FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
Love And Death On Long Island (I5) (Richard Kwietniowski. UK/Canada. I997) John Hurt. Jason Priestley. Fiona Loewi. 93 mins. Celebrated writer and 20th century anachronism Giles De'Ath (Hurt) falls for teen heart throb Ronnie (Priestley). and eventually tracks him down in Long Island to offer him a new. cultured way of life. Dear/i In Venice is the obvious reference point. yet it is hard to avoid seeing De'Ath‘s blinkered existence as a 90s version of Crocodile Dundee. 'lhe early portrayal of irrational desire unfortunater gives way to a story that's too daft. See review. Glasgow: GF'I'. Edinburgh: Cameo.
La Maman Et La Putain I )8) (Jean liustache. France. I973) Jean-Pierre leattd. Bernadette Lalont. Francoise berun. 219 mins. Alexandre (leatid) spends his summer milling around the cafes and bistros of the French capital. chasing two women who come under his labelling of the entire sex: the mother and the whore. Regarded as a classic of its time. liustache's film is more atmospheric than plot-driven. but both melancholy and beautiful. Glasgow: Gl’l'. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
The Man In Her Life (18) (Carlos Siguin- Renya. Philippines. I997) 96 mins. liscaping her abusive husband. Selya starts a new life in a small town where she meets and marries a gay man. Histrionic melodramatics aside. this provides a rare opportunity to sample Filippino cinema. Part of the lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Glasgow: Gl’l‘.
Martha —- Meet Frank. Daniel And Laurence ( I5) (Nick Hamm. UK. 1997) Monica Potter. Rufus Sewell. 'l'om Hollander. Joseph Fiennes. 88 mins. During two days in London. American Martha encounters three best buddies -- all of whom are instantly smitten by her and fall out among themselves. At first glance. a simple comic triptych about fate and missed chances. its complex storytelling perspectives don't really suit the romance genre. Glenrothes: Cinema.
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil ( l5) (Clint liastwood. US. I997) Kevin Spacey. John Cusack. Jude Law. 155 mins. l-‘astwood bites off more than he can chew with this discursive tale of life and crime in the beautifully preserved ()ld Southern town of Savannah. Georgia. The main narrative concerns the murder of the gay lover of bon viveur Spacey. btit [{astwood gets side- tracked by sub-plots. A likeable movie that is subtly ingratiating rather than brazenly insistent. lidinburgh: Filmhouse. Falkirk: Town Hall.
Mimic (l8) (Guillermo Del Toro. US. I998) Mira Sorvino. Jeremy Northam. Charles S. Dutton. l()5 mins. Genetically altered insects designed to eradicate disease- carrying cockroaches have mutated and bred in the tunnels beneath New York. While scientists and other humans wander around not always avoiding the razor-sharp legs and bone-crushing mandibles of the insect predators. Mexican director Del 'I'oro juxtaposes images of poetic beauty with scenes of stark terror. A superior big hug movie. See preview and review. General release.
MouseHunt (U) (Gore Verbinski. US. I997) Nathan Lane. Lee livans. Christopher Walken. 98 mins. Lane and Evans play hapless brothers who inherit a deeripit 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. Mouse/{uni 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. General release.
Mr Magoo (PG) (Stanley Tong. US. I997) Leslie Nielsen. Kelly Lynch. Matt Keeslar. 87 mins. When a priceless stolen gem falls into the hands of bumbling millionaire Quincy Magoo. who keeps on emerging unscathed as chaos ensues around him. This live action version of the short cartoons relies on broad physical slapstick for its comedy rather than verbal jokes. American critics slaughtered the film - ‘an insult to the intelligence of the entire human race' (USA
32 THE LIST 25 Jun-9 Jul 1998
Today). Glasgow: UCI Clydebank. Virgin. Edinburgh: UCI. Irvine: Magnum.
Mrs Brown (PG) (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 tip the stuffy linglish court. Madden‘s film can't match the comic brio and visual panache of The Madness ()flv’ing George. but his understated direction undeniany suits the story. The performances are uniformly splendid. with l)ench and Connolly (both perfectly cast) giving the film a surprising emotional depth. lidinburgh: Dominion. Stirling: Carlton. Muriel's Wedding ( I 5) (PJ. Hogan. Australia. I994) Toni Collette. Rachel Griffiths. Bill Hunter. l()5 mins. Ugly duckling Muriel decides to leave behind her boring life in Porpoise Spit and search for her Prince Charming in the big lights of Sydney. A bouncy Abba soundtrack and fairy tale ambiance add to the charm of one of the year's best crowd-pleasers. As sparkling. in its own way. as The Adventures OfPriscillu. Glasgow: ()deon Quay.
Nil By Mouth (l8) (Gary ()ldman. 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. Glasgow: (ii-'1'.
The Object Of My Affection (IS) (Nicholas Hytner. US. I998) Jennifer Aniston. Paul Rudd. Nigel Hawthorne. l I I mi ns. Nina falls for George and. as it the way of Hollywood romantic comedies. there's a major obstacle lying in the way of true love. This time. however. the complication has a twist — he‘s gay. The film plays against its genre by being more concerned with the pain of unrequited love than with romantic fulfilment. btit there's a blandness that prevents it from being truly successful. See review. General release. One Fine Day (PG) (Michael Hoffman. US. I996) Michelle Pfeiffer. George Clooney. Charles Durning. !09 mins. An ambitious architect/single mother and a wisecracking newspaper columnist/every-other-weekend father spend a hectic day together when their kids miss their school‘s field trip ferry cruise. Despite modern trappings like cellular phones. One Fine Day is a defiantly old-fashioned film. but Clooney's cocky charm and Pfeiffer's comic skills are so
Driven by desire: John Hurt and Jason Priestley in Love And Death Do long Island
beguiling that it will charm all btit the most cynical of viewers. Glasgow: City Centre ()deon.
Paws (PG) (Karl Zwicky. 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. btit is being tracked down by the unpleasant baddie who killed his master. Befriending computer whi/I. kid Inc. the mutt links tip to a voice simulator and starts talking with the broad twang of Billy Connolly. Sonic genuinely funny moments allow fora whole range of teenage crises to be dealt with in an uncringeworthy fashion. lidinburgh: ()deon.
Picture Perfect ( l 3) (Glen Gordon Caron. US. I997) Jennifer Aniston. Kevin Bacon. Jay Mohr. I()l mins. Advertising exec Kate (Aniston) fancies office hunk Sam (Bacon). but he's only interested in women who are spoken for. She then invents a fictional fiance based on a guy in a Polaroid (Mohr). btit things get complicated when he turns tip and genuinely falls for her. Aniston plays close to type (ie friends) btit that's perfect for this light-hearted romantic comedy. Glasgow: UCI Clydebank. lidinburgh: UCI. liast Kilbi'ide: UCI.
Pink Flamingos ( l8) (John Waters. [18. I973) Divine. David l.ochary. Mary Vivian Pearce. l()() mins. 'Ilie ("inren Kone of bad taste films is re-relcased in the UK censored version once again. albeit with a better quality print and with a message from Waters added at the end. Divine plays vv Iiite trash matriarch Babs. defending her title of the ‘Filthiest Person Alive'. Waters goes all out to offend every member of the audience. but there is a unescapable humour to his shock tactics. Followed by a discussion on the director. Glasgow: (il’l'.
Platoon (()liver Stone. US. I987 ) Charlie Sheen. Willem Dafoe. 'l‘oin Berenger. I3() mins. Vietnam veteran writer/director Stone’s movie won four deserved ()scars. vividly portraying the experience of the ordinary infantryman on combat duty around the turn of l967/68. Private Sheen is a university dropout. who finds his ideals crushed by survival instinct in the sweat. blood and fear of battle. A highly uncomfortable and well crafted experience. which remains a landmark in grimy authenticity in an over-subscribed genre. Glasgow: Grosvenoi'.
Point Blank ( I8) (John Boorman. US. I967) Lee Marvin. Angie Dickinson. Keenan Wynn. 92 mins. Revenge-ridden Marvin is bent on justifying his dreamlike existence and turning the tables on the mysterious criminal Organisation which employed him in this tense. well crafted thriller that boasts an imaginitive and influential treatment of time. Boorman‘s impressive first American feature is made
memorable by Marvin's brilliant portrayal of an outmoded gunman confusedly taking on a world overrun by technology. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Ponette ( I5) (Jacques Doillon. France. I997) \'ictoire Thivisol. Xavier Beattvois. Claire Nebout. 93 mins. Shot from the viewpoint of a cute four-year-old. l’onelie is a novel portrayal of grief and its complex emotions. After her mother's death in a car accident. the girl is left bewildered by conflicting explanations from adults and fellow children. 'lliis bitter-sweet tearjerker tenderly paints a picture of the bizarre rituals created by children to make sense of a cruel world. See preview and review. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (18) (Srdan Dragojevic. Serbia. I996) I29 mins. This film. made by filmmakers in the former Yugoslavia. charts the destruction of the friendship (and the country) of two young men »— a Serb and a Muslim — who take opposing sides after war breaks out. Like (’ntlergroioitl. it uses allegory to invoke history and emphasise tragedy. and goes a long way towards an understanding of a horrific civil war. See review. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Pulp Fiction ( l8) (Quentin 'l‘arantino. US. I994) Joint 'l‘t'avolta. Samuel Jackson. Uma 'l‘liurman. Bruce Willis. I50 mins. Much more ambitious than Reservoir Dogs. the most awaited second feature of the 90s has many scenes that crackle with 'l'arantino wit. and a few others that fall flat as the writer- director bravely experiments. Interlocking stories in the pulp crime manner concern liitmen. ailing boxers. gang bosses and their molls. drug fiends. and assorted riff-raff. A surprise Cannes Palme d‘Or winner is a trip. all the way. Glasgow; ()deon Quay.
Raging Bull (l8) (Martin Scorsese. US. I980) Robert de Niro. Cathy Moriarty. Joe Pesci. l29 mins. Middleweight boxing champ Jake I.a Motta finds it difficult to sustain his early success and as his career fades. he declines into a travesty of his former self. De Niro‘s stunning physical presence dominates Scorsese's savagely bleak study of self-destructive machismo. lidinburgh: Filmhouse.
Red Corner ( l5) (Jon Avnet. US. I997) Richard Gere. Bai Ling. l23 mins. Given that this formulaic thriller stars Richard Gere (well known pal of Tibet's Dalai Lama). it’s obvious the Chinese won't come out of it looking very good. Gere plays an American businessman stitched up for rape and murder in Beijing who faces a corrupt judicial system. The prison scenes are certainly horrific. but the film cannot match their authenticity elsewhere. The plot is simply absurd and the characters are too flat to care about. Glasgow: Odeon Quay.
Reel To Reel Film Festival (IS) Student