Bringing Out The Dead
Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Tom Sizemore
Scorsese's edgy, atmospheric film of Joe Connolly's autobiographical novel, adapted for the screen by Paul Schrader, is set in early 1990s New York and features a redeyed Nicolas Cage as an insomniac paramedic suffering the strain of working the night shift after years of saving and losing lives. The inescapable bleakness of its scenario is leavened by unexpected outbursts of mordant humour and the drama is charged by a restless energy.
Limbo
Directed by John Sayles Starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez
This brooding drama is set in Alaska as it brings his three people on a journey of self-discovery: a guilt-ridden fisherman (Strathairn), a nomadic bar-room singer (Mastrantonio, rarely more impressive), and her disaffected teenage daughter (Martinez). A risk-taking narrative will alienate some viewers but it will have others engrossed.
Stigmata
Directed by Rupert Wainright Starring Gabriel Byrne, Patricia Arquette, Jonathan Pryce
Before playing Satan in the current video release End of Days, Gabriel Byrne played a Vatican priest in this glossy hi-tech, contemporary horror movie. He is sent to the US to investigate the case of an agnostic Pittsburgh hairdresser (Arquette) who cannot understand what is causing shocking wounds to her hands and body. The more convoluted the movie turns, the more risible it gets.
A Walk On The Moon
Directed by Tony Goldwyn Starring Diane Lane, Viggo Mortensen, Liev Schreiber, Anna Paquin
The first film directed by actor Goldwyn is a tender, well-acted romantic drama set at a Catskills resort during the Summer of Love in 1969, as a young wife and mother (Lane) finds herself drawn to a sensual salesman (Mortensen) while her husband (Schreiber) works back home in Brooklyn.