www.list.co.uklfilm
UST >l<
THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES
FOR EVERY JESSICA LANGE THERE'S A LIZ HURLEY
Catwalkdivas
As The Hottie and the Nottie hits cinema screens Eddie Harrison calls time on the phenomenon of the Model-Turned-Actor
aris Hilton‘s latest celluloid foray. 'I‘lii' Hot/iv and the Nottie earned a grand total of E2fl.(l(l() at the US box office: considerably less than Hilton pockets to syvan around for a couple of hours at a Hollywood shindig. Hilton‘s rotisserie chicken physique may sell glossy maga/ines. but as an actress. the message is clear: vve‘d rather forget Paris.
The industry term is MTA. model-turned-actress. But for every ()scar-yvinner like Jessica l.ange or Charlize Theron. there‘s a l.i/ llurley or a Kelly Brook. The MTA phenomenon is nothing neyy. In .-t// About live. Marilyn Monroe‘s character is dismissed with the put-dovvn: 'I heard she went to the Copacabana Academy of Dramatic Arts'.
Be careful not to get .‘yl'l‘A confused with any other acronyms. An RTA is a road traffic accident. a phrase also applicable to Hilton‘s mannequin-like performances in Home ol‘lt'ox. Bottoms l 'p or I’li'i/ei' This. And an ATM is something illtll cash is produced
from. not poured into like the cinematic careers of
Cindy Fair (fume Crawford. Paulina lli'r :l/i/ri Pori/kova or Pamela Burl) ll'iri' .-\nderson.
While models might be able to raise a croyy d on the catwalk. they can't necessarily fill a cinema seat. Supermodel rarely translates as super-actress. although Halle Berry. Kim Basinger and Kathleen
Turner might disagree. l'ma Thurman yy as another
who bucked the trend. even sending herself up in Mel Brooks' musical The Producers.
Nobody embodies the MTA better (or vyorsei than Pia Zadora. When the phrase model-turned-actress is abbreviated to ‘mactress‘. Zadora is usually to blame.
44 THE LIST 27 Mar—’0 Apr 2538
'/.adora‘s multi-millionaire husband \yas able to launch her career with some record deals and half- dressed photo—shoots. but came unstuck \yhen putting the ingenue on—screcn in a string of studio~f|ops in the early b'lls. \Vitness /.adol‘a opposite a clearly inebl'iated ()rson \Vclles in l‘lb'l‘s .lames .\l ('ain adaptation. li’ulli'i'l/y'; her interpretation of her southern fried sc\pol role is less suggestiye of a baby doll than a \entrilotpiisl's dummy. Despite playing opposite ’l‘elly Sayalas in seedy l.as \cgas set thriller l'il/u' ()iit. ot' Ray l.iotla in The lone/t I.(1(/\. /.adora's onscreen presence usually had the same effect on cinema lobbies as a surprise lire drill. Rumour has it that \y hen /.adora played .-\nne frank in a stage production. her performance yyas so grating that yyhen the \tt/is new searchng lllc llotlsc. audience members helpfull} shouted out: ‘She's in the atticl' Yet. in hypocritical llollyyvood. the .\l'l'.-\ distinction rarely sticks to tnen for quite so long. Thanks to the tireless \york of Ben Stiller in Xiio/iiiii/i'r. no one is about to call Brad Pitt an .\l'l.v\. Brandon Roulh probably prefers to think of himself as an unknoyvn pic—Supt'rhioh Rt’llfl'llt But models of either sex yy ho fondly imagine themselves looking tearfully dovyn from the ()sctll‘ [Wiltlltllll \lltlllltl take 11 lolly.I hard look at the stream of .\l'l}\s littering the boulevard of broken dreams; King ()/y mandis‘ \yords in Shelley 's poem are
just as applicable to the collected vyorks of l’ia /.;itlol'a.
look on my yyork. ye mighty . . . and despairf
The Hottie and the Nottie is on general release from Fri 28 Mar. See Also Released, page 48.
* Son of Rainbow Delightful 1980s—set comedy drama. See feature. page 18 and review. page 46. General release from Fri 4 Apr.
# Funny Games US Michael Haneke's shot for shot English language remake of his seminal Austrian 1997 home invasion horror. See review. page 45 and Michael Pitt profile. page 47. Selected release from Fri 4 Apr.
* The Conformist Bernardo Bertolucci‘s 1970 political parable about the self-delusion of a Nazr collaborator briefly emerges on a lovely new print. See Also Released. page 48. Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh from Fri 28 Mar- Thu 3 Apr.
* My Brother is an Only Child Italian drama about two brothers on different sides of the political divide in the 19608 and 70s. See review, page 48. GFT. Glasgow and selected cinemas from Fri 4 Apr.
* New Europe Film Festival Tasty selection of films from the 12 new member states of the EU. Highlights include great Romanian drama California Dreamin '. Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 4 Apr.
* A History of Transgression Short season of landmark examples of experimental cinema. Includes rare screening of Michael Snow's little seen Wavelength. GFI'. Glasgow from Sun 6 Apr. * Lars and the Real Girl Whimsical but likeable small town romance about one man and his sex doll. Out now on selected cinemas.
# The Orphanage Incomparable Spanish ghost story. Out now on selected release.
# The List of Adrian Messenger John Huston's playful star heavy 1963 thriller finally gets a decent DVD release. See review, page 61. Out now (Metrodome)