Cinema
Vold
Carmen.
Directed by Antonio Gades
Now playing at the Ann Arbor
Theaters 1 & 2
Starring Antonio Gades and Laura Del Sol
By David Grayson
YjHERE IS NOTHING more disgusting
than a poor film trying to be artsy,
as is superbly demonstrated by Carlo
Saura's new film Carmen. This
European equivalent of Flashdance
shares many of the same qualities;
deplorable acting, trite plot, and dan-
cing that is uninspired to the point of
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boredom.
The film puts to rest once and for all,
the notion that foreign films somehow
contain more artistic worth than their
commercial, American counterparts.
Carmen is as much trash as the
majority of American films being
produced today, and one wishes it had
never been allowed to cross the Atlan-
tic.
The story is of a prominent Spanish
dance company's production of "Car-
men," sometimes set to the Bizet score
and other times to the flamenco guitar
of Paco De Lucia. The audience,
however, is given no clue as to how and
why the music for each particular
scene is chosen, not that anyone cares
soon after the move has begun.
During the production, the lead dan-
cer/director/choreographer/producer
Antonio Gades (played by himself) and
the lead "Bailaora" whose name just
happens to be Carmen (Laura Del Sol)
play out the tragic story of love and
treachery in their personal lives.
The whole thing is just too contrived
for words. The cinematic effect of
having scenes in which the audience
cannot determine if it is "real or
Memorex" is an exhausted one and
Carmen puts it to death with some even
poorer than usual use.
In the final and symbolically in-
distinguishable scene, I did not even
care if the murder of Carmen is for real
or just another dance sequence. Getting
out of the theater and on to more worthy
things was foremost in my mind.
As far as the acting goes, it is
relatively safe to say that there isn't
any. Though Antonio Gades is himself
an influential figure in the dance world
(especially in Europe), he and his three
facial expressions do not belong on the
screen in an actor's role. Laura Del Sol
fits much into the same category. If not
to a greater extent. And though Paco
De Lucia's music is the only acceptable
point in this film, his acting abilities are
non-existent.
The end result of all these wooden
figures is similar to watching a young
child playing with dolls in a make
believe house, with the only difference
being a dance studio for a doll house
and Carlo Saura as the little urchin.
If this were not enough to make your
cinematic enthusiasm curdle, Saura
obviously decided that the film was not
deep enough and needed something ex-
tra. His answer is a sort of reveling in
the difficulty of the dancing life and the
artistic process. But instead of
acquiring a true appreciation for the
artist's work as in Truffaut's Day for
Night, the audience gets an insipid
amount of shots showing a sweaty
chorus of dancers lying all over the
studio floor rubbing their aching feet.
I
Best Pizza
Winner of Best Smallest Restaurant Award
*The best freshly-n
quality sandwiche
on campus
" Fast, personalize c
* Daily specials-
- oriental lunch box
S- .pie ' " D lirin c n r ll
Carmen: Curdles cinematic en-
thusiasm
I was constantly wondering when one
of the dancers would give in to
asphyxiation.
I could go on and on with this film's
lesser qualities but I shall not belabor
the point. If you are going to the Ann
Arbor Theatre (where it is now
showing), Liquid Sky is more worth
your while.
made
es
rd service
ix
s
Uno's
A steaming hot pizza with pepperoni and gr
taste it & when students in Ann Arbor get a ca
they eat? You guessed it-pizza. This year's w
zeria Uno.'Their Chicago-style pizza can't be bea
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Best Bar Atmosphere
Ann Arbor is fortunate to have three
bars with such ambiance that we were
unable to declare a clear winner. The
top choices were Charley's, Rick's and
the Old Town Cafe. Pick any one of
them for the best in Ann Arbor (below
the stratosphere, that is.)
Best
Th1
You j
flame.
yoursel
let thef
Like the,
10"
r 4"
e iicious egg rin
MAKE IT THROUGH EXAMS
WITH THE LEAGUE
The Michigan League Cafeteria, in
the center of campus, offers a daily
luncheon special, a student special
dinner, and a coffee shop for "grill
items" and breaks. Our low prices
and speedy service will get you back
Stone
from Page 31
and wins out, it is more refreshing than
a brawny movie idol who makes heroics
almost glib.
His co-star, Kathleen Turner, could
get an Oscar for 'best legs,' but don't
think she's in the film just to show off
her shanks. Once she's over her jungle-
lag she boils with energy and resour-
cefulness. Joan Wilder quickly
discovers that adventures in South
America are stranger than fiction as
she lives out a wild game of chance that
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outdoes anything her imagination could
have devised for one of her novels.
As Ralph, the New York toughy,
Danny DeVito is out of this world but
also terribly out of place in jungles and
one-lizard adobe towns. Ralph would be
more at home in a Queens' bar playing
pinball while sipping a mug of Genesee
beer. His new surroundings make him
too tense (he chews gum and smokes at
the same time) and he barks his lines
out with a kind of desperate rasp. With
each word comes an underlying tone
that says he'd rather be almost
anywhere but there. And with good
reason since he goes through hell for his
boss - including getting beat up by an
obese Columbian lady.
Despite some cliche lines, like Jack
Colton's reaction to some troublesome
situations, "Ishould've listened to Mom
" the dialogue is fresh and often
spontaneous. Direction by Robert
Zemeckis (Used Cars) is vivid and
usually quite crisp. With some effective
cutting and timing he builds suspense
and keeps the action moving freely.
This film is no Raiders of The Lost
Ark (the connection is unavoidable) but
it is hard to say anything bad about it.
And even though revenge, and the bad
guys getting what they deserve, are
both almost overdone themes, it's dif-
ficult to mind because the adventure is
so much fun.
Romancing the Stone blends a man of
courage, an exotic setting, and, for the
ultimate kicker, romance - all which
adds up to lively entertainment.
Best Street Personality
Shaky Jake
Shakin' Jake Woods is Mr. Ann Arbor. It's easy to laugh at his far-out
costumes, but don't forget he's always got a nod on those days that everyone
else seems to be ignoring you.
BUTTER PECAN / ITALIAN ICES / PRALINES 'N CREAM / TIN ROOF
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to your books faster .
. . and we
have study space for students. With
our newsstand and vending room for
snacks, the League will give you the
edge you need to survive finals.
SEE YOU AT THE LEAGUE!
.
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Phones 665-6037 * 668-8096
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,I
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769-0060
32 Weekend/Friday, April 13, 1984
9 Wee