Cocktail meets Showgirls in Coyote Ugly, a shameless piece of titillation for the glossy magazine reading boy
Irving‘s Gothic folktale a distinctly British colouring, as he borrows merrily from the Hammer films of the 505 and 605, while Depp brings the right note of comedy to the dark proceedings. UGC, Edinburgh.
Snatch (18) ** (Guy Ritchie. UK, 2000) Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Torro, Vinnie Jones. 102 mins. Ritchie insists that Snatch is not a sequel to Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. And he is right; it's practically a remake. There's the same swaggering facetiousncss, the same juvenile obsession with underworld villains, and the same cod- Cockney accents. Ritchie‘s penchant for baroque plotting is also in evidence, although Lock Sioek's mildly confusing denouement was crystal clear compared to the opening of Snare/i. The acting is a notch up from the first film, while some of the gags and situations are genuinely funny. Selected release.
Some Voices (18) * (Simon Cellan Jones, UK, 2000) Daniel Craig, Kelly Macdonald. 101 mins. Ray (Craig) is trying to readjust to life after a stint in a psychiatric institution. As he wanders through West London he stumbles into Laura (Macdonald), with whom he beComes infatuated and the unlikely romance blossoms. Adapted by playwright Joe Penhall from his own successful stage play, the characters fail to transfer to the silver screen. The somewhat predictable descent into madness fails to provide much of an insight into the nature of Ray's mental health, neither does the film present a believable account of a couple in love. Disappointing, considering the talent involved. MacRobert, Stirling.
Space Cowboys (PG) it (Clint Eastwood, US, 2000) Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland. 130 mins. The first halfofSpaee Cowboys could be called Four Grumpy Old Men, as we're introduced gradually to each ageing member ofTeam Daedalus, an aborted space project in the 50s. Then halfway through the film Eastwood flicks a switch and it becomesApol/o 13, except full of old folks. And a million times more daft. The first part works better. Let's face it, this acting combo has got a few miles on the clock, but not even this cast can salvage much respect from this lame duck of a film. General release.
Straw Dogs (18) think (Sam Peckinpah, UK, 1971) Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, David Warner. 118 mins. An mild-mannered American brings his English wife back to her home village, only to have violence flare in this inbred Cornish community. Long tarred with the ‘gratuitous' brush, Peckinpah‘s contemporary horror/thriller still retains its power. Cameo, Edinburgh. Stuart Little (U) *‘k‘k (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 affluent Manhattanites the Little family. Stuart‘s problems 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 AndJerry-style antics. General release.
Taxi (15) ** (Gerard Pirés, France, 1999) Samy Naceri, Frederic Diefenthal, Marion Cotilard. 86 mins. Arrested for speeding by mummy‘s boy cop limilien, taxi driver Daniel is forced to be his chauffeur and chase a group of German bank robbers who are terrorising Marseilles. Mismatched buddy movie, written and produced by Luc Besson, whose swiftly knocked-out screenplay is notable only for its inanity, high speed ear chases, pile-ups and shoot- outs. Edinburgh l-‘ilm Guild at the l‘ilmhouse, Edinburgh.
Thelma And Louise (15) *tin (Ridley Scott, US, 1991) Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen. 129 mins. The buddy/road movie genres are turned on their heads as Sarandon and Davis grasp the steering wheel and head off leaving a trail of murder and mayhem in their wake. On one level, the film is the critical catalyst that had the feminists cheering and put the stars on the cover of Time magazine; just as importantly, it's an accessible piece of entertainment with excellent central performances. Eilmhouse, Edinburgh.
This Is Spinal Tap (15) ***** (Rob Reiner, US, 1983) Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, R.J. Parnell, Ed Begley Jr. 82 mins. Certainly the most ingenious, accurate and funny of all spoof rockumentaries, with wonderfully spontaneous dialogue, convincing fly-on- the-wall camera work, self—penned heavy metal parodies, and of course the amp that goes to 11. Selected release.
Thomas And The Magic Railroad (U) it (Britt Alleroft, UK’US, 20(XJ) Voices of Alec Baldwin, Peter Fonda, Michael E. Rodgers. 79 mins. This adaptation of the Reverend Wilbur Awdry books is aimed squarely at under tens. Whilst children will be lapping up the tale of'lhomas The Tank Engine aiding The Conductor (Baldwin) against the evil Diesel train, accompanying guardians will be wondering what happened to Allcroft's classic series narrated by Ringo Starr. Surely it was never this juvenile! UCI, Glasgow. UCI, East Kilbride.
The Tigger Movie (U) **** (Jun Falkenstein, US, 2000) 77 mins. Identical in many ways to 1977's The Many Adventures : ()f 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, Roo and Eeyore, who needs family? ()deon, Edinburgh. Odeon, Ayr. ()deon. Kilmarnock.
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index FILM
Modernism and Contemporary Art Sale
in Edinburgh
Phillips is delighted to announce that the Modernism and Contemporary Art Sale will take place in Edinburgh on Friday 27th October at 11am.
The sale features furniture, ceramics, glass, metalware, textiles and lighting by twentieth century designers such as Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames. Sir Basil Spence and Alvar Aalto. The contemporary Scottish pictures include works by John Bellany, Peter Howson and Stephen Conroy.
Viewing will be in the Edinburgh saierooms on Sunday 22nd, Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th October.
For further information, or to order a catalogue, please call Joanne Campbell
on 0131 225 2266.
Venue
65 George Street Edinburgh EH2 2JL
www.phillips-auctions.com
Phillips
l9 Oct—2 Nov 2000 THE LIST 35