Chinatown territory to work in its own right. Lacks the dread or paranoia that the 50s noirs so effortlesst evoked. Glasgow: GFI‘. My Best Friend's Wedding (I2) (PJ. Hogan. US. I997) Julia Roberts. Dermot Mulroney. Cameron Diaz. IOS mins. The director of Australian hit Muriel's Wedding re-casts Julia Roberts as a two-faced career girl who tries to scuppcr the wedding of a former boyfriend whom she suddenly realises she is still very much in love with. A wonderfully scripted film with a fun performances all round. it ultimately affirms the enduring nature of friendship. Glasgow: Odeon Quay. Showcase. Paisley: Showcase. Stirling: Carlton.
My Mother's Courage (I2) (Michael Verhoeven. (iermany. I995) Pauline Collins. Ulrich Tuktir. Natalie Morse. 92 mins. When the Jews of Budapest are calloust rounded tip and sent to the death camps. only one woman stands tip to her oppressors. In the true life role of Mrs 'l'abori. Pauline Collins relies too much on ‘cuddly auntie' acting. The impression is that another six millions stories could have been told. none of which 'would have been as dull and uninspirational as this one. See review. Iidinburgh: Filiiihousc.
Nil By Mouth ( IS) (Clary ()ldnian. UK. I997) Ray Winstone. Kathy Burke. Charlie Creed-Miles. I39 mins. ()ldman's directorial debut is an account of alcoholism and marital abuse which stalks smoky liast lind pubs. smog-ridden council estates and cheap-rate lives with an itchy amphetamine energy. In a flawless ensemble cast. Burke (whose performance won her the Best Actress award at Cannes) is heroic as the put-upon wife. while Winstone dominates the screen. This is simply one of the best British movies of the 90s -- shocking. funny. heartfelt and honest. lidinburgh: Cameo. Nothing To Lose ( I 5) (Steve ()edekei‘k. US. I997) 'lim Robbins. Martin Lawrence. Kelly Preston. 98 mins. When placid ad exec I ’ick Bean (Robbins) finds his wife lll bed with his boss. then becomes the victim of a carjacking the same day. he takes the young. black assailant hostage and drive to Arizona with scant regard for the rules of the road. An array of hold—ups. showdowns and high-speed chases makes for a madcap buddy/road movie which. although a little formulaic. has some great lines and set pieces. See review. (ieneral release.
One Night Stand (I8) (Mike Ir‘iggis. US. I997) Wesley Snipes. Nastassja Kinski. Kyle Macl.achlan. l(I2 mins. A single noctural liaison between two happily married people is the trigger in director Mike l‘iggis's follow tip to Leaving [xiv Vegas. l-‘lecked with unexpected twists and turns. the plot makes us sympathise with two-timer Max (Snipes). Whether this is a romantic story of fated coincidence or a moral about the consequences of infidelity. One Night Stand is an eliiotional rollei‘coaster ride. brought to life by its distinctive directorial style. See review. (ilasgow. (il’l‘. Iidinbtirgh: ABC Wesler Hailes. liilnihouse.
Only Angels Have Wings I l’( i ) ( Howard Hawks. I’S. I939) Cary Grant. Jean Arthur. Richard Bai'thelmess. Ill mins. 'l’ough businessman (it'atit wins the heart of Arthur as he sends pilots on dangerous journey s
Reaching their peak: David Thewlis and Brad Pitt in Seven Years In Tibet
carrying air freight across the Andes. Despite the fact that the action plays out almost entirely indoors. the film has a terrific sense of adventure but succeeds best as a complex character study. liast Kilbride: Arts Centre.
Ossessione(15)(l.ucino Visconti. Italy. 1942) Clara Calamai. Massimo Girotti. Juan De Landa. I39 mins. Visconti's first feature pre-empted the Italian neo-realism movement with its steamy story of crime passianel — The I’m/man Alii'ays Rings 'I'wir'e set in the Po Delta. Seductive but controlled. it was an early indicator of the director‘s intelligence and intensity. lidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
The Pagemaster (U) (Joe Johnstone/ Maurice Hunt. US. I994) Macaulay Culkin. Christopher Lloyd. 83 mins. Child-nerd Richard 'l'yler (Culkin) bumps his head in the local library and finds himself transported into an animated adventure with a trio of book friends to keep him company. Plot episodes come and go at a pace that suits the skimpiest concentration span. (ilasgow: (irosvenor.
Les Palmes De M. Schutz ( I 2) (Claude Pinoteati. l’rancc. I996) Isabelle lluppert. Philippe Noirct. Charles Berling. l()6 mins. 'l'his take on the early struggles of Pierre and Marie Curie is not the worthy period drama you might at first think. The film's theatre origins show through in the sparkling dialogue. which brings a touch of humour to the story of romance and scientific breakthrough. l-‘rench l-‘ilm liestival. (ilasgow: (il’l'. lidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
The Peacemaker ( l 5) (Mimi letter. US. I997) (ieorgc Clooney. Nicole Kidman. Marcel lures. l23 mins. When Russia prepares to deactivate its remaining nuclear warheads. a renegade liastern liuropean steals one and plans to hold the world to ransom. 'liiis action thrillers tips the set- pieces and scrupuloust avoids romance. btit takes itself far too seriously for us to relish its pulp thrills for their own sake. (ilasgow: Showcase. UCI Clydebank. lidinburgli: IFCI. liast Kilbride; UCI. Paisley: Showcase. Petits Arrangements Avec Les Morts (IS) (Pascale l’erran. l-‘rance. I994) Didier Sandre. Catherine l-‘erran. Charles Berling. ltlS mins. Winner of the Camera l)'()r for best first feature at the I994 Cannes Film l-‘estival. l’ci'ran‘s film concentrates on a disparate group in coastal Brittany. all of whom have been touched by death. 'li'cmcndously moving. l-‘rench film festival. (ilasgow: (il’l‘. lidinbtirgh: liilmhousc.
The Pirate (PCr) (Vincente Minnelli. US. I948) .ludy (iarland. (iene Kelly. Walter Sle/ak. l()2 mins. A wandering player (Kelly) passes himself off to a bored girl ((iarland) as a famous pirate. and thereby sets up another colourful MGM musical. which is admittedly not one of the best. despite the Cole Porter songs. (ilasgow: (il-‘l‘.
The Player ( I5) (Robert Altman. ITS. I993) Tim Robbins. (ireta Scacchi. I'i'ed Ward. I24 mins. Altman's satire on the wheeling and dealing of modern day Hollywood is more than just an excuse for cineastes to play trainspotter with the famous faces in cameo roles. It is also a terrific thriller about a studio exec receiving death threats from a
sir? ‘ ‘ g p,“
spurned writer. Tim Robbins is magnificent in the lead role. while Altman manages to gun as he bites the hand that feeds him. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Prime Cuts (IS) 45 mins. This year‘s set of six shorts funded by Scottish Screen. British Screen. Scottish Television and the Scottish Arts Council is a wonderful boost in the arm for filmmaking in Scotland. Every one of the seven-minute long pieces has something to recommend it. whether David Hayman‘s performance as a schizophrenic in Friendly Voices or the energy installed in Little Sisters by its young cast of unknowns. (iood writing and evocative filmmaking all round. Edinburgh: liilmhouse.
Pusher (I8) (Nicolas Winding Refn. Denmark. I996) Kim Bodnia. Laura Drasbaek. Zlatko Buric. 105 mins. Watching this Danish thriller is rather like gazing into a basin full of piranhas in the midst of a feeding frenzy. Small-time dealer Frank (Bodnia) finds himself in hock to :1 Serbian gang boss after a drug transaction
is ruined by a police bust. but attempts to free himself are balked at every turn as it becomes apparent that fate has it in for him. ‘lhe film has a documentary sheen and direction is admirably controlled but. (iod. is it cold. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Les Randonneurs ( IS) (Philippe llaret. France. I997) Benoit Poelvoorde. (ieraldine Pailhas. Karine Viard. 95 mins. Three men and two women go backpacking in Corsica. but discover more about themselves than the scenery. Underneath the comedy lies a plea for tolerance and acceptance of other people‘s foibles. l-‘rcnch Film Festival. Glasgow: (ii-T. lidinhtirgh: Filmhouse. Romeo And Juliet ( l 2) (Baz l.uhrniann. Australia/US. I996) leonardo DiCaprio. Claire Danes. Pete Postlethwaite. 120 mins. The Strictly Ballroom director's treatment of the Shakespeare tragedy is a magnificent riot of colour. action and sexy teen romance. without any need to sacrifice the text. To call it ‘M'l'V filmmaking' misses the point that the camera tricks and iii-jokes don't in any way distract from the fact that l.uhrmann has completely grasped the issues at the centre of the play. An intoxicating. breathtaking mix of Catholic iconography. Iiiin camp and street violence that's both deliciously feverish and studiedly cool. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Scream ( 18) (Wes Craven. US. I996) Neve Campbell. Courteney Cox. Drew Barrymore. I I lmins. 'l'hc teenagers of \‘v'oodsboro know they're typical stalker fodder. so when a killer hits town. they gather in an enormous house to watch horror movies as the real bad guy gets closer. Self- conscious references are good fun. the opening sequence is genuine white-knuckle material. and — if you know the rules — you'll find it perfectly scary and funny. Iidinburgh: Cameo.
Secrets And Lies ( IS) (Mike Leigh. UK. I996) Timothy Spall. Brenda Blethyn. Phyllis Logan. I40 mins. Leigh's Paline l)‘()r-winner is a bittersweet take on suburban domestic life. Young black optician Hortense searches for the mother who ptit her tip for adoption as a baby. but is surprised to discover it's wliite'working- class Cynthia. (ienuinely emotional. with great performances by Marianne Jean- Baptiste and Cannes winner Brenda Bletlian. lidinburgh: Cameo.
A Self-Made Hero (l5) (Jacques Audiard. lirance. I996) Matthieu Kassovitz. Anouk (irinberg. Sandrine Kiberlain. 105 mins. A rare blend of frivolin and seriousness. Atidiartl's second feature probes the legacy of l’rance‘s Vichy period through the life of a perpetual daydreamer who gets a taste for fibbing and becomes a fraudulent hero of the wartime resistance. Stirling: .‘vlacRolx-rt. Seven Years In Tibet ( IS) (Jean-Jacques Annaud. US. I997) Brad Pitt. David 'l‘hewlis. B.l). Wong. l3l mins. Sporting llitler Youth peroxide and spouting suitably strangled vowels. Pitt is ace climber I-leinrich llarrer. who strays across the Tibetan border and becomes a friend of the young Dalai Lama. Unfortunately. Brad seems to have very little purchase on the material. and we're left with fabulous- landscapes in search of a movie. See review. (iencral release.
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Labonne Auberge
Friday 21 Nov 7.00pm-10.00pm D 151 West Nile Street Glasgow
Monkey Bar Wednesday 26 Nov 9.00pm-12.00pm ’ 100 Bath Street
Glasgow
Fouquets Thursday 27 Nov 9.00pm-12.00pm
> Renfleld Street Glasgow
La Mirage Saturday 29 Nov 5.00pm-8.00pm > Copthome Hotel, George Street Glasgow
Po Na Na
Wednesday 26 Nov 11.00pm-2.00am } 43 Fredrick Street Edinburgh
The Living Room Thursday 27 Nov 9.00pm-12.00pm
f 237 Cowgate Edinburgh
Cambridge Bar Friday 28 Nov 7.00pm-10.00pm
b 20 Young Street Edinburgh
Harry's Bar
Saturday 29 Nov 10.00pm-1.00am } Randolph Pface Edinburgh
Henry J. Beans
Sunday 30 Nov 9.00pm ~12.00pm > do Caledonian Hotel
1 Princess Street
Edinburgh
. Bertie's Bar
Wednesday 3 Dec 11.00pm-2.00am } 7 Merchant Street Edinburgh
RI Nov-d I)e( I997 THE LIST35 I