8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 9, 1994 'Accompanist' sheds 'Piano' comparisons BY CAMILO FONTECILLA Since its release, Claude Miller's film "The Accompanist" has had to suffer inevitable comparisons to its more boldly titled sister, Jane Campion's "The Piano." Miller's movie, however, is distinctly different, despite the intrinsic presence of piano The Accompanist Written by Claude Miller and Luc Beraud; directed by Claude Miller; with Romane Bohringer, Elena Safonova and Richard Bohringer. music that both films share. Campion's Ada plays to maintain her own identity, and her musicality is primarily introspective; on the other hand, Miller's Sophie plays as a way to project her identity out into the social world. In short, it is not so much a way to keep living as a way to keep existing. Against the backdrop of occupied Paris, 1942, we meet Sophie (Romane Bohringer), a recent graduate of the Consdrvatoire with a special ability to capture the subtle sensibilities of piano music. Hungered by the wartime recession, she is taken on as accompanistsby Irene Brice (Elena Safonova), an extremely popular Parisian diva. Through Irene and her husband Charles (Richard Bohringer), Sophie soon begins to sponge in the new fashionable life that surrounds her. She soon realizes, however, that her status will always keep her a step beneath her employers. Finding her life dimmed by the brilliance or Irene's, she chooses to become an appendage, if possible indispensable, to the glorious diva. Thus, she slowly finds herself discovering the secrets that lurk within the Brice household, from Charles' political subterfuges to Irene's affair with a member of the Resistance. The relationship dynamics generated by Miller and Beraud are fascinating. Sophie has a thunderous spirit, as Irene guesses early in the film, but she blankets it with thick layers of meekness and servility. She P Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Second Stage Productions Anton Chekhov's isf eas March 10-26, 1994 L Thurs., Fri. & Sat. at 8:00 p.m. Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, 2275 Platt Road AU Ikets$$8.00 Tickets or Information, Call 971-AACf becomes completely absorbed into Irene's life, but with an intensity that doesn't allow her to be a mere casual observer. She becomes messenger to her mistress and spy to her comings and goings. Charles Brice, successful business entrepreneur, finds that he has to escape France to guarantee the safety of his family after he enrages the Nazi command. As they travel, Sophie learns to respect Charles and soon becomes torn as to who deserves her loyalty. Struggling with the powerful knowledge of Irene's affair, she becomes hungry to see more. On the one hand, she desires Irene and Charles together, a harmony in which she has adefinite role. But witnessing Irene's turbulent affair is a window into a world of heightened passions which she alone cannot attain. Music plays an important role, but only in the sense that it creates a very clear distinction between Irene and Sophie. One is the singer, the other is the accompanist, the piano eternally in the shadow of the voice. At the keyboard, Sophie's bitterness grows; the piano makes her wonderful, and yet she obtains recognition only from lrne. She loves Irene for giving her what she has and hates her out of spiteful jealousy. Romane Bohringer's Sophie is wonderful, delicate and awkward at the same time, extremely musical but with a monotone voice that informs of her subservience. Safonova is brilliance, and she illuminates the screen with her irradiating presence. But it is Richard Bohringer as the earthy Charles that performs memorably here. His scratched voice commands his household with authority, but Bohringer's face is wrinkled by self-doubt. And although Charles' wisdom is conventional, Bohringer makes it doubly poignant. While Richard Bohringer's performance is more than enough reason to remember "The Accompanist," one cannot forget the corrosive simplicity of the plot.Miller colors it with a husky wartime Europe that strongly permeates the lives of our three protagonists, and reflects the growing tensions between the characters themselves. Finely constructed and delivered, "The Accompanist" continues and exemplifies the accomplished tradition of recent European imports. THE ACCOMPANIST is playing at the Ann Arbor 1 & 2. Read the Daily. Largest IUrary of nformation inU. 19,278 TOPCS - All SUBJECTS order Catalog Today wh Visa / MC or COO S80-351-0222 Or, rush $2.00 to: Research Information 11322 Idaho Ave #206A, Los Angeles. CA 90025 No, "Romper Stomper" is not all fun and games; it's a "Clockwork Orange"esque bunch of skinheads. And no one takes them bowling. Stomer roves different is 2ood A. A. By MICHAEL THOMPSON Much like Mike Leigh's "Naked," the first scene of "Romper Stomper" tells you that you are in for something different. And with the way films are deteriorating these days, different is good. Romper Stomper Written and directed by Geoffrey Wright; with Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock and Jacqueline McKenzie. Geoffery Wright's film "Romper Stomper" is a not-so-happy story about a gang of skinheads. They go around beating people up and are all slowly caught or destroyed. This is more fun than any of us have had since "Reservoir Dogs." The film revolves around Hando, a semi- psychotic skinhead and his new girlfriend, a very psychotic groupie who wanders from one abusive relationship to another. Hando's group of loser skinheads roam the city streets looking for Asians to beat up and stuff to break. But before you know it the carnage has begun and you are in the middle of chaos. Happy trails. "Romper Stomper" features acastofunlikable characters. It's sortof like "Bad Lieutenant" cubed. But the acting and directing make these characters compelling. We may not like them, but we want to see what will happen to them. Russell Crowe's performance as the lead is so absorbing that it is almost possible to relate to him. He's never an outright bully like so many "bad" characters are in the movies. Writer-director Wright blurs the lines and we are left spiraling. Every time we get some kind of foothold in either hatred or sympathy, the characters do something we can't easily respond to. The film doesn't keep you guessing - it keeps you feeling. The other actors are equaling disturbing. Jacqueline McKenzie is perfect as the crazy groupie. We feel sorry for her and hate her at the same time. And Daniel Pollock, as Davey, offers up the most confused and confusing character of the bunch. At first he seems like the die-hard crazy guy, but then he progresses into something more and maybe a little less. The film ends up coming across as a new take on "A Clockwork Orange." Wright has taken the theme and some of the plot and injected almost real people into the roles. The gang in "A Clockwork Orange" was always something fictional. The gang in "Romper Stomper" is real. These are people we might see on the street. Yeah, it is that scary. The violence of the film is pretty intense, but never over the line. Although banned in Germany, this film is frighteningly tame in terms of American violence. This is the kind of film that America deserves right now. It beats us up as we try to so* up the violence. It's sort of like "Reservoir Dogs," only with a sense of morality. There are no long speeches to laugh at; instead we listen in fear as Hando explains why he's a neo-Nazi. His reasoning is so sown up for him that we know he will never change. "Romper Stomper" is the kind of movie that will offend people. When you go, people will walk out; hell, you might. But that's the way this kind of film should be. Skinheads are an offensive group and Wright won't walk away from that fkt. He wants you to go in and feel guilty. There would be no point without it. Go have fun. ROMPER STOMPER is showing at Angell Hall, Aud A, March 11 and 12 at 8 and 10 p.m. RECORDS Continued from page 5 posings. Many of the songs start out promisingly, but they ultimately have no meaning of their own - they're way too referential and reverential of their veritable British past. Furthermore, the album's sound is much too shrill and trebly; if the proper adjustments aren't made on the stereo, then fingernails on a blackboard compare favorably to "Modern Life is Rubbish." To be fair, ther songs buried amon "Advert," "Star- Jeans," and "Sunda most skillful pas favorite bands andt something of an However, includin tracks," the albu songs long, and 4g 15 boring ones America," "Oily M World," "Villa Tomorrow," etc. is average. The1 e are a few decent constructed, derivative songs lgst the "rubbish:" completely obscure the halfway Shaped," "Blue decent ones and turn the album into ay Sunday" are the an ear-numbing, mind-dulling Blur. stiches of Blur's The main problem with "Modern they actually have Life is Rubbish" is that Blur cannot original flavor. reconcile the fact that while they ng hidden "bonus believe that "modern life is rubbish," m is a taxing 19 the bands they turn back to in good songs versus desperation were, in their time, such as "Miss relentlessly modern. The one saving Water," "Chemical grace of this album is that it might Rosie," "For possibly open the ears of the not exactly a great uninitiated to the likes of true British boring, poorly eccentrics past such as Bowie or The Kinks, or perhaps interest people in cooler current bands like The Auteurs h or Suede. But if modern life is indeed rubbish, then Blur are part of the problem, not the solution. - Heather Phares St. Marys Student Purist by Fr. WmIStresonPastor St. MaysCatholic Parish at the University of Michigan Contest, Paula Kelley is sure to take the gold. As guitarist,.vocalist and songwriter for Hot Rod, she borrows more than a little from Hatfielgt unique phrasing. This is not to say that Hot Rod is redundant or that the band's debut, "SpeedDangerDeath," is unnecessary in the face of Hatfield's "Become What You Are." Far from it. The record is an unnerving collection of 10 guitar-heavy pop tunes built around Kelley's vocals and the energy that comes from recording all of the tracks durin a marathon 24-hour session last Ma. While Kelley's voice begs to be taken lightly, the music has enough hooks to give it the necessary bite. With excellent support from guitarist John Dragonetti and the rhythm section of Mat Flint on bass and Eric Paull on drums, she is able to push each song over the top and into the part of the mind that insists on humming a single chorus throughout the day. If the songs were any heavier or if the production was any cleaner, the album would drag. The combination, however, of the sweetness of Kelley's vocals with the bitterness of the music works well, particularly on "Firewalker" and "Candy Star." This is not the posturing metal that the title "SpeedDangerDeath" suggests but It is mighty tasty rock 'n' roll. 4 - Dirk Schulze . 1 WEEKEND ETC. . Evanlizing ContemporaryYoung People dwthe ofthe Dominant American CultUre Open to a Interested sthdents, faculty and others Wednesday Mrch 9,1994 at %he Ne mn Center 331 Thompson Sre* 7:00 p.m. ..... . U Graduation: Hot Rod SpeedDangerDeath Caroline Should the Winter Olympics ever hold a Juliana Hatfield Soundalike Summer Japanese Study I'm-ea s--e.wkjeg'"ltL-is*a'-k CollegeinPrtwlmd,OR July18-Aug 28. Emr 12 quatrlus Study lug. (all levels) & w S ontt = "N& deEa iuuiu" Thoday wilderness program included.Pior language stdy r rqitd Orego/apan Summa Pwogr= 222 SW Columbia, Sait 1750 P,tland, OR 97201 TeL(503) 223-7938 Fx (503)223-7946 This syour moment Ifyou have something to share with classmates,family, andfriends:- Here is your opportunity Wanted: Student Speakers for the 1994 LS&A Spring Commencement (Fourth annual competition) The University of Michigan CENTER FOR CHINESE STUDIES presents the thirteenth annual ALEXANDER ECKSTEIN MEMORIAL LECTURE Who: Open to all LS&A seniors eligible to graduate by the end of Winter Term 1994. I