For Tuesday release Go online to check out what albums hit stores today that couldn't be included in Breaking Records. jSd u U t t S.vj michigandaily.com/Iarts TUESDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2000 5 Details hinder amnusingt Turvy' By David Victor Daily Arts Writer Ah, Gilbert and Sullivan. Those names go together like peanut butter and jelly, Rocky and Bullwinkle, or Starsky and Hutch. The pair's comedic musical theater has delighted audi- ences since the late 1800's. Writer/director Mike Leigh brings us into the world of William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan in his film "Topsy- Turvy." The problem is, he takes us in a le too deep. What promises to be a sWof "Shakespeare in Love" for the Victorian era gets bogged down in a Medium of unnecessary details and McCarthy busts onto big screen in latest 'Scream' By Matthew Barrett Daily Film Editor Jenny McCarthy is known for a variety of things rang- ing from her Playboy days to her hosting job on "Singled Out" to "Jenny," her short-lived sitcom. Her acting in movies is not one of them. Until now. After taking sonme time of", McCarthy is back on the scene with roles in two upcoming movies. "I kind of took a break for about a year and a half. I thought it was a good idea after my rollercoaster of three years working non- stop. 1 kind of wanted to regroup and wait fr' the next 'ight thing to do And when the right thing did come along, which was 'Diamonds,' I jumped on it. And then folow ing right after that was 'Scream 3,"' McCarthy said. For McCarthy, a long-time fan of the first two "Scream" films, the chance to be a part of the much- hyped third installment was a thrilling opportunity too Topsy. Turry Grade: B At the Michigan Theater Penzance." The length, spoiling an otherwise amusing and insightful film. We all know how it went - Gilbert wrote the lyrics and Sullivan scored them to music. Their collabora- tion resulted in many memorable works, including " T h e Gondoliers" and "The Pirates of film opens when good to pass up. "I was so excited. Starring Jenny McCarthy Starts F day I remember when the first 'Scream' came out and I thought 'Why the hell am I not in that?' Because it was always meant to be a trilogy, this is for sure the last one. Spoken from God, mind you. So I'm glad I caught it, I'm glad I'm in the last one," McCarthy said. "Scream 3" also afforded the actress the opportunity to work with Wes Craven, director of the film. It seems that Craven is not quite as fierce in person as the films that he directs. "Wes blew my mind in terms of what my thoughts were about him before I even came Courtesy of October Flms Jim Broadbent stars as the famed W. S. Gilbert in Mike Leigh's "Topsy-Turvy." Cbert (played marvelously by Jim Il adbent) and Sullivan (Allen Corduner) are debuting their latest, "Princess Aida." The mediocre success of the play underscores the lagging inspiration in their relationship; the plots are starting to repeat, as are Sullivan's accompaniments. After Sullivan takes a sabbatical for his health, he decides to go on with his own work, a grand opera he's never the opportunity to work on. M ert, without his steadfast partner, goes into a creative funk. Only after attending a travelling exhibition about the then-still-foreign Japan is Gilbert inspired, which convinces Sullivan to rejoin him as they produce one of their finest works, "The Mikado." The characters that fill the back- stages and parlors of "Topsy-Turvy" are quite varied and engaging - even the least of them has something funny or poignant to say. Standout perfor- mances are given by Martin Savage, as the morphine-addicted comic George Grossmith, Lesley Manville, as Gilbert's sadly neglected wife and Timothy Spall as the porcine stage diva Richard Temple. Being able to see into all these people's lives is usually worth the time taken, but some charac- terization could have been removed to reduce the film's 160 minute running time. Speaking of running time, "Topsy- Turvy" offers perhaps a little too much stage production. Gilbert and Sullivan fans will be in heaven to see portions of "Princess Ida," "The Sorceror" and "The Mikado" played by professional actors on elaborate sets. However, for the average movie-goer (i.e. yours truly) they would have been better shortened, as they draw from the behind-the-scenes motif the rest of the film is centered on. The film is excellently written, cap- turing the essence of late-19th Century London. The dialogue is overflowing with dry British witticisms - it almost seems too stifled and gentle- manly to be natural. Nevertheless, their banter is very entertaining and injects life and levity into all the char- acters. There are some touching scenes, especially those centering around Gilbert's father and wife. However, don't expect to cry a river or roll in the aisles, as the stifled manner of the British characters keeps the emotional level of the film on an even keel. Leigh set out to create an accurate portrayal of Gilbert and Sullivan's place and time, and he succeeds admirably. The settings are exquisitely furnished and the dress is more than proper for the era. Even modern conveniences like the telephone and the fountiOn pen, brand new to the characters of "Topsy- Turvy' aid in creating the perfiect aibi.- ence and setting for the ?ilm. Overall, "Thpsy-Tur-y" is an excel- lent period piece that captures the essence of its time and subject. Sometimes the film seems to lack focus, trvin to show everything at once. The stifled emotional conten also fails in creating any real high drama the film begining and ending in the middle of Gilben and Sullivan's career leaves many issues unresolved. Despite these minor shortcomings, "Topsy-Turvy" is bound to be a real treat for Gilbert and Sullivan fans, and a worthwhile show for those of us (i.e. yours truly) that sometimes confuse Gilbert and Sullivan with, say, Rogers and Hammerstein. Or, God forbid, Rocky and Bullwinkle. 'Beholder' on set" McCarthy said. "I thought he was going to be a typical harsh, hard director and he was the sweetest, shyest man I've ever met. Anything but scary. He's got a mind of his own and a great eye for the camera and how to move it." Very little information regarding "Scream 3" has been released to the general public, and McCarthy said this secrecy carried over to film's set. "It was so confidential that none of the actors had a full script, we only had our pages honestly do not know what the movie's about, I don't even know who the killer is. It's going to be just as much a surprise to me as it is to the public, which makes it even more fun. The word's not out, people don't know, it's a big mystery and I like that," McCarthy said. However, we do know that McCarthy plays Sarah Darling, a longtime actress who's struggling to be taken more seriously. This is something McCarthy can relate to and she gave it some thought during her time away from acting. "I thought it would be really smart to show a little bit of Courtesy of Dimension Films Jenny McCarthy. On the phone in the shower. Hmm.... a dramatic side to show that I am capable of doing it, just so I have the opportunities of both," McCarthy said. "For instance if I could have the career of Robin Williams, who's able to make people laugh in comedies and then also make them cty in dramas, I would be the happiest woman." This fall, McCarthy is set to give television another stab with a new series on Fox. And while she doesn't have the details ironed out, she has some ideas of where she'd like to see the show go. "I'm not quite sure what show I'm doing yet, but I would like to show other sides, almost an 'Ally McBeal' type of show where I could get away with serious stuff but also have that comedic Jennyness to it," McCarthy added. McCarthy also has some advice for students in college - the degree is key. "(A college education) is so impor- tant. I'm so kind of bummed that I didn't graduate. I feel like I still missed out on something. The two years that I was in college were probably the most influential to me. I think it's very important to make sure you get that degree." READ DAILY ARTS EVERY DAY. Il I Dull, slow moving O$. MieWesf Wbir imn ONLY $4.76 Mtinees before B pm, Kids, Seniors, & Everyone all day Tuesday 0' C @1 'U' L 9 Two Summer Sessions * French Immersion Program 0 Desktop Publishing and Web Design Programs * Cultural Excursions The American University of Paris F rue du Colonel Combes 75007 Paris, France Tel. (33/1) 40 62 07 20 Fax (33/1) 47 05 34 32 New York office: Tel. (212) 983-1414 blind to lame characters, plot $5.50 with Student 1D after 6Dm ..... $5.25 Late Shows Fri & Sat ', 0 o passes or Tuesday discountsW Unlimited Free Drink Refills & .255 Corn Refills By Erin Podolsky Daily Arts Writer "Eye of the Beholder," a misbegotten faux- #chcockian thriller that is an insult to the name of the late, great director, has an identity crisis. Its crisis is completely independent of that of Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd, although the two's psychological problems are not to be discounted. But the film as a whole can't decide who or what it wants to be. And in true curse of the father's fashion, it passes on that indecision to its characters. What at first seems to be a tale of a father haunted - or, yes, cursed - by his torn loyalty to his job and his absent young daughter slowly unravels as a strange cat- a d-mouse game between techno-whiz McGregor, witti- nown as code name Eye, and Joanna (Judd). Did I say slowly? I do not choose such words lightly. "Eye of the Beholder" sports half the running time of "The Green Mile" but, incredibly, feels just as long. The chase hops from city to city and state to state. The horrifying suspicion I enter- tained midway through that I was going to be dragged to all 50 states Eye of the by these crazies wasn't too far off the Beholder mark. Grade: c The Eye is a special agent or attache or whatever such people are At Briarwood, Quality 1 called working for the British & sOwce Embassy. He hides out in sparse rooms surrounded by wires and screens, using the latest gadgetry to spy but not interfere. (This apparent- ly pays a lot better than point-click- serial murderess across the country, spurred on by thoughts of his daughter, feeling responsible for both of them. In the process he - gasp! - falls in love with her. Oh no! The hunter has become the hunted! Judd really chews up the scenery during her wig-outs (of which there are quite a few), proving that maybe she does have a pulse, or at least a good stack of Joan Crawford videos at home. McGregor, for his part, tries to nail a quieter, gen- tler James Stewart (if such a thing were possible, and 1 assure you after watching this movie that it isn't), one part "Vertigo" and two parts "Rear Window." Eye has one of those special character traits that we all know characters must have to humanize them. He col- lects snow globes from each place he visits in his line of work, ostensibly to give to his daughter, whom he has hallucinated conversations with about how his mean wife wrongly took her away from him because he was too married to his work. This sob story plays out in muted pain behind McGregor's eyes since he hides his heart- throbbiness behind the computer screens and wicked gadgetry he weasels out of his expense account. This is to his credit; there's not much you can do with a guy like Eye, but McGregor tries. Judd doesn't try at all. Or at least she pretends not to, which she's gotten really good at. She's one of the most flat, personality-lacking actresses working in film today (witness every single one of her line-reading s in Double Jeopardy"). But Judd is perfectly cast here as Joanna, who is also completely lacking in personality and defin- ing characteristics other than the special, purposely attention-grabbing article she's awarded on the same level as Eye's snow globes (yet another nod to H itchcock, who had a certain preoccupation with objects that were of the utmost importance to his characters). The obvi- Stadium Seating Gives YOUi An Unobstructed View U 0 om -- - I- mm Young JUdaea ALL SCREENS DIGITAL STEREO ALLTHEATERS STADIUM SEATING HURRICANE (R) 1:00, 3:55, 6:45, 9:30 o EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (R) 11'35, 12:55, 1:40, 3:05, 3:40, 5:10, 5:45, 7:15, 7:50, 9:20, 10:00 o ISN'T SHE GREAT (R) 11:30, 1:30,3:30,5:30,7:45,9:45 0 ANGELA'S ASHES (R) 12:30, 3:25, 6:30, 9:25 o DOWN TO YOU (PG-13) 12:50, 3:45, 5:40,7:35, 9:20 OPLAY IT TO THE BONE (R) F1155, 2 25, 4 55. 7:25, 9,55 0 CRADLE WILL ROCK (R) 9:15 GIRL INTERRUPTED (R) 11:10, 1.30,4:20,7:00,9:35 NEXT FRIDAY (R) 1.05.,3:10, 5:15, 7:40, 9:45 MAONeOIA(R) 11:55,3:35,7:25 CIDER HOUSE RULES (PG-13) 11 00, :30, 4.10;,6:55, 9!30 GALAXY QUEST (PG) 12:50, 2:55,5:05,7:20,9:25 TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (R) 11 45, 4:5, 7:10,9:50 sTU:R T 1: E, (.0 ) , 1100 100',300,+J5:004, 7:0i, 9.00 Programs Work In Israel! If you have been to Israel, are knowledgeable about Judaism and Zionism and have counselor/teen education experience, we've got a job for you! 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