The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 10, 1999 - 9 istrange, smooth 'Night' S amazes By Aaron Rich tDaily Arts Editor It is a clever trick of writer/director/actor Don McKellar to trick us into thinking that "Last Night" is a somber film by having his first scene lok so funeral, because, in the end, his film is one of the most up-beat apocalypse films ever created (that's Last Night oxymoronic). But this film is anything At the other than what Michigan Theater we might expect. As the film opens, we find ourselves six hours away from the end of the world. This is not a violent, hellfire-and-brimstone kind of finale. In fact we are never told how r why exactly it is happening - ust simply that everybody knows he end is nigh and they all have had MILE Continued from Page 8 killed those little girls, and it's pretty obvi- ous who did. Therefore the sense of poten- tial danger that Coffey is supposed to emanate is lacking. At the same time, this criticism is balanced by the fact that you can believe the guards can feel Coffey killed the girls. This ties into the biggest flaw in "The Green Mile,"its occasional heavy-handed- ness. Darabont is both a skilled writer and director, but tries way too hard to make his point at times. It is as if he is desperate for us to realize Coffey's power and humanity, which is easy to get right off the bat. Darabont's portrayal of Coffey also seems a little dishonest. We're dealing with the Depression-era South, and race is hard- ly ever a factor. History tells us that Coffey would be treated more aggressively by all white Southern guards, but he receives an extraordinary amount of respect. being a truly great film by its present day framing device. Hanks should have told Darabont that it didn't work with "Saving Private Ryan" and it's not going to work here. Unfortunately there is an important nugget of the story at the end, which Darabont should have found some better way to incorporate. All of this aside, however, "The Green Mile"is still a gem ofa film. Hanks portrays a character we've seen him do many a time, but there is, punning aside, an edge to Edgecomb. He is not the saintly characters that Hanks has portrayed in "Forrest Gump," "Apollo 13" and "Saving Private Ryan'" Hanks is good in the role, but his Southem accent slips quite often, and so does his performance. When Hanks is adding depth to the character he is fine, but when he is handling the mundane stuff his performance is as hit and miss as his accent. The supporting cast led by Duncan, though, is for the most part flawless, with the notable exception of James Cromwell (as Warden Hal Moores) who has to carry the most ill-conceived subplot. Standing out from the pack are David More (as guard "Brutal" Howell), Bonnie Hunt (as Paul's wifeJan), Hutchinson, Barry Pepper (as guard Dean Stanton) and Jeffrey DeMunn (as guard Harry Terwilliger). Butthe real story is Duncan. Though he' had small roles in big movies ("Armageddon," "Bulworth"), he has never really had the chance to prove himself as an actor, and here he has The only real ques- tion is whether or not Duncan will win the Oscar he'll surly be nominated for. After a five year break from directing, it's good to see Darabont again. While "The Green Mile" is no "Shawshank Redemption," how many movies are? Don McKellar and Sandra Oh make fireworks before the end of the world. time to prepare for it. Each in his or her own way gets ready for the end by doing his or her own special preparations. One man decides to fulfill each and every sex- ual desire he has ever had. Another couple decide that they do not want the powers that be to take their lives, so they end it themselves just before the big one comes. McKellar is a Canadian and proud of it. This might seem unimportant, but there is something in "Last Night" that is definitely not American. Perhaps its a bit of what can only be called "Toronto camp," which makes us feel both sheltered by the quaint environ- ment but definitely still in a metropo- lis. Perhaps it's just that McKellar casts the best and brightest in Canadian cin- ematic talent, Sarah Polley, Sandra Oh and David Cronenberg. I McKellar, whose career until this point includes several stellar writing r .r i ww n ws wano win s ®.ww.ww e TEMPEST Continued from Page 8 cast with his water bottle. The rehearsal read through the prologue, featuring the famous thunderstorm, and underwent a metamorphosis as the laser light show began, allowing the crew to roll out the astonishingly listic set of a rocky beach. P rof. Rob Murphy's fantastic light- ing and set designs placed special emphasis on the supernatural aspects of Shakespeare's story. In combina- tjon with whirling blue and red spot- lights, green lasers brought treacher- dus thunderstorms to life. Black lights and strobe lights heightened the impact of the sound effects used to tunctuate magical spells as well as t nderstorms. he sprite Ariel, played by sopho- more Margaret Smith, benefits the most from these sequences. As the androgynous sprite berates its mas- ter's enemies, wearing pointed gauze wings, the scene's intensity increased to a breaking point due to the red strobe lights and screeching sound effects. The show also incorporates other art forms, including modern dance and chorale singing by the three god- desses, which didn't match the level of excellence found in the acting. Prof. Peter Sparling choreographed a strong sequence for the three spirit dancers portraying Prospero, Miranda and Ferdinand, but the resulting per- formance lacked unity between the performers, though each danced well. Prof. Joan Morris, Kerrytown Concert House founder and local res- ident Deanna Relyea and senior Dara Seitzman sang together as the three goddesses but here, too, the final product lacked cohesion. Each sang in a different style, with Seitzman dis- credits ("Thirty-two Short Films Darabont's play on the idea of prejudice About Glenn Gould" and "The Red against blacks by making an African Violin") and a few film shorts, proves American a miracle is a wonderful idea. himself a formidable budding talent. He just should have developed it more. His idea is crisp and new - not to "TheGreenMile"isalsohinderedffrom mention especially wry and simple. His aesthetic touch is evident in all shots as a mix of 1970s kitsch with ultra-mod Canadian cosmopolitan. * * * * U U U Everything has a certain vacant quali- * * * U U U ty, but in the middle of a bustling city. The acting, even in the "small" roles U is tight. Sarah Polley, as usual, is end- lessly convincing, and Cronenberg adds that strange, foreboding touch that "Last Night" is one of the best films of the year, but in the end, that does not matter much, as none of us will be here PRINTING soon to talk about it. PRINTING * ® LOAWESTPRICESI HIGHEST QUALITY! playing, by far, the most talent. * FASTESTSERVICE! In spite of this, "The Tempest" * 1002 PONTIAC TR. U finds an overall unity in the profes- 994-1367 sional quality of the performance. Kerr's brilliant interpretation of "The U U U U U Tempest" transformed a simple the- U U U U m ater and cast of actors into a magical world isolated from reality in just the way Shakespeare would have wished for his last great work, Pike Anne Pennwrig Spokescritic" Casting Couch E grade y UofM lssors HAVE YOU READ THE NEWEST ISSUE OF GARGOYLE MAGAZINE? WITH ONLY AFEW WEEKS LEFT BEFORE Y2KKIUSSflTHIS MAY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE TO READ U OF M'S OFFICIAL COMEDY MAGAZINE! lmokfor us inAngell lh1A Hallduring the week of December 6th? Orreserve yourcopybyemailing GARG@UMICJEDU It's only 50 cents ht Dropmut e Urban Princess Rousing rhythms of elegant fervor explode melodiC myths and revive lyrical legends... EVAN OLSON One Room Features "So Much Better" TONIC Sugar Features "Knock Down Walls"