Dance Of Dust
vi: to: war
Will the West allow itself to see the 'lranian-ness' of Iranian cinema, an admirer of Abbas Kiarostami asked recently. That can only come from an awareness of Iranian cinema’s preoccupations; and Abolfazl Jalili's Dance 0/ Dust, with its parched landscapes, sparse dialogue and focus on physical labour, suggests Kiarostami isn't alone in capturing found realities. There's a story to be wrestled from these harsh images, of a young brick kiln worker falling in love with a seasonal employee. The film's strengths, however, he in the vividness of sound and in the spare beauty of stoiral liVing observed at one remove, yet with complete empathy. (Tony McKibbin)
Dance Of Dust, Filmhouse 2, Thu 20, 5.30pm; Cameo 3, Sun 23, 7.30pm; Cameo 3, Wed26, 7.30pm, £6.50
(f 4)
0f Freaks And Men
Sex, lies and daguerreotypes are the order of the day in this curious period drama. Filmed in autumnal yellows and browns rather than black and white, 0/ Freaks And Men is primarily about betrayed innocence, but it is also something of a metaphor for pre- revolution Russia. Torn between the ideas of the West and the traditions of the East, here was an empire riddled With insecurity. It is against this background that two St Petersburg families come under the malign spell of Jolianiie, a murderous pornographer With a habit of punctuating lengthy Silences with loud celery munching. A truly sinister tactic. (Rodger Evans)
3E Of Freaks And Men, Filmhouse 1, Wed 26, 9.30pm; Cameo 3, Fri 28, 10pm, £6. 50 (£4).
The Governess $5," it is." The hypnotic detail of the religious rites that open Sandra Goldbacher's debut film are at once a key feature and stark contrast to what follows. After the murder of her beloved father, Rosina da Silva (Minnie Driver) determines to pose as a gentile and get a job in order to support the family. Hired by Charles Cavendish (Tom Wilkinson) to be a governess to his " a "ll “,1
'99s, " if" , ..‘. , A I t.‘ . 4“. I“ x H “ ,
’ s; ,. .s (r
.2'.
young daughter, she soon makes a profound impression on her employer and his headstrong son Henry (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Byronic overtones abound in his characterisation, but it is the exquisite minutiae of the developing bond between Rosina and Charles that gives The Governess a powerful grip on all senses, as it touches the heart. (Anwar Brett)
a The Governess, Dominion, Sun 23, 7pm; Cameo, Fri 28, 8pm, £ 6.50 (£4).
The Hole
Mr first it
The latest film by Tsai Ming-Liang, the 40-year-old director of last year’s transcendental The River, shares many of the earlier film's themes and images. But here there are also striking, marvelloust vivid musical interludes offering a possibility of hope which the real world shies away from. Two neighbours struggle against eviction, alienation and obscure viruses as the
2 1 st century encroaches. The director has drawn comparisons with Kieslowski and Egoyan; though maybe similarities with Todd Haynes's [Safe] provide more accurate, if no less ethnocentric, pigeon-holing. He shares with Haynes millennial anxiety and a compositional sense that tells us more about the characters than any amount of psychological motive could. (Tony McKibbin)
Q The Hole, Fi/mhouse 1, Tue 25, 7pm,- Fi/mhouse 1, Fri 28, 4.30pm, £6.50 (£4).
Character
it“ at
In 19205 Rotterdam, young lawyer Katadeuffe (Fedja van Huel) is arrested after the city's most feared bailiff, Dreverhaven (Jan Declair), is found murdered. During his interrogation, Katadeuffe reveals that he is the bastard son of this awful man and describes the twisted histOry of his father's attempts to thwart his career at every turn. This should be a heart- wrenching may of anger, pride and ambition, but the dark setting and harsh Dutch language, coupled with a bunch of unemotional characters, unfortunately makes Character an unpleasant and gloomy cinema experience. (Beth Williams) a Character, Cameo 1, Sun 23, 5.30pm, £6.50 (£4).
Primary Colors ****
<5
pursuit of the presidency. Travolta brings his luminous charisma to'therole‘,» { but more importantly, he convinces you that Stanton can be both starry-i eyed idealist and cynical manipulator, sincere man of the people and
lecherous snake.
He's well supported by Emma Thompson as Stanton's steely wife and fellow Brit Adrian Lester as the callow aide drawn into the heart of their . . campaign. while Kathy Baker and Billy Bob Thornton also deliver impressive 3‘ performances. But the film's most inspired stroke of casting is tarry ' , Hagman, in a role that couldn't be further from JR. as Stanton‘s honourable but equally flawed opponent. (Jason Best) a Primary Colors, ABC, Mon 24, 8pm, £6. 50 (£4).
a fit All the President's woman: Emma Thompson and John Travolta in Primary Colours
American political journalist Joe Klein's thinly disguised account of Bill ._. Clinton‘s fight to win the 1992 Democratic primary campaign caused delight ‘31.: and outrage when it was published anonymously in 1996. With Clinton still mired in sex scandals. the satire of Primary Colors has lost none of its sting , now that it has been turned into a movie. But you don't have to care abOut . the ins and outs of Clinton's career, or be au fair with the personalities'of . , his entourage, to enjoy the film as a timeless morality tale that lays ,bare'thei-i seductions and betrayals that inevitably accompany the quest for power. "C ,j Primary Colors boasts a witty script by Elaine May and assured direction Mike Nichols, but its greatest strength is its casting. John Travolta makesianffgfé ideal Clinton, or rather, Jack Stanton. the progressive governor of 'a f h:;;§§-_ Southern state, whose rampant libido continually threatens to scupper his ;;;;§.f3?§;:
Sitcom
a: «a we
Those who reckon French filmmakers are only any good at historical drama/farce/unbound sexual angst should cop a load of this oddity from Francois Ozon. There is some of the latter category, but a family turned upside-down by the influence of a rat is a fairly novel concept. Having brought the rodent into the household, the father is upset to find that his son realises he’s gay, his daughter becomes a wheelchair-bound S&M devotee, and his wife has a somewhat unorthodox method of saving her boy. Odd certainly, but strangely unsatisfying with an ending straight out of the ludicrous. (Brian Donaldson)
a Sitcom, Fi/mhouse 1, Mon 24,
70. 15pm, Cameo 7, Fri 28, 10.30pm, £ 6.50 (£4).
Titanic Town
at: at its:
Roger Mitchell's film has nothing to do with the famous cruise liner, other than its setting in Anderstown, Belfast, where the Titanic was built. Instead, it is the 705-set tale of one Catholic woman‘s crusade to assert peace on her violent Belfast estate, getting involved in a local peace campaign which escalates right to the top of the
theatrical fact-based movie presents a bitter-sweet picture of the Irish conflict, and features a heart-warming performance from newcomer Nuala O'Neill. (Beth Williams)
as Titanic Town, Cameo 1, Sun 23, 3pm, Fi/mhouse 2, Fri 28, 8pm, £6.50 (£4).
Urban Ghost Story
a a a
There's a moment in Urban Ghost Story that perfectly sums up the film's mix of the modern and the Gothic: Glasgow teenager Lizzie dons her Walkman headphones and uses drum 'n' bass tunes to ward off ghostly intrusion. With her low budget debut, Genevieve Jolliffe hijacks the horror movie, using its conventions - banging on walls, moving furniture — to great and ambiguous effect. ls Lizzie the subject of supernatural possession, or is her strange behaviour the result of a trauma-inducing, Ecstacy-fuelled joy ride which ended in tragedy? In Urban Ghost Story, Ken Loach meets The Evil Dead. (Miles Fielder)
a Urban Ghost Story, Cameo 1, Tue 25, 8pm; Glasgow Film Theatre, Tue 26, 8pm, £6.50 (£4).
STAR RATINGS *ttit " -I w
political ladder. Featuring Julie Walters
Guiletta Masina stars in Fellini's Night of Cabiria, now with ten minutes of restored sporting her usual image, this rather *
footage-Filmhouse 1, Sun 23. 2.30pm, £4.50 (£3).
20—27Aug i998 TIIEIJS‘I’B'I