8A --The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 9, 2000 ARTS Walken makes most of new opportunity By Andy TaylorFabe For The Daily It's a rare treat to see Christopher Walken playing a character who is not a demented psychopath, an evil supernatural being or - well, you get the idea. And although he plays a screw-up, his character is thor- oughly likable and instrumental in turning a simple heist movie into a much deeper and more The satisfying character study. Opportunist "The Opportunists" is about Victor Kelly (Walken), a former Grade: B+ safecracker who has pulled his At the Michigan life back together after spending Theater a decade in jail. Kelly has become a nearly model citizen who spends time with his daughter (Vera Farmiga) and girlfriend (Cyndi Lauper), sup- ports and visits his aunt in her nursing home and maintains an auto repair shop despite constant financial trouble. Victor is visited by his cousin Michael (Peter McDonald) from Ireland, who is in town looking for a place to stay. Victor soon learns that Michael has grown up hearing impressive but exaggerated stories about Victor Kelly the "criminal mastermind," and Michael tries to convince Victor to join up with him for a job. Michael has been talking to Pat (Donal Logue) and Jesus (Jose Zuniga), who are armored car security guards. They present Victor with a job he could do "in his sleep." At first Victor refuses, but after a string of financial setbacks, he is forced to accept their proposal. It's easy to forget what a good actor Christopher Walken is. Many of his usual characters, though impressive and frightening, aren't particularly difficult roles. However, he gives a convincing portrayal of this essentially good man who is forced into his course of action by factors beyond his control. The plot is fairly straightforward, so don't expect to be thrilled with action sequences or plot twists in the vein of "The Sting" or "Reservoir Dogs" The film does have its share of typical heist movie material and it could have very easily blended in with more forgettable movies of this genre, but director Myles Connell saves the film by having it revolve around the man and not the job. He concentrates on Victor's frustration and his desperate attempts to salvage his new life. However, there are a few scenes having to do with the job that are engaging, including the night before the job when he stays up practicing cracking the combination and beating the six minute alarm sys- tem. Another commendable aspect of "The Oppor- tunists" is the way that the ending is handled. The conclusion of the film is surprising, not in a "Usual Suspects" coffee mug scene kind of way, but surpris- ing in its departure from the stereotypical heist movie endings. The outcome is satisfying not because of what actually happens, but because it feels like something fresh instead of a choice between the usual heist movie endings. tion to the quartet. Together, they created a soulful tone-like quality. In the first movement, the cellist had his moments of fame, opening nosphere, with an unforgettable cello melody. ast to the All four movements were per- formed with great coherence, and created a the emotions running through the e, exactly group were full of energy and excitement. d with the Each member pulled together to A Major, move through the piece and accom- d pianist plished in reminding the audience great addi- why we appreciate chamber music. Courtgsy of Rawkus Entertainment Mos Def (right, with bodyguard) headlined the Lyricist Lounge Tour on Friday night. Plagued 'Lounge' show stila success By W. Jacari Melton Daily Arts Writer Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez., Major Figgas and Slum Village. As the Lyricist Lounge Tour rolled through Detroit, these were just some of the names advertised. As it turned out, only one of the original- ly scheduled acts showed up. Lucki- ly, it was the headliner Mos Def. .. icn' >Panic.. ! If you think you're pregnant- Call us-.wes Nen, we Care PROPLEM PREGNANCY HELP 975-4357 Any time, any .ay, 24 ours.. $erving Students since 1974.) TAKACS Continued from Page 5 created an intense atm which was quite a contr Mozart. The Takacs Quartets slow, agitated atmospher what was intended. The night was finishe Dvorak's Piano Quintet in Op. 81. The featured Andreas Haefliger was ag Lyricist Lounge St. Andrew's Hall oct.6,2000 crowed paid to The appearance of anyone deemed less qualified to rock the mic probably would have led to a mini-riot in the sold out St. Andrew's Hall. When it was announced that Mos Def was next to perform, it became obvi- ous whom the see. The throng selves to get a closer look at him. Mos, backed by a band featuring former P-Funk, Bad Brains an Sugar Hill Band members, per- formed material from his solo album "Black On Both Sides" and his BlackStar collaboration with Talib Kweli as well as tracks on a soon to be released album. High- lights included his interpretation of Cam'ron's "What Means The World To You," which features a sample of The Police's "Roxanne." Mos also flipped "Ms. Fatbooty" over Dt Dre's "Xxplosive." Essentially, the Lyricist Lounge concert tried to capture the senti- ment of Mos' statement. There was the highly energetic Spontaneous, the "thugged-out" Outsidaz and D- 12 and Mos Def. These artists and groups don't necessarily have the same fan base. Someone in the crowd could have gone in as a Mos fan and walked out liking him a well as Wordsworth. Because of it ability to expose new or lesser- known artists, the Lyricist Lounge was a success. Now if only they could coordinate their schedules. gradually pushed toward the stage as people tried to position them- SB W UE ______________ ICONOGRAPIC*ORIGNAL MOVIE POSTERS LARGESTTRAVEUNG MOVIE P)&ER SHOW ON THE PLANET Monday - Friday Monday- Thursday October 2 - 6 October 9 - 12 Michigan Union Ground Floor Pierpont Commons PRINTING * LOWESTPRICES! HIGHEST QUALITY! FASTESTSERWICE! * 1002 PONTIAC TR. 994-1367 Food For Thought Manipulation "No one has this stupid and criminal idea ofr. annexing the South." (Often said by Pham Van Dong, North Vietnam's Prime Minister, to Western visitors, prior to the fall of Saigon.) Pg. 4 135, A Viet Cong Memoir. Gary Lillie & Assoc., Realtors www.garylillie.com I PAID ADVERTISEMENT HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER I'M A DEMOCRAT ORA REPUBLICAN?: An Open Letter to the Students of the University of Michigan A young man who is a close friend of our family was recently heard asking this question. Our daughter's answer: "Decide which issues are most important to you and then vote for the party that more closely supports your position." With 26.5 million 18-24 year-olds living in the United States, you are in a position to play a major role in this year's election. The presidential race is a close one in Michigan, and y r Vote can make a difference. Our family has pooled its resources to place this letter in The Michigan Daily because we are concerned about the outcome of the election this November and we recognize the powerful voting block you represent. The next President of the United States will make decisions that directly affect your life. He will also appoint at least three Supreme Court Justices who will interpret our laws for the next 30 to 40 years! EDUCATION Al Gore supports * increasing funds available for grants and student loans; * reducing interest rates on student loans; and * making college tuition and fees tax deductible up to $10,000 per year. Bush's education agenda is narrow because his proposed tax cut (which benefits the wealthiest 2%) leaves few resources to invest in education or to help families afford higher education. ENVIRONMENT Al Gore has been a leader on the environment for more than 20 years by *working to combat global warming; *increasing funding and use of mass transit; and *increasing funding for national parks. Bush has been called "the Polluters' President" by the Sierra Club. Texas rates *first in the amount of cancer-causing chemicals pumped into the air and water; and *dead last in the number of children with health insurance. CIVIL RIGHTS AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Al Gore *believes all Americans, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, or physical ability deserve equal protection under the law; and *will work to reform welfare, protect civil rights, and protect and defend a woman's right to choose. Bush