light years away from the original Star Wars. In visual terms, The Phantom Menuee stands alone in the cinematic universe. At times you’d think there was more animation than live action on screen - and maybe it's this toning down of the human element that has left the film lacking soul. Pavilion. (ialashiels.

Stuart Little (U) *ti (Rob Minkoff, US, 2000) Michael J. l-‘ox, Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie. ()2 mins. Live action with a computer generated talking mouse voiced by Michael J. I-‘ox, Minkoff's adaptation of ILB. White‘s classic childrens' book sees the sweet wee rodent orphan being adopted by affluent Manhattanitcs 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 AndJerrjv-style antics. Selected release.

The Talented Mr Ripley (15) **** (Anthony Minghella, US/UK, 2000) Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow. I39 mins. 'I'om 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 50s Italy, but Minghella‘s film and llighsmith'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. ()deon, Ayr.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (18) *tit ('I'obe Ilooper, US, 197-1) Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Danziger. 84 mins. A group of kids travel to a broken- down house in the middle of nowhere and meet cannibalistic degenerates who pick off the cast one by one. Perhaps the most relentless slice of terror ever put on screen Cameo, Iidinburgh.

This Is Spinal Tap (15) ***** (Rob Reiner, US, 1983) Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Ilarry Shearer, R.J.

Parnell, lid Begley Jr. 82 mins. Certainly the most ingenious, accurate and funny of all spoof rockumentaries. with wonderfully spontaneous dialogue. convincing ny-on-the-wall camera work. self-penned heavy metal parodies, and of course the amp that goes to II. Cameo, Iidinburgh.

Thomas And The Magic Railroad (U) ink (Britt Allcroft, UK 2000) Voices ofAlec Baldwin, Peter I-‘onda, Michael [5. 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'l'homas The Tank Iinginc aiding 'I‘he 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! Selected release.

Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train (15) **** (Patrice Chereau, France, 2000) Jean-Louis Trintignant, Pascal Gregory, Charles Berling. 122 mins. The minor painter, Jean-Baptiste Emmerich, has died. Despite living in Paris, his dying wish is to be buried in Limoges, and so catching the train to the funeral are a mixture of the dead man's friends, lovers, students and relatives. Chereau's first feature since Lu Reine .Ilurgot is a fiercely intense, yet cathartic melodrama which, with every character suffering some form of a personal crisis, keeps veering off in unexpected directions. Brilliantly shot, Those Who Love Me. . . is also marked by a host of vivid, heartfelt performances. Lumiere, Iidinburgh.

The Tigger Movie (U) **** (Jun Palkenstein, US, 2000) 77 mins. Identical in many ways to 1977's The Many

Adventures Of Il’innie The Pooh, this new

yarn based on A.A. Milne's characters finds Pooh, Piglet. 'I'igger 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

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quest for the 'I‘igger Family Tree ensues. A happy ending eventually makes its presence felt, because even 'I‘igger is smart enough to recognise that with friends like Pooh, Piglet, Roo and Iieyore, who needs family"? Odeon. Edinburgh.

Time Code (18) *Hr (Mike l’iggis. L's, 2000) Saffron Burrows, Salma Ilayek. Stellan Skarsgard, Jeanne ’I‘ripplehorn. ()7 mins. Another audacious, experimental feature from I-‘iggis. interweaving four improvised stories shot in real time and projected on to a split-screen simultaneously. The characters' lives criss- cross in time and space, as they enter and leave different locations. interact face-to- face or on the phone. and slowly converge upon the office of Indie film production company Red Mullet lnc., where a tyrannical director is in the final stages of casting his new movie. Intellectually invigorating. technologically bold and perhaps most surprisingly given the technical nature of the project always emotionally involving. Odeon, Glasgow. Titus (18) *** (Julie 'I‘aymor, US, 2000) Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming. 162 mins. In this appropriately

gruesome adaptation of Shakespeare's

bloodiest play, Titus .‘Imlronieus, Roman general ’I‘itus (I Iopkins) returns home after conquering the Goths. But when playboy I€mperor Saturninus (Cumming) takes the surviving Goth queen, 'l'amora (Lange), as his wife a series of tragic events are set in motion which wrecks havoc on the Andronieus lineage. Visually, the film looks great, though it tips crude cinematic snooks at everything from Romeo And Juliet to The .IlurrLt‘. Hopkins is brilliant and there's strong support from all of the cast to make this an absorbing, if derivative three hour ride. Cameo, lidinburgh.

Total Western (18) (Iiric Rochant, 2000) Sarnule Le Bihan, Jean-Pierre Kalfon. 84 mins. John Woo meets Sergio Leone in this high octane, blood-splattered action romp set in the heart of the French countryside. When a drug deal goes

index FILM

w rong. Bede. the right hand man of a Paris gang bOss. goes on the lam in a rural correctional facility for young offenders. The boys might be bad, but Iiede don't take no shit. Part of the French Iiilm I-‘estival. Gl’l'. Glasgow; I-‘ilmhouse, Iidinburgh.

Une Liaison Pornographique (15) at“: (lirederic I’onteyne, lirance. 2000) Sergi Lopez, Natalie Baye. 80 mins. An anonymous man (Lopez) and woman (Baye) separately recount to an unseen interviewer the nature of their ‘liaison pornographique'. ln flashback, we learn of their sexual fantasy, a routine repeated on a weekly basis. The film, whilst retaining a sense of mystery around the couple's erotic encounters, does achieve a measure of poignancy through the subtle. credible performances of Lopez and Baye. New Picture IIOUse, St Andrews.

Up In Smoke ( 18) in: (Lou Adler, US, 1078) Cheech .\1arin.'l'ommy Chong. Stacy Keach. lI7 mitts. 'I'wo LA dopeheads attempt to drive a van made entirely out of marijuana back home from Mexico. Shambling festival of drug- related humour. (irosvenor. Glasgow.

The Way Of The Gun (18) **** (Christopher .\lc()uarrie, US, 2000) Ryan Philippe, Ilenicio del 'I‘oro, James Caan. 11‘) mins. Parker (Philippe) and Longbaugh (del 'I‘oro) are a couple of driftcrs who kidnap a heavily pregnant woman, Robin (Juliette Lewis), who is acting as a surrogate mother for the millionaire tycoon, who promptly dispatches veteran ‘adjudicator' Sarno (Caan), to retrieve Robin front her captors. As the kidnappers head down into MexiCo, the stage is set fora fatal showdown, allowing McOuarrie (writer of The Usual Suspects) to reveal the ambiguity of his characters' motivations and the deceptiveness of their personal agendas. Peckinpah appears to be a key influence. See review. General release.

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16-30 Nov 2000 THE LIST 39