FILM listings
FILM LISTINGS continued
interlude in which it's explained that fighting is bad (7!). The stupor induced by viewing the film strand of the phenomenal Pokemon franchise (computer game, collecting cards, etc.) as an adult, convincingly confirms that it's a kid thing, good or bad. General release.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (PG) *tttt (Steven Spielberg, US, 1981) Harrison Ford, Karen Allen. 115 mins. Ford plays adventuring archaeologist Indiana Jones, who almost bites off more than he can chew when he turns up the Ark of the Covenant in Nazi-infested wartime Egypt. Return to the breathless excitement of the Saturday morning serial with this rollercoaster of a movie, probably better than either of its sequels. Tongue held very firmly in cheek. Edinburgh: UGC Cinemas.
Real To Reel (15) (Various, UK, 2000) 110 mins. Now in its sixth year, Real To Reel showcases the raw talent of student filmmakers. This year’s film is gangsters and molls, and the vent is supported by Cardonald College with support from BBC Choice which is screening highlights. Glasgow: OFT.
Regeneration (15) **~k* (Gillies Mackinnon, UK/Canada, 1997) Jonathan Pryce, James Wilby, Jonny Lee Miller. 113 mins. Faithful to Pat Barker‘s source novel, Mackinnon's film touches on trench life during World War 1, but is mostly confined within the walls of Edinburgh's Craiglockhart Hospital, where psychiatrist Dr Rivers (Pryce) nurses the shell-shocked back to mental fitness. It's a sober, mournful work, and most of the fireworks comes from the actors, all of whom excel. Glasgow: GilmorehillGl2.
Relative Values (PG) tit (Eric Styles, UK, 2000) Julie Andrews, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry. 89 mins. Noel Coward‘s satire of the British class system circa 1954 sees spoilt brat Nigel (Edward Atterton) upset the Marshwood household when he brings American actress Miranda (Tripplehorn) home to announce his engagement. Modern audiences may find it difficult to identify with Coward’s now dated play — with its patronising upper classes, servile lower ones and misogynist attitude to women — but if you can put your own values on hold, there are some laughs to be had. See review. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon, UGC Cinemas.
Return To Me (PG) *** (Bonnie Hunt, US, 2000) David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Joely Richardson. 115 mins. Heart transplant patient Grace (Driver) receives Bob's (Duchovny) dead wife's (Richardson) heart. By sheer coincidence Bob and Grace meet and fall in love. Duchovny has a peculiar knack for underacting and Driver betrays her previous spunky roles (e.g. in Grosse Point Blank) by simpering and stuttering. The quintet of elderly folks who inhabit the restaurant Grace works in are a hilarious distraction. These, however, are the scarce morsels of meat on these tired romantic comedy bones. General release. Romeo And Juliet (12) ***** (Baz Luhrmann, Australia/US, 1996) Leonardo DiCaprio, Clare Danes. 120 mins. The Strictly Ballroom director’s treatment of the Shakespeare tragedy is a magnificent riot of colour, action and sexy teen romance, without any need to sacrifice the text. To call it ‘MTV filmmaking' misses the point that the camera tricks and in-jokes don't in any way distract from the fact that Luhnnann has completely grasped the issues at the centre of the play. An intoxicating, breathtaking mix of Catholic iconography, high camp and street violence that’s both deliciously feverish and studiedly cool. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Rosetta (15) ***** (Luc and Jean- Pierre Dardenne, Belgium/France, 1999) Emilie Dequenne, Anne Yernaux, Fabrizio Rongione. 91 mins. Rosetta (Dequenne) is seventeen and has one wish: to find a job that will enable her to move out of the caravan that she co-habits with her alcoholic mother (Yernaux). Despite continual disappointments in the job market Rosetta refuses to give up hope and battles on like a bull facing a matador. A marvellous exposition of the continuing importance of cinema in highlighting social barriers and
34 THE LIST 22 Jun—6 Jul 2000
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John Cleese excels in the art of natty dressing. turning in a hammy cameo for the biopic of Jacqueline Suzann (author
of Valley Of The Dolls), Isn't She Great
conflict, Rosetta was rewarded with the Cannes Palme d'Or. Edinburgh: Lumiere. Ryan‘s Daughter (PG) *‘k‘k‘k (David Lean, UK, 1970) John Mills, Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles. 206 mins. Well staged, acted, written (by Robert Bolt) and directed romantic drama with a huge budget that’s so verrrrrrrrry long. Set in a rural Irish community in 1916, Miles is the schoolmaster's wife who falls for an English army officer which causes all kinds of problems in the community. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
Saving Grace (15) ** (Nigel Cole, Uk, 2000) Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson. 94 mins. Saddled with crushing debts after the sudden death of her husband, keen horticulturist Grace (Blethyn) transforms the greenhouse of her Cornish mansion into a marijuana plantation with the assistance of her Scottish gardener, Matthew (Ferguson). Already being touted as this year's feelgood British comedy, Saving Grace attempts to recapture the magic of the Ealing classics; instead it merely feels out of touch with modern life. Glasgow: Showcase, UCl. Edinburgh: UCI. East Kilbride: UCI. Paisley: Showcase. Stirling: Carlton.
Stir 0t Echoes (15) with (David Koepp, US, 2000) Kevin Bacon, llleana Douglas, Kathryn Erbe. 99 mins. Tom Witzky (Bacon) sees dead people, a spooky insight that only comes about when he's hypnotised by sister-in-Iaw Lisa (Douglas) as a party trick. The supernatural material allows Koepp (working from Richard Matheson’s 1958 novel) a narrative means of getting beneath the surface sheen of modern American life. At the centre of the sudden scares and the low key special effects, Bacon gives the film a sense of blue collar reality. Glasgow: Odeon, Odeon At The Quay, Showcase. Edinburgh: UGC Cinemas. East Kilbride: UCI. Kilmamock: Odeon. Paisley: Showcase.
Stuart Little (PG) *‘kt (Rob Minkoff, US, 2000) Michael J. Fox, Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie. 92 mins. Live action with a computer generated talking mouse voiced by Michael J. Fox, Minkoff's adaptation of EB. White's classic childrens' book sees the sweet wee rodent orphan being adopted by the affluent Manhattanites the Little family. Stuart’s problem begin with a new nemesis, the mean-spirited, inappropriately-named family cat Snowbell. The message of the film is clear - little guy discovers the
meaning of family, loyalty and friendship — but of more interest to viewers both small and large will be the Tom And Jerry-style antics. See review. General release. Summer Of Sam (18) *ttt (Spike Lee, US, 1999) John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino. 142 mins. Summer 1977 in New York. Disco is the hottest new sound in the clubs, while the punk rock revolution has crossed the Atlantic. The city is also melting down under a record-breaking heatwave, causing blackouts, looting and riots. Out in the Bronx, however, New Yorkers are concerned about something else: a murder spree by a serial killer dubbed by the media the ‘Son Of Sam’. Lee tackles intolerance once more, and it’s his best shot at the subject since Do The Right Thing. Glasgow: GFI‘.
Sunshine (15) *irt (lstvan Szabo, Hungary/Germany/Canada/Austria/UK, 2000) Ralph Fiennes, Jennifer Ehle and William Hurt. 179 mins. Great big pan of goulash of a movie from former European cinema darling Szabo (Mephisto, Colonel Redl). Focusing on lives defined and broken by history and politics, Sunshine tells the stories of three generations of Hungarian Jews living in the 20th century. But it’s predictable, clumsy and ultimately manipulative; a modern audience does not need themes of bigotry, family and patriotism so obviously and chronologically underlined. Glasgow: GF'I‘.
Supernova (15) it (Thomas Lee, US, 2000) James Spader, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster. 90 mins. No less a trio of luminaries than Francis Ford Coppola, Walyter Hill and Geoffrey Wright have been attached to this sci-fi thriller that's ended up with Alan Smithee replacement pseudonym Thomas Lee on the credits. Out in the depths of space where people still find it difficult to hear you scream, the crew of hospital spacecraft Nightingale 229 reSpond to a distress single and, surprise, take something nasty and alien aboard. Glasgow: Odeon At The Quay, Showcase. Edinburgh: UCI. Dunfermline: Odeon. Paisley: Showcase. Stirling: Carlton.
Sweet And Lowdown (PG) tau: (Woody Allen, US, 2000) Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman. 95 mins. Penn is simply awesome as 19305 musician Emmet Ray, the self-proclaimed second best guitar player in the world. Respect for the ‘gypsy guitar man' Django Reinhardt is Ray's sole element of humility; he is rude, egomaniacal and utterly selfish and the one who suffers most is the mute Hattie (the splendid Morton). Visually, musically, dramatically and comedically, Sweet And Lowdown can sit comfortably among Woody Allen's best works. And with the passing of cinematic time, they will surely be reflected upon as his lead pair's finest hour and a half. Glasgow: GFI’, Odeon At The Quay. Edinburgh: Cameo.
The Talented Mr Ripley (15) “Ha (Anthony Minghella, US/UK, 2000) Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow. 139 mins. Tom Ripley (Damon) befriends then adopts the life of rich kid Dickie Greenleaf (Law). Ripley being an infamous literary murderer, it's no surprise how he goes about claiming Dickie's ex pat lifestyle in late 505 Italy, but Minghella's film — and Highsmith‘s novel -— is so much more than a tale of murder; it's also about lust, love and the interchangeability of identities. Classy all the way. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Tarzan (U) **** (Kevin Lima and Chris Buck, US, 1999) Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Nigel Hawthorne. 88 mins. Disney has finally turned its attention to the second most filmed character in Western cinema (Dracula is the first) and has created some astonishing images. Storytelling-wise, Tarzan remains reasonably faithfully to Edgar Rice Burrough's original. Shipwrecked on a tropical island, baby Tarzan looses his human parents to a terrifying tiger and is adopted by an ape clan. All grown up, the Ape Man is reunited with man and womankind when a trophy hunting/ anthropological expedition arrives and Tarzan meets Jane. Dunfermline:
Odeon Kilmamock: Odeon.
Tea With Mussolini (PG) *** (Franco Zeffirelli, Italy/UK, 1999) Cher, Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith. 117 mins. Zeffirelli’s film is partly autobiographical,
partly fictitious, and concerns the effect on his own upbringing and education by a group of English ladies living in Florence at the time of II Duce‘s rise to power. This particular brew by Zefferelli and John Mortimer has a melange of flavours and is deftly poured in the most idyllic of settings, yet it seems oddly lacking in zest. Edinburgh: Lumiere.
Three To Tango (12) * (Damon Santostefano, US, 2000) Neve Campbell, Matthew Perry, Oliver Platt. 98 mins. Straight architect Oscar (Perry) is mistaken for gay architect Peter (Platt) by his boss, Charles (Dylan McDermott), who is having an affair with free-spirited artist Amy (Campbell). Being the jealous kind, Charles encourages Oscar to hang out with Amy in order to spy on her, but matters are complicated when Oscar and Amy fall in love. This set-up compounds Hollywood stereotyping of gay men as asexual clowns, while preaching about tolerance between the gay and straight communities. Best quickly forgotten. See review. Glasgow: Odeon. Odeon At The Quay. Edinburgh: ABC, Odeon. Ayr: Odeon. Dunfermline: Odeon. Kilmamock: Odeon.
The Tigger Movie (U) **** (Jun Falkenstein, US, 2000) 77 mins. Identical in many ways to 1977's The Many/Adventures 0f Winnie The Pooh, this new yarn based on A.A. Milne's characters finds Pooh, Piglet, Tigger et al still living a charmed life of tea parties and afternoon naps. Only this time, the wee stripy fella's decided being one of a kind isn't quite as cool as he‘d first thought and so a literal quest for the Tigger Family Tree ensues. A happy ending eventually makes its presence felt, because even Tigger is smart enough to recognise that with friends like Pooh, Piglet, R00 and Eeyore, who needs family? General release.
Titanic (12) **** (James Cameron, US, 1997) Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane. 194 mins. Cameron tackles the story of the doomed ocean liner through a touching love story that isn’t overwhelmed by the awesome special effects. Rich girl Rose (Winslet) is unhappily engaged to arrogant Cal (Zane) but falls for third-class passenger Jack (DiCaprio): love blossoms as the ship hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic. In all its on-screen glory, Titanic does indeed look like the most expensive film ever made, conveying both the scale of the disaster and the feeling of claustrophobia as the water rises. Greenock: Waterfront. Toy Story 2 (U) ***** (John Lasseter, US, 2000) Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack. 95 mins. The new film expands on the original settings and themes: When Woody is not taken to Cowboy Camp by his owner Andy, he begins to question the meaning of his ‘life'. When he‘s subsequently stolen by a collector — who plans to sell him to a Japanese toy museum - Buzz and the gang travel across town to rescue their pal. The emotive range of the animated characters is extraordinary; they say that computer generated images will never replace the real thing, but Toy Story 2 makes you wonder. Edinburgh: Dominion, Odeon. Dunfermline: Odeon. Galashiels: Pavilion. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith. Trainspotting (18) *ant (Danny Boyle, UK, 1995) Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller. 93 mins. John llodge's screenplay perfectly captures the desperate humour of Irvine Welsh's novel, keeping the episodic structure ofjunkie scenes for the first half, before concentrating more on Renton in London in the later stages. Fast and stylish direction, creative soundtrack and acting that's off-the-rails excellent. A cinematic blast from beginning to end, which also shows a complex — and true — understanding of the lure and fatal consequences of drug- taking. Edinburgh: UGC Cinemas.
Trick (15) *t* (Jim Fall, US, 2000) Christian Campbell, Jean Paul Pitoc, Tori Spelling. 89 mins. Gabriel (Campbell) has just pulled Mark (Pitoc) and is looking good for a night of action, except there's nowhere they can go to fulfil their desire. So instead they wonder around town searching for a friend who can help them out, and in doing so create a bond far stronger than there initial carnal desire. Trick makes no issue out of the fact that the main characters are homosexual, moving away from