'Paradise Road'

'Volcano'

Rated PG-13

But even the lava seems pho-
ny after a few minutes. It's too
ommy Lee Jones stars as obviously a computer-generat-
Los Angeles' stubborn ed afterthought, because it
emergency chief Mike doesn't interact with the rest of
Roark in the generically ti- the scenery or cast. In one
tled disaster epic Volcano. But scene, an MTA official (John
while Roark eventually saves- Carroll Lynch) — who refused
the city from the ravages of a to close the subway tunnels ear-
nascent Mt. St. Helen's, even lier — heroically rescues a
Jones can't save this movie from trapped worker and sinks into
an empty-headed, special ef- the lava (a la the Wicked Witch
fects-driven plot.
of the West melting),
The movie opens with
but shows no sign of
MOVIES
strange underground ac-
pain!
tivity around a subway con-
The actors have a
struction project. An ace thankless job, and seem to
geologist (Anne Heche, most re- know it. Jones is unusually stiff
cently seen in Donnie Brasco) (like Clutch Cargo, only his lips
suspects volcanic activity, but seem to move). Heche is a little
officials fail to act until the lava better, but aside from spouting
starts flowing in, around and a few semi-scientific explana-
over several city streets and tions and predictions, she has
landmarks.
little to do (maybe because a
Soon molten lava is popping half-hearted romance between
up everywhere, and Roark is Jones and Heche never gels).

T

PHOTO BY LOREY SEBASTIA N

Glenn Close and Julianna Margulies in Paradise Road.

Rated R

But while this musical departure should be the
ake some of the finest actresses you can find. point where Paradise Road comes to life anew, in
Pour them into Singapore, and fold in a pinch some ways, it is precisely where the film falls
of pre-World War II complacency. Sprinkle apart.
After the choir's first musical number, Dvorak's
some Japanese bombs over the top, throw the
whole thing into warm water and add a dash of Ninth Symphony, is performed — its "Goin' Home"
Sumatra. Pistol-whip periodically, then let sim- quavers accompanied by a moving cemetery mon-
mer behind bars. Sing over a low boil until done. tage — we understand that these imprisoned voic-
es lend a metaphoric hope and civility to a
While director Bruce Beresford (Tender
situation devoid of both.
Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy) obviously
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The problem is, this leaves the film with-
feels this melange should serve a full the-
ater, the whole recipe of Paradise Road
out a road less traveled to venture down.
Aside from a heavy-handed moment where a
leaves a funny taste in your mouth.
Certainly in Paradise Road, Beresford has Japanese prison guard forces Pargiter to listen to
stumbled upon an incredible story, mainly be- him warble a Japanese folk song — and earn a
cause it is true: While interned in a Japanese sort of proxied acceptance into her glee club — the
film resists being truly introspective, reeks of deja
prison camp in Sumatra during World War II,
women from various countries and backgrounds vu, hums a few more ditties and inevitably stalls
out.
formed a choir that performed intricate classical
While Glenn Close gives yet another strong per-
pieces for their fellow prisoners, as well as for their
captors.
formance, it is Collins' character that truly cen-
At the nucleus of this idea is Adrienne Pargiter ters the film, along with the support of Australian
(Glenn Close), an upperclassman's wife, and Mar- actress Cate Blanchett, here making her feature
garet Drummond (Pauline Collins, most notably film debut.
from Shirley Valentine), a selfless missionary.
As the reticent, reed-like nurse Susan Mc-
Carthy, within the confines of the prison camp,
Although they hail from divergent backgrounds,
once they realize their shared interest in music, the self she has long imprisoned within is finally
the two join forces to bring it to life in the camp, set free. If told through her eyes, the film would
with Drummond committing the notes to paper have at least been assured of a soul.
And Frances McDormand should cling to that
and Pargiter summoning the courage to conduct
them.
Oscar of hers; here, her German/Jewish doctor
Purporting to know why the caged bird sings comes off like Col. Klink on "Hogan's Heroes."
Somehow, true life as seemingly rich as this has
is a topic well-trampled in cinema, from the bu-
gle/mouthpiece-playing of Montgomery Clift in never tasted so stale. Aspiring to be that epic to
From Here to Eternity to the soaring African choir sink your teeth into, Paradise Road comes off
in John Avildsen's The Power of One — heck, even much more like an appetizer. And so, with our
to the plaintive tenor strains of Grosberger, stomachs growling for something more than an-
crammed into the pokey with Gene Wilder and other soggy mini-hot dog, guess we all just learn
what it's like to be held captive.
Richard Pryor in Stir Crazy.

T

Susan Zweig participates in the Congregation
Shaarey Zedek choir, of which her father is
musical director.

Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche narrowly escape cataclysmic destruction in

Volcano.

trying to contain it with
makeshift dams formed of over-
turned buses and K-rails. Roark
then learns that another stream
is headed straight for the emer-
gency triage center at Cedar-
Sinai Hospital, where he's sent
his daughter (Gaby Hoffmann)
for safekeeping.
The filmmakers clearly didn't
feel plot was important — just
soap operatic subplots and spe-
cial effects. Since Independence
Day proved that gratuitous de-
struction of familiar landmarks
is popular, Volcano offers a few
of its own, including the La
Brea Tar Pits, the Beverly Cen-
ter, a Hard Rock Cafe and
MacArthur Park (it really is
melting!).

Stephen Bitsoli is former

— Susan Zweig

entertainment editor at Detroit
Monthly.

Some potentially interesting
subsidiary characters appear,
but they're wasted, both figu-
ratively and literally.
Eventually the film sinks be-
neath its many improbabilities,
from shattered glass which in-
undates pedestrians but never
causes a scratch to an incredi-
bly well-executed (and well-
timed) demolition. The final
insult to logic occurs when
Roark, his daughter and a lit-
tle boy miraculously survive
burial beneath a ton of concrete.
No explanation is proffered, and
the audience is more inclined to
groan than applaud.
In the end, Volcano is a dis-
aster, in more ways than one.

1/2

— Stephen Bitsoli