THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 19, 1995 TAG: 9509180224
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: CRAIG SHAPIRO
LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
TEAM VIDEOMATIC is not immune to the bold ideas that have changed the way business is done in the 1990s.
Each week, the entire staff meets to grade the new videos. After a lively discussion, we reach a consensus, and our suggestions go upstairs to the CEO-for-life. He promptly chucks them out the window and grades the videos how he sees fit. You then use that report card before deciding what to rent.
So no one around here was willing to bet that the old crab would actually agree and give ``A Man of No Importance,'' ``Little Odessa'' and ``A Little Princess'' our highest rating, an A+. Three in one week? Nah.
(We made sure to note that the movies combined probably earned less than the $20 million Sylvester Stallone makes per picture. Nothing gets the boss into a full boil faster than Sly.)
Whatever the reasons, he did. And the staff is tickled.
Subject-wise, the films couldn't be more unlike. But they do share the key things that always get our attention: Each is a thoughtful, ``little'' movie with excellent ensemble casts and superb cinematography.
In ``A Man of No Importance'' (Columbia TriStar, 1995), Albert Finney gives a remarkable performance as a kindly bus conductor in 1963 Dublin who only wants to direct a play by his hero, Oscar Wilde. When a new passenger (Tara Fitzgerald) gets on board, Alfie is certain he's found his princess and sets about transforming his passengers into an acting troupe.
Soon pressured by his sister and landlord, who see ``Salome'' as blasphemous, Alfie retorts, ``It's not to do with the Bible, it's to do with art.''
As does his life. It's the reconciliation between art and life that gives the film its dramatic focus. Racked by sexual conflict and with his hands ``innocent of affection,'' Alfie realizes there's only one way to rid himself of temptation.
Watching Finney deftly handle the subtle, yet complex demands of the role is a joy. (RATED: R for themes, brief nudity; 98 mins.)
Forget ``Reservoir Dogs'' and ``Pulp Fiction.'' ``Little Odessa'' (Live, 1995) belongs at the top of Tim Roth's resume. He plays a Russian Jewish hitman, estranged from his family, who returns to Brooklyn to settle a score. It's a gritty portrayal in which silence speaks louder than dialogue. The bleak imagery of Brighton Beach in the winter suits the mood.
Despite its violent premise, the film doesn't dwell on that. Instead, writer/director James Gray creates a family tragedy as Roth comes to grips with his past. Maximilian Schell, Vanessa Redgrave and especially Edward Furlong, as Roth's younger brother, make a strong supporting cast. (RATED: R for language, violence, nudity; 98 mins.)
The team behind the lauded 1993 version of ``The Secret Garden'' again taps the Frances Hodgon Burnett library for ``A Little Princess'' (Warner, 1995). The results are similar: a gorgeous, detailed children's story with sometimes dark overtones. Translation: Parents, watch it with your kids.
First-timer Liesel Matthews plays Sara Crewe, an English girl raised in India who's sent to a boarding school in New York when her father goes off to war. Circumstances take a turn for the worse, but Sara, taught that every girl is a princess and that magic has to be believed for it to be real, never gives up.
Director Alfonso Cuaron gets fine performances from his young cast. Boys and dads, listen up: There's something in this video's timeless message and flawless, fairy-tale look for everyone. (RATED: G; 97 mins.)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: ``It's a Wonderful Life'' turns 50 next year, but Republic is celebrating now with a deluxe edition that includes a remastered print, a letter from Frank Capra Jr., a short feature and a long book about the movie, the original trailer, photos, a poster and a CD of movie-inspired music. ($89.98)
TOP TAPES (in Billboard):
Sales: ``Playboy: The Best of Pamela Anderson,'' ``Star Wars Trilogy,'' ``Mortal Kombat-The Animated Video,'' ``Star Wars,'' ``The Swan Princess''
Rentals: ``Outbreak,'' ``Just Cause,'' ``Nobody's Fool,'' ``The Quick and the Dead,'' ``Circle of Friends''
The Couch Report
``Jefferson in Paris'' (Touchstone, 1995). With the deep pockets of Disney behind them, Merchant-Ivory created their lushest film yet. The sets and costumes are unparalleled. But, historical presumptions aside, it lacks the intimacy of ``The Remains of the Day,'' largely because Nick Nolte doesn't click in the lead. Stiff and distant, he never connects with his leading ladies. Maybe the idea of playing the great man was too much. For spectacle alone, this one's worth the time. Videomatic says: B
(CAST: Nick Nolte, Greta Scacchi, Simon Callow, Nancy Marchand, James Earl Jones. RATED: PG-13 for mild violence, themes; 139 mins.)
``Losing Isaiah'' (Paramount, 1995). Powerful, convincing acting by Jessica Lange and Halle Berry save this melodrama from becoming a TV movie-of-the-week. It involves a custody battle between a white woman who adopts and nurtures a crack baby and the boy's biological mother, who cleans up and wants her son back. The ending is something of a copout; nevertheless, the movie raises important questions about racial identity and child welfare. Berry's performance, in particular, is a revelation. Videomatic says: B
(CAST: Jessica Lange, Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson, David Strathairn, Cuba Gooding Jr. RATED: R for themes, language, drug use; 108 mins.)
Also: Oscar-nominees Nigel Hawthorne and Helen Mirren in the historical comedy ``The Madness of King George'' (unrated); James Woods in the HBO drama ``Indictment: The McMartin Trial'' (unrated); Anjelica Huston in Larry McMurtry's ``Buffalo Girls'' (unrated); action with Rutger Hauer in ``Arctic Blue'' (R), Thomas Ian Griffith in ``Beyond Forgiveness'' (R) and Michael Dudikoff in ``Virtual Assassin'' (R); passion with Sara Gilbert in ``Dead Beat'' (R) and Theresa Russell in ``Trade Off'' (unrated); and ``Madonna: Innocence Lost,'' the TV biopic starring Terumi Matthews (unrated)
NEXT TUESDAY: ``Don Juan DeMarco,'' ``Once Were Warriors,'' ``Funny Bones,'' ``New Jersey Drive,'' ``The Basketball Diaries,'' ``Roommates,'' ``Son of the Shark,'' ``December Bride,'' ``Prehysteria 3,'' ``Number One Fan,'' ``Is There Life Out There?'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
``A Little Princess,'' starring Liesel Matthews, center, has a
message for all family members.
Photo
Albert Finney, center, gives a remarkable performance in ``A Man of
No Importance.''
by CNB