ARTS
The Michigan Daily Tuesday, November 24, 1992 Page 5
Gasp! The
FBI with a
right-wing
morality
by Joshua Keidan
Paul Lindsay, a Detroit FBI agent
for twenty years, attempts to do two
things in "Witness to the Truth," his
first novel: Create a suspense-filled
mystery/action novel, and indict the
bureaucracy of today's FBI. The end
result of the merging of these two
subjects is an engrossing tale in
which a dark and somewhat dubious
philosophy is extolled.
Mike Devlin is the hard-drinking
Irish agent who can solve any case
blindfolded, but constantly finds
himself in trouble because of his re-
luctance to follow procedure. Busted
for insubordination, Devlin is as-
signed wiretap duty, midnight shift,
and (surprise!) finds himself in the
middle of a case involving a Mafia-
informer within the ranks of the FBI.
As an added bonus, a fellow agent's
daughter has been abducted, and
since the department doesn't believe
it, it's up to Devlin to find the girl
too. Of course, Devlin isn't alone in
his work. He assembles what the
book jacket calls a "'dirty dozen'
squad of FBI renegades" who aid
him in his quest. Believe it or not,
good triumphs in the end, and all
loose ends are tied up neatly.
Hopefully the preceding plot
outline gave you the idea that
"Witness to the Truth" is a pretty
Witness to the Truth
Paul Lindsay
Random House
formulaic novel, because it is. How-
ever, the relaxed, darkly humorous
tone of the novel, combined with
Lindsay's portrayal of FBI proce-
dures and techniques, works to en-
sure that however cliche the plot,
"Witness to the Truth" enthralh, ex-
cites, and amuses. At one point in
the book, for example, Devlin, arriv-
ing at a suspect's house early in the
morning without a search warrant,
breaks into the man's car, and using
the car-phone within, calls the sus-
pect and tells him the police are on
the way. When the suspect runs out
to the car to flee, Devlin waits in the
back seat.
The novel never stops to question
the morality or rightness of Devlin's
actions. He operates outside the law,
outside the confines of FBI proce-
dure because, as the novel makes
clear, procedures and laws hamper
justice and revenge, the only things
Devlin believes in. "Witness to the
Truth" troubles because you want
Devlin to succeed and justice to be
served, but in the end you find that
you're allied with a hero who be-
* ieves, and makes a case for, the
greatness of J. Edgar Hoover and the
decline of the FBI since his depar-
ture. Lindsay raises a large moral
question here, but doesn't do it jus-
tice, since to him it is not a dilemma
at all; the novel clearly sides with
Devlin's extralegality.
Suspenseful, exciting, "Witness
to the Truth" works well as an ac-
*ion/mystery novel, but the novel's
underlying morality comes across as
a little too right-wing and reac-
tionary. Lindsay paints everything
the book contains in black and
white, leaving out any shades of
gray, and consequently any moral
musings. If you're looking for art,
this novel isn't for you. If you're in
the mood for an enthralling, quick
read, and a unabashed revenge tale,
"Witness to the Truth" suits the bill
perfectly.
'Home Alone 2': symbolic epic or just stupid?
by Alison Levy
and Michael Thompson
The usual two-hour film, especially a
sequel, is easily dealt with by one re-
viewer. However, a symbolic epic such as
"Home Alone 2" requires two minds to
wade throughthe many levels of this ele-
gant but somewhat flawed cinematic
masterpiece. It's more than a film; it's a
life-changing experience.
Millionaire Macaulay Culkin ("Home
Alone") reprises his role as lovable Kevin
Home Alone 2:
Lost in New York
Directed by Chris Columbus; written by
John Hughes; with Macaulay Culkin, Joe
Pesci and Daniel Stern.
McCallister. Once again, his family con-
tinues "the McCallister family holiday
tradition" by taking off with out him.
While his family visits rain-soaked Miami,
Kevin easily gets himself around New
York City with his father's money and
credit cards. Coming out of the toy store,
he runs into Mary (Daniel Stern) and
Harry (Joe Pesci), once the Wet Bandits,
now known as the Sticky Bandits. He
lures them to his uncle's apartment and
beats the living hell out of them.
Michael: What a brilliant way for John
Hughes to expand on his ever popular
metaphor of child neglect and horrible
'Home Alone 2' requires
two minds to wade
through ... this elegant but
somewhat flawed
cinematic masterpiece
parenting in this day and age, don't you
think?
Alison: No. It's not like I haven't seen
it before and instead of spending nine
bucks at the theater for a ticket and a pop I
would rather rent three Hughes videos that
are truly amusing and avoid the hoards of
screaming kindergartners.
Michael: Surely, you must be joking,
for this is the greatest film of this year.
The box office receipts should confirm
this for you.
Alison: Is this the first film you've
seen all year?
Michael: Certainly not, but you must
admit that it's better than "Under Siege."
Alison: I missed that because I was
busy seeing "The Player" and "A River
Runs Through It." Besides, I liked "Under
Siege" the first time when it was called
"Die Hard." Same for "Home Alone." At
least the sequel brought back the original
cast and plot.
Michael: Come on, Alison, you
laughed.
Alison: Only because I didn't want you
to be lonely.
Michael: Whatever.
Alison: As I was saying, they brought
back the whole cast including Uncle
Frank, who is still a major dick.
Michael: Granted, but wouldn't you
have to say that the acting was great in all
parts? I mean look at how much Tim
Curry actually looks like the Grinch.
Alison: Yes, it's true, and that was
probably the best man-cartoon acting I've
ever seen. He blows Stern ("Home-
Alone") and Pesci ("Home Alone") away
in that category.
Michael: But the film is obviously a
live action cartoon. I think Tim Curry de-
serves at least a nomination, if not the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Ac-
tor. Best Actor would of course go to
Macaulay.
Alison: Well, considering the Aca-
demy, Curry probably will win. Macaulay,
Macaulay, Macaulay. Sure he's adorable
and has lots o' bucks, but will anyone be
commenting on his cuteness when he's a
bloated, middle-aged, heroin shooting
pervert living on Sunset Boulevard? I
don't think so. The best the exploited actor
has to hope for is guest starring roles on
Fox sitcoms or "Hollywood Squares."
Michael: You know you liked it.
Alison: Liked what?
HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK"
is playing at Showcase and Briarwood.
Culkin
Spectacle Isn't everything
by Jason Carroll
Nowadays, when one thinks of yI
musical theater, the first thing that
comes to mind is spectacle: the out-
rageous use of technology to make a
show more appealing. We think of
the compelling helicopter landing
scene in "Miss Saigon" and the lav-
ish underground sets in "The Phan-w
tom of the Opera." Almost everyone
forgets about "traditional" musical
theater, when sets weren't as impor-
tant as acting and singing.
Along comes the revival. This $'
past season, Broadway brought us
extremely successful revivals of
"The Most Happy Fella" and "Guys
& Dolls." In addition, the winner of
the Best Musical Tony Award,
"Crazy for You," was a remake of
Gershwin's "Girl Crazy."
Why have these remakes been 41
selling out night after night? Be-
cause people are beginning to realize
Garde duty
Assassinated at the height of
his career, Garcia Lorca was a
major figure in the avant-garde
movement. Known for a reper-
toire ranging from cinematic
surrealism to folk-puppetry, Lorca
is "the most translated of Spanish
poets." Spotlighting a Peter Knox
video of Lorca's film script, "Trip
to the Moon," Performance
Network honors this Spanish
avant-garde artist with shows this
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and
Sunday at2 and 6:30 p.m. Call
663-0681.
On a Claire day ...
Tonight at 8, it's free culture
time at Hill. You just can't beat
the University Philharmonic and
University Symphony Orchestras
for-Beethoven, Mendelssohn or
Ravel - at least at these prices.
Not only will Gustav Meier be
conducting, but our favorite
conductor-in-training, Claire
Levacher, will take the baton.
We'll be there with bells on.
Fitbian's vibrant colors:
Annie Get Your Gun
Birmingham Theatre
November 6, 1992
that spectacle isn't everything.
Picking up on this trend is the
Birmingham Theatre with it's re-
make of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get
Your Gun."
"Annie Get Your Gun" is the
story of a backwoods sharpshooter,
Annie Oakley, and her rise to fame
in a circus act. In the beginning of
the show she encounters a mysteri-
ous man, Frank Butler, and instantly
falls in love. Meanwhile, the owner
of the town hotel arranges a bet that
Annie could out-shoot any one he
brings forward. Imagine the tense-
ness when Annie and Butler find out
that they're each other's opponents.
Annie wins the contest and Butler
becomes embarrassed, but since he
loves her, he asks her to join his cir-
cus act. Throughout the rest of the
show we are witnesses to their rocky
relationship.
The- differences in the principle
characters' acting styles mirrored the
differences in their relationship.
Adding her own touch with a south-
ern accent that worked perfectly
during songs like "Doin' What
Comes Natur'lly" and "Moonshine
Lullaby," Susan Dawn Carson's
"Annie" was absolutely lovable.
Peter Reardon and Susan Dawn Carson in "Annie Get Your Gun."
Peter Reardon's Butler was a bit
extreme, almost appearing nasty. In
the opening he came across very
bitter, then suddenly, upon seeing
Annie, he bursts out into the sweet
ballad "The Girl That I Marry." His
gradual transition into a sympha-
thetic character coincided with their
blossoming relationship.
The most memorable moment of
the show was the crowd-pleasing
number "I Got the Sun in the Morn-
ing." Annie sang lead while the rest
of the cast sat in chairs behind her.
The members of the cast made ges-
tures and hand movements in perfect
synchronicity, quite similar to. the
"Sit Down You're Rocking the
Boat" number in "Guys & Dolls."
Even though it is a love stoiy, the
show wasn't all fluff. Director
Worth Gardner made some changes
that accented some of today's impor-
tant issues, such as the oppression of
the- American Indian. _In fact, the
performance opened and closed with
an American soldier aiming a gun at
an Indian armed with a knife.
The show did have a .bit of spec-
tacle, but it was nothing compared to
modern musicals., A circular, two-
story, scaffolding set design, with a
bull's eye target on the floor, offered
a space that was both versatile and
exciting to look at. The abstract set
design was quite similar to a
carousel,- minus the horses. The vi-
brant, blue and pink lighting, com-
bined with the set to create the circus
environment which was Annie's life.
A show with this caliber of acting
and singing is what I go to the
theater for. It makes one think of the
trademark song from the show,
"There's No Business Like Show
Business."
ANNIE- GET YOUR GUN runs
through December 6th at the Birm-
ingham Theatre, 211 S. Woodward.
Performances are Tuesday through
Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m.
Matinees on Wednesday and Sunday
at 2 p.m.. Tickets are $18-$32.50.
Call 664-3533.
by Charlotte Garry
Who would think of exhibiting
art in the Industrial Technological
Institute? Mixed media artist Lori
Fithian, and the Ann Arbor Art
Association, would. In fact, the first
thing one notices when walking into
the ITI building is the powerful con-
trast formed between Fithian's art
Works by Lori Fithian
JTI building
and the atmosphere in which it is
presented. Fithian's yellows, pur-
pies, and greens seem a direct coun-
terpoint to the grays, blacks, and
whites of the cold steel building.
This distinction between environ-
ment and exhibition conjures up an
image of bold sunlight breaking
through stormy gray clouds.
Perhaps one thinks of sunlight
because of the vibrant yellow which
prevails in a majority of her work.
This yellow along with blues, or-
anges, reds, and a variety of dynamic
shades, lends a certain energy to
Fithian's massive pieces. The thick,
prominent texture of acrylic on the'
rag board canvas intensifies this en-
ergy. Instilled in the viewer is a cer-
tain feeling of fresh liberation, a lib-
erty stemming from Fithian's daring.
and unique abstraction of everyday-
objects and experiences. Repetitive-
patterns, striking colors, innovative
dimensions and bold texture work
together to portray a new and uplift-
ing perspective of real life.
This unique perspective is best il-
lustrated in "Window Sill with
Coffee Pot." The atmosphere beyond
the green window sill is presented-in
a thick spirited yellow, not a con-
ventional blue of sky or. a green of
landscape, but the prominent yellow
of a summer's day. In contrast to the
yellow is a pink coffee pot and a
kelly green tea kettle. An abundance
of flowers scattered in massive yel
low, green, and purple vases furthers
the intrinsic beauty of this -piece.
Red and green countertops which
slant toward the lower left corner
round out the presentation. The lack
of rigid boundaries contributes to the
spirited, fresh impression instilled by
the colors, texture, and slanted per-
spective.
seFithian, a former art student of
the University, exhibited her larger
than life art at the Del Rio
Restaurant before transferring it to
the ITI building where it is for sale
to the general public. Yet perspec-
tive buyers should not be alone in
their admiration of Fithian's work.
Anyone who appreciates art should
witness the color and vibrancy of
Lori Fithian' s-uplifting exhibition.
LORI FITHIAN'S exhibition can be
seen at the ITI building at Hubbard
Rd. through December. For further
information call the Ann Arbor Art
Association at 994-8804.
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A Special Supplement to The Michigan Daily
featuring
1992-1993 U-M Faculty-Staff
Salury List
will be on sale
- _,._ ..j. m
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