8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 14, 2004

ART S


GROOVE
THING
'U' GROUP PLAYS
OWN BRAND OFz;
PERCUSSION"0
By Sarah Peterson
Daily Fine Arts Editor

"I play the brooms, pen and pencil, shoes and
alto cans, and I make farting noises with my
mouth," commented Lisa Goldstein, a member of
Groove, the University's Stomp-like group. Gold-
stein's instrumental expertise, like her fellow
band member's, is in alternative instruments.
"We use tons of metal poles,
garbage cans, road-closed
signs, brooms and tons of Weapons of
drumsticks." Mass
This weekend, Groove will Percussion
showcase the playing of these Saturday at 8 p.m.
abnormal instruments in their Tickets $3
show, "Weapons of Mass Per- At Angell Hall
cussion." While Groove have Auditorium B
performed at such events as
Dance Marathon, the Michigan League's Thursday
Night Spotlight and Greek Week, the group had
always performed as the opening act for other
groups around campus. Saturday marks the group's
first appearance as headliner, Goldstein said
The event will contain a wide variety of upbeat
numbers and exuberant performances. In one
piece, the drumsticks are covered in glow tape to
further the visual spectacle of the piece. In another
number, currently called "The School Song," pens,
pencils, staplers, rulers and a whole host of other
school supplies will be used to create the beat.

uuurtsy u uny riurils U sis
Grandpa, are you sure we got enough cucumbers from the store?
Generations come
together i n 'Ibrahim

Of course I'm angry. I live In a trash can.

Finally, in one of their most bizarre works yet, the
musicians will appear in bathroom stalls and will
be using their mouths to make numerous noises
typical to those heard in a bathroom, all while
banging on the walls. The show also features cov-
ers of pop songs performed in unique ways.
The road to their first big show has not been an
easy one: It has been paved with many obstacles.
"Our practices are loud," Goldstein explained, "so
we have been moved and kicked out of rooms on
several occasions."
Another problem the group has had to overcome
is the transporting of props and instruments. Gold-
stein remarked that the group has to rent out a U-
Haul just to get all of the equipment - trash cans,
poles and brooms - to the stage. After months of
rehearsals, the show has finally become not only a
reality, but an event to be anticipated.
The night promises to be one of bombastic
beats, insane rhythms and a flurry of drumsticks. It

By Hussain Rahim
Daily Arts Writer.

MOVIE REVIEW ***I
Omar Sharif ("Lawrence of Arabia")
makes a welcome return to the big
screen with a starring role in "Mon-
sieur Ibrahim," a heartfelt coming-of-
age story from writer/director Frangois
Dupeyron. Joining him for his return is
newcomer Pierre

Courtesy o Groove

Whack-a-Grouch.

will be an event marked by its visual fanfare. In
the words of Goldstein, "The audience can expect
a night full of rhythm, crazy antics and audience
participation. It is going to be a lot of fun."

Boulanger, who
makes an impres-
sive debut as lead
character Momo.
As a cheerful
and inquisitive
young Jewish boy
in early '60s Paris,

Monsieur
Ibrahim
At the Michigan
Theater
SonPtures
Momo is trapped

hopelessness that is his home life.
Encouraged by his father to save
money, Momo decides to break his pig-
gybank and partake in the joys of his
nearby red-light district. Quickly gain-
ing experience in the carnal underworld,
he becomes the neighborhood's best
customer and develops a fairly hilarious
prostitute addiction.
As he moves farther apart from his
parent, he moves closer to Sharif, a
mysterious and sagacious shopkeeper
who becomes a surrogate father. Sharif
exudes a type of omnipotent Eastern
wisdom without becoming a stereotype.
The fact that he is a Muslim gives a
unique spin on the spirituality that is at
the root of the film.
The story of "Monsieur Ibrahim" is
simple and modest, one that makes no
pretensions of its origins. The story of
a Muslim shopkeeper who befriends a
Jewish boy is rife with potential
cliches, but through the intelligent use
of the soundtrack and the impressive
cinematography, the film develops its
own voice. With its universalist
approach to religion and spirituality,
"Ibrahim" offers a greater message
than most films.

FOX, reality TV take a 'Swan' dive F 7

By Abby Stotz
Daily Arts Writer

TV REVIEW No STARS
"The Swan" is an unmistakable sign
that the trend of plastic surgery on

reality television
wrong. The show,
touted by FOX as
"the most incredi-
ble competition
ever devised," is
easily the most

has gone horribly
The Swan
Mondays at 9 p.m.
FOX

looks. Once this is complete, they will
train to compete in a beauty pageant,
which will make up the show's finale
and result in one "ugly duckling" being
crowned "The Swan." During this
process, neither woman is allowed to
look at herself in a mirror. At the end of
the show, the two contestants of the
week finally get to see their new
appearances, and one of them is chosen
to go on in the pageant while the other
one goes home.
"The Swan" features many familiar
reality show staples: a spacious L.A.
mansion, an attractive host with an
accent (Amanda Byram, "Paradise
Hotel") and participants who share
entirely too much information with the
audience. Kelly, the loser in the pre-
miere, wept that she'd only had sex with

her boyfriend seven times in the past
three years and wailed that being spit on
in school caused her to "lose her soul."
When the candidate is crying hysterical-
ly every five minutes, it's hard to feel
any sort of pity for her.
The show follows the contestants
extensively through their training, as
they go to the gym, eat only 1,200 calo-
ries a day and visit a therapist. The audi-
ence also gets to see the recovery sobs
and the unflattering head bandages.
Regardless of the show's insistence
that it's a mental and physical makeover,
the obvious climax comes when the
women are revealed in their entire post-
surgery splendor. The entire team of
makeover experts assembles and gasps
over how attractive the women have
become. Without seeing a similar sort

Courtesy of FOX
Operation: It'll leave you in stitches.
of praise for an emotional makeover,
FOX's priorities are clear.
"The Swan" presents the dangerous
message that plastic surgery will make
you a better person. The show takes
women with gaping holes in their self-
esteem, puts them through extensive
surgery and gives them a 50-50 shot of
being told that they are still not good
enough. It's a horrible premise that
results in a show that isn't any better.

THIS WEEK IN DAILY ARTS HISTORY
"EXPERIENCING THE SONG 'SATELLITE' LIVE IS
BETTER THAN WATCHING 'TITANIC' THREE
TIMES IN A ROW.
-As quoted in the April 8, 1999 edition of Weekend
Magazine's Best ofAnn Arbor Dave Matthew Band's
concert was declared best concert offthe year

with his clinically depressed father, who
does everything short of physically
abusing him to destroy his spirits.
Momo's exuberance is repressed by his
father's need to turn off his American
pop music. This clearly establishes the
father's dominance over the radio, com-
paring him unfavorably to his older
brother. The apartment they inhabit is
unrelentingly dark and reinforces the

0

shameful and tasteless program ever to
appear on TV
The premise takes two average-look-
ing women each week, inaffectionately
dubbed "ugly ducklings," and has them
go under the knife to improve their

0

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