Film year of cartoon and king

Press, 30 December 1988, Page 21

Film year of cartoon and king

‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ and ‘The Last Emperor’ inspire audiences

By

HANS PETROVIC

WHEN IT COMES to films, 1988 will probably be remembered as the Year of the Rabbit. The inventive hi-jinx and technical dazzle of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” may well make it an evergreen classic, if not the best film of the year.

It never rains but it pours, and outstanding films certainly came in spurts during 1988. At the moment, we are having one of the year’s better periods. Besides “Roger Rabbit,” there is that three-hour look at the passion and politics of the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” and the transcendental culinary art of “Babette’s Feast.” Equally important are “Sammy and Rosie Get Laid” and “Housekeeping,” both now showing at the Metro.

As usual, Oscar time was the other cinematic highlight of the year. Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor” ran away with nine awards; while the also-rans included Spielberg’s childhood memories of wartime in Shanghai, in “Empire of the Sun,” and Boorman’s wartime in London, in “Hope and Glory.” Cher won an Oscar as best actress in “Moonstruck,” and Michael Douglas got one for his performance in “Wall Street.” “Broadcast News” limped along behind. In spite of the downturn in the New Zealand film industry, this year’s offerings were better than ever. The beautiful “Illustrious Energy,” about Chinese miners at the end of the gold rush, won many an award; as did “Ngati,” about Maori life in the 19405. Geoff Murphy’s “Never Say Die” was fast, fun, but forgettable; and “Dangerous Orphans” is already forgotten. Roger Donaldson’s Hollywood thriller, “No Way Out,” took the action to the New Zealand Embassy in Washington. The police films gave us the highly enjoyable “The Big Easy,” with Dennis Quaid as a New Orleans detective. On the rougher side were Sean Penn and Robert Duvall, in “Colours,” and James Wood in “Cop.” Ridley Scott gave us the stylish “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Besides “Roger Rabbit,” not all the comedies seemed all that funny. The French “Three Men and a Cradle” and the American version, “Three Men and a Baby,” were popular but puerile. Steve Martin gave us the delightful “Roxanne,” as well as

“Trains, Planes and Automobiles.” Comedy was not a complete loss, however, with Woody Allen’s “Radio Days,” Robin Williams in “Good Morn-

ing, Vietnam,” Neil Simon’s “Biloxi Blues,” Robert de Niro in “Midnight Run,” and the offbeat “Tin Men” and “Withnail and I.” Again, besides “Roger Rabbit,”

the world of fantasy gave us George Lucas’s fairy tale, “Willow,” more quests in “The Princess Bride,” updated Dickens in “Scrooged,” horror-humour in

“Beetlejuice,” and Robert Redford’s attempt at the magical in “The Milagro Beanfield War.” Fantasy spills over into many other offbeat films, such as an

odd but interesting selection at the Metro, including “Repo Man,” Coppola’s “Rumble Fish,” action in “Cherry 2000” and teen-age nihilism in “River’s Edge.”

Outstanding reruns from film festivals included Kurosawa’s “Ran,” the jazzy “Round Midnight,” the intriguing “Death in a French Garden,” Zeffirelli’s version of Verdi’s “Otello,” the lovely “A Month in the Country,” and the agony of “The Belly of an Architect.”

Difficult to put into any category were “Shy People,” with Barbara Hershey in the Louisiana swamps, and Richard Attenborough’s attack on apartheid in “Cry Freedom.”

Other notable films that come to mind are the thriller of the year, “Fatal Attractions”; a thought-provoking look at the dingo trial in “Evil Angels”; British degeneracy in Africa in “White Mischief”; the bouncy teen-age musical, “Dirty Dancing”; and Australian atmosphere piece, “Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train,” Barbara Streisand tried hard not to go “Nuts” and Nick Nolte played a convict-turned-actor in the excellent “Weeds.”

Thinking back over all the above films shows that 1988 was actually a very good year for the cinema-goer, even if there were only a handful of really memorable productions. This, of course, makes it all the more difficult to select your own list of the top 10 for the year. I have alreay made mine, and in spite of what I have said, “Roger Rabbit” is not in the top spot. As in the past years, I would like readers to submit their personal list of favourite films — preferably the top 10, in order — to help me compile a "Readers’ Survey” list for 1988. Your list should not include films shown only at film festivals. The results will be published on these pages early in the new year. Also, please include comments on your favourite films, your opinions of Christchurch cinemas and other relevant subjects. Readers who quotes are publised on these pages will receive a double pass to any cinema of their choice. This is not' a competition.

Please address your list of top films for 1988, and comments, to: Top Film Survey, C/- Hans Petrovic, “The Press,” Private Bag, Christchurch.