The greatestWhen We Were Kings, dir. Leon Cast(independent). Ali says 'I'm so fast, lastnight I killed the lights and got into bedbefore the room went dark', the room full ofmedia erupts with laughter, and his eyesgleam as he looks at the list of blackmusicians who will perform in a three-dayconcert before the fight. Don King is standingnext to him, wearing a grin that looksbolted on. The charismatic man of principleis next to the charlatan and mastermanipulator and the watching world is inthe middle.All through this documentary the vieweris presented with conflicting images: thedefiant celebration of African-Americanculture in Kinshasa hosted by Zaire's tyrantMobuto Sese Seko; the glitz of the wholepageant juxtaposed with the simple lifestyleof local blacks; the brash confidenceof Ali in the face of the widely-held beliefthat he would be annihilated by the enormousGeorge Foreman as Ken Norton andJoe Frazier had been before him.It is the story telling of George Plimptonand Norman Mailer, pulled along by theiropen affection for the man, that gives thisfilm a glow. Spike Lee is included to tell ushow important Ali's politics were to thegeneration, particularly his refusal to go toVietnam, but Lee wasn't there and he has tolike Ali-George Plimpton and NormanMailer don't. (It was a relief to hear NormanMailer describe the brilliance of Ali's tacticsin the ring with verve, something he didn'tachieve in his book on the fight.)Ali's spirit is so intoxicating that itwould be hard for even those most ferventlyopposed to boxing not to be upliftedby this film. It is such a classic tale set inbizarre circumstances played out by themost extraordinary of men. He was scaredbut he forced himself to win.It's sad to contemplate Alias he is today compared towhat he was. That fight washis pyrrhic victory-if he hadlost, he most probably wouldhave retired but instead hecontinued to fight. Bycontrast it helped turn GeorgeForeman from a vicious thuginto a most disarming andaffable gentleman.-Jon GreenawayHard placeBlackrocl
him. Caine plays Victor Spansky, a Cockneyex-con, whom Gates needs for hisunderworld knowledge.The two veterans act the younger ones(Stephen Dorff, Jennifer Lopez) right off thescreen, and look as though they'rethoroughly enjoying doing so. SometimesCaine's hamminess is obvious butNicholson 's slickness is believable: he is anepicurean monster, after all.To reveal too much of the plot wouldspoil it, but there are echoes of other things,better things, that go beyond the HitchcockChandler span, to hint at Hamlet-ish thingslike a stepson who hates his stepfather,who in turn has a guilty secret. But Jason isnot exactly indecisive, and Alex didn't killSuzanne's late husband.In the end of course, you look mainly atJack Nicholson when he's on screen becausehe's magnetic. And that's a good enoughreason to see a not-too-bad sort of thriller.-Juliette HughesShot in the darkTrigger Happy dir. Larry Bishop (independent).Directed by the godson of Frank Sinatra(which means Sinatra is the Godfather), thisis a consistently funny black comedy aboutgangsterism. Bishop must have had histongue firmly in his cheek when he claimedthat the film is a religious allegory, as it isbasically a spoof of films of the Tarantinogenre, violent but played for laughs.Vic (Richard Dreyfuss) has been putaway because he went crazy after his girlfriendGrace, (Diane Lane) left him. Duringhis enforced absence, in a mentalinstitution, his criminal activities havebeen supervised by his first lieutenants,Ben (Gabriel Byrne), Jake (KyleMcLaughlin), and his number one fast gunMicky (Jeff Goldblum). In his absenceMicky has been providing Vic's girlfriendGrace with extraordinarily warm supportwhile two-timing her sister, Rita (EllenBarkin). No one is really looking forwardto Vic's return and one way or another Vichas some scores to settle.The film was shot in 30 days and hasbeen described as being 'made on a shoestring',although the US film industry seemsto feature longer and thicker shoe lacesthan our own industry. The cast is a Who'sWho of Hollywood, with stars appearing inminor roles for free, presumably in homageto the director's Godfather. The result is a13 dead-body movie that in the context of atotal cast list of 22 (including bit players)really threatens to make demands on theinterchange bench.Although littered with dead bodies, thiswry movie never dwells on the violence,and its attitude to death is best summed upwhen a hit-man says to his victim, 'We'veall got to die sometime, but you're going tobeat the rest of us to the finish line'. Filmedin garish colour, with over-the-top sets, thefilm has a feel of a stage play. The castseems to have fun and things improve aftera particularly grotesque performance byBurt Reynolds is sensibly terminated.-Gordon LewisPay homageThe Castle, dir. The Frontline Team(Village). This film has been dismissedas a slap-dash affair, puttogether in a rush in order to capitaliseon the creative roll theFrontline crew are on at themoment. Since it was filmed in 11days the seams were always goingto show. And for the first half itappears the criticisms are accurate.But then it gets funny-very funny.The Kerrigan family are happilyensconced in their quarter-acreblock surrounded by all of suburbia'sicons. Darryl (Michael Caton)Sal (Anne Tenney) and their fourkids have all the special qualities offleecy-lined moccasins at a bowlingalley. Darryl reckons their lifeunder the powerlines and by theairport is as good as it gets, and they loveeach other in a strange sort of way: even theeldest son Wayne, in jail for armed robbery,is not out of their affections. So when theyreceive a notice from the council that theirland is to be compulsorily acquired so theairport can expand, the Kerrigans and theireccentric neighbours decide to put up afight that goes all the way to the HighCourt.The Castle is ambivalent about its subject-HomoUgbootus. It satirises its simpleand tasteless life yet applauds itsresilience. It is a bit patronising, but uttertwits have that ability to be far more noblethan those of us restrained by the inhibitionsof mainstream life.The court scenes are great fun with theinput of Tiriel Mora playing the haplessKerrigan family solicitor Dennis Denutoand Charles 'Bud' Tingwell as LawrenceHamill, the retired constitutional lawyerwho rallies to their cause. The Castle willcatch those of you with ympathies forpeople who are perfectly content with theirlittle slice of bugger-all.- Jon GreenawayFar from HolyRelic dir. Peter Hyams (Hoyts, GreaterUnion, Village). What elements go towardsplacing a movie into 'the absolutely nothingto recommend it' category? Let's see: gruesomemurders investigated by a divorcedlieutenant (Tom Sizemore) fighting forcustody of a dog; a bright young bike-ridingevolutionary-biologist (Penelope AnnMiller) occupying high moral ground overscheming, mean-spirited Asian scientist.Or I could mention the mildly corrupt mayorwith his busty wife, or the voodoo ceremonyto create the animatronic beast, but whyspoil your clear view by smudging it withsilliness I suggest you don't see.I would love a film that allowed thefemale lead to have a higher degree inscience, the savvy to save the world (or atleast a small part of it) and be on the coolerside of the science v. superstition debate.But why is it that this film 's woman has toallow the beast to lick her breast gratuitouslybefore she shoves the explosive thing in hisgob? I mean pleeeese.I, for one, am looking forward to theinteractiveanimatronics features where theaudience can knock off the offensiveboneheads with whom they are supposed tosympathise. A joy stick with every movieticket, rah, rah. No wonder people areflooding to the video arcades.-Siobhan JacksonV OLUME 7 NUMBER 4 • EUREKA STREET 49
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