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Lynda Del Sasso likes Kandahar,
but not Silent Bob
KANDAHAR
IRAN 2001, CERT. PG
Director: Moshen Makhmalbaf
Star Rating * * * *
Nafas (Nelofer Pazira), a Canadian journalist, returns to
her homeland of Afghanistan, determined to rescue her sister,
who has threatened to commit suicide at the time of the solar
eclipse, a few days away. Using a tape recorder and camera to
document her journey, she illegally enters the Taliban
controlled country and struggles to reach the city of Kandahar
before it's too late.
During her trip, she meets
religious zealots, landmine victims, refugees, aid workers and
local characters, with each subsequent encounter illustrating
another aspect of Afghani society under the Taliban regime.
The striking imagery of this
documentary/fiction hybrid (based on a true story) brings home
the reality of the cultural drought in Afghanistan with a
power that news reports never can. For the first time we
experience an authentic glimpse of the lives, the character,
the humour of the ordinary Afghani people as they cope with
yet another uncompromising political regime. The beauty of the
harsh landscape and the cheerful stoicism of its
long-suffering people is a revelation to behold.
Duke of York's from December 7
JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE
BACK
USA 2001, CERT. 18
Director: Kevin Smith
Star Rating *
When slackers Jay and Silent Bob discover that a movie
is being made from the comic Bluntman and Chronic, based
on them, but they'll get no profit from it, they set out
to wreck the production.
That's the plot. This is a
love-it-or-hate-it sort of film. Jay and Silent Bob are the
comic creations of Kevin Smith (who plays Silent Bob) and,
having appeared in his previous films - Clerks, Mallrats,
Dogma and Chasing Amy - have now been given a movie to
themselves. The pair generally spend their lives hanging out
by a convenience store selling dope, wisecracking expletives,
and looking wasted. Cameo appearances from Ben Affleck, Matt
Damon, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Chris Rock add some
interest, but as the release has been issued an 18 Certificate
in the UK it may well miss its target market of tittering
14-year-olds.
Odeon and UGC from December 1
Other Highlights
To tie in with Duke of York's
screening of the Czech animator Jan Svankmajer's new release
Little Otik, Cinematheque is screening a rare evening of his
surrealistic shorts on Sunday, December 2 at 8pm. On December
9 at 8pm there's Morgiana, a 1972 Czech weirdie based on a
novel by the Russian fantasist, Alexandr Grin. At 10.30pm the
same evening at Cinematheque there's Viy (Spirit Of Evil),
from Russia vintage 1967, billed as a late-night-must-see for
lovers of fantastic horror.
On Sunday, December 16 at 2pm
and 8pm again at Cinematheque, there's a fun Laurel and Hardy
Xmas Special. Expect tie twiddling, long-suffering looks to
camera and comedic destruction during Busy Bodies (1933, 20
mins), Tit For Tat (1934, 20 mins), Night Owls (USA 1930, 20
mins), and Come Clean (1931, 20 mins).
On December 9 the Duke of
York's presents a Film and Psychoanalysis Special screening of
Ponette (France 1996, PG) with a post-film discussion. Other
highlights to look out for at the DOY's include: All About my
Mother (Dec 1), Hedwig & The Angry Inch (15-16 Dec) and
Werner Herzog's Enigma of Kasper Howser (Dec 16), however the
highlight of the month has got to be Apocalypse Now Redux.
Redux means 'indicating the return of an organ to a healthy
state' so can Coppola's new cut of this brilliant classic
actually improve on the original? See it and decide.
copyright New Insight 2001
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