THURSDAY,OCTOBER31,2002
FILM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 13
'The Truth'in movie is hard to figure out
FILM
An eclectic mix of style, setting, music and culture punctuates Jonathan Demne's new romantic thriller, The Truth About Charlie.
Regina Lambert (Thandie Newton), searching for answers about her husband's murder and a missing fortune, seems to encounter Joshua Peters (Mark Wahlberg) at every turn in The Truth About Charlie.
Thandie Newton (Deme's Beloved) stars as Regina Lampert, Charlie's trophy wife, who's taking a breather from her new husband on the beaches of Martinique. In the film's opening scene, Charlie (Stephen Dillane) is murdered after a quick tryst on a train. Regina returns home to the couple's liquidated apartment, where the police are waiting to tell her about Charlie's demise and the myriad list of other facts she didn't know about him during their three months of marriage.
Steven Shupe
sshupe@kansan.com
Contributed art
The sinister goons tracking Regina — Emil, Lola and II-Sang— knew Charlie all too well. So did Mr. Bartholomew (Tim Robbins), the mysterious U.S. Embassy man who appears with tales of Charlie's paramilitary career.
Even more enigmatic is Joshua Peters (Mark Wahlberg), the charming stranger who crops up whenever Regina is in danger. Once the principal characters are established, the film alternates between Joshua and Regina's romance and the forces with which Joshua is either clashing or colluding.
Of course, nothing is what it seems, and almost everybody gets to play the hero and the villain, often both in the same minute.
'THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE'
★★★ (OUT OF FOUR)
Starring Thandie Newton, Mark Wahlberg and Tim Robbins
Rated PG-13 for some violence and sexual content/nudity
Playing at Southwind 12,3433 Iowa St.
Regina Lampert is really Regina Lake, and Joshua Peters is really Carson Dial, but only until the next plot twist.
Identity shifting can be fun, but it doesn't allow for a lot of character dimension. Demme has less control of his pacing than usual, but The Truth About Charlie is undeniably a director-specific movie, and Demme typically sets a gold standard.
Demme's movie is slight but fresh, from its stylized depiction of death to its salsa and reggae soundtrack. The Silence of the Lambs Oscar-winning director brings a literate sense of place and culture to Charlie's Paris locales. His progressive approach allows for interracial romance and a colorblind use of extras. Nearly every frame is brimming with diversity.
Adapted from the 1963 film Charade, Charlie is ultimately beneath a director of Demme's caliber, resembling a great jazz artist's riff on beginner's material. His love
for the obscure — the film features a solo Greek Chorus played by Charles Aznavour, the international star of Francois Truffaut's
Shoot the Piano Player - is bound to alienate audiences and probably means Charlie shouldn't be viewed with a mainstream mentality. For his fans, Demme always has a lesson or two to teach.
This film, based on Tom Perrotta's interpretation of the 1992 Presidential election, may be set in a high school but ends up being one of the best essays on the seduction of politics. Even as Tracy Flick (a now sold-out Reese Witherspoon) competes against the high school football king (Chris
Election(1999)
A silver screen primer for the upcoming elections
This is the time of year when ghouls and goblins knock at every door with their hands extended, looking for something. It's a time when the airwaves are filled with images designed to frighten and horrify the viewer. This is not Halloween but Election Day I'm referring to.
The elections are coming next Tuesday, and it's important for everyone to take the time to inform themselves who's with him or her on the issues.
But what do you do when you've lost all philosophical and ideological footing? Here are a few titles worth looking at for the best and the worst our political system has to offer.
Klein) to be elected student body president, it is obvious that even these politics are about power. While it may seem odd, this Alexander Payne satire offers some biting thoughts on the political structure of our country. What's more, the sex jokes are funny.
The Candidate(1972)
Yes, the plot of this film is dated. The film addresses the Vietnam War and the debates about the formulation of a "welfare state." Robert Redford's Bill McKay is a fascinating study of a man who goes from an idealist to a person sucked into the system within one election. It is both scathing and heartbreaking. It can remind the viewer of the best and worst of the system, and it's clear that Redford has the style and the charm to sell all of it.
James Owen
jowen@kansan.com
The American President(1995)
This flick is unabashedly liberal, but how many times do you get smart, snappy political dialogue and a good romance all at once? Michael Douglas is a widowed
FILM SNOB
For more reviews by James Owen, check out www.filmsnobs.com.
president who falls for an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening). West Wing creator and American President writer Aaron Sorkin did his homework with the political jargon and created a well-done and sweet-natured love story.
Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb(1964)
This may be a disconcerting flick with
the current prospect of war, but it is one that should make everyone question the intentions and intelligence of those in charge. The story, set during the Cold War, is about a bomb that goes off without either the Americans or Russians knowing what causes it to go off. The movie stars a talented Peter Sellers in multiple roles and an enthusiastic Slim Pickens.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)
Finally, a film that can make you believe in the system. Jimmy Stewart stars as the young idealist who gets elected to Senate and is able to charge Capitol Hill. This may seem unbelievable in these days, but watching Stewart's final speech evokes memories of the likes of the late Paul Wellstone. We can only hope that all of the candidates have a bit of Mr. Smith in them.
All these films can give you some motivation for Election Day. Watch some movies, get out and go vote.