FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
For Sale (A vendre) ( 1 .s') (Laetitia Masson. 1998) Sandrine Kilberlain. Sergio Castellito. 117 mins. The film begins with a jilted bridegroom hiring a friend to track down his missing bride. What follows is a compelling investigation into a wilfully independent woman‘s life. Part of the l‘rcrich liilm l'cstival. (i1"l'.(ilasgow; l-ilnihouse. l'.dinburgh.
The Full Monty ( IS) **** (Peter Cattane'o. CK. 1997) Robert Carlyle. Tom Wilkinson. Mark Addy. ()2 mins. Carlyle plays (iary. an unemployed Sheffield steelworkcr w ho. along with an odd mix of former colleagues. decides to go one better than the Chippendale troupes that fill Ilie local halls. Cattaneo's laugh-out-loud filrii comes from the saitie tradition as Brussed ()ff. mixing comedy with a strong social conscience and showing unemployment as an emasculating experience. It‘s the ordinariness of these blokes that gives the film both its humour and its depth. ()deoii. Duntermlirie.
George Of The Jungle (If) tit (Sam Weisiiian. CS. 1907) Brendan liraser. Leslie Mann. llollatid '1‘aylor. ‘ll tiiiiis. Loincloth- clad hero (ieorge (l‘rascr) saves San l‘ransiscan socialite L'rsula (Mann). btit his trip to the urban jungle is shortlived when he hears of the kidnap of his hairy sidekick. Ape (voiced by John Cleese). The plot is the usual blend of humour. action. slapstick. adventure and. of course. romance. while the knowing and punchy script is easily tip with the best of modern Disney. (irosveiior. (ilasgow'.
Gladiator (15) iii (Ridlcy Scott. L'S. 2000) Russell Crowe. Richard Harris. Joaquin Phoenix. 150 mins. Just before dying Caesar Aurelius (Harris) charges (ieneral Maxinius (Crow c) with cleaning up his beloved. btrt politically corrupt Rome. Aurelius' son. Coriiriiodus (Phoenix). doesn't take kindly to this and has his rival executed. But Maximus survives and. as a gladiator. works his way back to Rome intent on revenge. Parallels iiitist be drawn with .S'piirricuv and [Jeri Ilur; we've not seen a Roman epic iii a long time. Scott's is a handsome spectacle atid exciting enough. but that's all it is. Selected release.
Going Off, Big Time (18) iii (Jim Doyle. L'K. 2000).\'ei1 Fit/.iiiaurice. Sarah Alexander, Bernard Hill. 80 mins. Another British gangster film. but one that moves the location from London's liast [find to Liverpool. which highlights the central theme that anybody cati become a gangster. where chance and circumstance play a major role. However. this premise iriiplodes with the realisation that criminal Mark Clayton (l‘it/tiiaurice. also the film's writer) is about as threatening as a lullaby baby. 'l‘herefore. it‘s a good thing that the film places a lot of emphasis on the comic eletiieiit of the lives of these w aniiabc gangsters. See review. Selected release.
The Golden Bowl (12) iii (James lvory. LiK CS. 2000) Nick Nolte. Kate Beckinsale. L'ma 'l‘hurnian. Jeremy Northam. mins. 'l‘he Merchant-Ivory team's polished adaptation of Henry James's The (;()[(/('N Bowl pits innocence (Notle's widowed American billionaire and his daughter. Beckinsale) against experience (Northatii's impoverished ltaliati aristocrat Prince Amerigo and his illicit lover. Maggie‘s worldly friend. Thurman). Ruth Praw er Jhabvala's script smooths out the teasitig. irreducible ambiguity of James‘s writing. linough remains. however. of the book's elegant convolutions of betrayal and guilt. jealousy and suspicion to make this a cut above the average frock flick. (il’l‘. (ilasgow.
Grey Owl (PU) (Richard .-\ttenborough. UK USA. 2000) Pierce Brosnan. Annie (ialipeau. 118 mins. Back in 1937. when Lord Attenborough was just a wee lad in shorts. he saw a wildlife lecture given by the half Scottish. half native Canadian lndian Archie Grey Owl. Such was the impression that this charismatic trapper-turned- cnvironmentalist made on the young boy - and audiences throughout Britain and Canada. where he lived in the wilderness - ()3 years later Attenborough made an adventure filrii about Belaney with 007's Brosnati iii the lead. Attenborough's back on his favoured. if well trod ground -
36 THE [151' 16—30 Nov 2000
biographical films about heroic men. see also (fund/ii and Cry Freedom — with another handsomely filmed solidly told tale. ()deon At The ()uay. (ilasgow.
Hamlet(P(ii *ttt ((irigori Kosintscv. L'SSR. 190-1) 111ml;an Smoktunov sky. Mikhail Nazvanov. lzlza Radzin-SZolkonis. 150 mins. To mark the 400m anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. Kosintsev cut the text and produced this muscular and volatile version of the Danish tragedy. which interprets the play as an exercise iii the machinations of state politics. l‘IlmllitUSL'. lidinburgh.
Happiness ( 1H) ***** ('I‘odd Solondzf. LS. 1998) Cynthia Stevenson. Lara l’ly nn Boyle. Philip Seymour Hoffman. 13‘) tiiitis. 'I'hrce sisters. two small boys. one psychologist and a phone-harrassment specialist. Out of these unlikely elements 'lodd Solondl. has wrought pure cinematic gold. which veers from belly laughter one moment to stark pathos in another. lidinburgh l-‘ilm (iuild at the liilmhouse. lidiriburgh.
Harry, He's Here To Help ( Ia) **** (Dominik Moll. lirance. 2000) Sergi Lopez. Laurent Lucas. Mathilde Seigner. Sophie (iuillcmltl. 117 tiiiiis. Harassed young married couple Michel (Lucas) and Claire (Seigrier) are en route to renovate their summer holiday home with their three demanding children when Michel bumps into Harry (Lopez). an old school acquaintance. Having invited himself to dinner. Harry reveals his motto - a solution to every problem - arid promptly goes to work. Moll's well crafted blend of suspense and mischievous humour. assured pacing and line set pieces (not to mention an opening credit sequence Saul Bass would be proud of) places the film up there with lliglistiiitli arid Hitchcock. (ll-'1‘. (ilasgow. High Fidelity (15) *tit (Stephen lirears. L'S. 2000) John Cusack. lbeii lljejle. Jack Black. 113 iiiitis. Nick Hortiby 's story of a vinyl junkie who‘s more interested in his music collection than his relatiotisliips with women is practically a British institution. Yet. Cusack ~ and co-writer producer pals D.\'. De\'iticentis arid Steve Pink — have drawti on their own pasts to make a film that's as funny and profound as the book. But the great script. cast and music wouldn‘t have meant a thing without a filmmaker of Hears' calibre taking charge. Cameo. [Edinburgh
The Hitcher (18) that (Robert Mandel. US. 1980) Rutger llauer. (‘.'1‘honias Howell. Jennifer Jason Leigh. ‘18 mins. Drowsy driver Howell gets more than he bargained for w hen he picks tip psycho- hitcher llauer iti this genuinely edge-of-tlie- seat suspense thriller. Cameo. lidinburgh. The Hollow Man ( 18) iii (Paul \'erhoeven. LS. 2000) Kevin Bacon. lilisabeth Shue. Josh Brolin. 114 tiiiiis. Yerhoeveri takes another foray into adult sci- fi with this loose adaptation of H.(i. \Velles' The Invisible Man iri which Bacon plays an egotistical genius leading a team of scientists involved iii government military- .sponsored experiments with invisibility. Andrew W. Marlowe‘s screenplay subscribes to sotiie fascinating Platonic ideas about morality and culpability. which. unfortunately. is abandoned around the half way mark for straightforward action thrills. Still. the special effects are groundbreaking. particularly the scenes iti which lab animals. and later Bacon. are injected with a radioactiv e sertrtii causing them to vanish and reappear iii layers: skin. rtiUscle. organs. skeleton. Selected release.
Home Alone 3 (PG) it (Raja (iostiell. CS. 1007') Alex I). Linz. Olek Krupa. Ry a Kihlstedt. ‘15 mins. Instead of Macaulay Culkin. liete comes Alex D. Liriz (Michelle Pfeiffcr's kid iti ()lfc’ Fine Day). but this film is not a patch on the uri-PC slapstick and reckless stunting of the original. Stuck at home with the chicken pox. Alex discovers a gang of hi-tech international criminals trying to locate a top secret microchip. so he sets up increasingly elaborate and sadistic traps. L'Cl.(}1asgow.
The House Of Mirth (PG) *ttt (Terence Davies. CK. 2000) (iilliari Anderson. liric Stoltz. Anthony Lal’aglia. 1-10 mins. Dav ies' superb screen adaptation of [Edith Wharton's novel. filmed in Glasgow. makes it clear that beneath the well-bred skin of New York society at the
Claudia Schiffer stops driving around in new cars naked long enough to try her hand at acting in James Toback's improvised drama about white people's fascination with black culture, Black And White
turn of the century lurks a remorseless savagery. Socialite Lily Bart (the excellent Anderson) would appear to be a natural survivor. but through a combination of naivcty. folly and bad timing she is brought low. Davies charts Lily's tragic descent with formal rigour. frariiitig scenes with self- cotisciously painterly tableaux that evoke the era's fashionable artists. But. as with his other work. aesthetic control goes hand in glove with a deep compassion. Dominion. lidiiiburgh.
In The Mood For Love (I’m *iitt (Wong Kar-Wai. Hotig Kong. 2000) Maggie Cheurig. Tong Leung. ()7 mins. 1n Kat-\‘v'ai's new film. .set in (i0s lloiig Kong. an adulterous romance is happening elsew here — between the husband of secretary Cheung and the wife of Leung's journalist. Kar- Wai's interest lies with the cuckolded. and the way that something even more intense. personal and fortuitous develops out of their shared ‘adulteree' status. With .Nat King Cole on the soundtrack. regular Chris Doyle behind the camera and beguiling wardrobe desigti. Kar-Wai offers a seductive surface texture that's undercut by the director's trademark emphasis of the accidental over the clearly intentional. Subtly' stunning filtiiniakitig. Cameo. lidinburgh.
The Informer (Le cousin) (18) (Alain Cortieau. 1998) Alain Cliabat. Patrick 'l‘imsit. Marie ’l'rintigtiant. 1121111115.]1118’ tough look at the realities of French policing sees a chief detective making a deal with an informer (‘cousiri' iii police terminology) following the suicide of a friend arid colleague. Part of the lirench l‘ilni liestival. (ll-'1‘. (Elasgow; l-‘ilmhouse. Edinburgh.
The InheritorsHS) **** (Stefan Ruzowiysky. AUstria. 1998) 95 mins. l-'iiie 'Alpirie \‘t'estern' set in a 1930s rural community where a rich farmer kicks the bucket and leaves his land to his loyal liatids much to the consternation of the local owners. lidinburgh liilni (iurld at the liilriihouse. lidinburgh.
It Takes All Kinds (Le gout des autres) (12) (Agnes Jaotii. 2000) Jean-Pierre Bacri. Brigitte Catilloti. Alain Cliabat. 112 mins. Culture clash comedy iii which a hard-nosed itidustrialist goes to see a play featuring his niece and ends up falling for the lead actress. Meanwhile. his bodyguard falls for the waitress iii the theatre cafe. Part of the 1’rench liilm Festival. (i1"1‘.(ilasgow; liilmhouse. lidinburgh.
Jane Eyre (PU) *** (l'ranco [CllIlcllh CK Italy. 1096) William Hurt. Charlotte (iainsbourg. Joati Plowright. 113 mins. A decent enough adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's literary classic which features
w eighty acting from Hurt and the British thesps in support. The atmosphere is effective. if not entirely remarkable. as [effirelli manages to tune into the darker. more brooding aspects of the nov el. 0ch ~ti. Kilmarnock.
Keep It Quiet (Pas de scandale) i IFi (Benoit Jacquot. l‘NVI liabrice Luchirii. Isabelle lluppert. Vincent Lindon. 103 mins. A wealthy middle-aged industrialist has just been released from prison. His wife and her
journalist brother attempt to readjust to his presence but carrying on life as before. btit prison has changed the ex-coii and he wants to talk about tiiariy tliitigs that previously went tinsaid. Part of tlie lireiich 1'11”) 1’estiva1. (il"l'. (ilasgow; l’iltiihouse. liditiburgh.
Key Largo (P(i) *tii (Joliti lltistoti. LS. 1045) Humphrey Bogart. lauren Bacall. lidward (i Robinson. 101 mins. ltdward (i's gangster boss and his boys hole tip in a hotel iii tltc l‘lorida keys. Bogart's army officer is already there. along with the hotel owner's dauglitet. Bacall. As a storm breaks otit the tension rises in llustoii's taut drama. Lumiere. lidinburgh.
La Veuve de Saint-Pierre(15)*** (Patrice Lccotite. l’rance.2000)Ju1iettc Biiiochc. Daniel Auteil. limir Kusturica. 112 mins. '1‘he ever-versatile Lccoiite follows the fairytale play lulriess of 'l'lie (iirl (hi 'l'lie Bridge with this mournful period melodrama. Partly an examination of the iniquity of the death penalty and partly a portrait of the harshness of life iii a godforsaketi 10th century colonial outpost. La \E'ui'e is above all a latalistic love story. in which l'amour. iii both the physical and platonic senses. leads to such tragic consequences. MacRobert. Stirling.
Little Darling (Petite Cherie) ( 15') (Anne Villaccquc. 2000) 105. iiiiiis. Love blooms late for :liirtysoiiiething Siby 11c. who's still. virgin. is tio looker and lives at hoiiie with her parctits. Btit with the arrival of Victor. her romantic life takes a leap. Part of the l’rcnch l’ilm liestival. (11"1‘. (ilasgow; l'iliiihotise. lidiiiburgh.
Little Nicky ( 12) (Steven Brill. L's. 2000) Adatii Sandler. Harvey Kcitel. Patricia Arquette. Miiis tbc. It‘s the 10.000th year of Satan's rule as the Prince Of Darkness. but w hen old Nick decides against turning ov er his fiery throne to his two eldest sons they bugger off upstairs to New York City and have a go at recreating hell on lzarth. And so Nicky iiitist save the day ...1-‘or widely popular Saridlcr's new self-penned liltii. in which he plays the dorky son of the devil. the startlingly unfunny 'coiiiedian' has managed to secure the services of a half decent cast which includes Harvey Keitel (play itig his dad) and the Tecltisl‘-c ()uentin 'larantino otit of his home cinema to play a blind preacher. See re'. tC‘-‘-. (ietieral release. The Little Vampire (1') iii: (IfIi Iidel. L-K. 21M“) Rollo \hceks. Richard 1.. (irant. Jonathan Lipnicki. 05 iiiins.’1'ony
(Lipnicki I. fresh from the orange groves of California. moves w ith his family to beautiful Scotland. llc qu1ckly becomes the most unpopular kid iti his class. but finds a playmate w hen a ten-year-old vampire conveniently falls down his chimney. Can 'l'ony join in the quest for the riiissirig amulet and help the fariged Rudolph and his family bccotiie liuiiian.’ Despite its 11 ~11ywood re- vamp. Angela St~miiicr-Bt«leribiirg's '.‘.c11- l(~\ ed novel eriierges xi. ith its sense it fun intact. However. ‘-‘-1'111L‘ this trim certainly doesn't suck. ultiriiately. it lacks teal bite.
Cicnetal release. Little Vera I 15) iii t\'asili l’ichul.