Film index
0 Sweet Smell of Success ( I5) 0.... (Alexander Mackendrick. LS. 1957) Burt Lancaster. Tony Curtis. Stisan Harrison. 96min. ('lifford ()dets and lirnest Lehman scripted this brilliant study of the destrttctive effect of bower. Sweet Smell of Sin-revs tells the story of Sidney lialco (Curtis). a slimy publicist worming his way to the top via venomous newspaper columnist J. J. llunseckcr (Lancaster). The two leads are brilliantly cast against type. James Wong Howe's photography of Broadway at night is as evocative as film rioir ever got. while lilmer Bernstein's crime jazz. score (with contributions from the (‘hico Hamilton Quintet) completes the itnpression of a filthy. corrupt city. And astonishingly. the whole film was pulled together by Scotsman Alexander Mackendrick. who until this time was best known for whimsical lialing comedies. See Rough cuts. (iFL Glasgow.
0 Talk to Her ( 15) «no (Pedro Almodovar. Spaiti. 2002) Javier Cantata. Dario (irandinetti. Rosario Flores. Leonor Watlitig. 1 12min. Benigno ((‘a’tmartu and Marco ((irandinetti) are in love with two women . . . both of whom are hospitalised in comatose states. Benigno becatiie a nurse so that he could care full time for his beloved once aspiring ballerina Alicia (Watling). 1n the hospital room next door Marco visits Lydia (Flores). a fetiiale bullfiglitcr who was butchered iii the ring. Out of these tragic circumstances a friendship forms between the two men. 'Iit/k In Her is mature Altiiodovar; Spain's most famoUs filmmaker on top form. describing complex characters and cotnplicated emotional states in expert story tellitig fashion. From the gorgeous photography. desigti and music to the script and remarkable performances. 'Iitlk to Her is a Flawless film and a treat for cinema lovers. See feature and review. Selected release. Tape (15) .0. (Richard Linklater. ['S. 2002) Ethan Hawke. L'ma Thurman. Robert Leonard. 8(amin. A reunion of high school friends \‘ince (llawke) and Johnny (Leonard) turns sour when Vince accuses Johnny of raping his childhood sweetheart. The dialogue spices up when the girl iii question. Amy ('I‘hurman). turns tip and destroys the picture of a rape that the guys have built up. Iiaeh version of that nights events justifies the protagonist's personal standpoint. so it's difficult to know who to believe. Set entirely iii a motel rootn and played out iii real time. the theatrical roots of 'lii/ie. adapted from a Stephen Belber play. are accentuated by I.inklatcr who opts to filrii iii the style of the great (ierman auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder (’I‘lte 'li'urs ofil’etru lint Kant. iii particular). l‘(i(‘ Retifrew Street. (ilasgow. Thunderpants (l’( i) .0 (Peter Hewitt. l'K. 2002) Bruce ('ook 111. Rupert (irint. Ned Beatty. 95min. .-\ crap kids' flick that finds farting futiny. not once or twice. but the whole film through. The ability to pass gas of epic proportions results iti humiliation and eventual salvation for the film‘s eleven-year-old protagonist. Skip this
Fine diningsp
hour arid half of crap fart jokes. Ster ('entui‘y. lidinburgh: ('arlton. Stirling. Time Out (PG) 0... (Lattrent (’antet. l-‘rance. 2002) .-\urelicn Recoing. Karin \‘iard. Serge Livro/et. 134mm. The original lirench title. [flint/Moi (lit 'Ii'nt/n translates literally as ‘tinie-table'. suggesting the structure imposed by a working routine. Ironically so. since this is a slow -burning study of a middle-aged office worker who. having lost his job. cannot bear to tell his family. so he simply invents a new one. But maintaining this fiction soon becomes a full- titne occupation. His w ifc. children and parents believe he is working for the 1'.\'. atid his self-deception is so effective that when his father questions their effectiveness iti dealing with endemic third world poverty. he is personally offended. (‘antet was inspired by a documented case. but it is a testament to his formal control and ra/or- sharp insight that his fictional ending is more quietly devastating than what happened in real life. .-\rts (‘entre. liast Kilbride.
Touch of Evil ( no 00000 (Orson \Velles. LS. 1958) Orson Welles. ('liat‘lfoti lleston. Marlene Dietrich. Janet Leigh. 108mm. Welles made a return to Hollywood studio employment after a decade in the wilderness with this classic baroque thriller. lit a slea/y border tovvti. the murder of a Mexican bigwig causes friction between corrupt local detective llank Quinlan (Welles himself) and upright Mexican narcotics agent Vargas (Heston). Amidst a gallery of Wellesiati grotesques and expressionist canierawork the dialogue
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at a fraction of the price
Eat out for less
24 THE LIST 22 Aug—z"; 80;) 200?
between truth and justice becomes progressively more garbled. Don't be late or you'll miss one of cincnia‘s most famous opening shots. liilmhousc. lidinburgh.
A Trip Through Edinburgh (cert tbc) Min tbc. Documentary film which does what it says on the titi atid takes the attdieiice on a journey tlirottgli the Scottish capital. Dominion. lidinburgh.
Min Peaks: Fire Walk with Me ( 18) 0... (David Lynch. LS. 1992) Sheryl Lee. Kyle .\lcl.achlan. Ray Wise. 135mm. The move to the big screen to chronicle last seven days iii the life of Laura Palmer allows Lynch to go to greater excesses than in the TV series. .-\ dark-hucd and disturbing miasma of small-tow n corruption and perversity. filled with l’cakie faves and new cameos. l'('1. iiast Kilbride. Unfaithful ( l5) 0.. (.-\drian Lyne. LS. 2002) Diane Lane. Richard (ierc.
()liv icr Martinel. 123mm. .-\s a re-make of (‘laudc (’habrol's 196‘) thriller I.u l‘t‘llllllt‘ lll’ir/f’lt’. 'I'lit' ('n/ui/lr/u/ is a pretty tiresome effort. Diane Lane dominates the film as Richard (iei'e's dutiful bttt bored wife. who lids ti c‘llttllc‘c‘ lilltg W illt l‘rench lt()lllL‘
()liv icr Martine/. 'l‘he filiti plays otit like a tedious follow up to Lyne's own ,‘(Htl/ Attraction. this time with the (iallic itiale lover as the psycho. Magrititii 'l‘hcatrc.
lrv inc.
The Wash ( 15) (DJ l’ooh. LS. 2002) Dr Dre. Snoop Dogg. 'l‘omniy (’hong. tiiiti. Knockabout comedy pairing two American rap stars. With the rent due arid his car out of commission. Sean (Dre) has to come tip
Tues 27th Aug No Man’s Land (15)
Wed 28th Aug About A Boy (12) Cuppa I I for i 1.30am <9 7:30pm
Mon 2nd Sept
7:30pm
Lawless Heart (15) 7 30pm Thurs 5th Sept Kissing Jessica Stein (15) 7.30pm
Tickets and further information from The Steeple Box office
(Tel: 01324 506850)-
or on the day from the hall
Reign Of Fire, promises much, delivers little
with some bucks fast. When his best bttddy arid roommate Dec Loc (Dogg i. suggests to Scan he get a job busting suds down at the local car wash. the first order of business is impressing the gun-toting. dominoes- playitig ow ncr of. ('ineworld. l‘alkit‘k. What Time is it There? (Ni Nei Pien Chi Tien) (cert tbc) 0.. ('l‘sai Ming-I.iang. ’l‘aiwan/l‘rance. 2002) Lee Kang—Sheng. ('hen Shiang-(‘liy i. l.u Yi- ('hing. 11(imin. Writer-(1irector Ming-I.iang (The River. ill/It' [In/1') ()t'cltcslt‘ulcs another of his minimalist observations of urban isolation atid familial dy sfuncttonality. (’hat'actcrs struggle to communicate and fail to find emotional intimacy iii their fleeting sexual encounters. yet simultaneously Ming-Liang suggests the strange connections that cat) lie between individuals. ll'ltttt lfl)lt’ l\ (I [/11 it .’ unw inds in long. static takes. in which the camera lingers over people and locations. allow ing viewers the space to construct their ow n interpretations of the film's my stcriotts events. See review. l'ilnihousc. lidinburgh. O Whisky Galore (1’( i . ooooo (.-\le\andei‘ Mackcndrtck. l'ls. Ill-1‘1) liasil Radford. Joan (irecnwood. Jean ('adell 82min. Much loved l:alitig comedy by the late Sandy Mackcndrtck. .\ slin carry mg a cargo of whisky is shipwrecked oil a Scottish island during wartime. so the locals decide it's time to wet their thirst. Hill of wit and charm that others can only hope to emulate. See Rough cuts. (il’l‘. (ilasgow.
Windtalkers ( l5) 0.. (John Woo. LS. 2002) .\'ico1as Cage. Christian Slater. Adam Beach. 134mm. Set iti Saipan. 1942. Hint/talkers centres on a pair of Navajo Native Americans who are recruited as Marines and trained to Lise a secret military code. based on their native language. Iiach ‘code talker" is also assigned an accompanying Marine. with orders to. ‘protect the code at all costs‘. Which means the code talkei's‘ story is told through focttssing on their (white) bodyguards ((‘age and Slater). l'ltimatcly. what could have been a truly interesting story ends tip getting lost iii a sea of war mm (c cliches. .'\\ C\PCv'lCtl. \Vm) delivers on file .tcltutt scenes. but it's strictly gung-ho gulf. See review. l‘(i(' Renlrew Street. (ilasgow. l'(i(‘. lidinburgh.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival runs until 25 Aug. For more information see the Film Festival preview 955.