Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 6, 1994 TAG: 9405060043
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Mayo
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
If you missed "Into the West" in its brief theatrical run last year, make a point of finding a copy when it hits your favorite video store next week. As entertainment, it's so difficult to describe that the studio actually released it twice - first as a children's film (which it is and is not) and then a couple months later as a serious "art" film (ditto).
Essentially, it's the story of two tough little boys (wonderfully played by Ruaidhri Conroy and Ciaran Fitzgerald) and a magical horse named Tir na nOg, but subjects - a lost mother, a powerless father (Gabriel Byrne), political intolerance, a dying way of life, the power of storytelling. To make it even harder to follow, most of the actors speak with thick accents. While some scenes are striking, this isn't a postcard Ireland. Beyond the rocky coasts and rolling fields, it's a poor country with grim urban slums.
None of that is surprising since the film was written by Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "In the Name of the Father") and directed by Mike Newell ("Enchanted April"). These filmmakers don't fit into easily identifiable commercial categories.
When I saw "Into the West" in a theater, two young mothers with their pre-schoolers were sitting a couple of rows ahead. The kids, too young to appreciate the film, got fidgety early on and spent most of the film exploring the aisles and examining the undersides of their seats. Their moms were torn between the screen and the kids, and did not appear to be having a good time. I hope they give "Into the West" another try on video. It's worth the attention.
This is a rare blend of fantasy and reality, comparable in some ways to "The Black Stallion," with an emotional conclusion as moving as anything you've seen recently. Highly recommended.
"Amore!" is another kind of fantasy _ midlife wish fulfillment.
Investment banker Saul Schwartz (Jack Scalia) is successful but unhappy. Encouraged by his psychiatrist (James Doohan), he leaves New York and his career to start over as an actor in Hollywood. He shaves his beard, changes his name and is reborn as Salvatore Guiliano III, an Italian heartthrob ready to take the movie business by storm.
This is a big, sloppy movie that's loads of fun if you're in the right frame of mind. It looks like writer-director Lorenzo Doumani knows a lot of people in the film industry and wrote quirky little parts for all of them - George Hamilton, Betsy Russell, Brenda Epperson, Norm Crosby, Elliott Gould, Katherine Helmond and Kathy Ireland. The result is an old-fashioned romantic comedy with a few songs. If the story lacks a certain polish, so what? Its heart is in the right place. Overall, the film looks great. Jack Scalia is fine both as a ham actor and as a bearded broker; Kathy Ireland is less convincing as a sharp writer, though she doesn't embarrass herself, either. `Amore!" is a genuine sleeper.
"A Wind Named Amnesia" is an apocalyptic Japanese animated film. It begins in "San Francisco, 199X." That's two years after a wind swept across the planet and caused people everywhere to forget everything they know. Speech, technology, religion, family, civilization - all gone. Humanity is ignorant, innocent and brutal.
One young man, Wataru, has been re-educated through a curious plot device. He wanders a mostly deserted landscape searching for anyone else who might have retained or regained intelligence. One night, he finds Sophia, a woman who can speak, and a lethal robot, reminiscent of the Walkers in "Return of the Jedi," that seems driven to attack him.
While that could be the basis for any number of B-movies, writer Hideyuki Kikuchi, animator Satoru Nakamura and director Kazuo Yamazaki are also interested in some more serious ideas. The curious pace suggests that the film might have been condensed from a longer episodic work. But the filmmakers still take time to speculate on the larger questions raised by the story: the philosophical implications of pure innocence, the nature of men and women, the evolution of religion.
Overall, the animation is excellent; more subdued and pastoral than "Akira," but detailed and interesting. In the end, the film may not be to all tastes, but fans of animation should certainly give it a look.
THE ESSENTIALS:
Into the West *** 1/2 Touchstone Home Video. 95 min. Rated PG for some violence and strong emotional content.
Amore! *** PM Entertainment. 93 min. Rated PG-13 for subject matter, a little strong language, brief nudity.
A Wind Named Amnesia *** U.S. Manga Corps. 80 min. Unrated, contains violence, brief nudity, sexual content.
New releases this week:
Addams Family Values: ***
Starring Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack, Christina Ricci. Directed by Barry Sonnefeld. Paramount. 90 min. Rated PG-13 for subject matter.
Here's a sequel to a hit that's better than the original. As a killer blonde with the most basic instincts, Joan Cusack is a welcome addition to cartoonist Charles Addams' ghoulish clan. Even though the humor is based on grisly material, it's never offensive.
Orlando: ** 1/2
Starring Tilda Swinton. Written and directed by Sally Potter. Columbia TriStar. 93 min. Rated PG-13 for nudity, sexual content.
Though it has been promoted as the latest in gender-bending serious entertainment, this is a conventional historical drama where people stand around stiffly in ornate costumes. Yes, the title character is changed from a man to a woman in mid-stream, but throughout the languid story is told from a woman's perspective.
The Three Musketeers: ** 1/2
Starring Chris O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, Rebecca De Mornay. Directed by Stephen Herek. Buena Vista. 107 min. Rated PG for swordplay and mild sexual content.
The new Disney version of the venerable swashbuckler might have been called "D'Artagnan's Excellent Adventure." It's a fluffy "lite" take that never comes close to Richard Lester's 1974 film, still the best cinematic treatment of the story.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: ***
Starring the voices of Kevin Conroy, Dana Delaney, Mark Hamill. Warner. 73 min. Rated PG for subject matter, some violence.
This curious animated feature is aimed at older audiences. Fans of the new TV series, which provided the basis for the film, know what to expect. It's a highly stylized variation on the familiar origin story with an emphasis on the personal, psychological side.
by CNB