THURSDAY, JAN. 17, 2002
jayplay
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3B
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Start year off right with great movies
By Peter Black Jayplay writer
COMMENTARY
As semester break ends, many students come back refreshed and ready to tear into a new semester. The idea of starting the semester strong by actually doing all the class readings and getting an early start on those projects might sound like a good idea, but — let's face it — we all know that after a week of homework, the last thing anybody will want to do is study
So, start by catching up on all of those holiday movies you missed over the break. The semester is young, so consider this your first cheat sheet of the year.
The Man Who Wasn't There, the newest installment to the Coen Brother's library, is a twisted tale. Ed Crane, played by Billy Bob Thornton, is an emotionless barber trying to escape the life he created for himself. This is a classic dark comedy. It is also one of the most visually compelling movies of the year.
Peter Black
pblack@kansan.com
If you and a group of friends are trying to find a movie everybody would love, look no further than Amelie. This French import brings us lovable characters.
Thornton gives a performance that has Oscar written all over it. This may not be the most talked about movie of the year, but it is definitely one of the best.
Amelie is a charming story about a lonely young women who finds sanity in helping others and in her overactive imagination. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet brings the charming story to life through beautiful bright colors
and sweeping camera movements.
It is funny and charming, has great acting, a terrific screenplay and shows that the filmmaker actually had a vision in mind for Amelie a quality that many films lack. Unless you were born without a soul, you will love this movie.
In a year when Hollywood whisked us away to lands with three-headed dogs, jovial hobbits and robotic boys, who would have thought that the most enjoyable trip would be to the kingdom of The Royal Tenenbaums? Never before has a dysfunctional family been so amusing. Wes Anderson gives us an in-depth look into the chaotic lives of the Tenenbaum family as they reluctantly begin to repair family relationships.
The film's characters have idiosyncrasies to the extreme. Anderson beautifully crafts The Tenenbaums so none of the characters steal the show, and the family is loved and embraced.
Unless you are an *injured* Murder She *Wrote* fan, it has probably been a long
time since you've seen a classic murder mystery story. Speaking of syndicated television, Robert Altman, the creator of M.A.S.H. and a Kansas City native, has returned to the genre of murder mystery with his newest film, Gosford Park.
In the hills of England a slew of socialites and their servants arrive for a weekend retreat. As the story unfolds, a tangled mess of greed and lust emerges, leaving one person dead and multiple people to blame.
Altman's signature style, which he has been crafting since the early 1970s, brings the motivations and stories of all the characters into a coherent whole in a way that no other director could.
Unfortunately, great film-making cannot overcome a poor story. There are a lot of great elements in the screenplay, but in the end, no choices were made, leaving too many loose ends.
Contact Black at rblack@kansan.com.
Volunteers take musical journey
By Brad Weiner Jayplay writer
I rode across the country in a van with six other students — and one car stereo.
Getting to know fellow volunteers proved one of the most memorable experiences of my Alternative Winter Break trip to Phoenix, with music disputes providing a glimpse into our very different personalities.
One would think my greatest concern about the community service trip would be the idea of an inexperienced teacher like myself being thrown in front of a classroom of unruly, inner-city children. After all, that was
the idea of the experience.
In actuality, I was more apprehensive about the car ride to and from Arizona and the music we would hear along the way.
Each of the "Phoenix Seven" came from a different place and was interested in different things. In fact, the only thing we had in common was that we were in the same vehicle headed to the same place to participate in the same program. Our taste in everything, including music, was diverse, to say the least.
Bob McKenney, Clinton,
Mo., senior, dug the electronic
dance stylings of Paul Oaken-
fold, a DJ considered to be one
of the best. Techno music was
not a group favorite, so he often opted for headphones.
This was the case during a trip to school one morning when we listened to the hideously campy soundtrack of Moulin Rouge. McKenney described this experience as "the worst 30 minutes of my life." I can easily say that the Police's "Roxanne" was so horribly soiled in the soundtrack version that I can never listen to it again.
The person responsible for Moulin Rouge was our resident country music expert (who asked not to be named because of her interest in both country musica and Dave Matthews Band), who continually lobbied for the
twangy Texas sound. She was pleased with a version of "Boot Scootin' Boogie" on the radio and "Callin' Baton Rouge," a Garth Brooks tune that showed up on a mix CD.
My musical selections came from an eclectic range of artists. They were met with an equally diverse range of reactions. My bluegrass did not go over well. Like Bob. I quickly went to headphones as a favor to myself and the others.
One might ask if any music suited all of us at the same time. A few albums did hit home runs in terms of overall popularity. Blues Traveler's Four, Moondance by Van Morrison, Graceland by Paul Simon, MTV Unplugged performances by both Eric Clapton and 10,000 Maniacs, and Rubber Soul by the Beatles were among them. Albums like these are the true classics. If a group of seven strangers with different tastes can sing along and enjoy the ride, there is a timelessness about these masterpieces.
Musically, we came from different worlds, but our hearts were in the same place. I may never say these words again, but the tunes in the background seem insignificant compared to the community service we provided.
Contact Weiner at bwineer@kansan.com. This story was edited by Brooke Hesler and Sarah Smarsh.
If you could vote for the Golden Globes, what movie would you pick for Best Picture?
HEARD ON THE STREET LOCATION: THE BUS
Kalyana Koka India graduate student
"A Beautiful Mind."
Candice Rukes Overland Park freshman
"Shrek' because it's hilarious, and they took simple humor and made it funny."
Maggie Apodaca
Overbrook freshman
Amy Hammontree Overland Parks sopomore
"Pearl Harbor' because I enjoy history and they turned it into a story that everyone would like."
"I would pick 'A Beautiful Mind' because Russell Crowe was really good. The whole movie was put together really well."
Compiled by Louise Stauffer and Michelle Burhenn
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