Greek in what is supposed to be one of the most liberal cities in the world - Melbourne. It does not flinch from difficult issues such as the insidious racism and homophobia that seem to breed in any community. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
The Heart Of The Matter (PG) (George More O‘Ferrall, Britain, 1953) Trevor Iloward, Denholm Elliot, Peter Finch. 105 mins. In this Graham Greene adaptation, Howard‘s liberal deputy police commissioner in Sierra Leone, whose sympathy for the Africans puts him at odds with the ex-pat community. At home things ain't much better: a failing marriage results in adultery which, in turn, begets blackmail. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
House On Haunted “ill (18) start (William Malone, US, 2000) Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Chris Kattan. 92 mins. Rush mugs and leers outrageously as Stephen Price, a twisted amusement park tycoon who invites a small group of guests to his wife’s birthday celebration at a derelict lunatic asylum, the scene of mass slaughter two generations before. This building has plans of its own and. instead of the expected group, five complete strangers show up, each of whom has been offered 81 million to stay the night. No cash prizes, though, for guessing what happens after they find themselves locked in. See review. General release.
The Idiots (18) (Lars von Trier, Denmark’l’rance/ltaly/Netherlands/Germany /Sweden, 1999) Bodil Jurgenscn, Jens Albinus. 114 mins. ln lars von Trier's follow up to Breaking The Waves, 3 bunch of ‘idiots‘ run a little bit amok in their village, get thrown out of tea-rooms. make whoopee at the swimming baths and disrupt board meetings. But these misfits are as sane as you or I, with a simple aim to test society's attitudes to the disabled. Appreciation naturally conquers enjoyment but The Idiots is a challenge well worth taking up. Edinburgh: Cameo.
The Leopard (15) (Luchino Visconti, Italy, 1963) Burt lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon. 205 mins. Characteristically lavish Visconti adaptation of Giuseppe De lampedusa's classic novel of the Italian Risorgimento has a splendid Burt Lancaster as the Prince of Salina reflecting mournfully on the rise of the bourgeoisie when his nephew Delon marries merchant's daughter (‘ardinale Undeniably overlong and rather slow-moving, Visconti's handling of the epic final ball sequence is a further demonstration of his mastery of composition for the wide screen and his later conception of film-as-opera. Edinburgh: ltalian Cultural Institute.
Inspector Gadget (U) tit (David Kellogg. US, 1999) Matthew Broderick, Rupert liverett. Joely Fisher. 79 mins. Disney's take on the French kids' cartoon follows the part human, part gizmo Gadget's (Broderick) quest to become a proper. respected cop. Unfortunately, the dastardly Claw (Everett) has a scheme for world domination, which includes creating an evil doppelganger of the trenchcoated wonder. The Inspector‘s many contraptions will delight younger viewers, and oldies will be amused by the plentiful self-referential moments. General release.
The Iron Giant (U) Her (Brad Bird, US. 1999) Jennifer Aniston. Ilarry Conick Jr, Vin Diesel. 86 mins. In this animated film adaptation of Ted Hughcs's classic children‘s story about a boy who befriends 50ft. robot from outer space. the action is transported from rural England to small- town America in the late 1950s. The resulting film is a fast-moving thrillfest featuring bongo-beating beatniks. a great rockabilly soundtrack and explosive destruction on a grand scale. This being a kids film. through, it's violence with a conscience. General release.
The Italian Job (PG) (Peter Collinson. UK, 1909) Michael Caine, Noll Coward. Benny Hill. 100 mins. Re-released for its 30th anniversary. this larf—a-minute caper movie ties in nicely with the sixties cockney kitsch sensibility that's been infusing fashion, pop and film ever since Blur put out Park Life. Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels paid homage to The Italian Job with its scaled down cliffhanger ending. but the Michael Caine film is the granddaddy of caper
movies. The centrepiece remains the mini cooper car chase across, atop and under the streets of Turin, while Caine's closing line is top: "Ang on a minute lads, I've got a great idea.’ Glasgow: Odeon.
Jakob The Liar (12) skirt (Peter Kassovitz, US, 1999) Robin Williams. Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban. 119 mins. Following Life Is Beautiful, which approached the subject of the Holocaust with a similar mix of gravity and grim humour, Williams plays Jakob Heym, a Jew living in the Polish ghetto in 1944. Summoned to Nazi headquarters after breaking curfew, he overhears a radio report on the progress of the war. Recounting this to a friend, Jakob witnesses the positive effect such news has on those around him and invents more and more stories to keep up this renewed optimism. But it's strangely uninvolving given the drama and scale of its setting. Edinburgh: Odeon.
John Sayles Study Day The Filmhouse's Education Officer Shiona Wood gives an illustrated presentation of the work of America‘s leading independent filmmaker. An audience discussion will follow a screening of Sayles's first film. The Return Of The Secaucus Seven. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
The Legend Of 1900 (15) *** (Giuseppe Tornatore. ltaly, 1999) Tim Roth, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Melanie Thierry. 125 mins. A baby is born and abandoned aboard a transatlantic liner on the first day of the 19th century. Named 1900. he leads a life that becomes increasingly more fabulous, never setting foot on land. The innocent figure is so easily a cliche and so the film‘s success depends upon it striking a chord of emotional truthfulness which defies our powers of reasoning. That it does strike that chord is debatable. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Limbo (15) **** (John Sayles, US. 1999) David Strathairn, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Vanessa Martinez. 128 mins. Sayles isn't a filmmaker to toe the line. so when he goes to Alaska to shoot a film in which three individuals become marooned in the wilderness, it's unsurprising than what he comes up with is a well-crafted, solidly told tale that's less action adventure and more psychological/sociological study of people and place. And Sayles takes his time, easing us into the environment and the lives of the principal characters, before the forces of nature give the plot its dramatic twist. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Lone Star (15) (John Sayles, US. 19%) Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Pena, Kris Kristofferson. 135 mins. When a modern- day Texan sheriff investigates a decades-old murder, past clashes with present and local mythologies have to be re-examined. Sayles's various sub-plots don't distract from each other: in fact, they re-inforce and counterpoint, building a complex social, historical and political backdrop to the riveting thriller on the surface. Another masterpiece from America’s greatest independent director. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. The Lord Of The Rings (PG) (Ralph Bakshi, US, 1982) With the voices of Christopher Guard, William Squire. Michael Scholes, John Hurt. 133 mins. Successful animated version of the Tolkien epic covers the first two books of the trilogy only. Sticking closely to the text and using live action tracings to give authenticity to the animation. it manages to avoid Disney cuteness and creates an exciting and enjoyable mythical adventure that only the Tolkien purist will find fault with. Glasgow: Gf-T.
Love And Death On Long Island (15) (Richard Kwietniowski. UK'Canada, 1997) John Hurt, Jason Priestley. Fiona Loewi. 93 mins. Celebrated writer and 20th century anachronism Giles De'Ath (llurt) falls for teen heart throb Ronnie (Priestley), and eventually tracks him down in Long lsland to offer him a new, cultured way of life. Deth In Venice is the obvious reference point. yet it is hard to avoid seeing De‘Ath's blinkered existence as a 905 version of Crocodile Dundee. The early portrayal of irrational desire unfortunately gives way to a story that's too daft. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
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