ever made. (Miles Fielder) . I Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh from Fri 20 May I

(until Thu 26 May). GFI', Glasgow Fri 27—Sun 29 May. l t ,

HORROR/COMEDY l SEED 0F CHUCKY (15) 86min .0. i

The fifth escapade of the infamous doll I has original creator and series I scriptwriter Don Mancini in the director's chair. He follows the lead of Chucky's last outing. Bride of Chucky. using self- depreciating wit to create a pastiche of the horror doll who terrorised in his first three movies. For good measure Mancini (as both writer and director) also throws into the mix an androgynous spawn of Chucky and Tiffany. going by the name of Glen or Glenda. depending on his/her make-up for the day. This homage to Ed : (Helen Hunt) enters their circle.

Woods 1953 transvestite movie is an Transposing the action from the late attempt to establish Seed of Chucky in 19th century London to the Amalfi Coast LIVING WITH THE ENEMY . . the realm of cultishly crap B-movies. in 1930. Howard Himmelstein's liberal Wnter/d'rector SAVER") COSTANZO ta'ks about mak'ng mate, a

fictionalised account of the lives of a Palestinian family trapped inside a

screen ada tation of allows man of . . . . p y house commandeered by Israeli soldiers. Wilde 3 characters to now become ,--..-..._.-_-.,-.._.

Italian and American (Duchess Berwick ‘I lived with this family for two months and observed their daily life. In that has now become Contessa Lucchino house the war seemed invisible. You couldn’t see the soldiers because and Lady Windermere is of American they were always hiding upstairs. I tried to bring this surreal atmosphere moneyed descent). It all works very well. into the movie. Himmelstein borrows freely from Wilde's ‘I talked a lotto the real father, who’s an unbelievable man. He’s not a other plays (along with many quotes straightforward hero. He liked to quote Shakespeare’s ‘To Be or not to Be’ which were attributed to him) to highlight speech. He told me about the religious issues. He talked about the things Wilde's original anthropological we had in common, which is poetry. Eventually I understood his point of 3 inclination to detail the doomed days of view, which is that if he leaves the house, he will no longer have a life, those ‘unthinkable‘ fox hunting aristos because he will be leaving his kids to hate themselves. If he stays, his kids whose sole aim in life seemed to be to will have the power to forgive. He said to his wife: “Go if you want. I will ‘chase the inedible'. stay here by myself.” You have to remember that in an Arab family, the Mike To Kill A King Barker may be an father is boss. If he wants the family to stay there, the family has to stay. The opening is hilarious. with Jennifer odd choice to direct such odd He has values and principles and sometimes we are afraid of people with Tilly (who in this and the previous film lightweight fare but he does a principles. Perhaps that’s why it was not easy for me to understand him. provides the voice of bride doll Tiffany) commendable job in keeping things ‘Being an Italian director meant it wasn’t difficult to bring together a cast playing herself. She's a one-time Oscar breezy and fresh if slightly unevenly of Israeli and Palestinian actors. If I myself had been Israeli or Palestinian, nominee whose career is on the skids. paced in this the sixth big screen version it would have been impossible, but because people regarded me as an An intrepid paparazzo. played by original of the play. outsider and thought my screenplay was objective, they felt I could be king of gross John Waters. tries to out The trouble as it always is with this trusted. I don’t think this is an ideological or a political movie. I was trying Tilly as a slut willing to sleep with rap type of thing lies in the casting and to show that the ordinary Israeli soldiers are normal guys, who don’t know star turned director Redman (also - performances. while Tom Wilkinson is why are they are fighting a war: they are 18 years old and they are the last playing himself) in order to play the Virgin superb in the Tuppy/Lord Augustus role. part of a chain, and the problem is the people who send them there. Mary in a Jesus movie. Then the dolls as is Hunt and the assorted members of ‘We filmed Private in the south of Italy in Calabria. My production enter the fray. harbouring troubled the Windermere court (John Standing director and me drove 2500km around this region looking for the right identity issues. dull dialogue and and Diana Hardcastle in particular). house. As we were filming mainly inside the house, we didn’t use many irreverent asides and the movie quickly 7 Johansson's Lady Windermere and long shots. It was like a fight in a boxing ring; we were always approaching implodes like an over-inflated plastic sex Moore’s dreary Lord Windermere fail to the actors, while they were acting, as they didn’t know where the camera toy. Still. if you have been following this bring the required passion to what are was. There are lots of close-ups and not much depth of focus, because the low budget franchise this is going to be admittedly dull parts. depth is inside the characters. We also wanted to distinguish between day essential viewing. (Kaleem Aftab) But these are minor quibbles A Good and night. In the daytime, the images are clear. At night you can hardly see I General release from Fri 73 May Woman is solid. uninventive anything and you listen to the noises. We share the family’s perspective: if THEATRE ADAPTATION entertainment. Special credit also needs theycan’t see, then the. viewer can’t see.’ (Interview by Tom Dawson) A GOOD WOMAN to go to John Bloomfield’scostume I Private IS showing at Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 13 May and GFf, (p6) 92min ... deSign. which is an exqursnely detailed Glasgow from Fri 27 May. > 3 melange of tea dress and evening wear Film adaptations of Oscar Wilde‘s most decadence. what more could you ask famous plays come and go. some are for? with The Godfather, Scorsese was

more successful than others and indeed I Selected release from Fri 73 Apr. some performers go out of their way to

giving himself therapy through this still startling confection of naturalism, soul music, beautifully judged detail and

faith. This was the beginning of a long pilgrimage to the heart of great movie

HOOD CLASSIC

appear in little else of merit apart from these odd crossover anomalies (stand

up Mr Rupert Everett). And yet even in

the most decrepit of versions of Wilde's Blimey it's quite the fortnight for classic making for Scorsese. and like all first work. it is impossible to ignore how film re-releases. what with this. and steps. it was amongst his strongest. fruitin prescient and funny the Irish wit's i the new prints doing the rounds of This new print looks great and if you best lines are. Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder and have never seen it before you really are Lady Windermere's Fan. Wilde's 1893 Altman's Nashville. As dated. as it may better off seeing it on the big screen. play upon which A Good Woman is : initially seem Martin Scorsese's but if you can't make it. it has also just based is among Wilde's most deliciously second feature proper (after 1970's been re-released on DVD (by barbed but forgiving works. It details Roger Corman produced Boxcar hyperactive cousin Johnny Boy Universal). Three five star movies in twenty-four hours in the life of upper Bertha) is still the work of a junior (Robert De Niro), and their struggles to one issue proves. it nothing else. that class newlyweds Lord and Lady i maverick cineaste in the throws of a succeed in Little Italy belies a tapestry they really don't make them like they Windermere (Stephen Campbell Moore demonic passion he could hardly of character. invention and memorable used to. time will not fade their and Scarlett Johansson) as they struggle ; contain. scenario which lingers in the mind and grandeur. (Paul Dale) to counter gossip and rumour when a f The simple story of two small time heart long after the closing credits. I GFT, Glasgow on Tue 24 and Wed certain lady of ill repute Mrs Erlynne hoods Charlie (Harvey Keitel) and his While Coppola was going his own way 25 May only

12—26 May 2005 THE LIST 51