8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 25, 1997 'Blade' sharp as knife Bily Bob Thornton delivers sentimental masterpiece By Juliohih ;Daily g riter Rarely does the world of film pro- duce once-in-a-lifetime talents who can do i l But in a miraculous flash of bril1iame, the cinema industry intro- duoes, unbeliev- abli water, direc- RI tor aactor-extra- ordille Billy Bob 0 Thai'i1, in his movig- master- piece, "Sling Blade:" In the film, Thornton plays Karl Childers a mentally disabled man who is released from an asylum back into his smnlt hometown in Arkansas. Originally put into the hospital at the age of 12 for killing his mother and her lover with a sling blade (a banana- shaped machete), Karl is reluctant to leave the safety of the hospital for a foreign and lonely world. But with a stroke of luck, Karl finds a fam>y and a place to stay when he meets °-a gentle 12-year-old named Frank (Lucas Black), and his single mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday). Karl is also accepted by a gay family friend, Vaughan (John Ritter), whose homo- sexuality makes him as much of a social outcast as Karl. Unfortunately,1 EVIEW Sling Blade At State who pleasures in around him. Karl is quickly con- fronted by the harsh reality of his newfound friends, predominately in the form of Linda's sadistic, alcoholic boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), terrorizing all those in one of the year's best performances: Thornton's portrayal of Karl is haunt- ing, yet touching, with traces of Boo Radley ("To Kill a Mockingbird"), Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man" and Forrest Gump. Karl is a hunchbacked, slow-moving, seemingly mentally disabled man who is also a strong, sensitive and moral individual. He is a hero in an unlikely package. . Thornton does an incredible and flaw- less job at conveying all the character's pain, sweetness, humor and irony. Although his distinctive drawled-out voice and speech pattern take some time to get used to, by the end of the movie, Karl will become one of the most unfor- gettable characters in cinematic history. Dwight Yoakam is extremely disturb- ing as the cruel and destructive Doyle Hargraves. He has no qualms about bat- tering the people around him with his harsh and painful words. The final con- frontation between Doyle and Karl is very predictable, but sadly, it is also inevitable. Other powerful performances include Ritter's depiction of the soft-spoken and almost apologetic gay friend, and Black's portrayal of a young man, silently suffer- ing under the tyrannical hand of his mother's live-in boyfriend. The film's powerful music is almost like the invisible director, as appropriate melodies are used to manipulate moods. When Karl walks around town, light easygoing country music floats in the background to match Karl's slow, lum- bering saunter. But in some scenes, where Karl is alone and internally deal- ing with his past, eerie and haunting music plays. "Sling Blade" explores the numerous layers of the human psyche and several aspects of social interaction. The movie is beautifully shot and composed, all held in place by the genius of Billy Bob Thornton. The film's profound and rich nature makes it one of the most provocative films of the year, while its range of memorable characters and numerous light-hearted moments makes it one of the most entertaining. As Karl Childers might say in his slow, gravelly drawl, "I reckon' this movie is not one to miss." "Sling Blade" is a powerful story not only about love and acceptance, but also about sin and forgiveness. Its plot is rich with content and texture, deliv- ered by a superbly written script and dazzling acting. Audiences are invited to look at the world from a different perspective - an angle where love is a complexly broad and beautiful term. Billy Bob Thornton is by far the force behind this outstanding film. Thornton deserves the title of Superman for turning Oscar nominee Billy Bob Thornton writes, directs and stars in "Sling Blade." tong Qp~en T^days A-Meek Grand Opening CHAMPIONS Laundromat 609 S. Forest Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (313)747-8007 Ldifudry Strong 'Tidal' hits with poetic lyrical emotion Fiona Apple Tidal Work 8 am to idnight M Free Laundry Pick-up And Delivery Service With signed Contract First 20 pounds - 950 every additional pound Once a Week Pick-up, Next Day Delivery - ---------- g - - --- - IShirt jDrop Ofj3 Q// Lo ndered Service arnly , tiff i i 'AlliDry i990i7cleaning :.per pound expires 3/1/97 , expires 3/1/97 eth coupon only expires 3/1/97 with coupon only onecoupon per customer with coupon only 3 one coupon per customer Notyarid with any other offer 10 pounds min. Not valid with any other offerJ .- d theroffe. -.- ----nmi... , ---- mm,,j "Tidal" is a debut album with so much soul and attitude that it hits like a lightning bolt. Fiona Apple's vocals and lyrics are a potent mixture, especially combined with a strong jazz and funk sound. Perhaps Apple says it best on the first track "Sleep to Dream": "So don't Soul and attitude make Apple's "Tidal." forget what I told you / don't come around / I got my own hell to raise." That's a threat worth taking to heart before diving into the next 10 tracks. Apple designs a sultry musical backdrop of piano, vibra- phone, bass, chamberlain and even harp. Honesty and emotion combine to make her vocals a raw force. "Sullen Girl" is a beautiful ode to lost love and healing. These two themes weave their way throughout all of the tracks, coming across with a real punch in "Shadowboxer." The piano and Apple's smoky voice create a sexy jazz sound that parallels the emo- tion in the song. When Apple sings "your gaze is dangerous / If I let you get too close you'll set your spell on me," she leaves contemporary female plight crooners like Alanis Morrisette in the dust. "Tidal" is refreshing because it mixes so many musical influences. Apple manages to bring together a jazz, pop and soul sound in just 10 tracks. A trance-like R&B sound emerges in "The First Taste," in which Apple sings "Oh, your love give me a heart contusion / Your hungry flirt borders intrusion." The marimba and percussion add to the mood. Tracks such as this give Apple a mystical allure akin to the music of Sade. Imagine a dark night club, smoky and filled with the lovelorn, as a backdrop for the entire album. A story of love and confes- sion underlies each track, most poignantly heard on "Never is a Promise," a gorgeous vocal exploration of hidden emotions. "Tidal" hits with just the right combination of poetic lyrical emotion and perfect musical arrangements, drowning the listener in a tide both del- icate and pulsating in its beauty. -- Shannon O 'Neill Shawn Colvin A Few Small Repairs Columbia Records ***9 Shawn Colvin's first album, including all new original material since 1992, is almost worth the wait. Though Colvin is increasingly moving away from the spare folksy arrangements that made up her still-excellent 1989. debut, "Steady On, she hasn't lost any style points. "A Few Small Repairs" is full of engaging songs about real people. First- person romantic longings like "You arid the Mona Lisa" never fall into cliches and contain some of the most intelligent lyric writing in today's pop music. The same can be said for Colvin's bitter side: "If I Were Brave" ends with the line "A thousand lonely lifetimes I still wait an, then go on / a clown to entertain the happy couples." Even on the relatively bland "Nothin' On Me," a gritty triplet feel makes the song more than listenable. In a better world, it would be a huge hit. Colvin takes plenty of musical risks too, more so than on either of her earli- er albums. She is rapidly becoming the studio rat of female singer/songwriters. Her arrangements vary from raw and. spontaneous-sounding ("Get Out ofthis [louse") to meticulous pop-rock ("Yot and the Mona Lisa") to subdued perfec- tion ("If I Were Brave"). There is nothing on this disc as instantly appealing as "Round of Blues" from her last album, but "A Few Small Repairs" is very consistent in its message. Let's hope we don't have to wait four more years for her next one. - Mark Feldman When You're Considering an Internship in Information Technology, Consider One More Thing: Consider the investment banking firm that is an inter- national leader in virtually every field of investment and finance. Where leading edge information technology is at the core of the firm's growth and success. Where you are given the chance to partici- pate in a challenging internship position which may include developing, maintaining and monitoring global computer systems and telecommunication networks. Where interns get to work alongside the most highly accomplished information technology and investment banking professionals. And consider the firm where an emphasis on teamwork, individual responsibility, creativity and initiative means that interns play an integral role in a dynamic global financial organization. In short, consider Information Technology at Goldman Sachs. 0 0