FILM listings
FILM INDEX continued
The Odd Couple ll (l5) (Howard Deuch. US. l998) Jack Lemmon. Walter Matthau. 97 mins. Thirty years after the original quarelling. Oscar and Felix are thrown together again when Oscar's son marries Felix's daughter. Of course. it‘s not as good as the original. but the stars still shine. Glasgow: Showcase. Paisley: Showcase. One False Move ()8) (Carl Franklin. US. I992) Bill Paxton. Cynda Williams. Billy Bob Thornton. I06 mins. Tight Ii'l crime thriller in the Jim Thomson mould begins with a brutal set ofdrugs-related slayings. btit soon becomes a fascinating character study as a trio of crooks head towards a small town in Arkansas and the cops who await them. Excellent performances all round. particularly Paxton as the over- zealous. btit not wholly innocent. Southern sheriff. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. 101 Dalmatians (U) (Stephen Herek. US. I996) Glenn Close. Joely Richardson. Jeff Daniels. 103 mins. Disney turns one of its favourite animated films into a live action pantomime with spodges of Home Alone buffoonery. making sure there are plenty of dogs to make the kids go ‘aaahhh'. The story remains pretty much untouched and so does the old-fashioned morality. which stresses the sanctity of marriage and that a woman‘s place is by her man‘s side. Edinburgh: ABC Film Centre. Out Of Sight ( l5) (Steven Soderbergh. US. l998) George Clooney. Jennifer Lopez. Ving Rhames. I23 mins. This stylish adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel teams Clooney's bank robber Jack Foley with Jennifer Lopez‘ chic. Chanel-wearing cop. Soderbergh catches perfectly Leonard's sly. deadpan wit. while infusing it with a wistful melancholy. Smart. sexy and deliciously bitter-sweet. See feature and review. General release. A Perfect Murder ( )8) (Andrew Davis. US. l998) Michael Douglas. Gwyneth Paltrow. Viggo Mortensen. I07 mins. There is. quite simply. no one to touch Douglas when it comes to playing alienated. middle- class. middle-aged. white American males. Which is precisely why he's so perfectly cast as a manipulative. predatory ‘control freak‘ with a talent for exploiting human weakness in this entertaining and intelligent re-working of Hitchcock's dramatically flat 3-D thriller. Dial M For Mun/er. Glasgow: Odeon City Centre. Odeon Quay. Showcase. Glenrothes. Paisley: Showcase. The Philadelphia Story (PG) (George Cukor. US. I940) Katharine Hepburn. Cary Grant. James Stewart. I I2 mins. Splendidly sophisticated Hollywood comedy with Stewart as a scandalsheet reporter covering the society wedding of recently divorced Hepburn. ex-hubby Grant lurking in the wings. and romance recurdling despite itself. Sparkling dialogue and charismatic performances all round make this one of the best of its kind. Edinburgh: Cameo. Pippi Longstocking (U) (Clive Smith. Sweden/Germany/Canada. I997) 80 mins. Animated adventures featuring the beloved Swedish child-heroine originated in the books ofAstrid Lindgren. Stirling: MacRobert. Razor Blade Smile ()8) (Jake West. UK. l998) Eileen Daly. Christopher Adamson. David Warbeck. I0l mins. Enjoyable hokum about a l9th century vampiress who assumes the modern day role of contract killer and goes about assassinating a secret techno-supernatural sect. the Illuminati. Modest. respectable attemtp to emulate US low-budget genre films (Evil Dead comes to mind). Edinburgh: Cameo. Odeon. Point Blank (l8) (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. 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. Glasgow: Grosvenor. Road To Utopia (U) (Hal Walker. US. I945) Bing Vrosby. Bob Hope. Dorothy Lamour. 90 mins. Here Utopia is Alaska and so Lamour tustles with Bing and Bob for
40 THE UST I9 Nov—3 Dec I998
two halves of a map to her goldmine. Edinburgh: St. Bride‘s Centre.
The Rock (l5) (Michael Bay. US. I996) Nicolas Cage. Sean Connery. Ed Harris. 135 mins. Psychotic army commander Harris takes over Alcatraz and threatens to decimate San Francisco in a poison gas attack; but on the goodies side are goofball chemical weapons expert Cage and Connery. the only man ever to have escaped 'the rock'. Hyped tip MTV-style direction. fast cuts. big explosions. Edinburgh: Cameo. Ronin (I5) (John Frankenheimer. US. l998) Robert De Niro. Jean Reno. Natasha McElhone. I22 mins. A crack team of post- glasnost super-spies steal a Pandora's Box- Iike briefcase from the French for the Iriin before it‘s sold to the Russians. It‘s a sign of the changing times that another post-Cold War film. Mission: Impossible. squeezes Ronin's plot into its opening sequence. Worse still. the plot is ftill of holes and the whole affair unfolds with a total lack of irony. which swiftly becomes laughable and undermines the suspense. See review. General release.
RoundersUS) (John Dahl. US. I998) Matt Damon. Edward Norton. John Malkovich. II8 mins. Gamblerholic law student Mike loses all his tuition money in an illegal Russian mafia gambling den. However he is seduced back into the game by an ex-con poker genius who can‘t help cheating and using tricks to win the pot. Rounders is a boys' movie not simply because it‘s about playing cards. btit because it has a fascination with how things work. General release.
Saving Private Ryan (I5) (Steven Spielberg. US. l998) Tom Hanks. Tom Sizemore. Matt Damon. I70 mins. Like no film in recent memory. Saving Private Ryan focuses its attention squarely on the brutalities endured by American soldiers in World War II. Central to this impact is the already legendary opening half hour. detailing with remorseless brilliance the carnage of the D-Day landings. The actual meat of the story. in which Hanks is sent off with the remnants of his unit to locate the eponymous Ryan. is built on rugged rather than subtle lines. General release.
Le Septieme Ciel (Seventh Heaven) (Benoit Jacquot. France. I997) Sandrine Kiberlain. Vincent Lindon. Francois Berliand. 9l mins. Unable to cope with life. a woman (the excellent Kiberlain) finds her career and marriage are crumbling. Desperate. she resorts to hypnotherapy and begins to improve. But. as she returns to health. her husband no longer recognises his wife and begins to deteriorate. Part of the French Film Festival. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
ShOClt Treatment ( l 5) (Jim Sharman. UK. I98l ) Cliff De Young. Jessica Harper. Patricia Quinn. Richard O‘Brien. 94 mins. Long before he entered The Crystal Mme O'Brien enjoyed a modicum of success with a rock ‘n' roll goth schlock. spoof cult entertainment called The Rocky Horror Show. Unfortunately someone persuaded him that it would be a good idea to repeat the formula. Glasgow: Fleapit.
The Sidewalk Surfer And White Lines Film Tour Compilation of skate and snow- boarding videos for the afficionados. Filmmakers include TB7. Decades. Whiskey 4 and Forum Team Video and there's a preview of the new film by Dope. Life Support. For tickets phone OI 235 536 229. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
Sliding Doors ( I 5) (Peter Howiii. UK. I998) Gwyneth Paltrow. John Hannah. John Lynch. 99 mins. Mousy-haired PR executive Helen gets fired and discovers her handsome Irish boyfriend is a two-timer. Blonde PR woman Helen is more successful and dates a handsome Scot. ’Iliis sharply observed romantic comedy splits Helen's life in two when she misses/catches a tube train. Utterly entertaining. Edinburgh: ()deon. Kilmarnock: Odeon.
Sling Blade (I5) (Billy Bob Thornton. US. I996) Billy Bob Thornton. Dwight Yoakum. J.T. Walsh. I35 mins. Writer-director-star Thornton's Oscar-winner (for Best Screenplay) is nowhere near as mawkish as Rain Man or Forrest Gioiip. Thornton plays a slightly retarded man just out of prison. who returns to his small Southern hometown only to witness the same pattern of abuse
that triggered his earlier murderous attack. Moving without being sentimental. with a morality that's far from simple-minded. Stirling: MacRobert.
The Slums Of Beverly Hills ( I5) (Tamara Jenkins. US. l998) Natasha Lyoiine. Marisa Tomei. Alan Arkin. 9I mins. This keenly observed I970s-set memoir of the adolescent angst endured by a teenage girl is by turns amusing and discomforting. While the timeless observations of teenage trauma still hold true today. in the end the film seems a little lightweight. no more than a series of intriguing characters in search of a solid plot. Glasgow: ABC Film Centre. Small Soldiers (PG) (Joe Dante. US. 1998) Kirsten Dunst. Gregory Smith. Denis Leary. I If) mins. Dante pltindei's his anarchic live action cartoon tale. Gremlins. substituting toys for little devils and adding state-of-the- art computerised effects. Unfortunately. Small Soldiers displays none of the sadistic mischief. nor the knowing Capra-esque whimsy of its antecedent. Sanitised. blatid and banal. General release.
Snake EyeS (l5) (Brian De Palma. US. l998) Nicolas Cage. Gary Sinise. Carla Gugino. I08 mins. When the American Secretary of Defence is assassinated. Cage's flamboyant. corrupt cop and old pal. Navy commander Sinese. attempt to figure out whodtinnit. With a narrative is driven forward by the edgy suspense. telling revelations and razor-sharp editing. Snake lives is one of the director's best film‘s to date and. unusually for De Palma. the sheer technical wizardry does not distract us from the more serious political and emotional dimensions. (ieneral release.
A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries ( l 5) (James Ivory. UK. l998) Kris Kristoffm‘son. Barbara Hershey. Jesse Bradford. I24 mins. A disappointineg episodic dratna about an American writer and his family living in the French capital from the 60s to the 70s. Adapted from a semi-autobiographical noyel by Kaylic Jones about her father James. writer of From Here 7i) literally. the film tries to cover too much ground and suffers as a result. It's professional btit unadventurous filmmaking. Glasgow: (il’l’. Edinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
Le Sourire (The Smile) (Claude Miller. France. I994) Jean-Pierre Marielle. Richard Bohringer. Emmanuelle Seigner. 9() mins. Mixing comedy and pathos. Miller tells the story of a doctor fixated with death who falls in love with a young woman who performs at a local fair. Part of the French Film Festival. Glasgow: Gl’l’. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Still Crazy ( l 5) (Brian Gibson. UK. l998) Jimmy Nail. Bill Nighy. Timothy Spall. 95 mins. Like in The Full Montv. a disparate bunch of guys come together. stiffer strife. btit triumph against the odds. This time. however. the pants stay on as it's a reformed 70s rock group that's at the centre of attention. 'I‘V stalwarts Dick Clement and laii l.a lirenais deliver a script that‘s just a little episodic. btil never less than funny. (ilasgow: ()deon Quay. Showcase. Edinburgh: Dominion. UCI. Kelso‘ Roxy. Paisley: Showcase.
Taxi Driver ( l S) (Martin Scorsese. l‘S. I976) Robert De Niro. Cybill Shepherd. Jodie Foster. I I4 mins. An alienated taxi driver iii New York is so repelled by the squalor atid the moral decay around him that he is driven to terrible violence. One of the key filtns of the Seventies with the Scorsese-Dc Niro partnership at its peak Glasgow: Grosvenor.
There‘s Something About Mary i I St (Peter arid Bobby i:£II'I'Cll)'. US. I99S) Cameron Diaz. Matt Dillon. Ben Stiller. I IS mins. 'l'hc l‘arrelly brothers follow their stlpt'cmel)’ fun. btit dumb debut. lluoi/i .-Int/ Dumber. atid bad taste extravaganza. King/mi. with an even more outrageous film -- a ‘stalkcr‘ comedy. Small town geek 'l‘cd never makes it to the hiin school prom with gorgeous Mary. but years later and all grown tip. he remains obsessed with the date that never was. General release.
Timeless Bottomless Bad Movie i In) (Jang Stiii Woo. Sotith Korea. I997) Kwok Hyok-Sin. Jaitg Naiii Kyoting. Duckcy Kim. I38 mins. Collage of night scenes from the streets of Seoul: dope dcalitig. petty crime. video gaming. prostitution. rape and broken hopes. Willi individual episodes put together
by the street kids themselves. this is authentic stuff. Glasgow: GFT.
The Truman Show (PG) (Peter Weir. US. l998) Jim Carrey. Laura Linney. Ed Harris. l03 mins. Truman Burbank leads a life of sublime banality in the picture perfect island community of Seahaven. but is the unwitting star of the world‘s longest-running documentary soap opera. The Truman Show (the movie) is flawlessly put together. with script and direction perfectly judged. Carrey. still a schmuck btit less ingratiating than usual. surprisineg gives the movie its heart. General release.
Velvet Goldmine (I8) (Todd Haynes. US. l998) Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Ewan McGregor. Eddie lzzard. I23 mins. Using the very British glam phenomenon. the young American director examines more universal themes: sexuality. identity. non- conformity. 'lliere‘s much fun to be had watching the charismatic performances in this ‘Iong player' which demands to be appreciated with a keen ear and eye. Edinburgh: Cameo. Glenrothes.
La Vie Révée Des Anges (The Dream Life Of Angels) (l5) (Erick Zonca. France. I998) Elodie Bouchez. Natacha Regnier. “3 mins. Zonca's first feature follows Bouchez‘s young backpacker who arrives iii Lille without ajob. Managing to wrangle a menial job. she strikes tip a friendship with fellow worker Regnier. who offers her a place to stay in the flat she's looking after. 'l‘op heavy with precedents. btit there's always room for films in acute sympathy with their leading characters. Edinburgh: i’lllIIhOtlSC.
Les Visiteurs 2: Les Couloirs Du Temps (The Corridors Of Time) (Jean-Marie Poii'e. France. l998) Jean Reno. Christian (‘lavieiz Muriel Robin. lI6 mins. Like its predecessor. Lev Visiteurs 2 has broken all l‘rench box office records. This time medieval knight Reno has to find his old sidekick (who stayed in the present in the first film) whom he needs for his impending iiiai‘riage to his beloved l-‘rcnegonde de Pouillc. Part of the French Film Festival. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Vive la République (Eric Rochant. France. l998) Atire Atika. Antione Chappey. Hippolyte Girardot. 90 mins. Comedy set in Le Mans. best known for its racetrack. in which agrotip of workers decide to shale tip the nation by taking matters into their own hands and forming a political party. A comedy with a social message. Part of the French Film Festival. Glasgow: (ll-’1'. Edinburgh: l5ilmhotise.
Way Out West (U) (James Horne. US. I937) Stan Laurel. ()Iiver Hardy. James liinlayson. 66 mins. The comic duo find themselves ‘()n The Trail ()f'l‘he Lonesome Pinc' as they head otii to hand over a gold- iiiine deed. Plenty of good gags in this fast- paced western spoof. Supported by The Music Bot. which is the one featuring a piano and a very long set of steps. Stirling: MacRobert.
Wild At Heart ( IS) (David Lynch. US. I990) Nicholas Cage. Laura Dern. Diane l.add. Willem Dafoe. l27 mitts. Lynch's much-h} pcd Cannes prize-winner turns out to be weird and wondrous in its own way. if not quite as cohesive as the earlier Blue Velvet. Cage and [)crn are the energetic young lovers on the run. pursued by ultrastrange hitiiian Dafoc on a sometimes comic. sometimes disturbing. trail towards the ultimate rendezvous with Elvis and the Wizard of ()2. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Zero Effect ( l 5) (Jake Kasdan. US. I997) Bill Pullman. Ben Stiller. Ryan ()‘Neal. l()5 mins. Pullman's brilliant. btit reclusive private eye keeps clients at a distance. observing all through front man Stiller. However. when ()‘Ncal's powerful btisincssiiian hires Zero to retrieve his keys. the detective is drawn into one of those tangch webs of intrigue that threatens his Howard Hughes-like reclusive state. A line oddity of a film. lialkirk: I’I'H.
Zonzon (The Slammer) (Laurent Botihnik. l-iuutcc. l998) Pascal (ircggory. (ia'el Morel. Jamel Debboti/e l()2 mins. A young student. a thug and a perpetual delinquent share a prison cell. The students effeininity proves to be a catalyst between the three prisoners tor a series of confrontations both dramatic and comic. Part of the l-‘rench l’ilin l’cstival. Glasgow: (il’l‘. Edinburgh: l-‘ilitihotise.