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14B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magiule - Thursday, April 11, 2002
Audrey Tautou and French film
'Amelie' are pure movie magic
Frozen Four
trip makes
hockey No. 1
By Jeff Dickerson
Daily Arts Editor
No other film from last year cap-
tured the hearts of men and women
around the world like the French
film "Amelie." Directed by Jean-
Pierre Jeunet, the romantic comedy
has grossed an impressive $31 mil-
lion at the domestic box office thus
far, becoming the highest grossing
French film of all time in the United
States. "Amelie" is a rare movie
with inventive filmmaking and real
emotion.
The story may seem borrowed; it
has several elements from Kar-Wai
Wong's Hong Kong romance
"Chungking Express," released in
the United States in 1994 with the
help of Quentin Tarantino. "Amelie"
even includes similar shots, but the
stylistic ingenuity of Jeunet makes
for an original cinematic experience,
no matter how many:
similarities.
A m e l i e
Poulain is a
waitress in a
small restau- y
rant in Paris, spending most of her
time imagining the lives of those
around her while ignoring her own
interests. The film strays from a typ-
ical romantic comedy with its fan-
tastical approach to the tired genre.
Amelie is a magi-
cian in the way
she interacts with
people, helping ~'~
others find love
with her unique
behavior.
"Amelie" is
most successful
in appealing to
both genders,
where typical
romantic come-
dies tend to grav-
itate more to
females. The film
manages to be
cute without
being too cute,
giving it an infec-
tious charm with-
out a desire to
cringe. Men can enjoy the love story
without feeling that their masculini-
ty was being assaulted, while simul-
taneously admiring the
overpowering charm and vitual
magnitude of 23-year-old statlett
Audrey Tautou.
The young actress steals every
second of the movie with her
charisma and magnificent beau-
ty. Tautou is a synthesis of
the girl next door and a
super model, with a hint
of shyness that makes
her that much more
desirable. Mesmerizing
does not begin to
Courtesy ofMiramax describe the sheer
power her smile has on
male viewers.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet has a filmogra-
phy as original as "Amelie," ranging
from the big budget sci-fi-sequel
"Alien Resurrection" to the bizarre
surrealist comedy "Delicatessen."
Jeunet is more
than a director, he
has scribed most
of the movies he
has directed. The
self-taught film-
maker is keen on
presenting the
viewer with
unique visuals that
combine rich col-
ors with hyper-
kinetic camera
movement.
"Amelie" daz-
zled the masses
and critics alike,
and was nominat-
ed for five Acad-
emy Awards,
including Best
Foreign Film,
Best Cinematography, Best Sound,
Best Art Direction and Best Original
Screenplay. Although the film failed
to take home any awards, the popu-
larity of the film in the United
States has yet to fade away.
For many, "Amelie" is that rare
date movie where both men and
women can enjoy a romantic film
together without having to lie about
their opinions. The magic of the
film stems from Jeunet's ability to
expertly balance the humor and
charm of the story. And for those
who were drawn in by the story, the
1994 foreign film "Chungking
Express" is an equally gratifying
experience with its own distinct
visual style.
By Matt Grandstaff
Weekend Magazine Editor
DAtVIDu DCHKNDu/aily
The Michigan Theater and its arch-rival, the State Theater.
Michigan Theater is
ideal venue for films
By Jeff Dickerson
Daily Arts Editor
For Ann Arbor residents, there are
several options when it comes to seeing
a movie. On campus, students have the
choice between the State Theater or the
Michigan Theater, both within mere
yards of each other. Theaters out of
walking distance include two megaplex-
es, Showcase and Quality 16, and the
lone bargain theater, the Village Theater.
But the true film buff, there is only one
place to see a movie, the Michigan The-
ater.
Since its construction in the 1920s,
the Michigan Theater has been an Ann
Arbor landmark. For years, patrons have
enjoyed seeing the best from Hollywood
and the art scene in the expansive 1700-
seat main theater.
But the Michigan Theater is not
restricted to motion pictures. Every
year, the venue hosts an array of plays,
events and musical acts, from Travis to
The Ann Arbor Film Festival.
The Neighboring movie house, the
State Theater, has been entwined with
the Michigan since 1997. Prices for
films are identical, but the cinematic
experience between the two couldn't be
more contradictory. The State features
broken seats, atrocious concessions and
awkward stadium seating.
Of all the accolades that can be
placed on the historic theater, none is
more deserving than having the best
popcorn. Unlike other theaters who use
artificial butter and salt substitutes, the
Michigan Theater uses the real stuff.
Film goers often go over to the Michi-
gan to get concessions before viewing a
movie at the State.
Through generous donations, the
Michgan Theater is able to maintain its
historic beauty and provide Ann Arbor
residents with the finest films available.
Whether it's "The Deep End" or "The
Lord of the Rings," the Michigan The-
ater is the ideal venue for films.
While the Michigan football team
carries the most tradition of any team
at the University, the Michigan hockey
team is probably the University's most
exciting team. This comes as no sur-
prise as this year's icers reached the
NCAA Frozen Four for the second
consecutive year.
But while the Frozen Four was a
great accomplishment, it is but one of
the many memorable moments provid-
ed by this year's team. In Michigan's
first regular season game of the year
against Michigan State, the Wolverines
played in front of the largest crowd
ever to watch a hockey game. Held
outdoors at Spartan Stadium, atten-
dance at the "The Cold War" reached
an amazing high of 74,554. While the
Wolverines did not win the game, they
Showed great intensity in their 3-3 tie
with the Spartans.
On the subject of the Spartans,
vlichigan students can thank this year's
iockey team for not succumbing to the
;ame failure that football and basket-
)all suffered against our northern rival.
Although the Wolverines started the
;eason with two ties and a loss, they
achieved ultimate success by beating
he Spartans in the CCHA Tournament
,hampionship game held at Joe Louis
Arena. Led by the gritty play of senior
goaltender Josh Blackburn and captain
Jed Ortmeyer, the Wolverines captured
their first victory in over a year against
the Spartans, 3-2.
In addition to capturing the Mason
Cup for winning the CCHA Tourna-
ment, the Wolverines shocked many
when they won the regular season
crown in the final weekend of the sea-
son. Winning nine of their final 10 reg-
ular season games, the Wolverines
edged out Michigan State for the title.
In a year in which the hockey team
did everything but win a national
championship, several Wolverines on
the team also succeeded on an individ-
ual level. Junior forward Mike Cam-
malleri and sophomore defenseman
Mike Komisarek capped off a great
season by being honored as American
Hockey Coaches' Association First
Team All-Americans.
Even with a Frozen Four appearance,
regular season and playoff conference
championships and two All-Americans,
fans of this year's team might remember
Michigan's spirited victories in the'
NCAA Regional most. Hosted at the
friendly confines of Yost Arena, the
Wolverines played their best against St.
Cloud State and No. 1 Denver.
In the end, this year's hockey team
provided some of the most memorable
moments for students around the uni-
versity. And hopefully, with a young
roster returning and continued bril-
liance from head coach Red Berenson,
the Wolverines will continue to capture
the hearts of students next season.
Audrey Tautou. Take me now.
Eccentric Liberty Street Video has everything film
By Joe LeFavi
For The Daily
The people, the popcorn, the porn.
From foreign films to "Facebath
69," Liberty Street Video has catered
to film lovers of all kinds. For years,
this trendy stop for video fun has
been a favorite of Ann Arbor and its
residents, and this year it proves
again to earn the title it will expect-
edly continue to deserve, the best
video store in Ann Arbor.
Now everyone knows that,
although Blockbuster and Holly-
'wood video have their clear stake in
the city, true locals and students
alike know only two video stores,
Liberty Street Video and Campus
Video. Sure, you can drive to the
monster chains, but this is Ann
Arbor. Most people here are either
incredibly lazy or picketing against
evil big-business conglomerates like
the Blockbuster monopoly.
What is it that makes Liberty
Street Video the top video store in
the area? "It caters to film lovers of
all kinds. No one has such an exten-
sive adult, NC-17, unrated, foreign
and gay/lesbian collection. It's a
movie store for movie lovers," said
general manager Steve Smith when
describing his store. Even the layout
of the store is unconventional. The
more mainstream genres like action
and drama are relegated downstairs
while the center of the main floor is
devoted to their extensive gay/les-
bian section. "If it wasn't intentional
to start that way, it was intentional to
stay that way. It's something that
people have in the past been
ashamed of and that's a lousy thing.
These people have been ignored. We
are proud of our diversity. It's our
bread and butter. It's what we're
most proud of, so we want to show
that more prominently."
With the surge in popularity of
DVD over the past few years, video
stores are adjusting to accommodate
their customers. Smith said of Liber-
ty's growing DVD selection, "Every-
thing's going that way. It would be
silly, an unwise business decision
not to. You have to if you want to
compete, to stay open."
Competition on campus isn't an
issue for Liberty Street Video. Gen-
eral Manager Smith said of his com-
petitor Campus Video, "We don't
hate them because we don't see them
as a threat. They are more exclusive-
ly student-centered. We tend to be
local video store of choice. We cater
to the townies as well as the stu-
dents." He continued, "I just want
EMMA FOSDICK/Daily
Where else can you find "Shakes the Clown" on Beta?
people to know that we don't hate
Campus Video. We reserve all hatred
exclusively for Hollywood Video
and Blockbuster. We all form a
brotherhood against the evil corpo-
rate empire."