Cuar
We hear the year 2027 and think, "that's so far away." But in reality, 2027 is just around the proverbial corner, and a lot can change in that 20-year span. Alfonso Cuar
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We hear the year 2027 and think, "that's so far away." But in reality, 2027 is just around the proverbial corner, and a lot can change in that 20-year span. Alfonso Cuar
MOVIEREVIEW The Good Shepherd 2.5 stars Reportedly, Robert De Niro spent the better portion of a decade working on "The Good Shepherd," a film that chronicles the birth of the CIA as seen through the eyes of one man, Edward Wilson. Wilson, played by Matt Damon, is partly based on James Angelton, the founder of the agency's counterintelligence operations. But while the film seems concerned with rooting fiction in fact, much of it is left as murky as its subjects. De Niro seems determined to make a meaningful film, one whose criticisms of policing agencies have a modern resonance, that he loses sight of what makes the subject so fascinating. Where's the intrigue that so often goes hand-in-hand with espionage? It's clear that De Niro was out to make a character study in lieu of a Tom Clancy-style espionage thriller. If one views "The Good Shepherd" as an examination of how the CIA steals the souls and social lives of its agents, then, it is at best an adept piece of filmmaking. De Niro, whether you view him as a filmmaker ("A Bronx Tale") or the legendary actor he is, always has been involved with films that deliver some sort of dramatic payoff. We see the internal battles of the well-meaning sociopath Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver" and the emotional and psychological collapse of Jake La Motta in "Raging Bull." But there is no larger payoff to be had in "The Good Shepherd." Eric Roth's script feels paced to within an inch of its death. It gives no attention to true character development, something usually considered necessary in an old-fashioned character study. One almost can see De Niro trying to do for Damon what many a director, namely Martin Scorsese, did for him. He wants to transform Damon completely, ostensibly stripping him of his "Good Will Hunting" veneer. But instead of relieving him of a cinematic identity, De Niro simply strips Damon of his charm, that special something that made him an actor to pay attention to. There is, though, a certain amount of due that must be paid to De Niro for directing one of the more technically laudable films of the year, one that is able to jump from the early 1940s to the early 1960s with ease. "The Good Shepherd" follows a long line of well-directed award-bait films, billed as uncompromising epics, that ultimately let their audiences down. Examples include "Gangs of New York," "Cold Mountain," and, most recently, "Memoirs of a Geisha." What do all these films have in common? They're all style and no real substance, a nod to their own flair. It really should come as no surprise, then, that "The Good Shepherd," like the agency it examines, never lets the audience in enough to care. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
MUSICREVIEW Mos Def True Magic 3 stars It's always shocking to hear respected artists sell out, no matter the degree to which they give up their sound. On his latest True Magic, Mos Def has abandoned all the subtlety and intimacy he exuded on his 1998 classic Black on Both Sides and showed to a lesser degree on 2004's The New Danger. This latest release, with producing credits from Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes and longtime collaborators Minnesota and Preservation, finds the Mighty Mos experimenting with a harder brand of rap, a sound he touched on briefly on The New Danger. But this time around, there's no relevance to his words, something that made the harder-edged New Danger tracks such as "The Rape Over," "Close Edge" and "Grown Man Business (Fresh Vintage Bottles)" stand out. Black Star introduced the world to Mos Def and Talib Kweli and, two months later, Black on Both Sides came out, leading critics and hip-hop aficionados to proclaim the duo the unofficial leaders of the underground hip-hop movement. That Mos Def had a unique voice, political motives and songs that reflected on growing up ghetto, made his music all the more poignant and appealing. This new album, released just before the end of the year, feels rushed and, more importantly, incomplete. The Mos Def we hear on True Magic seems to be another person entirely. On "Napoleon Dynamite" he raps, "I feel like Lazarus steppin' out the gate/ To give reports of his death as the world's greatest slave." Unlike Lazarus, though, Mos Def hasn't been resurrected from lifelessness, his death being the critical bashing of The New Danger. Instead we see him experimenting with crunk on "Dollar Day (Surprise, Surprise)" and dabbling in radio-ready singles such as "Undeniable" and "U R the One." To be sure True Magic is a genre-bending album, which shouldn't come as a surprise to fans who saw the Brooklyn rapper infuse neo-soul into Black on Both Sides and old-school flavor into The New Danger. But it's unfortunate to see a rapper of Mos Def's caliber and lyrical talent downgrade to such a mediocre album. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
MOVIEREVIEW "Unknown" 2 stars One of the best compliments you can pay a good mystery is that it lets you play along. For the most part Simon Brand's "Unknown" does just that as it weaves through the story of five men who wake up in a warehouse with no memory of how they got there - or who they are. But in the last third, where everything should come together, all of the film's work unravels in a sloppy, one-twist-too-many ending that takes all the fun out of the film's unique plot. For that, you can blame the overzealous screenwriter, Matthew Waynee, whose only major contribution to the script was a handful of well-timed flashbacks. Barry Pepper, Jim Caviezel, Jeremy Sisto, Joe Pantoliano and Greg Kinnear play the five protagonists, but there's no leading man, no guy to root for and no guy to hate. There's also no character development. Just because these guys don't know who they are doesn't mean the audience has to be left in the dark, too. So when the film comes to its dizzying culmination, there's no satisfaction or dissatisfaction. All that's tangible is the audience muttering a collective "Oh" under its breath. Head-scratching likely ensues. Part of the problem is that "Unknown" serves up five cookie-cutter supporting actors meant to play leading men, and because none of them can carry the film, it suffers. There's also the issue that the movie is about 20 minutes too long, and to say that about a 98-minute film says a lot about its pacing. There are ham-handed monologues and overwrought subplots. But below all the dialogue and showy conjecture is a concept that's half "Saw" and half "Memento." Too bad "Unknown" isn't half as good as either one. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
THEATERREVIEW Tuesdays with Morrie PlayMakers Repertory Company Saturday 3 stars The Hebrew word "emet," which means "truth," appears on the seal for Brandeis University, outlined by the phrase, "Truth, even unto its innermost parts." The seal is used as one of three backdrops for PlayMakers Repertory Company's latest production, "Tuesdays with Morrie," which, fittingly, attempts to arrive at some conclusion about the meaning of death. The Mitch Albom novel upon which the play is based is a biography of sorts, but oftentimes it appears as more of a melodramatic memoir, a story of a relatively young man, Albom (Estes Tarver), coming to terms with mortality through his mentor, Morrie (Greg Mullavey). But the play, adapted by Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher, takes on a life of its own - it's impassioned and flows smoothly from vignette to vignette. The audience gets a chance to hear Albom's voice, and the heartstring-tugging culmination feels more lively than it appeared in its literary counterpart. Most of the thematic problems with the novel, mostly the construction of its narrative, have been solved in director Joan Darling's dramatic adaptation, and that's pretty much the only wholly positive thing one can say about the production. Celebrated and inspirational though it might be, Albom's saccharine words nonetheless retain their ineffectuality. The novel represents most of what is wrong with popular nonfiction, but the play does a good job of separating itself from its literary foundation. Mullavey and Tarver display a dramatic rapport that proves to be the productions strongest asset, and that chemistry carries the less-than-90-minute play at a brisk pace. The play, though, lacks emotional depth. It sounds vague, even sophomoric, to say that an actor just doesn't "sell" something, but that's mostly the case here. When Morrie is on his deathbed, ruminating on what he's learned in his rich life, there's little difference in his inflection. And bedside, Tarver's Albom doesn't appear to be genuinely affected. What should be the play's strongest moment turns out to be a phoned-in run-through, and - amazingly enough - Albom's elementary words deserve better. Dramatically speaking, it's hard to blame the play's shortcomings on the actors or Darling. There just isn't much profundity to Albom's words, and the resulting story is little more than shallow musings on life. PlayMakers makes due with what is essentially a dramatically unadaptable novel. It's not that "Tuesdays with Morrie" isn't fit for the stage - this production shows that there's a great interpretation to be found somewhere in there. But what it also shows is that, at its maudlin, mawkish heart, "Tuesdays with Morrie" just isn't that good. Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Pauper Players' Sunday afternoon performance of "Cabaret" was cut short when Department of Public Safety officials responded to a call that a man was suffering from chest pains, DPS spokesman Randy Young said. Sophomore Emily Riehl, who was in the audience, said the man was New York Yankees principal owner, George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner, 76, was in attendance to watch his granddaughter, junior Haley Swindal, perform the lead role of Sally Bowles. Young said the man was "conscious, alert and breathing" when DPS officials arrived at Playmakers Theatre between 3:30 and 3:41 p.m. The incident left some audience members shaken and forced the company to cancel the performance. "I didn't notice anything until intermission when people started going up to him," said Riehl, who added that she was seated two rows behind Steinbrenner. "He was pale and his eyes were closed - it looked like he had fainted." Riehl said someone called an ambulance at intermission and then, shortly after, someone else canceled the performance and asked audience members to leave. "I was just dazed and confused," Riehl said. "I didn't know what was happening, and then I saw him and I froze in my seat." University alumnus Danny Coles, assistant music director for the production, said the decision to cancel the performance came when paramedics arrived. He would not confirm the identity of the man who was taken to the hospital. "I'm not completely sure what the circumstances were," Coles said. "I'm not even sure if it was chest pains or if it was caused from issues with the heat in the theater." Coles said the heat had been turned on in the theater Sunday morning but was later turned off. "The paramedics came, and we just felt the best decision was to cancel the rest of the show at that point." Coles said audience members were offered refunds and encouraged to attend the Sunday evening performance, in which Swindal performed. The man, Young said, was later put in the care of Orange County Emergency Medical Services technicians and taken to UNC Hospitals, where he was evaluated. Howard Rubenstein, spokesman for Steinbrenner and the Yankees, said Steinbrenner is "doing well" in his Tampa, Fla., home. "All I know is a few minutes ago, I spoke to George, and he was at home in Tampa, and he sounded OK," Rubenstein said. After calling Steinbrenner "a little after 4 o'clock" on Monday, Rubenstein said Steinbrenner "arrived in Tampa a short while ago." Steinbrenner was hospitalized in December 2003 after fainting at a memorial service for football great Otto Graham in Sarasota, Fla. Junior Lori Mannette, director of the production, said Pauper Players is not commenting on the incident. The last performance of "Cabaret" is set to take place Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Playmakers Theatre. Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Pauper Players' Sunday afternoon performance of "Cabaret" was cut short when Department of Public Safety officials responded to a call that a white man was suffering from chest paints, DPS spokesman Randy Young said. Sophomore Emily Riehl, who was in the audience, said the man was New York Yankees principal owner, George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was in attendance to watch his granddaughter, junior Haley Swindal, perform the lead role of Sally Bowles. Young said the man was "conscious, alert and breathing" when DPS officials arrived at Historic Playmakers Theatre between 3:30 and 3:41 p.m. The incident left some audience members shaken and forced the company to cancel the performance. "I didn't notice anything until intermission when people started going up to him," said Riehl, who added that she was seated two rows behind Steinbrenner. "He was pale and his eyes were closed - it looked like he had fainted." Riehl said someone called an ambulance at intermission and then, shortly after, someone else cancelled the performance and asked audience members to leave. "I was just dazed and confused," Riehl said. "I didn't know what was happening, and then I saw him and I froze in my seat." University alumnus Danny Coles, assistant music director for the production, said the decision to cancel the performance came when paramedics arrived. He would not confirm the identity of the man who was taken to the hospital. "I'm not completely sure what the circumstances were," Coles said. "I'm not even sure if it was chest pains or if it was caused from issues with the heat in the theater." Coles said the heat had been turned on in the theater Sunday morning, but was later turned off. "The paramedics came, and we just felt the best decision was to cancel the rest of the show at that point." Coles said audience members were offered refunds and encouraged to attend the Sunday evening performance, in which Swindal performed. The man, Young said, was later remanded to Orange County EMS technicians and taken to UNC Hospitals, where he was evaluated. Howard Rubenstein, spokesman for Steinbrenner and the Yankees, said Steinbrenner is "doing well" in his Tampa, Fla., home. "All I know is a few minutes ago, I spoke to George, and he was at home in Tampa, and he sounded OK," Rubenstein said. After calling Steinbrenner "a little after 4 o'clock" on Monday, Rubenstein said Steinbrenner "arrived in Tampa a short while ago." Junior Lori Mannette, director of the production, said Pauper Players is not commenting on the incident. The last performance of "Cabaret" is set to take place Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Historic Playmakers Theatre. Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Only 30 broken chairs kept the Carolina Union Activities Board from filling the Student Union auditorium with UNC students anxious to see what's been called one of the funniest movies ever made. CUAB screened the new film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," an event sponsored by JetBlue Airways. The movie opens nationwide Nov. 3. "We ended up turning away a lot of people, more than double the people we were able to admit," CUAB community committee chairman Ethan Lin said. All told, 345 students were able to attend the screening at 8 p.m. Thanks to a media-fueled controversy surrounding the film and its satirically negative portrayal of Kazakhstan, "Borat" has become one of the most anticipated comedies of the year. "Have a sense of humor - he's a really clever guy," University history professor Louise McReynolds, who plans to see the movie, said of Borat's creator, Sacha Baron Cohen. "This guy comes from a corpus of comedic material that's not about Kazakhstan, and if you want to look at it from that perspective, he's made fun of a lot of different societies," said McReynolds, who works in the department's Russian and East European offices. "Any government has the right to be offended, but it's a waste of time to be," she said. And though many students were looking forward to the laughs and inappropriate gags they'd get from Cohen's portrayal of a Kazakh journalist coming to America to learn about our culture, a lot weren't buying the hype. "I know Kazakhstan is upset about it, but I don't think it's necessary," sophomore Brad Lockwood said. "I don't think it deserves all the media hype it's getting - it's probably just going to be a funny movie." Lin said he sees the controversy as an even greater pull for bringing "Borat" to UNC. "I think that's just another great reason to make this movie available to students - to let them judge it for themselves," he said. "We took that into consideration, but determined that bringing it would do more benefit than not." Senior Jan Ahlen, who was first in a line that stretched the length of the Student Union and up to Davis Library by 6 p.m., said he is worried the movie's popularity will affect Cohen's ability to do what he does best - be funny. "I think it's pretty cool," Ahlen said of the media blitz. "But it sucks that it's going to get bigger and that he won't be able to interview all the high-profile political figures that he does because they'll be onto him." The Internet has proven to be a useful tool for Cohen and his film, as many fans - including freshman James David and senior Amelia Hummel - have used sites such as YouTube.com as a way to feed their "Borat" fix. "I saw the trailers on YouTube and couldn't stop laughing," David said. "I'm against political correctness, so this seemed like the movie for me." Hummel said the site allowed her and her roommate to immerse themselves in Borat's sexist and anti-Semitic antics, even though the subject matter might have been difficult to digest. "It's funny, but it's difficult to think so because he's portraying a very stereotypical depiction of foreigners," she said. "You don't want to laugh, but you do." "I saw the movie preview this summer, and it's the highlight of my semester to see this movie now." Lin, who also was able to attend the screening, walked away with a mixed reaction. "I thought it was funny, and I can definitely see where a lot of the controversy comes from," he said. "I'm looking forward to the public reaction because I laughed - people laughed - but you walk away thinking, 'I shouldn't have laughed at that.'" Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
The choice between a funnel cake and a live concert might not seem like much of a tossup, but food, not music, is the No. 1 draw for N.C. State Fair attendees. "The No. 1 reason people come to the fair is to eat," Assistant Fair Manager Mike Pleasant said. "That's hard to compete with." When Pleasant, who's worked with the fair for 27 years, took over the concert booking in 2001, he looked to the people to find out how best to do his job. Aside from the desire for deep-fried delectables, what he found has dictated what kinds of music fair-goers are treated to. "We did a survey the first year I did it, and it said audiences prefer country music, so we tried to go by that," Pleasant said. "I've found recently, in the last couple of years, that people are really into contemporary Christian music." And since Pleasant added the genre to the fair's concert lineup, each show of the kind has sold out, he said. He added that he generally books those shows for Friday nights because Wednesday and Sunday nights - other popular nights for fair visits - are typically nights for church activities. "I think on nights where we sell out the Christian shows, you're going to bring in some people to the fair that may not have come out that particular night," he said. "We think it's important to book acts that get people excited and out there." And to gauge what gets people excited, Pleasant said he turns to a variety of sources, including contacting local radio stations, reading through Billboard magazine each week and talking to record labels to see what acts might be particularly timely. For Pleasant, his job has always been about two things: keeping audiences happy and keeping the quality of the fair's lineup consistent. He said last year's series was his strongest ever, but that 2004's two concerts featuring "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken proved to be his most successful, with both shows selling out in a combined 20 minutes. But one thing that has remained constant with the fair's lineup is the inclusion of musical acts native to North Carolina, such as Tift Merritt, who performed alongside Earl Scruggs and Mike Cross Tuesday night. "One thing I started doing seven years ago, I wanted to feature at least one N.C. artist every fair because we have an incredible wealth of talent." Zeke Hutchins, Merritt's tour manager and drummer, said the desire to feature N.C. artists is present on both ends of the booking process. "We're from the state for starters, and Tift and I saw Loretta Lynn here about four years ago, and when we got asked to play here, and of course we said yes," he said. "It's just an opportunity you don't pass up." Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
MOVIEREVIEW Flags of our Fathers 4 stars When Clint Eastwood says he wants to make a romanticized version of Robert James Waller's "The Bridges of Madison County," you say, "OK, Clint - have at it." When he decides to turn the tables on you and direct the Brian Helgeland-scripted "Mystic River" - more dark than it is mystic - you say, "OK, Clint - have at it." When he decides to direct the cinematic adaptation of an obscure collection of boxing stories written by an as-yet-untested screenwriter, though you might be hesitant, you say, "OK, Clint - have at it." Because he's Clint Eastwood. And while we might question his choices from time to time, we all know he can make a helluva movie. With "Flags of Our Fathers," a pitch-perfect tribute to the men who helped secure Iwo Jima in the waning days of World War II, Eastwood is at his sure-handed best. Acclaimed screenwriters William Broyles Jr. ("Apollo 13") and Paul Haggis ("Crash") do much of the legwork in what is essentially a character-driven film, an exploration of the mythology of heroes and the economics of world war. Following a trio of officers - played by Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach - the movie tells the story behind the flag-raising at Iwo Jima and shows the story most don't know: The United States was bankrupt by the end of the war, and a hero-led bond drive was the only way to secure a victory. Comparisons to "Saving Private Ryan" are inevitable, especially since Steven Spielberg produced both projects. But the films couldn't be more thematically and cinematically different. "Flags" might lack the grainy surrealism of Janusz Kaminski's Omaha Beach as seen in "Private Ryan," but "Flags" astonishes in its ability to recreate the wartime environment so ably. It's a comfortable fusion of computer-generated visual effects and earnest cinematography, resulting in a brilliant war film and an even better political drama. Eastwood and his ensemble cast of young Hollywood bucks deliver one of the most enjoyable film experiences in a long while, and much of the credit goes to his sense of thematic balance - telling the story of war through the modern lens with flashbacks serving as the bridge between foxholes, government offices and veterans' homes. But the film isn't perfect. It's heavy-handed at times, and it lacks the linear cohesion that made "Private Ryan" such a triumph. But because "Flags" throws away the book of conventions in exchange for a brave new agenda, it becomes a superb war film. And flaws aside, it still feels more accomplished and more viscerally jarring than most visits to front lines and enemy fire. After all, would you expect anything less from Clint Eastwood? Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
If actors are a dime a dozen, then New York's Upper West Side could open its own bank. But for the vast majority of fresh-faced actors who step off the bus or plane every day, the road to fame is paved with more than just casting calls and sublet contracts. "I think luck plays a huge role in succeeding as an actress here, and I feel like I've been lucky so far," said Jenny Schutzman, a 2005 UNC graduate who is living in New York City and pursuing her acting career. "You can't be super picky," she said. "There's a lot to be auditioning for - I don't think it's impossible to deal with." And in an apartment in a five-story walk-up on West 80th Street, Schutzman and her roommate, Tim Matson, wake up each day to prove that statement true. Schutzman says the chance to seize that opportunity is one of her favorite aspects of living in New York City. "There's just endless opportunities - anything you want to do, you can find a way to do it." Chapel Hill native Matson, also a 2005 UNC graduate, is attending graduate school at New York University while also planting his feet in the city's musical theater community. The balance between school and work, he said, isn't too hard to navigate. "It's hard because you're limited in what you can do, but because the two are so interrelated, there's a lot of overlap," he said. "I'm happy to be in school - I'm learning a great deal - but the last time I auditioned was in March because I had to find something to do over the summer." While Matson spends his time attending and teaching at NYU, Schutzman focuses on her career when she's not serving as an office manager at a financial services firm. "I started looking for a day job right away," she said. "I didn't want to start auditioning for anything until I could pay all my bills." Schutzman said she was turned down for numerous jobs because she said she was an aspiring actress. She keeps her job because they were so accommodating when it came to her busy schedule. "Right now, it's fine in terms of juggling the two," she said. "Once I have an agent, it might become an issue, but the hardest thing to get as an actor is representation." But that's a problem Matson doesn't have to worry about quite yet. He is beginning work on his third NYU production, "The Boyfriend." In November 2005, Matson starred in "The Apple Tree," followed by roles in "Into the Woods" and "Much Ado About Nothing," which was part of Manhattan's Inwood Shakespeare Festival. All that experience mixed with his classes, he said, has resulted in a life with one focus: to get onstage. "It's really hard to separate the two," he said. "If I'm learning a tune for a music theater repertoire class, I can turn around and sing that tune in an audition the next week. "Everything I do, it seems, has a directly practical application." Schutzman said she's found a home at Project: Theater, a Manhattan-based theatrical production company that's given her three acting credits so far. She is working with the company on the debut production of "Language of Angels," which she said is quickly becoming one of her favorite experiences as an actress in New York City. The production opens on Oct. 12. "It's a really amazing play that I'm excited to be a part of," she said. "Naomi Iizuka is one of those brilliant, up-and-coming playwrights that don't come along in contemporary theater too often." Schutzman and Matson, both of whom were involved with Lab! Theatre, said they owe a great deal of credit to their dramatic experiences at UNC. "I think it was great to have the experience of doing shows in college," Schutzman said. "Having the opportunity to direct was fantastic, but the classes are very much about guiding, which is different from the production companies." Matson said he credits his involvement in both CHiPs and Lab! with the lessons he's learned and the techniques he uses onstage today. "Having been in Lab!, I understand the production elements and what is needed to produce a play," he said. "And sometimes when you get out, you need to know those things to make sure it's done right." But Schutzman has trouble dealing with the opposite: not knowing. "It can seem so overwhelming, especially because you're here for one year or 10 - it's such a scary thing not knowing." But despite their fears and their fondness of their time at Chapel Hill, the two said they wouldn't trade their lives in New York for another four years of college. "I work every morning and rehearse every evening and on the weekend - it keeps me busy, but it's what I love doing," Schutzman said. "If anything is eating my time away, I'm happy it's that." Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
MOVIEREVIEW The Last Kiss 2 and 1/2 stars It's not hard to screw up an adaptation. Every facet of a movie, from the plot to the setting to the score, relies on the input of many people. So it's only natural that, somewhere along the way, something will misfire. So when Paul Haggis scripts a Tony Goldwyn-directed adaptation of a five-year-old Italian movie, the stage is set for a miscue or two. It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that "The Last Kiss," an adaptation of Gabriele Muccino's "L'ultimo bacio," falls on its thematic face somewhere around the 45-minute mark. Zach Braff heads up a good if merely recognizable cast, so it only seems fair to dump a good portion of the blame for this lackluster movie's failings on his shoulders. Not that he was heavily involved in the creative process. It's just that "The Last Kiss" feels like a Zach Braff movie: smug and acutely funny but never really insightful and even less inspired. But it's hard to discredit such an ambitious project, at least on Braff's and Goldwyn's parts - acting and directing don't make "The Last Kiss" a trite, forgettable B-movie. Haggis' writing does. After all, it isn't the most intricate plot: Four men deal with life and love while their female counterparts serve as aimless bystanders. The only compelling plot device comes from the marital discord experienced by Braff's in-laws, played by Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson. "L'ultimo bacio" was essentially a modern adaptation of Federico Fellini's classic "I, Vitelloni," and there are traces of that youthful zest in "The Last Kiss" that made Fellini's film a masterpiece. With nods to films from Tornatore's "Cinema Paradiso" to "Garden State," "The Last Kiss" certainly has its feet in clever holds. Quite simply Haggis' script feels phoned-in, going through all the contrived motions you'd expect from a modern romantic dramedy. In fact the only things that save "The Last Kiss" from its morose, often falsely comedic self are the able performances by Danner and Wilkinson who, by simply showing up, outshine their younger counterparts, including Jacinda Barrett, Rachel Bilson and Casey Affleck. But Goldwyn does try to save the film with a respectable job of injecting subtle tension into relatively innocuous scenes. No amount of well-framed shots and plotline juggling salvage the film from its own mediocrity. And Braff's too-perfect soundtrack seems as if it could be the "Garden State" B-sides. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
MUSICREVIEW John Mayer Continuum 4 stars John Mayer isn't the kind of artist who deserves the second-guessing he gets dealt. His full-length studio debut, Room for Squares, was an impressive, albeit pigeonholed, album that showcased a versatile song-writing ability, as well as Mayer's budding penchant for a blues sound. He may have faltered a bit on 2003's Heavier Things, but songs such as "Come Back to Bed" only furthered the notion that Mayer was about more than the adult alternative genre he'd been placed in. But on his November 2005 live release he was joined by drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino, and the resulting Try! was a modern blues-rock stroke of genius. This time around with Contiuum, Mayer hasn't abandoned his blues-rock sound, and both Palladino and Jordan have stayed on board. Continuum is the kind of album Mayer has been hinting at since he came onto the music scene in 1999, showcasing his immense talent through a genre that allows him to create genuine music, not simply the radio filler exemplified on Room for Squares. Tracks like "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)," "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room," and "I'm Gonna Find Another You," are examples of why Mayer's bluesy tendencies serve him better than any other sound. He doesn't abandon his accessible sound, particularly with the radio-friendly "Waiting on the World to Change," which rivals Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" for an effective state-of-the-world pop song. But track inclusions from Try! - "Gravity" and "Vultures" - while good, only show what Continuum is lacking: raw energy. It almost seems like Mayer and company were setting their listeners up for disappointment when they decided to put the two tracks on the album. There is no way the studio versions could live up to the energy they previously exuded. Saying that Continuum doesn't live up to the promise Try! put forth isn't a fair criticism of the album, and to say that it falls short of its predecessor's sheen is even less of a critique. Continuum doesn't have a single wasted track, and, put together, the album becomes the best studio effort of Mayer's career. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
Reaching their decision weeks earlier than in years past, the Carolina Athletic Association announced Monday that The Roots will perform this year's Homecoming concert. The seminal Philadelphia hip-hop group was tapped to perform at 8 p.m. on Nov. 4 at Memorial Hall, CAA President Rachel High said. Student tickets, priced at $15, could be available as soon as one week before Fall Break, High said. Tickets for the general public will go on sale for $30 one week before the concert. The band is being paid $40,000 plus yet-to-be-determined technical costs for their show, High said. "We knew they appealed to a pretty broad audience," she said. "I think it appeals to a much wider audience than Common or John Legend." CAA and the Carolina Union Activities Board, which funds part of the concert, recently were met with criticism because of the homogeny of their choice of acts - in the past two years, the Homecoming concert has featured hip-hop or R&B artists. While The Roots continues that trend, CUAB President Erika Stallings said the concert has a lot more to offer students. "I've just told some people, and they've all been really excited," she said. "I think students will be excited, and it's a show that I think people should go to even if they've never heard them." The Homecoming committee has additional money left over from its $60,000 budget, and they are hoping to book a second act for a follow-up concert, which Homecoming committee co-chairman Pablo Friedmann said would be specific to the rock or indie rock genre. High also is optimistic that a second show will be booked. "We are highly looking into the possibility of having a second Memorial Hall show of a different genre," she said. "It'll be after The Roots' show, but it will actually be during Homecoming week and only for students." High and Stallings said The Roots expressed interest in coming to Chapel Hill before an offer was extended. "They really wanted to come here as well, which we knew would make it much more of a high-quality show," High said. "But we wanted to wait and see if other high-quality acts weren't going to be able to make it." High listed Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco, O.A.R. and the Red Hot Chili Peppers as possible acts, but each dissolved when price and availability were taken into account. "When you look at the whole picture of considered artists, I think we've brought the best possible show," Friedmann said. "I expect it to be an awesome show." The Roots, Friedmann said, played two shows at Duke University during the mid-'90s and again in 2002, and that he has received nothing but positive feedback about their performances. "In the process of selecting The Roots, we did a lot of background research," he said. "We found out they play with a lot of energy and passion." And High thinks that's just what the University needs in its Homecoming concert. "For me it's never really about personal opinion - it's just what the majority of students will enjoy," High said. "I'm a bigger fan of them being the Homecoming concert than them being on my radio." Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Reaching their decision weeks earlier than in year's past, the Carolina Athletic Association has announced that The Roots will perform in this year's Homecoming concert. The Roots - the seminal Philadelphia hip-hop group behind hits such as "The Seed 2.0" and "Boom!" - have been tapped to perform at Memorial Hall on Nov. 4, CAA President Rachel High said. Tickets potentially will be available for students as soon as one week before Fall Break, High said, and will cost $15. General public tickets will go on sale one week before the concert.
DVDREVIEW Stella: Season One 4 stars It could be said that only fans of "Wet Hot American Summer" and MTV's "The State" will appreciate thoroughly Comedy Central's short-lived sketch comedy series, "Stella." After all, that would explain the quick demise of the brilliant series, which gets by primarily on the esoteric, asinine humor of its three stars and creators: David Wain, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black. The three are truly at the top of their respective games in "Stella," and much of this comedic gem's laughs come from the troika's ability to deliver subtle, low-key sight gags. Though "Stella" might devolve into pedestrian slapstick at times, its devolution is executed with such a sure hand that it's hard not to admire. And perhaps the biggest treat of the series comes in the form of its guest stars, of which there are a bevy: Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Sam Rockwell, Topher Grace, Elizabeth Banks and Janeane Garofolo (to name a few) all helped to make "Stella" one of the few things on television that, at the time, was actually worth watching. Sure, it's dumb comedy at times - that's mostly the point. And, yes, it's vaguely misogynistic, sometimes racist, often homoerotic and very consistently immature. But because the trio knows this and proceeds gleefully with its brand of offensive humor, "Stella" becomes a sketch comedy diamond in the rough. For those lucky enough to know it, it's priceless. Interestingly enough, there's a marked shift in tone and writing between the first five episodes and the last five, but the noticeable difference is less a hindrance than you'd expect. The series benefits the fleshed-out, plot-driven writing that encompasses the season's second half. While its irreverance often overshadows its subtlties, "Stella" remains a skillyfully written sketch comedy show - its writers/stars recognize the line between comedy and idiocy, which is one of the reasons why the project works. Much like "Mr. Show with Bob and David" - a series that surely proved to be an influence for Wain, Black and Showalter - "Stella" simply was trapped in a time when audiences weren't ready for it. Sad thing is, it's unlikely people will warm up to it anytime soon. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
Much of what Vanessa Hidary has to say might seem foreign to UNC's Jewish contingent. Hidary's one-woman show, "Culture Bandit," explores the nuance and explosiveness of being raised Jewish in an urban environment - New York's Upper West Side. Hidary, also known as the Hebrew Mamita, will perform "Culture Bandit," a fusion of hip-hop, def poetry and monologues, at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Union Cabaret. Her performance, sponsored by N.C. Hillel, looks to promote a diversity dialogue throughout the University, said Erin Arnold, N.C. Hillel's program director. "We chose to bring her because I think her show has a lot to say about diversity, and we thought it would be a great program both for Hillel and the entire university," Arnold said. Hidary, who has been featured nationally on HBO's "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry," says that despite her show's autobiographical nature, she receives audience comments that people find personal identification in her words. "I feel as though it speaks to a very wide audience range," Hidary said. "No matter what their background is, they can identify with identity struggle." Hidary, who has both Syrian and Russian heritage, grew up with a mixed identity, both religiously and ethnically. This, she said, served as her biggest poetic inspiration. "My life is my inspiration, and I've been lucky enough to have a diverse group of friends and found people that supported it," she said. Arnold said Hidary's show could also add an interesting perspective to UNC's own cultural diversity. "It's going to highlight her experiences, and I think it could open our eyes to some of our issues of getting along in a diverse society," she said. And that potential for relatability, Hidary said, continues to drive her. "I feel as though my job is to write my experiences, but do it in a way that it can cross into other peoples' understanding - many people find a way to relate it to their own lives." Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
"Sometimes when you hold a mirror up to people, they're not going to like what they see, and this is very much a true mirror - it's ugly but true," senior Katherine Canipe said. It's not exactly the best sell for the Department of Dramatic Art's first production of the season, "Closer," which premieres Friday and runs through Monday. But the principle actors said the play, originally written for the stage by Patrick Marber, really sells itself. "In some ways I think it's a very easy pitch because it's a play about four attractive people encountering various sexual escapades," senior Alec Wells said. "It's got all the classic things about storytelling that make it interesting." Wells and Canipe - a real-life couple - will play onstage couple Dan and Alice in the production. They will be joined by seniors Kelly McCrann and Patrick Link, who will play couple Anna and Larry. The play, originally produced for the stage in 1999, enjoys a film adaptation starring Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. But the four student actors said they feel the movie version won't serve as a detriment to people coming to see their production. "They changed the ending vastly in the movie," Canipe said. "The play is completely different. "I really respected and loved the movie, but the text of the play is very different. I don't feel like any of the characters in our play are anything like the characters in the movie." And Wells said the play experience is, in many respects, better than the movie experience because of the dramatic personalization the play affords. "You choose who you watch," he said. "A lot of time in movies you're fed what you're supposed to watch, but in this you get to decide for yourself, which I think is the coolest difference between a movie version of a play and a play." Canipe agreed, saying that movies have tricks that help dictate the story. And she said one scene in particular proved challenging for her. "One scene that is so difficult is the lap-dance club scene, because in the movie it's very contained," she said. "She's not dancing; you have to figure out what to do in a theater space for all that time. We don't have close-ups to help us out. We don't have clever camera angles. It's just us." "Closer," which chronicles the infidelities and deceptions of two couples in modern London, is widely known for its candor and sense of voyeurism, which, McCrann said, makes the play both intriguing and difficult to take in. "I think the voyeuristic quality would make even the crudest and most insensitive soul shy away from it," she said. "But at the end of the day, when we look ourselves in the mirror, we have the option to see that ugly part of ourselves." But the personal, intimate quality the play is known for, Link said, makes it particularly interesting for audiences to take in. "A lot of people know the play and don't like it because of the content or what the characters are like," he said. "In fact it's really a cautionary tale. There's not much goodness in the play, but it's the absence of the goodness that promotes it and makes it pure in its message." Link also said the play's humanistic qualities make it a deceiving performance for actors to undertake. "What's hard is that it's so deceptive because it seems so easy because of the way it's written. It seems like it's stylized and it's naturalistic, but it's neither," he said. Despite their bravado the actors said they still wonder what their parents will think of the production. "My dad's a psychologist, and I said I was interested to know what his analysis of these people are. I'm really interested to hear what they have to say after the play," Wells said. "I'm not nervous in terms of the dialogue, although they are seeing my girlfriend in lingerie, so that's my newest worry." Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
MUSICREVIEW Ray LaMontagne Till the Sun Turns Black 4 stars Ray LaMontagne reminds me a lot of Nick Drake - and I really hate Nick Drake. But for some reason (as much as I shouldn't admit it) I love Ray LaMontagne. I consider Trouble, his 2004 debut, one of the best albums I heard a year late. Till the Sun Turns Black, LaMontagne's sophomore effort, builds on the bluesy, Van Morrison-inspired cadence of its predecessor, but something new is in his notes this time around. Re-teaming with producer Ethan Johns (who has worked with everyone from Ryan Adams to Kings of Leon), LaMontagne delivers a sound that, while reminiscent of Trouble, seems all-together matured and, at times, rather poignant. Even though the record benefits from a larger production budget - it sounds infinitely more polished than Trouble - LaMontagne never abandons the musical simplicity that makes his sound enviable. While he shifts tones a bit too much - the rocky transition between "Barfly" and "Three More Days" is a notable example - the album still retains a sense of continuity and lyrical consistency. And when the mariachi horns come in on "Can I Stay," it doesn't feel stilted or even forced. Like much of LaMontagne's sensibilities, it feels natural. Till the Sun. represents a giant leap in the right direction for LaMontagne. Where Trouble seemed to thrive off the same three-note combo backed by a raspy voice, Till the Sun. feels like LaMontagne is charting a new course where he's not afraid to experiment, even if it's with a jazz flute on one of the album's best cuts, "You Can Bring Me Flowers." But it's the album's title track that seems to stand out among the 11-song set. In it LaMontagne exudes a comfortable vulnerability in his sound, something few artists pull off convincingly. That one track makes me realize that, while LaMontagne might never reach the cult-chic status that Drake enjoys posthumously, he's one of the few active artists that deserves every bit of acclaim that's thrown his way. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
The South, birthplace of jazz greats John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie, has a deep-seeded involvement in jazz history and the evolution of folk rock. Starting Thursday, a rarely seen side of that tradition will be on display in Wilson Library when it unveils its first exhibit of the semester - "The Untamed World: Photographs by Robert Bolton, 1964-1969" - as part of the library's Southern Folklife Collection. The exhibit, which will be on display until Dec. 31, features photographs that were taken by Bolton as he chronicled the jazz and folk rock movements of the mid-to-late-'60s. Carolina graduate student and Wilson Library research assistant Kirston Johnson discovered the collection of 21 photographs when Bolton - a friend of the Johnson family - died in 1988. "When I first saw these images, I was not only struck by how amazing and accomplished they were in an artistic sense, but I really felt they fit within a genre of photography that was emerging in the '60s," Johnson said. "It's a documentary style that was also very journalistic or diary-like." The exhibit, Johnson said, includes rare, sometimes candid photographs of jazz greats such as North Carolina-born Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie and rock legend Bob Dylan. Bolton, among other projects, documented two jazz festivals in 1965, one in Chicago and one in Knoxville, Tenn. At these festivals, he was able to capture rare moments in music history with subjects who helped define the jazz genre. David Garcia, an assistant professor who specializes in ethnomusicology and is teaching an introductory jazz course this fall, said the exhibit is of great importance for the University and fans of music history. "This exhibit is important, if not for the sole reason that the photographs are of important people in jazz history," he said. Garcia mentioned the exhibit to his class on Tuesday, and said anything that gives students exposure to jazz is good. "In general, these figures have been well-documented, but anyone interested in the history of jazz music will find a lot of value in these photographs," he said. But Johnson said she feels that the photographs do more than document a time in music history. She said the photographs serve as a window into Bolton's life as a photographer and music appreciator, and help viewers understand the context of the era, making the exhibition perfect for Wilson Library's Southern Folklife Collection. "They not only document a lot of well-known musicians, but they convey what it was like to live in the South during the time," she said. "These photographs are great resources for understanding a time and a place, and what it was like to live in that time and place." But more than its subject, Johnson is excited about the opportunities the exhibit will afford the University's academic communities. "I think the collection is going to support a lot of different disciplines in the University," she said. "I'm hoping that because it has that potential for diversity, that it will attract a diverse group of people." Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.