FILM index

FILM INDEX continued

The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (12) ** (Peter Segal, US, 2000) Eddie Murphy, Janet Jackson, Larry Miller. 107 mins. Eddie Murphy has a habit of making sequels that fail to live up to expectations. Ilere. he plays the entire Klump family as well as baddic, Buddy Love. Professor Klump is getting tnarried to Denise (Janet Jackson). As the big day looms, he struggles to cope with his personal crises and ongoing battles with arch-enemy Love. This proves to be one task too far for the talents of Eddie Murphy. General release.

0 Brother, Where Art Thou? (12) **** (Joel ('oen. US, 2000) George Clooney, John 'I‘urturro, Tim Blake Nelson. 107 mins. Preston Sturges' Sullivan ’3’ Travels and Homer's The ()tlyssey are the starting points for this 30s-set screwball comedy. Smooth-talking Everett Ulysees McGill (Clooney), simpleton Delmar (Nelson) and maladjusted Pete ('I‘tirturro) are members of a chain gang on the run looking for buried loot. Their journey up and down the state of Mississippi brings them into contact with assorted eccentrics based on Homer's mythological figures. A lighter work for the Coens, more Raising Arizona than Fargo, but it's still a rare treat. A truly captivating confederacy of dunces. Selected release.

Of Women And Magic (La chambre des magiciennes) (15) (Claude Miller, 2000) Anne Brochet, Mathilde Seigner, Annie Noel. 80 mins. A month in the hospital with three patients, a mature student suffering anxiety attacks in the form of migraines, a paralysed young woman and an old woman suffering early dementia. Miller shoots the tightly focused drama using digital technology. Part of the French Film Festival. Gl-‘I‘, Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh.

Orphans (18) it'i‘k‘k (Peter Mullan, UK, 1999) Douglas llenshall. Gary Lewis, Stephen McCole, Rosemarie Stephenson. 105 mins. Four orphans of varying ages attempt to conte to terms with the death of their beloved mother during one dark, stormy night in Glasgow. Mullan's feature directing debut tnixes emotional frankness with humour verging on the surreal to great effect. While individual set pieces and performances impress, the whole thing comes together remarkably. Gl’l', Glasgow.

Pilton Video (na) (Various, UK. 1991-2000) mins. Various video works made by residents from Edinburgh's Pilton Housing Estate. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Pitch Black (18) **** (David Twohy, US, 1999) Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Ilauser. 110 mitts. Their spaceship damaged by a meteor shower, the members of an inter-stellar mission crash- Iand onto a parched planet, lit by three suns and inhabited by thousands of voracious flying creatures. The sun-baked planet and hammer-headed predators are strikingly visualised, but it is the internal group dynamics that engage one's attention. Twohy cleverly exploits the relative anonymity of his cast metnbers, subverting our expectations about which of them will survive. Those you think you can trust turn out to be the last ones you can rely on, and vice versa. Smart, mid- budget sci-fi. General release.

Plein Solei1(15) **** (Rene Clement, France, 1900) Alain Delon. Maurice Ronet, Marie Laforet. 118 mins. Clement's lushly filmed reworking of a Patricia Ilighsmith story hooks viewers into its skewed moral universe. Ripley (Delon) nurses a grudge against a friend with girl trouble and hatches a plan to kill him on a yachting trip. The film - clumsy in places, over-long in others becomes an absorbing exercise in careful plotting and spooky emotional manoeuvring. Wynd Theatre, Melrose.

The Portrait Of A Lady (12) *‘k‘k‘k (Jane Campion. US. 1990) Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey. 144 mins. Campion‘s follow-up to The Piano is a dark and difficult adaptation of Henry James‘s novel which stays true to the original‘s subtle

38 THE LIST 16—30 Nov 2000

psychological observations. Kidman at once proud, naive, sensitive and determined is excellent as the young woman almost destroyed by a disastrous marriage, while Malkovich is a little too cold and ambiguous. Beautiful, but emotionally remote. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.

The Prof (Le Prof) (15) (Alexandre Jardin, 2000) 100 mins. Upbeat drama in which Jean-Hughes Anglade and Yvan Attal play life-long friends and teachers at the same school with opposing views on education, one believes students should be able to explore their imaginations, the other adheres to a rigid curriculum. The profs are also in love with the same girl. Part of the French Film Festival. GI’I‘, Glasgow: Filmhouse, Edinburgh.

Purely Belter(15) *tit (Mark Herman, UK, 2000) Chris Beattie, Greg McLane, Kevin Whatley. 98 mins. Based on Jonathan 'l'ulloch's novel The Season Ticket, about two broke Geordie teenagers, Gerry (Beattie) and Sewell (McLane), who attempt to scrape together enough cash for two season tickets to their beloved Newcastle United's St James Park. Their increasingly hair-brained schemes create a number of hilarious set pieces, but Herman's (Brassed Off) film also has more than its fair share of bittersweet realism. The thing that really makes this film, however, is the excellent performances from the two unknown kids, plus a delightful supporting cast. General release. Quai des orfevres (l2) *ivtt (Henri Georges-CloUZot, 1947) Louis Jovet, Suzy Delair, Bertrand Blier. 105 mins. Classic thriller which turns upon the notion that a music hall entertainer believes she may have killed a filthy old man. Unbeknown to the woman her husband, who intended to kill him, arrives at the scene to find him already dead and promptly becomes the prime suspect. Part of the French Film Festival. (ii-'I', Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh.

Rear Window (PG) **** (Alfred Hitchcock, US, 195-1) James Stewart, Grace Kelly. Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr. 112 mins. Laid tip with a broken leg, Slitn Jim takes to neighbour-spotting with binoculars and camera at the ready. Before long, he's getting hot under the collar about the dirty deeds done across the yard. Is it murder'.’ Or just naked voyeurism? ()ne of Hitch's darkest movies, with an intense, unrelenting claustrophobia derived from confining the lens to the apartment set. New Picture House, St Andrews.

Rendez~vous In Paris (15) **** (Eric Rohmer. France, 1995) Clara Bellar, Mathias Megard. Aurore Rauscher. 100 mins. Rohmer's compendium of three short tales breaks little new ground, but retains his trademark sophistication and gives substantial roles to a fresh-faced young cast. Romance is at the heart of each section, which are linked by a street aecordionist and chanteuse, but it's really Paris that's the star, captured with the eye of an insider. Lumiere. Edinburgh. Return To Algiers (La-has . . . mon pays) (15) (Alexandre Arcady, 1999) 115 mitts. Antoine de Caunes' celebrated journalist gets the shock of his life when he spies his teenage sweetheart on a television news report from the Islamic Front demonstration in Algiers. His efforts to find and help the girl allow Arcady to examine the impact of the conflict in Algiers (France's Vietnam) on the nation's psyche. Part of the French Film Festival. GI’I'. Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Return To Me (PG) 1t"ka (Bonnie Hunt, US, 2000) David Duchovny. Minnie Driver, Joely Richardson. 115 mins. Heart transplant patient Grace (Driver) receives Bob‘s (Duchovny) dead wife '5 (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. Lumiere, Edinburgh.

Robert De Niro's bigoted cop must come to terms with a debilitating stroke and his drag queen neighbour (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in Joel Schumacher's two-header character study, Flawless

Road Trip (15) **** (Todd Phillips, US, 2000) Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Tom Green. 94 mins. Four college pals set out on a road trip from New York to Texas when Josh cheats on his childhood sweetheart Tiffany, and has four days to intercept the mailed videotape of his infidelity. En route the boys learn about the important things in life: the rules of cheating on your partner, the best way to donate sperm, stealing from the blind and ancient Greek Philosophy. The star of the film is undoubtedly MTV cult phenomenon Tom Green. Ilis performance is guaranteed to have you in stitches as he gives a university tour, woos girls, eats mice and does battle with a python. Stupendous fun. General release.

Romeo Must Die (15) «bk (Andrezej Bartkowiak, US, 2000) Jet Li, Aaliyah, Isiah Washington. 115 mins. Tagged as an urban Romeo And Juliet, here's Shakespeare as obscured by hip-hop and kung fu. When two warring crime families (one black, one Chinese) are hit by tragedy, the surviving offspring (Li and R&B star Aaliyah) team up to avenge their brothers' deaths. This is basically a martial arts display attached to a vaguely flirtatious friendship. It‘s a shame that Li's first starring role in an American film (following a supporting part in Lethal Weapon 4) is so disappointing. Showcase, Glasgow.

Saint-Cyr (18) (Patricia Muzy, 2000) Isabelle Huppert, Nina Meurisse, Morgane More. 119 mins. Austere, dark and disturbing historical drama set in Normandy during the rule of Louis XIV. Madame de Maintenon, mistress to the King, attempts to build a school for daughters of noble births fallen on hard times, but her plan goes awry as she descends into madness. Part of the French Film Festival. GI’I‘, Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh.

The School Of Flesh (L'ecole de la chair) (18) (Benoit Jacquot, 1998) Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Martinez, Vincent Lindon. 105 mins. Adapted from the novel by Yukio Mishima, this is a tense, compelling and complex portrait of a relationship between an older woman and a younger man. As the romance continues age and class begin to come between the Japanese clothes designer's assistant and the young man from the other side of the tracks. Part of the French Film Festival. GF'I‘, Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Scottish Shorts (na) (Morag McKinnon, UK, 1994-2000) 50 mins approx. McKinnon presents and discusses her short film work. Programme includes Hoppla.’. F antoosh, Home and Birthday. which is up for a BAI’I‘A new talent award. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Sentimental Destinies (12) (Olivier Assayas, 2000) Emmanuclle Béart, Charles Berling, Isabelle Huppen. 180 mins. Monumental literary adaptation with a painterly visual sense that begins in the year 1900 and spans three decades in the life of Jean Barnery and his two wives.

Part of the French Film Festival. (if-'1‘, Glasgow; Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Shergar(1’G) *** (Denis C. Lewiston, UK, 1999) Tom Walsh, Ian Holm, Mickey Rourke. 91 mins. One for animal lovers, the story of what might have happened to the race horse that went missing in 1983. A cross between Patriot Games and National Velvet. Just don't say horse burgers. Lumiere, Edinburgh.

Singin' In The Rain (U) *‘k‘kt‘k (Gene Kelly 8; Stanley Donen, US, 1950) Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Cyd Charisse. 102 mins. Hollywood undergoes the transition from the silent era to the talkies and reputations rise and fall. Absolutely wonderful musical entertainment, with the slickest of snappy dialogue, endurineg catchy numbers, a cast of genuine charisma, and an engaging picture of the industry in transition into the bargain. Quite splendid. The Bathgate Regal, Bathgate.

Singles (12) *ttt (Cameron Crowe, US, 1992) Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon. 90 mins. The way it's been sold you'd think it was sotne total guitar hardcore odyssey vibe, but in fact it's a honey-coated romance that just happens to take place in Seattle. There's a high recognition factor for twentysomethings in the audience as they watch the ensemble cast find its way around misdirected crushes, parties from hell and crap gigs. Watch your life flash before you. Catneo, Edinburgh.

The Skulls (15) * (Rob Cohen, US, 2000) Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker, Hill Harper. 107 mins. True, there actually is a long- standing sccret society at Yale university called the Skull And Bones, among whose invited members have numbered former CIA men and business tycoons. This little fact-ette, however, is more intriguing, exciting and thought-provoking than anything else in Cohen's pulpy thriller, which blends po-faced seriousness with knuckle-headed incompetence to ultimately laughable effect. Connoisseurs of dumb Hollywood plotting will have a ball. See review. General release.

Space Cowboys (PG) it (Clint Eastwood, US, 2000) Clint Eastwood, James Garner, 'l‘ommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland. 130 mins. The first half of Space 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 becomes Apollo 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. New Picture House, St Andrews.

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (U) *‘kt (George Lucas, CS. 1999) Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman. 132 mins. On the surface, the plot structure isn't a million