The University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 20, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Page: 4 of 11
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^^^March^29^006^he^University^News^
Arts & Entertainment
Vapid Moore, Spiky Lee, High School Shakespeare, Latin Hughes
by FS
MOVIE REVIEWER
V for Vendetta (wide release)
is the third big-budget movie
made from a graphic novel by
Alan Moore — the earlier ones
were From Hell and The League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen — and
although it's not the worst of the
bunch (League surely holds that
distinction), it's not much to write
home about either.
The book, written in the
Thatcher era, was an assault on
the authoritarian impulses of the
Iron Lady's administration that
glorified the figure of a masked
vigilante who opposed the regime.
But it's been updated to the post-
9/1 1 era, with knife-wielding,
bomb-planting V now portrayed
as an ambiguously heroic fellow
determined to foment public
discontent in order to bring down
the crypto-fascist, blithely racist,
spuriously religious government
headed by a Big Brotherish chan-
cellor. The audience surrogate is a
young woman alternately repelled
by and drawn to his cause.
Some critics have castigated the
movie for being an anti-Western,
pro-terrorist piece of propaganda,
but that's giving it entirely too
much credit.
It's actually little more than
an unholy mixture of The Matrix
(coming from the same writers),
The Phantom of the Opera (non-
musical version) and The Count
of Monte Cristo, and its attempts
at political commentary are so
puerile that it's unlikely anyone
could be affected by them.
The movie's failure derives
instead from the fact that it's pre-
tentious and ponderous, taking
itself so seriously that it fails tCi
exhilarate or entertain. Its dark
vision of the future is simply bor-
ing, especially since (unlike The
Matrix) it doesn't seem especially
innovative or visually exciting.
In this case, V also stands for
vacuous and very, very dumb.
Spike Lee departs from his "per-
sonal" films to go the studio route
with Inside Man (wide release), a
fairly typical bank heist picture fo-
cusing on a cat-and-mouse contest
between a hostage-taking master
criminal and a self-confident po-
lice negotiator.
The movie features some of
the director's customary riffs on
racial and ethnic animosities,
but in a more throwaway fashion
than usual — to better effect.
And it showcases his usual visual
pizzazz, as well as an effortlessly
charismatic lead performance by
Denzel Washington.
The result is a picture that un-
Mayterm
ASTRONOMY
in
COLORADO
'"nformation Session:
(Cost Lodging, Transportation, etc.)
WEDNESDAY 3/29/06
SCIENCE BLDS. ROOM #2
4:30 PM
Everyone Welcome!
Refreshments Provided
earths no profundities but serves
as a slick, entertaining take on a
familiar scenario.
Shakespeare enrolls in high
school again in She's the Man
(wide release), a teen-comedy
adaptation of Twelfth Night writ-
ten by some of the same people
responsible for 10 Things I Hate
About You (based on The Taming
of the Shrew) back in 1999-
In this retelling, a girl poses
as her brother at a prep school in
order to prove her mettle on the
soccer field. Naturally, she falls
for a hunky fellow player, who has
a crush on the campus princess,
who in turn is infatuated with
the male impersonator, who must
also avoid her brother's girlfriend,
who.. .well, you get the idea. The
Malvolio subplot, it must be men-
tioned, is largely excised — which
was probably the right decision.
The movie isn't remotely cred-
ible, but then neither is Twelfth
Night, and She's the Man is
brighter and quicker on its feet
than most of today's teen com-
edies, and has more laughs than
most.
The soccer action is surpris-
ingly convincing, too.
Finally, if you're interested in
seeing what one of John Hughes's
old high school flicks might look
like in Spanish, check out Duck
Season (Inwood).
The little Mexican picture
is strongly reminiscent of The
Breakfast Club, showing how ca-
maraderie develops among four
people who come together in an
apartment during a lazy Sunday
afternoon: two teen chums whil-
ing away the day playing video
games, a pizza delivery man who
refuses to leave when they refuse
to pay him, and a neighbor girl
who takes over the kitchen to
bake a birthday cake for herself.
(Her own family has forgotten
the day, like the parents in Sixteen
Candles.)
This is a slight piece, but
it's good-natured and amusing,
with occasional serious moments
— just like Hughes's pictures.
You could do worse.
Images from yanoo.com
Fl altering ormat
by Michelle Padgett
CONTRIBUTING WRIT ER
This year's Mallapalooza head-
liners, The Format, are a delight.
Their album, Interventions and
Lullabies, is instantly accessible
pop rock with a charming alt-
country twang. Singer Nate
Ruess provides excellent vocals
that particularly shine on tracks
like "Give it Up" and "I'm Ready,
I Am." "Tune Out" is a lovely
track with a Beatle-esque pop
sensibility.
The Format will definitely ap-
peal to fans of Jimmy Eat World,
who are also Arizona locals. In-
terventions and Lullabies moves
beyond merely catchy modern
rock with lyrics of substance and
feeling. An album highlight,
=J
O
Q)
Ol
''On Your Porch," is a moving
and unabashedly sentimental
acoustic track about loss, mov-
ing on, and the unconditional
love of a father. "What's left to
lose? / I've done enough." Ruess
sings. "If I fail, well then I fail
/ But I gave it a shot." In sum-
mary, Interventions and Lullabies is
solid, enjoyable, and easy to like.
Mallapalooza is April 22 and The
Format will make it an event not
to be missed.
Call or come by the Dining
Services Office located inside
Real Food @ Haggar Cafe.
Dining
Services
UD Dining Services
972-721-5025
WE ACCEPT
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Bond, Monica. The University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 20, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 29, 2006, newspaper, March 29, 2006; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201429/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Dallas.