FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
Jumanji (U) (Joe Johnston. US. I995) Robin Williams. Jortathan Hyde. Kirsten Dunst. lOl mins. Trapped for 26 years in a jungle board game. Alan Parrish (Williams) is released only when two modern-day kids throw the dice themselves. But they also unleash a stampede of monkeys. crocodiles. elephants. rhinos and other unfamiliar beasts into small town America. The story manages to get beyond its repetitive limits with a brilliantly original central idea and post-Jurassic Park computer effects that make it state-of-tbe-art cinema spectacle. Stirling: Carlton.
Kiss The Girls (18) (Gary Fleder. US. I997) Morgan Freeman. Ashley Judd. Cary lilwes. ll6 ntins. Sharing its star attd sonte thematic preoccupations with the superior Seven. Kiss The Girls avoids genre pitfalls. bttt lacks original psychological insight. Freeman plays a detective wltose search for his missing neice uncovers a spate of disappearattces attd a killer who's convinced of his romantic charms. The ending is contrived. attd the actors deserve better. General release.
LA. Confidential ( l8) (Curtis Hansott. US. I997) Kevin Spacey. Guy Pearce. Russell Crowe. Kint Basinger. I35 mitts. Adapted front James Ellroy‘s neo-noir novel. the best American film of I997 evokes a glitzy post- WWZ Los Artgeles underpinned by an all- pervasive. festering corruption. An intricate. drop-dead brilliant plot links bent cops. good cops. l-lollywood star lookalike prostittttes arid the mob. The dialogue crackles arid the actors burtt up the screen: one of the few films one would dare mention in the same breath as the definitive Chinatown. Glasgow: ()deott Quay. UCl Clydebank. Edinburgh: Canteo. ()deon. Greettock: Waterfront.
Love, Etc ( l5) (Marion V't'ttottz. France. I997) Charlotte Gaittsbottrg. Yvatt Attal. Charles Berlittg. l()5 tttins. After years of friendship. the bond between flirtatious Pierre (Berlittg) and steadfast Benoit (Attal) is suddenly threatened by Benoit's introduction of Marie (Gaittsbourg). Directed with a light touch. this classic love triangle scenario —- based on a book by English ttovelist Julian Barnes — is stylish attd subtle irt tone. Memorable for its strong performances. particularly front Gainsbourg. Glasgow: Gl’l’. lidittburgh: Filmhouse.
Ma Vie En Rose ( 12) (Alain Berliner. l-‘rance/Belgium/UK. I997) Georges Du Fresne. Michele Laroque. Jean-Philippe licoffey. 93 tnitts. Happy seven-year-old Ludovic loves cross-dressing and is convinced he will grow tip to become a girl. His parettts hope it's a passing phase. bttt hostility from their neighbours causes problems. The child's eye world is visually striking. the message of accepting the ‘difference' of others worth repeating. the performances by all trententdous. A refreshingly honest look at a cotttplex subject. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
The Man In The Iron Mask ( I 2) (Randall Wallace. US. I997) Leonardo DiCaprio. Jeremy Irons. Gerard Depardieu. I32 mins. When France's dissolute young king puts the country on the verge of turmoil. the Musketeers reform to rescue a mysterious prisoner languishing itt the Bastille. Tlte writer of Brave/tear! makes his debut as director with an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas‘s rollicking period adventure. bttt he can't direct a figltt scene to save his life. The performances vary so wildly itt tone. that the cast at times appear to be acting in different films. Getteral release.
Manhattan Murder Mystery (PG) (Woody Allen. US. 1993) Woody Allen. Diane Keaton. Alan Alda. 108 tttins. When her elderly neighbour dies mysteriously and suddenly. Carol Lipton (Keaton) does some amateur sleuthing along with the New York literary set. Allen returns to the comic formula that first ntade his name — tteat plot. snappy one-liners - making this a much more approachable and enjoyable experience than his more serious work of late. Glasgow: Gilmoreltill.
Matildatl’G) (Datttty De Vito. US. I996) Mara Wilson. Dany De Vito. Embeth Davidtz. 98 ntins. Capturing the delicious wickedness of Roald Dahl's writing. director De Vio fttlly exploits exaggerayion and playful camera work to tell the tale of a
34 THE “81’ 2—16 Apt 1998
gifted child who uses her super brain to outwit her neglectful parents. Offsetting the lovable Matilda against a series of horribly inflated bad characters. the film‘s empowering message for children will appeal to the mischevious kid in everyone. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
Michael Collins (l5) (Neil Jordan. US. I996) Liam Neeson. Julia Roberts. Alan Rickman. I32 mins. Winner of the Best Film and Best Actor awards at the Venice Film Festival and the cause of knee-jerk criticism from the right-wing press. Jordan‘s stirring historical epic is an honest portrayal of a ragged and bloody conflict between the British imperial power and idealistic Irish Nationalists early this century. The action is well handled. the characterisations strong and the brutality on both sides is never glossed over. Edinburgh: Film Guild. Mousellunt (U) (Gore Verbinski. US. I997) Nathan Lane. Lee Evans. Christopher Walken. 98 mins. Lane and Evans play hapless brothers who inherit a decripit mansion. but when they decide to renovate auction it. a resident rodent is not willing to be evicted. An excellent blend of Laurel and Hardy slapstick and black humour. Mousellttnr is sheer entertainment and has some real belly laughs. The tone and the pacing are spot-on throughout. and the sets and special effects are the icing on the cake. See feature and review. General release. Mrs Brown (PC) (John Madden. UK. I997) Judi Dench. Billy Connolly. Antony Sher. l03 mins. Queen Victoria‘s obsessive mourning for Prince Albert is casting gloom over the entire country. so Highland ghillie John Brown is called down from Balmoral to shake up the stuffy English court. Madden's film can‘t match the comic brio and visual panache of The Madness 0/ K ing George. but his understated direction undeniably suits the story. The performances are uniformly splendid. with Dench and Connolly (both perfectly cast) giving the film a surprising emotional depth. Edinburgh: UCl.
Mrs Dalloway (PG) (Marleen Gorris. US/ UK/Netherlands. I997) Vanessa Redgrave. Natascha McElhone. Michael Kitchen. 97 tttins. Oscar-winner Gorris (Antonia s Line) adapts Virginia Woolf's novel into a moving and romantic drama about an intelligent and vibrant woman. Set in I923. with numerous flashbacks. it presents the thoughts. memories and actions of a middle-aged society lady as she prepares for an evening party on one single summer day. Beautifully filmed in a period London and held together by a strong British cast. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Mrs Doubtfire (PG) (Chris Columbus. US. I993) Robin Williams. Sally Field. Pierce Brosnan. 125 mins. Separated from his wife and kids. out-of-work voice actor Daniel Hillard (Williams) dons make-up and body- padding to become a sexagenarian nanny. Another top-notch comic performance by Williams. who makes the most of his split personality zest without becoming overly sentimental. Hugely enjoyable and well
Taking a chance on love: Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes in Oscar And Lucinda
pitched with gags for the wltole audience. Glasgow: GF'l‘.
Murder At 1600(l5) (Dwight Little. US. I997) Wesley Snipes. Diane lane. Alan Alda. I07 ntins. Witlt the tone of a Sunday Sport headline and the credibility of the kind of story you'd find underneath. this Presidential thriller tells of the brutal nturder of a pretty secretary in the Wltite House and the profound implications this has for a beleaguered President. Not so ntuclt a whodunit then as a ‘who cares who done it'.". with Snipes and Lane as the typically ‘misntatched' couple and ntore red ltetrittgs titan a defective kipper factory. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
One Night Stand (18) (Mike Figgis. US. I997) Wesley Snipes. Nastassja Kittski. Kyle MacLachlan. IOZ tnitts. A single noctural liaison between two happily married people is the trigger itt director Mike Figgis's follow tip to Leaving Las Vegas. Hecked 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 emotional rollercoaster ride. brought to life by its distinctive directorial style. Falkirk: Town Hall.
Oscar and Lucinda ( l 5) (Gillian Armstrong. US/Australia. I997) Ralph Fienttes. Cate Blanchett. Ciaran Hinds. I32 mins. Adapted from Peter Carey's Booker Prize-winning ttovel. this tale of passion attd unconsumntated love falls short of its shimmering goals. Fiettttes is a l9th century man of the cloth obsessed with gambling who bets he can transport the glass church designed designed by an Australian heiress across the treacherous outback. Fiettttes animates Oscar with a nervous. crow-like intensity. but there is a definite sense of some vital elentent missing. See feature attd review. Glasgow: Gl’l". lidittburgh: Filmhouse.
Paws (PG) (Karl Zwtcky. Australia/UK. I997) Nathan Cavaleri. limilie Francois. voice of Billy Connolly. 83 mins. Clever doggie PC is on a mission to deliver a computer disc. but is being tracked down by the unpleasant baddie who killed his master. Befriending computer whizz kid '/.ac. the ntutt links up to a voice simulator and starts talking with the broad twang of Billy Connolly. Sonte genuinely fttntty moments allow for a whole range of teenage crises to be dealt with in an uncringeworthy fashion. General release.
Prince Valient (PG) (Anthony Hickox. UK. I997) Stephen Moyer. Joanna Lumley. Katherine Heigl. 92 mins. A hokey attempt at the sword attd sorcery genre which plays havoc with Arthurian legend. Sir Gawain's squire does battle with the evil Morgan Le Fey (Lumley) for the stolen sword Excalibur and imperilled Lady llene (Heigl). Too much awful dialogue and ripe acting bring laughs but no respect. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith. Stirling: MacRobert.
Romeo And Juliet ( l 2) (Baz Luhrmann.
Australia/US. I996) Leonardo DiCaprio. Claire Danes. Pete Postlethwaite. IZO ntins. 'llte 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 ‘MTV filmmaking' misses the point that the camera tricks and itt-jokes don't itt arty way distract front the fact that Luhrntantt has completely grasped the issues at the centre of the play. An intoxicating. breatlttakittg mix of Catholic iconography. ltiglt cantp attd street violence that's botlt deliciously feverish attd stttdiedly cool. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
South Pacific (15) (Joshua Logan. US. I958) Rossatto Brazzi. Mitzi Gaynor. John Kerr. l7l tttitts. The great Rodgers and Hatnntersteitt tttttsical brought to the silver screen itt an adequate though far from outstanding adaptation. The songs are the kind that you‘ll find yourself humming for weeks afterwards. Edinburgh: St Bride's. Sphere (l2) (Barry lJevinson. US. I997) Dttstitt Hoffman. Sharon Stone. Samuel L. Jackson. I33 mitts. Jurassic Park writer Michael Crichton steals elements from Solaris and The Abyss for this story about a submerged spherical object which causes a group of scientists to give physical fornt to their innermost fears. The designs antl special effects are classy. and the cast works hard; bttt any cerebral pretensions are stink by a flawed narrative that buckles under pressure. See review. General release. Starship Troopers ( l 5) (Paul Verhoevett. US. I997) Casper Van Diert. Dina Meyer. Denise Richards. l29 mins. Way in the future. liath is run by a crypto-fascist regime. attd the members of the Galactic Armed Forces are sent into space to fight a race of alien bugs hell-bent on wiping out humanity. The computer animatiott work is first rate attd. despite its gory slice 'tt' dice violence. one reading of the movie‘s sub- text is decidedly anti-militaristic. Edinburgh: Cattteo.
Stella Does Tricks ( l8) (Coky Giedroyc. UK. I996) Kelly Macdonald. Hans Matltiesott. Jatttes Bolattt. 97 tttins. Kelly Macdonald takes on her first leading role after 'I'rains/mm'ng. and proves to be the film‘s driving force. As one of a group of school-age prostitutes working in London. fuelling themselves with drugs and fantasies to keep the harshness of their situation at bay. she colours her character's toughness withjttst enough loneliness and fragility. A.l.. Kennedy‘s screenplay voices the despair of a generation. Stirling: MacRobert. Swingers (l5) (Doug Liman. US. I996) Vince Vaughtt. John Favreau. Ron Livingston. 96 ntins. A wannabe actor Mike and his pal Trent drive to Vegas to play the tables and pick up some babes. Later. in LA. the boys hang out with their friends. wandering the trendy bars. generally being young. single and without love. Which is just about all there is to Swingers — a heap of talking. the odd homage (Scorsese and Tarantino) and lots of ntale bonding. A highly watchable. very funny and