Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 15, 1994 TAG: 9412160012
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"Where the Rivers Flow North" is an independent production that had a limited but popular theatrical run, and now arrives on home video where it will become a sleeper hit. It's just the kind of offbeat, unconventional film that finds enthusiastic supporters, though it's not for everyone.
Based on Howard Frank Mosher's novel, the film is reminiscent of Ken Kesey's early work. It's a story of fiercely individualistic characters confronting the establishment. The setting is Kingdom County, Vermont, 1927.
Noel Lourdes (Rip Torn), a grizzled one-handed logger, refuses to give up the lease on his land when the power company wants to flood it for a hydroelectric dam. He and his housekeeper/companion/wife Bangor (Tantoo Cardinal) prefer instead to produce cedar oil and to fish for trout. Actually, they spend most of their time bickering and sniping at each other in the film's best scenes.
The power company people, led by Michael J. Fox, aren't really evil or greedy. They simply want to bring electricity to rural New England and Canada. What Lourdes wants isn't quite so clear, and it changes. That's where director Jay Craven runs into problems. The film unfolds in such a curious way that audience reaction will be mixed. I suspect that viewers will like and dislike it in equal numbers for the same reasons. Here are some possible reactions with their counterparts:
The pace is too slow. The film takes time it needs to develop the characters.
The story is hard to follow. The script doesn't stick to the traditional Hollywood formula.
It's more interested in scenery than plot. It has a wonderfully realized sense of time and place.
The ending is different. The ending is perfect.
For my money, the good outweighs the bad here because of the filmmakers' obvious commitment to tell a story they believe in. That kind of passion has been pretty much eliminated from mainstream films. But it's still more important than all the special effects and slickness that Hollywood loves. So, despite the qualified reactions, "Where the Rivers Flow North" is worth searching out.
American fans who have followed Hong Kong director John Woo's career on video have seen his films in roughly reverse order.
A year or so ago, his 1989 hit, "The Killer," showed up on tape (and in a superior laserdisc edition). It was followed by his first American effort, "Hard Target," with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Then a couple of months ago, "Hard Boiled," from 1992 was released on cassette. And this week, the 1986 film that started it all shows up in video stores.
"A Better Tomorrow" is easily the least polished of the four, but the themes and the strong directorial vision Woo brings to his work are evident throughout.
The story revolves around two brothers on opposite sides of the law. Ti Lung plays Ho, a gangster trying to go straight. Leslie Cheung is Kit, his straight-arrow younger brother whose admiration has turned to hatred. Chow Yun-Fat, who has become Woo's favorite protagonist, steals the film in a strong supporting role as Mark, Ho's wise-cracking best friend.
In the opening scene, the music is a tipoff to what Woo is about. It could have come straight from a spaghetti Western, and Woo tells this crime story with the same kind of exaggeration. The wildly complex plot is about counterfeiting, betrayal and murder. Though the action is violent, it's not as crisply choreographed as it is in Woo's more recent films. Some of the humor slips into slapstick, and that doesn't help the overall tone. Neither does the atrocious dubbing.
But if you can overlook those flaws, you'll see another terrific performance by Chow Yun-Fat. This guy is simply one of the best actors in the business. He has an appeal that transcends boundaries of language and culture. With the right breaks, he could become the next Gerard Depardieu. Woo's philosophical interests are evident, too. You could write a thesis on his symbolic use of the color white in this one.
Even if "A Better Tomorrow" isn't the best place for the neophyte to discover John Woo - try "Hard Boiled" or "The Killer" first - it's a lot of fun, and, for those who have acquired a taste for Hong Kong action, it's a treat.
Next week: "Cronos" and "A Tale Told in Dublin"!
New releases
Sirens ***
Starring Tara Fitzgerald, Elle Macpherson, Kate Fischer, Portia De Rossi, Hugh Grant, Sam Neill. Directed by John Duigan. Buena Vista. 92 min. Rated R for nudity, sexual activity, bawdy dialogue, a bit more nudity.
Think of "Sirens" as a lush ripe peach, a cinematic celebration of flesh and the pleasures of the body. It's all handled tastefully in a "Masterpiece Theatre" manner with blatant symbolism throughout, period details and smooth British and Australian accents. Of course, it's also got oodles of nudity and the debut of swimsuit diva Macpherson.
Crooklyn ***
Starring Delroy Lindo, Alfre Woodard, Zelda Harris. Directed by Spike Lee. MCA/Universal. 132 min. Rated PG-13 for domestic violence, strong language.
Like all of Spike Lee's films, this one is visually rich, ambitious, challenging and flawed. It's a personal story, partially autobiographical, about a family in Brooklyn in the mid-1970s. Stars Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo do Oscar caliber work, and young Zelda Harris makes a remarkable debut as their daughter. By the way, when the image is "squeezed" in certain scenes, it's intentional.
Clean Slate ***
Starring Dana Carvey, Valeria Golina. Directed by Mick Jackson. MGM/UA. 106 min. Rated PG-13 for a little sexual humor and comic violence.
Combining the offbeat humor of "Groundhog Day" with a Hitchcockian plot, this sweet-natured comedy makes the most of Dana Carvey's amiable screen persona. With a strong supporting cast, including Barkely the dog, he makes this one a fluffy delight. Lots of fun.
White Fang 2 **
Starring Scott Bairstow. Directed by Ken Olin. Buena Vista. 103 min. Rated PG for mild violence.
This is a sequel in name only to the 1991 original, a well-made adventure. "2" is strictly for kids - kids with long attention spans. The characters from the first film are missing. The plot has something to do with stereotyped Indians who are being mistreated by bad people.
Monkey Trouble **
Starring Harvey Keitel, Mimi Rogers, Thora Birch. Directed by Franco Amurri. Columbia TriStar. 95 min. Rated PG for a little strong language, bathroom humor.
Kids who like the "Beethoven" movies will probably be just as taken with this one. It's a well-paced animal adventure that's preachy at times and really sappy at the end. But the target audience won't mind, and there's nothing on screen that their parents will find too objectionable in this story of a girl and her mischievous pet capuchin monkey.
\ Where the Rivers Flow North ***
A-Pix. 105 min. Rated PG-13 for violence, strong language.
A Better Tomorrow **1/2
Republic. 90 min. Unrated, contains strong violence, language.
by CNB