Euro-pudding or period classic? James Frain, Jennifer Ehle and Ralph Fiennes star in the epic account of three generations of Hungarian Jews in lstvan Szabo's Sunshine
witted, sharp-tongued free spirit budding
to the novel, but there’s no mistaking its intelligence, vigour and wit. Edinburgh: Cameo, Dominion.
Marlene (PG) *tii (Maximilian Schell, Germany, 1983) Annie Albers, Bernard Hall,
film about a star who will talk but won’t be filmed. Schell illustrates his lengthy
including some cruel film of her later stage performances, when the star was in decline. Fascinating exercise in documentary filmmaking. Glasgow: Goethe Institut.
A Matter of Life and Death (PG) ***** (Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger, UK, 1946) David Niven, Kim Hunter, Roger Livcsy, Raymond Massey.
beginnings as a piece of wartime
and the USA. Niven is an RAF pilot who finds himself before a heavenly tribunal when he bales out of his burning plane. A
on-target satire. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Mephisto (15) ***** (lstvan Szabo, Hungary, 1981) Klaus Maria Brandauer, Ildiko Bansagi, Krystyna Janda. 144 mins. Hogen, one of pre-war Germany ’5 most famous actors, especially feted for his
and influence when the Nazis take power. Gripping study of ambition and betrayal with Brandauer simply colossal in the central role. Winner of Best Foreign Film Oscar. Edinburgh: Filmhousc.
The Million Dollar Hotel (15) ** (Wim Wenders, US, 2000) Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, Mel Gibson. 122 mins. Wenders focused shrewdly on character and landscape in his road movies, Alice In The Cities and Paris, Texas. Here, with the
and psychologically scarred FBI agent
is that this is Wenders’ worst movie. See
writer. The film may not be strictly faithful
Marta Rakosnik. 94 mins. How do you make a
conversation with Dietrich with stock footage
104 mins. Wonderful film that rises above its
propaganda about goodwill between Britain
witty and stylish fantasy with a fair share of
interpretation of Mephistophilis, sells out his left-wing principles in his greed for success
characters holed up in the hotel of the title, Wenders' appears as hemmed in and listless as the various ‘losers' he attempts to dignify. There is a plot of sorts: Gibson’s physically
determines to identify the killer of one of the hotel’s inhabitants. The final diagnosis, then,
review. Glasgow: Odeon At The Quay. Edinburgh: UGC Cinemas.
The Miracle Maker (U) ti (Stanislav Sokolov, Derek Hayes, UK, 2000) Ralph Fiennes, Julie Christie, Richard E Grant. 91 mins. Miracles may never cease, undoubtedly the reasoning behind previous attempts to render the Easter Story palatable. The latest gimmick is to add puppets, which, although oddly dated, impresses on its own low tech level. Despite deftly tugging at the heartstrings, the puppetry can't disguise the fact that this is a Sunday school reading in a millennial medium. Glasgow: Odeon At The Quay. East Kilbride: UCI. Wishaw: Arrow Multiplex.
Mission To Mars (PG) it (Brian De Palma, US, 2000) Gary Sinese, Tim Robbins, Connie Neilsen. 116 mins. The year is 2020 and NASA has landed on Mars, but a mysterious phenomenon wipes out the astronauts and a rescue mission is dispatched. Melodrama is prioritised over science fiction thrills and much of the blame lies in the appalling dialogue and gun-ho patriotism. Worse still, De Palma opts for stunningly obvious exposition; at his film’s quasi-religious climax you’ll think: ‘80 what?’ General release.
Muppets From Space (U) at“: (Tim Hill, 1999, US) Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Frank 02. 88 mins. For their sixth big screen adventure, the focus of our Muppet attentions is Gonzo, that blue, hooked nosed . . . thing. No one is really sure what Gonzo is, so when he gets a message which he believes is from space, the race is on to make contact with his extra terrestrial brethren. Mappers From Space captures the spirit of the first movie and the original TV series where the subsequent films never did. Edinburgh: Odeon.
The Music Freelancers (PG) tit (Denis Dercourt, France, 1999) 88 mins. A group of musicians working on the fringe of the classical music scene come together on New Year‘s Eve under the leadership of an eccentric conductor in this debut from French director Dercourt. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
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