IOA - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 25, 1996
S.:
It's a wonderful night for Oscar!
Well, folks, it's that time of year again. To be hosted by former winner
Whoopi Goldberg, the Academy Awards will air tonight at 9 o'clock on
ABC. Mel Gibson's period epic, "Braveheart," leads the pack with 10
nominations; other favorites include "Sense and Sensibility," "Apollo 13"
and "Dead Man Walking" (pictured right). All bets are off, however, on
whether that smilin' pig (pictured above) will take home an Oscar of his
own. Babe's movie is nominated in most of the major categories. The Daily,
film staff has painstakingly compiled two lists for your reading pleasure -
we predict who we think WILL win in the top contests, and we decide who
we think SHOULD win. It was a tough call in most cases, but hey, everyone
has an opinion. We just hope the Academy is as wise as we are ...
Dancers push perfon
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater retu
By Chrys Gee
For the Daily
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returned to the
University's Power Center this past week, after a 15-year
absence. It arrived to share its vision of fierce American
modern dance. One of the most prominent and successful
modern dance companies in the United States, the group was
founded more than 30 years ago to celebrate the struggles
and triumphs of African Americans and all Americans. The
company has provided uplifting perfor-
mances to sold-out audiences ever since.
Friday night was no exception.
The evening explored repertoryA
works created by three choreographers.
Starting with the most contemporary
work, the audience was taken back in
time to conclude with Ailey's master- Danc
piece "Revelations" (1960).
Opening the evening, "Riverside"
was an intoxicating ballet that high- _
lighted the company members' liquid
arms, arching backs and legs of steel. The lines and flow of
the dancers bodies stylistically fused their ballet and ethnic
dance training. The choreography continuously moved back
and forth from poised balances, with arms and legs out-
stretched to the heavens, to gyrating, earthbound pelvises.
"Riverside" was choreographed in 1995 by the company's
current artistic director, Judith Jamison. The movement of
the dancers and naturalistic music portrayed a community of
people living along a river bank, in harmony with their
surroundings, as day turned into night. Watching the perfor-
mance, the people, the water and the dance became one.
"Fandango," a pas de deux created by master choreogra-
pher Lar Lubovitch in 1990, was performed by Elizabeth
Roxas and Leonard Meek. With seductive ease and Olympic
strength, the piece explored seemingly impossible balances
and lifts. "Fandango" captured two lovers at one instant in
time that seemed to stretch forever. Without missing a beat
or losing their balance, the dancers also pursued every
opportunity to exploit the flexibility of their bodies. Al-
REVIEW
kivin Alley
American
ce Theater
Best Picture:
WILL WIN: "Sense and Sensibility"
SHOULD WIN: "Sense and Sensibility"
Best Director:
WILL WIN: Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"
SHOULD WIN: Mike Figgis, "Leaving Las Vegas"
Best Actor:
WILL WIN: Nicolas Cage, "Leaving Las Vegas"
SHOULD WIN: Nicolas Cage, "Leaving Las Vegas"
Best Actress:
WILL WIN: Susan Sarandon, "Dead Man Walking"
SHOULD WIN: Sharon Stone, "Casino"
Best Supporting Actor:
WILL WIN: Ed Harris, "Apollo 13"
SHOULD WIN: Kevin Spacey, "The Usual Suspects"
Best Supporting Actress:
WILL WIN: Joan Allen, "Nixon"-
SHOULD WIN: Mira Sorvino, "Mighty Aphrodite"
Best Original Screenplay:
WILL WIN: "The Usual Suspects"
SHOULD WIN: "Nixon"
Best Adapted Screenplay:
WILL WIN: "Sense and Sensibility"
SHOULD WIN: "Leaving Las Vegas"
LOTS OF GREAT
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X-FILES SOUNDTRACK$ 199
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fi-.
'Flirting' with a contest
Finally! A contest returns to the Daily Arts section. We know you've been
waiting a long time for it, so we'll be brief. Would you lIke to see the new fil
"Firting with Disaster," directed by David 0. Russell (of "Spanking the
Monkey" fame) and starring the always wacky Ben Stiller? Sure you do. And
we want you to see it, too. For free. Just come to the Daily Arts Office, seco
floor of the Student Publications Building, 420 Maynard St., and tell us the
name of another film In which we have seen Stiller (we'll all laugh together I
you can tell us what TV character his real life dad plays ... but that answeri
not required to win). You must arrive between 12 noon and 6 p.m., and all
winners will receive a pass good for the admission of two people to a specia
screening tomorrow night at 7:30 at the Ann Arbor 1 & 2 theater on S. Fifth
Ave. in beautiful downtown Ann Arbor. Can't wait any longer? We don't blam
you. So just come on by - we're waiting.c
nance limits
trns to Ann Arbor
ngo" left the audience intoxicated, the in-
i between the two dancers was not as strongly
music that was used, Maurice Ravel's pas-
a."
ntemporary works of Friday evening's prfor-
ited the company's classical lines, Hercule
nost impossible flexibility. By contrast, Alv
ations" depended upon choreographic purity
honesty; its dancers portrayed a more human
reality. "Revelations" gathered together
mentally strong individuals to give the
audience a spiritual and emotional ex-
perience. Although the company's
physical virtuosity was still highlighted
in this work, the viewer became more
impressed with the performers as think-
ing, responsible individuals.
Alvin Ailey's choreography oft
r drew upon his African American, small
6 town Southern roots. Danced to spiritu-
als, Friday's performance of "Revela-
dancers and audience on a three-partjourney.
he piece to share cultural experiences with the
y that all can experience is outstanding. Its
ae of glorifying the struggles of suffering
imes is universal.
ctiori, "Pilgrims of Sorrow," the dancers start
uted earth tones and showing the suffering
erican experience through earth bound mov
ked toward the sky. The next section, "Take
Ater," had the dancers in a transformational
wearing white. The piece ended with "Move
e" in which the company, dressed in the color
scend their suffering and dance with joy and
ars; the Ailey company is still pushing the
rmance by fusing breathtaking contemprary
:h classical poise. Hence, by the end of the
the audience was clapping in time with the
>ing its feet.
GIRL 6
Continued from Page 9A
ensemble.
Spike Lee ably plays the role ofGirl6's
neighbor, the concerned, sports memor-a
bilia-collecting Jimmy. Girl 6's ex-hugs
band is portrayed with sympathy-dt -
ing results by Isaiah Washington.
Since the majority ofthe film's best and
most outrageous scenes take place at t
phone sex company, the best supporting
performances also exist there.
Featuring Debi Mazar as the reason-
able Girl 39, Naomi Campbell (wearig
an ironic 'Models Suck' T-shirt) as bad.'
influence Girl 75 and a host of others, the
operators have a way with words nd
contribute to the film'slightslightly raun-
chy atmosphere.
Also encouraging the playful exph-
itness ofthe film are theabundant Prince
songs that incessantly underscore Girl
6's life. The soundtrack is like the ulti-
mate testament of Prince's funky, pas-
nd sionate genius.
Peppering the perverted landscape are
f innumerable cool cameos from the likes
s of Madonna, Halle Berry, John Turturro
and talk-show host Rolonda Watts, an
d vivid, innovative daydream sequence
These daydreams are ways of getting
e inside Girl 6's head, viewing her hopes
and desires through her depiction of clas-
sic strong female characters, including
Dorothy Dandridge in "Carmen Jones,"
Pam Grier in "Foxy Brown" and afro-
puffed Thelma on "The Jeffersons." In
the "Jeffersons" sequence, the real high-
light is Spike Lee's dead-on accurate
George Jefferson impersonation.
The only apparent drawback of the fi '
is its lack of an intricate plot. Perhaps
witty script by Suzan-Lori Parks cou
have been improved by fleshing out more
of Girl 6's relationships with her friends
and callers, instead of adding a dull sub-
plot ofa little girl falling down an elevator
shaft (a less-than-subtle metaphor for Girl
6's own descent into fantasy).
Partially a sex farce, partially ajour-
ney toward self-esteem, and wholly ful-
filling, the fun world of phone set
"Girl 6" is even better than the real th4
... and a lot less expensive, too.
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tuition assistance after 30
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