Tuesday January 14, 2003 michigandaiy.com/arts mae@michigandaily.com Ul F b e 1 Iic au a o g RTS 5 "I'm pretty sure that I was actually in Joy Division so I'm only ripping off myself." Alex Wolsky/DAILY "I Interpol brings back the rock Courtesy of Focus Featu "Let's see now ... what are the chords for 'Heart and Soul' again?" A SURVIVORS TALE POLANKSI'S 'THE PIANIST' FINDS HEART IN BRODY' S PERFORMANCE By Todd Weiser Daily Film Editor Unable to escape his own childhood memories of the Holocaust, Roman Polanksi has long harbored a desire to make a World War II survival film. The Pol- ish director, famous for crafting the classics "Rose- mary's Baby" and "Chinatown," never wanted to film his own personal remembrance, instead opting for the story of another, which he could then arrange to fit the things he saw and the truths he knew from his own experiences. Although an actual prisoner in a concen- tration camp himself, Polanksi avoids the normal Holocaust film story line, never showing those famil- iar worksites in "The Pianist." Based on an autobiography by Wladyslaw Szpilman, Polanski found the story of a man who seems to survive the German occupation more by luck than personal ingenuity. Trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto for most of the soundtrack mostly mute. This elevates the moments where instruments actually sound, moments which are few and far between. Polanski looked long and hard for the perfect Euro- pean to fill Szpilman's role but, in the end, found the right actor in little known, American born Adrien Brody. Brody's career has been marked by worthy but small performances in credible films ("The Thin Red Line") and wonderful, scene stealing turns in movies far inferior to his work ("Summer of Sam"). With "The Pianist," the choice of Brody embodies that rare occa- sion of perfect casting. Already wire-thin, Brody visi- bly grows more emaciated as his character eats less and less and becomes sick while locked away in hiding near the ghetto wall without visit from his supposed caregivers. Brody never feels inauthentic; the accent is flawless, and he continuously looks the part of a victim who, mirroring the detached point of view of the Szpil- man book, shows no hate for the German soldiers, just By Alex Wolsky For the Daily Standing inside St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, waiting for Interpol to come onstage, it occurred to me that the band that had been so recently cham- pioned by every record store clerk and rock fan in the U.S. had a tough feat to overcome with their live show. They didn't disappoint. Not only did they release one of the best albums of 2002 in Turn on the Bright Lights (Mata- dor), but they are one hell of a live act, a rarity these days. From the moment the band hit the stage, they controlled every emotion of the audience in stunning fashion. Like hypnotists, the four members of Interpol put everyone in a trance for the entire set; nothing would shake me from their grip. As I stood there, absorbing the one- two punch of "Obstacle 1" and "NYC," I finally understood why the record store clerks and die-hard rock fans were giving these guys so much praise. Projecting from their powerful rhythm section were the dissonant sounds of bass and percussion blended to create an explosive wall of sound that put me back in my seat as quickly as I rose out of it. On top of that grew vibrant melodies as Paul Banks and Daniel Kessler created a blistering overlay of fills and vocals that cultivated a , unique aesthetic and delicate sound. They are a band that plays as a whole and plays for the joy it brings; they're not individual- ists who pine for the spotlight. After it's all said and done, this becomes abundantly clear and makes the performance just that much better. After six songs, I was in shock at what I was seeing: four guys making great music and having fun togeth- er on stage. Perhaps it Trim those ban was because after a period that produced some pitiful releases within the genre, it's refresh- ing to see great bands once again emerging. And never fear, they're not the only ones doing it this time around. In fact, Interpol represents a larger contingency of bands coming out of New York City again. A North- ern Renaissance of sorts is occurring right before our eyes. Along with the Strokes and the Walk- men, Interpol shows a glimmer of chance in the dead sea of rock and roll. The music is back at center stage and the people behind it are the returning 2 beacons of cool that one can look up to and not feel ashamed. The boys from Inter- pol are the denim-clad messiahs that music is waiting for. And, that night, walking out of the Alex Wolsky/DAILY venue into the cold bro. blast of fresh air, I stared at the old build- ings surrounding East Congress Street. For a moment, it seemed like Detroit Rock City was alive with spirit once again. It felt like music had taken in a blast of fresh air as well. gs war, Szpilman stumbles from apartment to local work camp to hideout to hideout to abandoned hospital; the progression of the Nazi invasion and the path Szpilman takes to survival is completely unbelievable, and that just might be Polanski's point. Iinmediately shown playing the piano for Polish radio, Szpilman's expert skill - and popularity - at classical music importantly plays a part in the young pianist's outliving of his entire family. *** * THE PIANIST At the State Theater and Showcase Focus Features the hope for survival. Around this central performance, Polanski produces a setting so lifelike that it must only come from someone Who- lived it. With all the Holocaust films made in the past, cinema has never witnessed blocks and blocks of ruin that so power- fully show the effects of the war while simultaneously serving as Szpilman's hunting ground for the necessities to sur- vive. Shots of destroyed Warsaw build- Narc' revives-ailing cop genre. By Josh NeIdus Daily Arts Writer . I- t i Moreover, it is also this passion and ability that makes his years of silent, lonely survival all the more hollow. His radio station playing is quickly interrupted in the first scene when German bombs rock Warsaw; Polanski gives the viewer just enough time to appreciate the tal- ent Szpilman possesses before the blast to the studio. Forced to sell his family's piano, Szpilman finds a job playing simple atmosphere music at a Warsaw restau- rant during the initial Nazi invasion. Unable to play in his years of hiding, this early performance becomes a memory Szpilman and the viewer share and hold on to through all the years of the war. The subtle, yet brilliant, use of music throughout "The Pianist" must be given its proper due for creating the film's desolate tone during this time. For a film where music is so integral to the main character and what he goes through, Polanksi avoids a dominating score, choosing instead to leave the ings, bombed and vacated, surprise Szpilman as he finally makes it out of his hiding place; the city he once knew, like the life he once lived, no longer stands. Moments of near-death and helpful aides along the way, including a German captain (Thomas Kretschmann), are surely memories and people a sur- vivor can never forget. The real Szpilman died in 2000, but with Polanski's breathtaking film, others can now appreciate all the chances of fate it took for him to make it out alive. One of Polankski's most traditional films, and definite- ly his most personal, "The Pianist" proves that he doesn't have to break all the rules of moviemaking and use every trick in the book to elicit emotional response; simple, honest storytelling without the manipulation so often found in stories of war and the Holocaust can affect a viewer more than Hollywood sentimentalism. 4 Brooks' classic musical comes to DVD On the surface, "Narc" might just seem like another good cop/bad cop movie. One cop uses whatever means necessary to get answers, while the other plays things, for the most part, strictly by the book. But taking another look, the line between the two cops becomes increasingly ambiguous, and it's a testament to the talent of the filmmakers. Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is an under- cover narcotics officer who has been suspended for shooting an innocent bystander while trying to chase down a drug dealer. Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), a rage-filled ex-partner of a murdered cop, will do whatever it takes to get his answers and his revenge. The investiga- tive duo is formed when Tellis is,offered the chance of being reinstated if he uses his street connections to help find the killers, and if he agrees to accept Oak being reassigned to the case with him. The race is now on to see what will be cracked first: the *1 case, or the mind of one of these dramatically N unstable cops. At Sho Director Joe Carnahan, Qua using multiple, shaky camera shots, captivates Para the audience, bringing them into a starkly real viewing experi- ence. The opening scene, when Tellis is chasing down a drug dealer, is shot using a handheld camera. The rapid camera movement juxtaposed with a pensive Tellis immediately relates the audience to the intensity of his life and job. Carnahan also makes use of flash- backs to help piece the story together and to depict Tellis struggling with his inner anguish. Disturbing images con- By Ryan Blay Daily TV/New Media Editor In 1968, Mel Brooks created a terrific film based on the idea of "creative accounting" and two pro- ducers creating the worst musical available. Fast-forward 35 years later and "The Producers" is one of at last. Using a very non-PC work titled "Springtime For Hitler," penned by an ex-Nazi named Franz Liebkind, they go to work on their failure. To play Hitler, they luckily snare Lorenzo St. Dubois - LSD to his friends. Lorenzo (played by the fine- ly cast Dick Shawn), a stereotypical hippie, soon is explaining to his Nazi associates why he can't invade Ger- many because that's where his friends are, man! Your facial hair is upstaging mine. Fix it or I walk and do "No Escape 2." the most memorable Broadway of the last How's that for irony? Only Brooks could have taken Zero Mos- tel, a three-time Tony winner blacklisted throughout the 1950s, and envisioned him as Max Bialystock. Bialy- stock is a down-on-his- luck producer who woos old ladies just to stay in business. One day, the accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) works on 10 years.. thing on the Tony winner - on the otherwise solid 64-minute "Making of 'The Producers"' documentary that highlights the extras. Had he had more time and prompting - say, on a commentary - he may have at least given it a passing com- ment. Sadly, we'll never know. If the extras aren't spectacular - although it's fascinating to learn that Dustin Hoffman and Peter Sellers almost took roles in the film - the sound and picture are extraordinary. The Dolby Digital sound is splendid and the picture as sharp as can be. For a film worth purchasing even with no extras at all, it's refreshing to see that MGM devoted enough effort to make the film itself stand out. A lit 'am stantly haunting him, along with the whirlwind of new information and stress from the case, maintain a consis- tent state of turmoil. But coupled with the voyeuristic scenes of Tellis arguing with his wife at home, or trashing 7kM his office after letting his frustration get the best of RC him, the question of how case and much longer he can han- ty 16 dle the case without snapping becomes more ount predominant. The camera also makes Oak seem a little crazier and much bigger than he actually is. The close-ups on his piercing gaze stay tight when he starts yelling, and it's a rare occasion in the movie when he's not yelling. Flashbacks and scene cuts show Oak taking the law into his own hands by severely beating perps, thus demon- strating his lack of control. Extra padding under his clothes help an older Liotta turn into a menacing, ruthless bear of cop. Together, Tellis and Oak take matters into their own hands to uncover the truth. Occasionally, they partially bend the rules; other times, they completely break them. By the end, numerous sto- ries about the death of Oak's partner begin to weigh heavily on Tellis' sanity. While Carnahan leaves it up to the viewer to decide what really happened, maybe solving the case wasn't the real point of the movie. THE PRODUCERS DVD Picture/Sound: ***** Movie: ****I Features: *** MGM The mortified look on the faces in the crowd is the only thing more priceless than the image of dancing women playing Nazi storm troopers, as the cast unites for the show-stopping "Spring- time for Hitler." The scheme and gag Unow ZzZ's~ Chant Lanco n - I shows up. Bloom may be prone to hysterics, but he comes up with a scheme that could net them millions: Take in as much money as possible to produce a show, then ensure it is a sure-fire opening night bust. Reluctant to go through with the highly risky scheme at first, Leo agrees are pure Brooks. The acting is what carries it over the top. Wilder, of course, had a successful career in comedies like "Blazing Saddles." Mostel, however, was a real steal. Max and Leo were later played by Nathan Lane and Matthew Broder- ick on Broadway. Yet Brooks never mentions this - or much of any- Your ON THE BEACH! Party Headquarters 2 pools, jacuzzi, poolside bar & grill. DJ at the pool w/games & activities. Water sports, beach volleyball, Wet-T-shirt contests, Restaurant, Lounge & more! SunSpree' Resort "" onrn IA:/ el 'me w Karan DKNY Intimates - Christian Dior / Elizabeth Arden ..and many more! ofan, U I: K -, fib' ~. - - :}; ,,.I. ,1,~ ' .'t~ !!' s ' ?4 r. . .