A Grand Day Out (U) ***** (Nic Park, UK, 1992—95) 84 mins. The ever popular adventures of the old codger from Lancashire with the cheese fetish, Wallace, and his unusually smart and patient dog, Grommit, get another welcome screening, a month before Aardman studios' first full length feature, Chicken Run, gets released. Along with the title short, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave are present and correct. Glasgow: GFI‘.
The Green Mile (18) *** (Frank Darabont, US, 2000) Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse. 189 mins. Darabont follows one Stephen King prison drama. The Shawshank Redemption, with another about life on death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary in the 1930s. Despite its lengthy running time, Darabont's careful, even pacing works at this length. Only towards the end, where the strong storylines are resolved with a somewhat whimsical paranormal occurrence, does this sturdy piece of filmmaking waver. Glasgow: Showcase, UCl. Edinburgh: Brunton Theatre, UCl. East Kilbride: UCl. Paisley: Showcase.
Hanging Up (15) it (Diane Keaton, US, 2000) Meg Ryan. Lisa Kudrow, Walter Matthau, Diane Keaton. ()4 mins. Three sisters are reunited by the failing health of their father (Matthau). However, tempers fray as middle sister, Eve (Ryan), resents having to care for him while younger sister, Maddy (Kudrow). and big sister, Georgia (Keaton). phone in for regular updates while getting on with their careers. It's difficult to find any sympathy for the women; the one saving grace is the ever-watchable Matthau, who gets the only laughs with a running joke about the size of John Wayne's manhood. See review. General release. Happy Days (18) **** (Alexei Balabanov, Russia, 1992) 86 mins. Balabanov‘s debut is every bit as idiosyncratic as his new film, ()fl’reaksAnd Men. A man of indeterminate identity wanders St Peterburg with his head wrapped in a bandage since his release from hospital, looking for a place to stay. There's more than a nod here to Kafka. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Heart Breakers — Girls' Shorts (15) (Various, l‘)‘)‘)—20(X)) ()3 mins. New lesbian short films, with an emotional range from comedy to pathos. The programme includes Abigail Severance's Pump, Maevc Murphy's Salvage, Sarah Turner‘s Cut, Carla Drago's Above The Dust Level and Sam Bakhurst and Lea Morment's 4PM. Part ofThe Lesbian And Gay Film Festival On Tour. Glasgow: GFI‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Henry V (PG) **** (laurence Olivier, UK, 1944) mins. Laurence Olivier, Renee Asherson, Robert Newton, Leslie Banks. Majestic propaganda effort filmed in Ireland with Olivier bravely galloping around with a lot of Irish farmers doubling as the cream of the French and English nobility. It holds a special place in screen mythology and recently inspired a muddier version by Young Pretender Kenneth Branagh. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
House! (15) khaki (Julian Kemp, UK, 2000) Freddie Jones, Kelly Macdonald, Jason Hughes. 8‘) mins. The staff of a crumbling bingo hall in Wales battle impending bankruptcy when a bingo megaplex opens a mile down the valley, a plot lifted from 1957's paean to cinemas, The Smallest Show On Earth. At the heart of this assured debut is the rebellion of a small community against encroaching modern business practises, a conflict which embodied many a classic Ealing comedy. General release.
The Hurricane (15) ** (Norman Jewison, US, 2000) Denzel Washington, John Hannah, Deborah Kara Unger. 140 mins. An engaging and wholly Oscar-worthy turn from Washington isn‘t enough to salvage Jewison‘s controversial biopic of the boxer Rubin Carter. The facts of Carter's triple murder case have been massaged into cinematic shape to the extent that gaping holes mat the film's narrative, a cowardly tactic that simplifies and finally discredits its message about institutionalised racism in America. The nuts and bolts of the case are glossed over in favour of a fawning glorification of Carter, who is painted as a quasi-mythic martyr saint. St Andrews: New
Picture House.
The Insider (15) ***** (Michael Mann, US, 2000) Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer. 157 mins. Mann’s heist movie, Heat, boasted some electrifying set pieces, yet while The Insider contains virtually no ‘action’ there‘s a terrific sense of dramatic urgency that drives the film. It all starts in the mid-90$ with Jeffrey Wigand, the corporate man who blew the whistle on the American tobacco industry, triggering a $246 million lawsuit. The performances are excellent and not since All The President's Men has fact and drama merged so powerfully on screen. Edinburgh: Cameo, Lumiere.
Inspector Gadget (U) *** (David Kellogg, US, 1999) Matthew Broderick, Rupert Everett, 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. Glasgow: UCl. Edinburgh: Odeon. Ayr: Odeon. East Kilbride: UCl. Kilmarnock: Odeon.
The Iron Giant (U) ***** (Brad Bird, US. 1999) Jennifer Aniston, Harry Conick Jr, Vin Diesel. 86 mins. In this animated film adaptation ochd Hughes's classic children's story about a boy who befriends a 50ft. robot from outer space, the action is transported from rural England to small- town America in the late 19505. 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. Glasgow: GFI‘. Edinburgh: Odeon. Kilmarnock: Odeon.
Janice Beard: 45 me (15) *~k** (Clare Kilner, UK, 2000) Eileen Walsh, Patsy Kensit, Rhys lfans. 81 mins. After Janice’s dad dies of a heart attack during her birth, her mum sinks into ‘post-natal, post-mortem depression’. Reaching her twenties, Janice, now a habitual liar, sets off to London to find mum a medical cure. Further plot convulsions fall short of the often hilarious character comedy, but the lead newcomer Walsh is simply astonishing as the goofy, endearing Janice. Glasgow: Showcase. Edinburgh: UCl. Paisley: Showcase.
Just One Time (15) (Lane Janger, US, 1999) Joelle Carter, Guillermo Diaz, Jennifer Esposito. 93 mins. Starting form the premise of every straight boy '5 fantasy of shagging two women at once,Just One Time sees New York firefighter Anthony presented with his dream shag, but at a price: he must do likewise for his fiancee, Amy. Part ofThe Lesbian And Gay Film Festival On Tour. Glasgow: GET. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Kevin 8: Perry Go Large (15) ** (Ed Bye, UK, 2000) Harry Enfield, Kathy Burke, Laura Fraser. 82 mins. This big-screen spin- off for one of the sketches from TV’s Harry [infieldAnd Chums follows its two teenage characters on a quest to lose their virginity and become top DJs. The key infiuence here is the Carry On series, so prepare yourself for a stream of erection, urinating and vomiting gags. There are some enjoyable performances, but there’s a nagging sense that, with this predictable satire, Enfield and chums are milking a cash-cow. General release.
Lake Placid (15) **** (Steve Miner, US, 2000) Brendan Gleeson, Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt. 82 mins. Big monster eating people in a lake in Maine. Local sheriff, game warden, scientist and hunter team up to kill it. Plenty of extras get munched. Doesn‘t sound particularly appetising — we‘ve seen it all before in Jaws, Alligator, Pirahna, etc. — except Lake Placid has the smartest, funniest dialogue you're likely to hear all year: ‘The sooner we catch this thing, Sheriff, the sooner you can get back to sleeping with your sister.’ Goes for cheap belly laughs and gets ‘em every time. St Andrews: New Picture House. Stirling: Carlton.
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11—25 May 2000 THE lIST 35