ARTS
Tuesday, April 3, 1990
. The Michigan Daily
Private eyes are watching you
Love at Large
dir. Alan Rudolph
by Sharon Grimberg
There's trouble for Harry Dobbs,
private eye incompetent, and it
doesn't just come in the shape of his
insanely jealous, bric-a-brac hurling
girlfriend, Doris.
Harry (Tom Berenger), a detective
with an aversion for physical danger,
is hired by sultry, sensuous Miss
Dolan (Anne Archer) to follow a
vaguely described ex-lover. "Sandy-
haired, six foot tall, smells nice"
says Miss Nolan, before mysteri-
ously disappearing into the night.
Small wonder that Harry, lacking
more concrete means of identifica-
tion (license plate number, etc.),
should devote himself to document-
ing the bigamous goings-on of the
wrong man, Frederick King alias
James McGraw (Ted Levine). This
* task that involves traipsing into the
wilds of the West and putting up
with the inanities of a persistently
loquacious taxi-driver. Meanwhile
Doris, plagued by her unconquerable
jealousy, hires private-eye Stella
Wynkowski (Elizabeth Perkins) to
follow Harry.
We get entangled in a web of
sexual intrigue - who's sleeping
with whom and why. And it all gets
terribly complicted. Harry falls for
Stella, private eye on the rebound
from unhappy love, just as her to-
tally unpleasant ex-boyfriend, ham-
pered in life by writer's block,
comes back onto the scene.
Written and directed by Alan Ru-
dolph (The Moderns, Made in
Heaven), Love at Large is a delight-
ful, romantic fantasy, a film noir
spoof that is both sharp and stylish.
Set in an imaginary city in the
Northwest, it assumes an intangible,
timeless quality.
There's more emphasis on mood
and plot than psychogical reasoning
- when it comes right down to it
we are not really sure what moti-
vates half of what happens. Miss
Nolan, the extraordinarily dopey
femme fetale, disappears from her
hotel room only to reappear with her
dangerous lover (Neil Young), as he
is about to kill her - it beats me
quite what they are up to. Since the
film is a light-hearted musing on the
nonesensical nature of love and lust,
none of this matters too much. If
there is a problem here, it is that
Rudolph doesn't always draw his
characters clearly enough.
Berenger, TV sleuth in The Big
Chill and ruthless sergeant in Pla-
toon, adapts to this comic role with
great agility. His Harry is rough and
ready on the outside, soft and senti-
mental on the inside and he's gen-
uinely funny. "Do you ever want
kids, Stella?" he asks, "You know
those little people running around
Page 5
Romeo and Juliet:
pleasing to a point
by Kenneth Chow
ROMEO and Juliet, perhaps the most acclaimed and popular play of the
entire Shakespearean collection, was performed by the Brecht Company
last Thursday through Sunday and will be presented again over the next
two weekends. Since the plot of the romantic tragedy is so well known,
the merit of the performance rests solely on the way it is presented.
The play is well done, especially in light of the fact that the companf
has to overcome the audience's familiarity with the work. To keep the
audience entertained and to avoid discouraging them as the play proceeds,
the Company wisely included some interesting twists that are not implied
in the original script. One might conclude that the Brecht Company made
an attempt to tailor an Elizabethan play to fit a 20th century audience.
Despite their positive intent, the company comes dangerously close to
distorting the authenticity of the play.
The modernization of the play centers around the addition of sexual
gestures. These physical comments are neither out of place nor devoid of
humor, but after they've been repeated several times, with the same gesture
implying the same idea each time, they become repetitious, dull and
vulgar.
The company controls their emotional intensity enough so as not to be
exaggerated, with the exception of the scene in which Juliet is found dead
on the day of her wedding. The hollow screams of the Nurse and Lady
Capulet upon seeing the body seem unrealistic and forced. While this could
have been a moving moment, the overdone emotions had the opposite
effect. Besides making my ears ring, the effect was more sardonic than
sorrowful.
In general, the performance lives up to its reputation. The poetry of the
words, the energy in the movements and the spirit of the conditions are
demonstrated well. The two leads, Martin Sweeney and Ann Marie
Shanahan, relish their characters, and give the seemingly two-dimensional
roles of Romeo and Juliet a third dimension that is absent from the script.
The Monk and the Nurse, however, played by Martin Walsh and Liz
Harrell, are the highlights of the show. The Monk, the wise onlooker who
unwillingly gets himself involved in the lovers' scheme and is influential
in determining their fates, and the Nurse, humorously talkative and always
hyperactive, are portrayed so well that it's hard to imagine them being
better.
Neil Young is looking to be the latest of the great Canadian actor
musicians, among such greats as William Shatner and Michael J. Fox.
with your face."
Love at Large is a charming
movie, a gentle parody full of zest
and fun. If only all romantic come-
dies were so invigorating.
LOVE AT LARGE is playing at Bri-
arwood and Showcase.
Second Self
Mood Ring
EMI
Second Self from Detroit is aim-
ing high with their first national re-
lease, Mood Ring. Consisting of
four young musicians (Michael
Nehra, Greg Giampa, Jeff Fowlkes
and Andrew Nehra), Second Self
unites basic acoustics with bass,
drums and electric guitars. Enhanced
with occasional keyboards, percus-
sion, harmonica and horns, this mu-
sic reaches the heights of rock 'n'
roll, with a polished edge.
Mood Ring offers a rougher, grit-
tier sound that was not as thor-
oughly explored in the band's previ-
ous independent releases, Time Bomb
and Glory. Four songs from Time
Bomb and one from Glory have been
reproduced for the masses, revealing
the thrash potential of Second Self.
"Trapped Beneath the Stone" begins
Mood Ring with searing guitar and
rhythmic bass. It is an invitation (or
perhaps preparation) for the 10 re-
maining tracks, which demonstrate
an intense metal-rock experience, oc-
casionally relieved by slow acoustics
("I Stand You Spin," "Untitled").
While Second Self stresses its
musical originality, those who still
insist on a comparison may picture
this: guitarists from The Cult and
style coordinators for INXS all go-
ing to a U2 concert wearing Red Hot
Chili Peppers T-shirts. With this il-
lustration in mind, allow yourself to
be consumed by "Lose Those Shad-
ows," "Red October," "Lock Me
Away," "Ghost Dance" and
"Untitled." The debut single, "Aunt
Jenny (Bless My Soul)," is perhaps
the best cut on the album, comple-
mented by harmonica and Michael
Nehra's powerful vocals. Accompa-
nying the release of "Aunt Jenny" is
its soon-to-be-aired video.
Because Second Self opted for a
heavier sound in all their "energized"
songs, there are a few disappoint-
ments. "Dream Train," which was
originally recorded on Time Bomb
with a consistent trumpet and female
backing vocals, now lacks these fea-
tures and has acquired some grunted
tones. "Mind Over Matter" is simply
monotonous and produces no out-
standing tune. One other mistake
may be the absence of "Simple
Prodigy" and "So Touched By You,"
which appeared on Time Bomb and
are excellent in concert. Two of Sec-
ond Self's strongest displays of tal-
ent, originality and ability to stir
emotions in the listener, these songs
are desperately missed.
As a major label debut, Mood
Ring is invigorating and excitably
raw. Second Self seems capable of
even broader musical dimensions;
possibilities emerge throughout the
album and begin with the band's de-
cision to record in a natural ambi-
ence. To do so, Mood Ring was exe-
cuted in an Alabama studio's attic,
where the summer temperatures
reached 100 degrees. Now that's ded-
ication. That's devotion. Anything
else?
"We recorded it in our under-
wear," declares bassist Andrew
Nehra.
That's personal.
-Megan Nelles
Shipwrecked?
I a
111cn ~t)
Announcing Two Talks:
Kenneth Leech, author of Soul Friend, True Prayer,
Experiencing God, and The Soul and The Social Order (forthcoming)
An Introduction to Prayer
for the
Moder Skeptic
Tuesday, April 3,
7:30 at Caterbury House
218 N. Division ( at Catherine)
reception and book signing to follow
M
TL dtheFitz Eichenberg
The Soul and the Social Order
AMERICAN SUBS
715 N. University (Next to Supercuts and Alphagraphics)
QUALITY & VALUE for your $$$
Variety of Subs * Soups " Salads " Platters
Overheard at Charley's: "My favorite Second Self-interview is the one where
they whine about being compared to INXS and U2." "Which interview?"
"Take your pick!"
.3d.4.
(7 U 7t
AS YOU LIKE 'EM.
Eat-in carry-out
The University of Michigan
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
NOW WE DELIVER!
Introducing our new
Fues. Apr. 3
I
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50ยข off
IIILI% U -l l6 VUI II. GYV
SALAD BAR
Reg. 2.39
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University Symphony Orchestra
University Chamber Orchestra
Richard Rosenberg, Donald Schleicher,
conductors
Rossini: William Tell Overture, Mozart:
Symphony No. 35 ("Haffner"), Weber:
Der Freischutz Overture, Wagner:
Siegfried Idyll
Hill Auditorium, 8:00 PM
OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 7, '90
"Doesn't
every
deserve
a choice?"
Tom Garcia, M.D. (UAG '75)
Cardiologist
Houston, Texas
All events free unless specified. Wheelchair accessible.
For up-to-date information on School of Music Events, call the
24-Hour Music Hotline - 763-4726
- The Conservatives said they could... but
wouldn't.
" Action wants to, but do they really know
how?
" Isn't it time for responsible leadership?
* ALEXANDER H. ISAAC. JR.
"The right choice was there when I
needed it. I made that choice, and now I'm a
physician. My alma mater may be just right