THURSDAY,SEPT.13,2001
ENTERTAINMENT
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
'Game' not worth playing
Two Can Play That Game's Shante Smith (Vivica A. Fox) is the type of woman guys notice. As the youngest partner at a prestigious advertising firm, Shante is hot stuff and she knows it, flaunting her sexuality with a flamboyant, vet classy confidence.
Shante's relationship-troubled friends rush to her for advice, which she gladly dispenses as gospel. When it comes to men, Shante doesn't just know every rule in the book, she wrote the book.
At least she thinks so until she meets Keith (Morris Chestnut), the supposed doting boyfriend whom she finds locked in another woman's arms at a dance club.
Commentary
Although Keith swears that he was merely having dinner and a little dancing with a co-worker, Shante, the self-proclaimed master of men, decides that the only decent thing to do is punish her man.
After proposing that she and Keith "take a break and test the water," Shante embarks on a sure-fire, 10-day quest to make Keith crawl back on his knees and beg for forgiveness.
Of course, in movies and real life for that matter, games like these never go as planned and Shante's foolproof plan turns out to be not so foolproof. But the real question here is, "Can true love persevere?" Take your guess.
The problem with Two Can Play That Game is that it's all style and no substance. In essence, it's a movie that
Brandon Stinnett
Movie Reviewer
jayplaywansan.com
thrives solely on gimmicks and trendy one-liners. The characters, comprised of Shante's and Keith's friends, spend all of their time screaming theories about sex and the opposite gender. A viewer can stomach only so much frivolous banter before it starts to fall on deaf ears.
Shante spends a substantial portion of the movie turned to the camera, acting as a first-person narrator. Her monologues grow old fast.
There are some funny scenes, such as when one of Shante's friends smashes up the apartment of a cheating boyfriend, but these are few and far between. The vivacious Fox does have a commanding screen presence, but her charm is wasted on what is, essentially, nothing.
After 90 minutes of meaningless fluff, Two Can Play That Game tries its best to end by shooting for the heart. It might have worked, had the rest of the movie not been so forgettable. Instead, the ending is like the whole movie: A thoughtless throwaway not worth a second thought.
Contact Stinnet at 864-4810
Two Can Play That Game ★★★
treat movie of the week
Great movie of the week:
Swingers. Swingers is a movie about relationships that work.
The characters are interesting and their problems seem real. It's not hard to feel the pain of Mikey, the movie's lovably pathetic main character. The scene where Mikey repeatedly calls the answering machine of a girl he just met at a bar is excruciatingly painful to watch. It's a hilarious take on the dating and bar scene and is a must-see for all college students.
Bad movie of the week: Wild Wild West.It's not about relationships, but similar to Two Can Play That Game, Wild Wild West is a bad movie.Yes,the special effects are good,but Will Smith and Kevin Kline have about as much chemistry as the Kansas offense did against UCLA Saturday.
I was one of the unfortunate moviegoers who thought the previews for Wild, Wild West looked really stupid, but figured director Barry Sonnenfeld, the man responsible for the infinitely better Men in Black, would deliver another entertaining movie. Man, I couldn't have been more wrong.
Show praised for singing Brodway's greatest hits
By Linda Mendez Jayplay writer
Similar to the miniature puff pastries it served at the show, the Quality Hill Playhouse's production of On Broadway is light, fluffy and satisfying.
The show opens with a five-song review of Kiss Me, Kate, which is running its first revival on Broadway. On Broadway also takes from shows such as Les Misérables, Assassins, 42nd Street and Rent.
On Broadway is now at Kansas City's Quality Hill Playhouse, 303 West 10th St., and runs through Sunday, Oct. 7.
The On Broadway cast consists of only four performers - Blanch Boone, Nancy Nail, James Wright and J. Kent Barnhart - all of whom are veterans to the Quality Hill Playhouse.
The executive director describes the show as "an intimate cabaret revue showcasing songs currently on the Great White Way."
The opening numbers of "Why Can't You Behave" and "I Hate Men" are definite showstoppers with Nail's performance setting the stage for an amazing show. She is unquestionably a house favorite.
The cast's rendition of The Full Monty is fantastic. By far, "Big Ass Rock" is the best number in the production. Wright and Barnhart do justice to the new-age Broadway comedy piece.
The second act opens with a marvelous set of songs. Boone brings the house to its feet with her performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Angel of Music"
from The Phantom of the Opera.
But the transition from the opening to selections from The Music Man is disappointing. Too much time is spent lingering on ballads such as "My White Knight" and not nearly enough attention is paid to the humorous "Iowa Stubborn."
Rent's "Seasons of Love" also is a disappointment. While the actual musical performance is satisfactory, the interpretation does not do the show justice. "Seasons of Love," is usually done in an upbeat, motivational manner; however, the director chooses to take a less interesting approach. By slowing the tempo and opting to remove powerful solo options, the entire feel of the song is lost.
The show closes with three selections from The Producers. "I Wanna Be a Producer" is stunning. Not only is it hilarious to watch, but it is musically fantastic. The entire cast puts an exhilarating finale to a fantastic show.
As a side note, the emcee, J. Kent Barnhart, is splendid. Barnhart not only sings and plays the piano throughout the entire production, but he doubles as the comedy during transitions and costume changes.
Tickets for On Broadway are $20, but a student discount of $18 is offered. Call the playhouse at (816) 421-1700 to check show times and reserve tickets.
Contact Mendez at 864-4810
Domestic & Foreign Complete Car Care
LAWRENCE AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTICS INC.
"We Stand Behind Our Work, and WE CARE!"
842-8665
2858 Four Wheel Dr.
2176 E. 23rd St. 843-1110
Kansan Classifieds...
Say it for everyone to hear
20% discount for students
WINTER LAND
SPRING BREAK
BEACH & SKI TRIPS
On Sale Now!
www.sunchase.com
1-800-SUNCHASE
VISOR better than using your hand.
Your hand is not a personal organizer.
Your hand is not a GPS.
Your hand is not a cell phone.
Your hand is not an MP3 player.
More than just a personal organizer - with optional Springboard modules, you can turn Visor into a phone, an MP3 player or any number of handy devices.
Great student discount. Visor Deluxe only $159.99 PLUS free case ($49.95 value) with purchase For a limited time and only at your school bookstore.