June 6, 1998
Such A Long Journey (1998) **
Story of an Hindu bank teller who gets involved in a murky money laundering scheme.
Kitchen Party (1998) **
A house party takes place only in the kitchen, because the host's anal-retentive parents worry about their new carpet. But soon enough, things get out of hand, with smashed cars and bullets flying. This black comedy from Canada has an original sense of humour, but unfortunately ain't very funny.
The Interview (1998) **
Police officers are interrogating a suspect. Then, they find themselves investigated by Internal Affairs. Australian drama starring Hugo Weaving.
Go Now (1998) **
Robert Carlyle ("Riff Raff", "Priest", "The Full Monty", "Trainspotting") stars as a young man suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Juliet Aubrey plays his devoted companion.
Heaven's Burning (1998) **
Slow-paced Australian road movie/film noir about a young girl taken hostage during a botched bank robbery. One of her captors falls in love with her and stands up to his accomplices who want to kill her. Fans of Hong Kong cinema will recognize it as a very loose remake of "A Moment Of Romance" (1990), starring Andy Lau.
Heart Of The Sun (1998) **
A farmer's wife from Alberta finds out she can't have children, because she was forcibly sterilized in a mental institution. A powerful indictement of the "eugenics" program.
Shooting Fish (1998) **
Fairly entertaining British pic starring Kate Beckinsale (looking gorgeous in a Seberg hairdo) as a young secretary working for two con artists.
Saving Grace (1998) **
This is an original, memorable film from New Zealand about a love affair between two young people.
Seetha And Carole (1998) *
A Canadian woman tries to adopt a little boy from India, only to find out his birth mother wants him back. A low-budget flop made by complete amateurs. The acting is absolutely atrocious - actors seem to have graduated from Ed Wood School Of Performing Arts.
The Wrong Guy (1998) **
A young executive thinks he's a murder suspect and tries to elude the cops who aren't even looking for him. This ineptly made comedy is actually very entertaining - for all the wrong reasons. You won't laugh at the jokes, but you will laugh at the movie.
The Man With Rain In His Shoes (1998) **
A young actor cheats on his girlfriend, they break up and he's miserable. Finding a way to go back in time, he avoids all the mistakes, but this time, she ends up cheating on him.
May 5, 1998
Un 32 aout sur terre (1998) **
After surviving a horrible car crash, a young woman (Pascale Bussiere) decides to have child with a friend (Alexis Martin). He already has a steady girlfriend, but being a typical guy, he enthousiastically agrees. His only condition: the child has to be conceived in the desert. This Quebec pic substitutes oddness for originality, and promises more than it delivers.
Towards A Promised Land (1998) *
A documentary about Quebec's Jewish community and its relationship with the Francophone majority.
Viens danser sur la lune (1998) *
Lolita's Humbert Humbert would have loved this bizarre kidpic about 13-year-old nymphets wearing skimpy bathing suits and thick makeup. The voyeuristic camera behaves in ways more appropriate for soft-core erotica than family entertainment.
2 Secondes (1998) **
Charlotte Laurier plays a mountain-bike racer who retires from that sport to work for a messenger service in downtown Montreal. In a particularly poor year for Quebec cinema, this flawed effort still emerges as a veritable breadth of fresh air after many embarrassing flops.
C't'a ton tour Laura Cadieux (1998) **
Cavemen from Villendorf used to worship them as fertility goddesses. They inspired artists like Rubens and Botero. But unfortunately, in present-day Quebec, well-rounded matrons are no longer en vogue. They are forced on crash diets by doctors who make them wait for hours in their offices. This flawed, but entertaining adaptation of a Michel Tremblay's novel treats its oversized heroines with a unique mixture of warmth and cruelty.
Les Boyz II (1998) *
I've prepared a whole litany of abusive adjectives (arranged alphabetically from abominable to wretched) to heap upon this sorry-ass excuse for a movie, but since it will be a huge hit anyway, I might as well save my breath, and engage in more meaningful activities like shooting arrows at the sun or pumping water out of the ocean.
Le Coeur au poing (1998) **
A young woman, feeling lonely, offers herself to complete strangers. This Quebec film is well directed and superbly acted (especially by Montpetit), but also very bizarre. An uneven effort: sometimes campy, often genuinely touching and always unsettling.
Seul dans mon putain d'univers (1998) *
A depressing documentary about juvenile delinquents in Montreal. A well-meaning effort, but seriously misguided. By offering no solutions (even implying that there are no solutions), the film basically encourages the viewers to nod their heads, sight...and go on with their lives. Supposedly "realistic" documentaries like this one largely explain public apathy concerning social problems.
La Deroute (1998) *
Quebec film about an Italian-Canadian businessman and his relationship with his daughter.
Kayla (1998) *
Set in a small Canadian village in 1920, it's a story of a young boy who befriends a wild dog. Not really a family film; younger children might be upset by scenes of animals being shot or poisoned.
La Position de l'escargot (1998) **
Tomassini is excellent as a young woman trying to reconcile with her prodigal father (Lanoux) and falling in love with her stalker. It's a great, beautifully nuanced performance. Unfortunately, the film itself is very uneven, with an interesting story badly scripted and weakly directed. And true to its title, everything moves at a snail pace.
Aujourd'hui ou jamais (1998) *
An old aviator, grounded for 15 years, wants to fly once again. But while fixing his antique airplane, he's visited by his prodigal father and a mysterious woman in a blonde wig. Lefebvre's auteurist touches (lethargic pace, catatonic characters, flegmatic dialogue, vividless imagery) are all very much in evidence.
April 4, 1998
Macca Strewth (1998) ****
VHS/Carrhot (1998) ***
Probably the only film ever made showing a carrot having sex with a grater. Computer animation.
Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square (1998) ***
Snow Cat (1998) ***
A sad midwinter tale about a young girl and her cat. Narrated by Maureen Stapleton, the film uses a new finger-paint technique of animation.
Mon enfant ma terre (1998) ***
A powerful indictment against the landmine industry. Animation technique: computer-coloured drawings on paper.
A Viagem (1998) ***
No Support (1998) ***
A claymation extravaganza about a billboard cowboy trying to prevent a suicide. Directed by René Castillo and Antonio Urrutia.
Bunny (1998) **
Weird, Oscar-winning (and rather unpleasant) cartoon about an old female rabbit, a moth and a baking oven.
Zoom (1998) *
An abstract animated film. The camera zooms towards an abstract pattern, revealing an ever-changing maze of curved lines.
March 3, 1998
Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Dziady na czatach (1998) ***
"Jedna wielka rodzina" **
"Powiedzmy sobie taka roza" *
"Plaga egipska" **
"Czart w internecie" ("Kabina cieni") **
"Na final 98" **
"Czytac ulotki" *
Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Placowka for ewer (1998) **
"Ja tez jestem gospodarzem" *
"Nie mamy drygu do maszerowania" *
"Pomnik studenta" *
"Placowka for ever" *
"Daj im Panie" *
The Canterbury Tales (1998) ***
Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Zeby jaja byly swieze (1998) ***
"Nasz rzad" *
"Zeby jaja byly swieze" *
"Cyniczna uczta etnografow TZG" ("Postmoderna i pokropek") *
February 2, 1998
The Prince Of Egypt (1998) *
Impressive scenery (temples and monuments and statues), but a very dull story.
Pi (1998) **
Stylish, quite intriguing film about a mathematician trying to solve the mystery of the universe.
The Last Days (1998) **
Directed by James Moll. This Oscar-winning documentary about Holocaust deliberately avoids any voice-over narration, letting its five protagonists (which include US congressman Tom Lantos from California) to tell their own stories in their own way. The film relies mainly on spontaneous recollections and observations, allowing the survivors to emerge as full-fledged human beings, rather than mere symbols of victimization and suffering.
Hollywoodism (1998) **
A documentary about the founding fathers of Hollywood - Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, who invented the American Dream, brought it across the ocean and propagated it through their movies. The film glorifies Hollywood cinema, presenting it as anti-elitist and profoundly democratic, but conveniently ignoring its racist treatment of other minorities. A flawed, but well-researched film.
Rush Hour (1998) **
Hollywood apologizes for the racism in Lethal Weapon 4 with this amusing interracial/buddy/comedy/action/kung-fu coctail. Chan plays a Hong Kong cop coming to L.A. to find the kidnapped daughter of a Chinese consul. Tucker tags along for the ride, supplying a steady flow of one-liners. Refreshing and very funny, but light on chop-socky goodies.
Enemy Of The State (1998) **
The National Security Agency plays a cat-and-mouse game with a resourceful lawyer (Will Smith). Taut, exciting chase thriller with plenty of cool high-tech gizmos (including satellite cameras tracking down fugitives on rooftops). The best scene has Smith trying to get rid of his clothes (infested with surveillance devices), while escaping from federal agents in a hotel.
The Education Of Little Tree (1998) **
Fine little film about a Cherokee family in eastern Tennessee. **
Clay Pigeons (1998) **
Black comedy about a young stud (Joaquim Phoenix) suspected of being a serial killer. He doesn't actually murder anyone, but bizarre circumstances force him to hide several bodies.
A Civil Action (1998) **
John Travolta plays a crusading lawyer going after two companies polluting water supplies.
The Rugrats Movie (1998) **
Pre-school critters get stranded in a forest, fighting off wolves and Russian circus monkeys as they try to reunite with their parents. A fast-paced cartoon with non-stop action and a few chuckles. An ideal pic for kids old enough to hate Barney, but too young to lust after Jennifer Love Hewitt or Leonardo DiCaprio.
Ever After (1998) **
Don't expect any pumpkins in this version of the Cinderella tale. Instead of fairy godmothers waving their magic wands or little mice knitting party dresses, we get Leonardo Da Vinci helping a poor orphan girl (Barrymore) marry a handsome prince (Scott). A surprisingly good movie, with some unexpectedly complex characters.
Return To Paradise (1998) **
Unless they return to Malaysia and face three years in jail for drug possession, two young American will see their friend executed. Flawed and extremely moralistic, it's nevertheless a well directed, hard-hitting film with interesting, three-dimensional characters.
Can't Hardly Wait (1998) **
Romantic misadventures of horny teenagers during an all-night party. Unlike most such comedies, this one actually tries to be clever (with references to Oscar Wilde and Kama Sutra). It's mostly fluff, but Jennifer Love Hewitt's angelic smile makes it worthwhile.
Buffalo 66 (1998) **
Vincent Gallo and Christina Ricci star in this bizarre, but uplifting film about family and love.
Bride Of Chucky (1998) **
Chucky gets lucky and the rest is child's play. His new girlfriend, Tiffany, is a doll. Together, they slash and carve themselves through this OK horror movie, leaving plenty of corpses behind. Clever touches of black humour enliven the proceedings. But visually the film is weak, even though it comes from the director of "The Bride With White Hair".
The Bible And Gun Club (1998) **
A bunch of redneck gun-and-bible salesman gather for a convention in Las Vegas. An award-winning satire about fascism in America. The script, the style and the acting are all top-notch, but the film itself is extremely unpleasant to watch, because every single character is either a racist swine, an asshole or, at best, a jerk.
Stepmom (1998) **
After what she had suffered at the hands of an evil stepfather in "Bastard Out Of Carolina", adorable Jena Malone would be predictably hostile towards her new stepmother (Julia Roberts). But fortunately for her, this adult turns out to be a saint.
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