two newspaper pt'opr terms at the end of the 19th century provides the background for this early l'TlllCI‘ drama. The mood is totrglt. the camerawork inventive. lidinburgh: l‘ilm Gtrild.
I Passiom l5) (Jean-Inc Godard. l'r'ancc/Switz. I9S2) Isabelle lltrppert. Hanna Sclrygtrlla. Michel l’iccoli. SS rrrirrs. Godard's radical approach to frlrnrrrakirrg led a succession of top camerarncn to walk off the set. claiming his ideas were over-arrrbttiotrs. However. most of them are realised on screen in a succession of beatrttftrl irtrages. ()ne of his more accessible frlrrrs. it contrasts the work of a Polish filtrr director on location with the drudgery of a yottng factory employee. Iidinbtngh: liilmhousc. I The Pearl (PG) (litnilro liet‘nandcz. Mexico. 19-15) Pedro .~\ttrtendarrz. Maria lilcna Marques. Alfonso Bedoya. S1 rrrirrs. A grourrdbteakirrg filrrt for the Mexicart film industry (perhaps ltelpcd by the fact it is based on a Steinbeck rtovel) that still works as a rrtovirtg modern fable. A poor fisherman discovers a magnificent pearl. btrt ultimately it brings his fatnin more sorrow tltarr cheer. Glasgow: GI’I‘. lidinburglr: liilmlrouse.
I The Pebble And The Penguin (l'r (Don titttttt. IS. 1995) With the voices of Martirt Short. James Belushi. Tim (‘utry. 7-1 rrrirrs. The director of All Drier (it: '1}: Ilf’fll't'll and Art American 'Iir/t' presents another artirnatcd arrirtral fcattrre with rntrsical interludes that will keep the youngsters happy for a while. Nice boy pengtrirr wants to woo rticc girl penguin with a pebble (er. yeah?) btrt nasty pettgtrttt gcts iii the way. All l'('ls.
I Pocahontas (l ') (Mike Gabriel/litre Goldberg.
IS. [995) \\'ill) the voices (if .\lel (ill)s‘t)[]_ lt'cnc Bedard. Billy (‘onnolly. SI mins. The true story
of Pocahontas is gixcn a splash of Disney colour.
reducing her from lteroirte to lovcsrck bitnbo as she falls madly in love w rtlt white settler ('aptain John Smith. The cliched beauty of the leads. the cutesy animals attd talking tree make it a tr'avcsy.
arid evctt the songs are ttrneless warbling ballads.
()rrly the animation is worth a mention. Strathclyde: l'('l (‘lydebarrk. WMR.
I ll Postino (1’) (Michael Radfor‘d. Italy. 1995) Massimo Troisi. Philippe Noiret. Marta Grazia (‘ucinotta. l()S rrrirrs. When exiled (‘hilean poet Pablo Neruda (Noitetr arrives on a remote island off the Neapolitan coast. he aids local postrrrarr Mario (Troisir to woo the village barmaid. Gently paced and fttll of Mediterranean strrt. Radford's film is nicely trnsentirrrcrrtal. Sadly. Troisi died the day after shooting was completed. bill he couldn't have left a finer legacy. Iidinbur'gh: (‘ameo
I Pulp Fiction ( IS) (Quentin 'larantino. I'S. 199-1) John 'l‘ravolta. Samuel Jackson. lima Thurman. Bruce Willis. 150 mitts. Much more arttbitiotts than Reservoir Dogs. the most awaited second feature of the 90s ltas trtarry scenes that crackle with Tarantino wit. and a few others that fall flat as the writer-director bravely experiments. Interlocking stories in the pttlp crime rrranner concern hitmen. ailing boxers. gang bosses and their molls. drtrg fiends. and assorted riff-r'aff. This surprise (‘annes Palrrre d'()r winner is a trip. all the way. lidinburgh: Cameo.
I Ilendez-vous In Paris ( IS) (liric Rohmer. lirance. I995) (‘lar'a Bellat'. Mathias Megard. Aurore Rauscher. 100 mitts. Rohmer's compendium of three short tales breaks little new ground. btrt retains his trademark sophistication and gives substantial roles to a fresh-faced young cast. Romance is at the bean of each section. which are linked by a street accordionist arid chanteuse. btrt it's really Paris that's the star. captured with the eye of art insider. Glasgow: GFf.
I Restoration (15) (Michael Hoffman. UK. 1995) Robert Dowtrey Jr. Sam Neill. David Thewlis. 118 rrrirrs. Art irtrpoverished physician (Downey) is repaid irt wealth and women when he tends King Charles lI's sick spaniel; asked to marry the King's mistress for convenience. Ire finds himself falling in love. Downey bounces around this superny costumed adult playpen to good effect. btrt when the tone darkens. his acting talents falter. See review.20GIasgow: Odeon. MGM Parkhead. Edinburgh: Odeon. Strathclyde: UC‘ls.
I Return or The Secaucus Seven (15) (John Sayles. US. 1980) Mark Amott. Maggie (‘ousineau. John Sayles. 100 rrrirrs. A group of good friends who shared the radical Sixties
college life get together for a weekend years later. arid find ottt the different directions they have each since been following. Excellent script by Sayles powers this low-budget entry that was more or less remade a couple of years later (without credit) as T’It‘ Big Chill. Edinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
I The River Wild (15) (Curtis llanson. US. 199-1) Meryl Streep. Kevin Bacon. David Strathairrr. IOS rrrirrs. While on a rafting holiday with her husband arid sort. former river navigator Gail (Streep) finds her trip disrupted by a couple of armed robbers who force her to take them all through dartgerotts waters. The actors add a realistic dimension to the characters. btrt otherwise Hanson's otttdoor suspense thriller is less a wltite water rollercoaster arid more an acquatic log-tide. lidinbtrrgh: ('ameo. I Schindler‘s list ( I5) (Steven Spielberg. US. 1993) Liam Neeson. Ralph l‘iennes. Ben Kingsley. 195 tttirts. Dtrrirtg WW2. German industrialist atrd Nazi Party member ()skar Schindler saved the lives of over a thousand Jewish employees by demanding they work in his factory rather than be sent to Auschwitz. Spielberg's magnificent rttovie arid rN'eeson's performance capture this enigmatic brand of heroism. while depicting traumatic events irt documentary-like black-and-white images. Psycltologically corrtplex. emotionally devastating arid artistically irrtpeacltable. this is one of the best filrrrs ever made. Iidinbur'gh: liilm Guild. I Sense And Sensibility (t!) (Ang Lee. (MK. 1995) [Emma Thompson. Kate Winslet. Alan Rickrtratr. Hugh Grant. 13.5 mitts. Denied their inheritance when the father of the household dies. the female members of the Dashwood farttily face a precarious ftrttrre which complicates the romances of sensible lilinor ('l‘honrpson) arid emotive Marianne (Winslet). 'l‘hompson's adaptation keeps the wordplay engaginly tart and sharp-w itted. btrt never loses sight of the powerful frustrations simmering beneath the surface. Infiniter more satisfying than your typical fluffy period piece. General release. I Seven (IS) (David Iiincher. 15S. I995) Brad Pitt. Morgan I-‘reeman. Gwyneth Paltrow. 127 rrrirrs. The outline is familiar — two cops track dowtt a serial killer" — btrt Seven is a step ahead of its rivals. lirom its opening title sequetrce onwards. it's an extremely dark movie which winds through the roost twisted recesses of lttrtttart nature. Iiach deatlt is a graphic interpretation of one of the seven deadly sins. giving Alien .t‘ director l‘incher the material for an intense stylistic exercise in horror. Glasgow: ()deort. MGM Parkhead. Iidinburgh: ()deon. I'C‘I. Stratltclyde: ()deort Ayr. I’C‘ls. I Shallow Grave ( In”) (Datrrry Boyle. t'K. l994r Kerry l-‘ox. Iiw an McGregot. ('htistopher Iicclestort. 9f) rrrirrs. Three Iidinbtrrgh flatmates find their new cohabitant dead with a stack of money under his bed. so after performing a little DIY on the corpse. they reckon all their worries are over. Brit the cops are closing irt. there are two thugs after the money. and tire psychological tension is beginning to show. Filled with dark htrmour' arid cynical one-litters. this Scottish thriller is bloody artd intelligent enough to please the cult audience while remaining accessible enough to be a rrrainstrearrt ltit. Iidinbtrrgh: I’(‘l. Strathclyde: I'('I (‘Iydebank I Shanghai Triad ( 15) (Zhang Yimou. Hong Kong/(‘hirut/France. I995) Gong Li. Wang Xiao Xiao. Li Baotiarr. 10S rttirts. A yottrtg boy becorrtes a triad boss's underling and witnesses the ongoing conflict between the gangs as well as the tempestuous romance between the godfather and his quick-tempered rrtoll. There's plenty of gloss. bttt rtot a lot going on underneath the superficial sparkle. It's certainly watchable. btrt '/.hang is rather in need of a new direction. (‘entralz MacRobett. l-"ifc: Adam Smith. I Slacker ( 15) (Richard Linklater. VS. 1991) ()ver 100 Texans. 97 mins. l‘nclassifiable piece of irrdepertdertt Arrterican movierrraking which doesn't have a plot as such: instead it provides a snapshot of over 100 ‘slackcr's' — young. happy- go-lucky drifter's — as they get through their daily lives. Structured as a monumental relay (caclt character briefly appears. meets the next. attd so on). it has a loose. experimental. almost jazzy format that you'll either love or Irate. A sure-fire ctrlt hit if it can find its atrdiertce iii the first place. lidinburgh: ('ameo. I The Sound or Music (1,?) (Robert wise. ITS. 1905) Julie Andrews. Christopher Plummer. Richard Haydn. lileanor Parker. Peggy Wood. 173 rrrirrs. In the late I93()s. vivacious rtttrr Maria (Andrews) introduces the Von Trapp children to the joys of music. arid their widowed father (l’lummer) to the joys of love as Nazism begins to sweep Austria. ()rte of the great screen musicals. completely trrtcynical. attd boasting a Itost of memorable songs and chartn-stxlden rnornettts. Arid it's all based on a true story. Glasgow: (if-T. I Star Trek: The Genesis Trilogy (PG) (Nicholas
Meyer/Leonard Nimoy. US. 1982/84/86) William Sltatner. Deliorest Kelley. Leonard Nimoy. l I-l/I()5/I l9 rrrirrs. Or. to you and me. Star Trek movies 2. .1 arid 4. The stories do follow on. and the old hamming is certainly consistent. Stratltclyde: Kelbnrne.
I Strange Days ( 18) (Kathryn Bigelow‘. t.'S. 1995) Ralph Fiennes. Angela Bassett. Juliette Lewis. I39 mitts. A cross-bred hybrid of film noir. futuristic thriller. political commentary arid romance. Bigelow‘s allegory shows technical skill. btrt doesn‘t wcaxe its plot threads into a satisfying wltole. I-‘ierrnes is the successful retailer of bootleg dreams. recorded live then jacked into by viewers experiencing the same adrenalin rush. btrt eventually murder crashes the party. Scorching vistrals. whatever the fittal outcome. Glasgow: MGM Film Centre. lidinbur'gh: I?(’l. Stratltclyde: 13(‘1 (‘lydebank I The Swan Princess (P) (Richard Rich. (’8. 1995) With the voices of John (‘leese. Jack Palarrcc. Steven Wright. 9-1 rrrirrs. Sit-tin Lake in its fairytale form. with all the expected ingredients that modern children‘s animated features contain a talking animals. bland bttt ctrte heroes. rrrtrsical routines. Art evil magician casts a spell on a princess. turning ltcr irtto a swan. And arty film that featttres Palarrce doing a song called ‘No More Mr Nice Guy' ltas to be worth a visit. lidinbtn'gh: MGM. liife: Robin's. StrathclMle: l‘(‘l liast Kilbride. \
I Sweetie ( l 5) (Jarte (‘ampion. Australia. I9S9) Genevieve Lemon. Karerr (‘olstotL Tom I.ycos. l()() rrrirrs. (‘ontrtw'ersial debtrt feattrre from New '/.ealand born (‘ampion follows the fortunes of two sisters. the quiet. net vy Kay ((‘olstont and the unpredictany psychotic Sweetie (Lemon). whose beltaviotrtal eccentr icities involve eating cltirra ornaments and pairttirtg herself blue. Boldly scripted arid composed. the frlrtr brings a drcarrrlike quality to the everyday. bttt beneath all the self-consciously challenging camerawor'k. there breathes a very simple tale of cotrtrrrort humanity. lidinburglr: l'dlllllitflls‘c‘.
I To Die For ( l5) (Gris Van Satrt. 1S. 1995) Nicole Kidrnan. Matt Dillon. Joaquin Phoenix. 107 rrrirrs. Obsessed with TV fame. Suzanne (Kidmanr takes a job as a w cathergirl with lret local cable station. btrt uses her position to begin a docutrrentary on modern youth. And uses her subjects to krtock off her husband (Dillon). a ball-and-clrain around her ambitious ankles. Van Sant's ultimately tragic satire on the psychological power of I 'S media isn't a new subicct. btrt his treatment is enlivened considerably by art cxcellerttly judged performance by Kidntart. who's beginning to
sit )W her true potential. Iidrnbut'gh: ('arrreo.
I Trainspotting f. IS) (Danny Boyle. I'K. I995) liwan McGregor. liwen Bremner. Robert (‘ar'lyle. Jotttry Ice Miller. 93 ruins. John Hodge's screenplay perfectly captures the desperate humour of Irvine Welsh‘s rtovel. keeping the episodic structure of junkie scenes for the first half. before corrccntratrng morC on Rerrtorr irt London in the later stages. I‘ast artd stylish direction. creative soundtrack and acting that's off-the rails excellent. A cinematic blast from beginning to ctrd. which also shows a complex - arid trtre — understanding of the lure and fatal consequences of drugtaking. General release.
I The Usual Suspects t 18) (hr yart Singer. (‘8. I995) Gabriel Byrrre. Kevin Spacey. Stephen Baldwin. l()(t rrrirrs. There‘s a good sense of non fatalism hanging over The ("Hut/ Sui/writ. which is guessing game cirtcrrra at its best. A perfectly rrratcltcd tearrt of crooks discover that their chance meeting w asn't so random after all: they're being used in an intricate vendetta by legendary gangster boss Keyser Sose. So stylish. it sends a tingle down the spine: btrt the ludicrous trsc of Pete Postlctwaite's character almost undermines it all. Glasgow: ()deon. Iidinbtn'gh: Cameo, ()deon.
I When Father Was Away On Business (titntt Knsttrt'ica. Yugoslavia. I9S5) Moreno de Bartoli. Miki Manojlovic. Mirjana Karanovic. Mtrstafa Nadarevic. 136 mins. In the early l95()s. yotttrg Malrk's father falls from favour attd is sent to a labour" camp. The boy grows up in hardship. attd eventually falls irr love. Kusturica's scrtsitive arid occasionally brilliant movie was a ('annes prize- winner'. lidinburgh: Iiilmhouse.
I When Saturday Comes ( 15) (Maria (iiese. UK. 1995) Sean Bean. limin Lloyd. l’cte Postlctlrwaite. I()(i mitts. Real life Sheffield United fan Bean plays a working-class lad who dreams of leaving the factory and takittg to the field with his footballing heroes Btrt. the night before his big trial. Ire blows his chances with a session on the home with his rtrates. livery cliche iii the book. arid a few rrtore besides. ptrt itr art appearance it) this soccer stab at It’m'kv. It's entertaining enough. bttt has art old-fashioned ()(ls feel. General release. '
I The White Balloon (1‘) (Jafar' Panalri. Iran. I995) Aida Molrarrtrrtadklrarti. Moltsen Kafili. I-‘ereshteh Sadr ()t'fani. SJ rrrirrs. A yotrrrg girl goes to the market to btty a goldfish. bttt loses her money on the way. The material may be the
28 The List 8-21 Mar 1996