Friday April 16, 2004 arts.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com AWFM as 8 Get thee to a nunnery. Controversial film 'Sisters' By Hussain Rahim Daily Arts Writer Make no qualms about it: "The Magdalene Sisters" is a downer in every sense of the word. Writer/direc- tor Peter Mullan encountered a fair amount of controversy for bringing one of the most shameful acts of the Catholic Church to the big screen in all its unrelenting pes- simism. Upon its The Magdalene Sisters Miramax ilts DVD Stripped and given severe beatings, these girls were slowly forced into obe- dience. The film focuses on the stories of four women who struggle in different ways and with varying degrees of suc- cess to escape their confinement. "Shawshank Redemption"-style attempts to find joy within the sur- roundings are avoided, as is the buddy flick where the girls all bond by the end. Overwhelmingly these girls are broken, and even their escape from the convent fails to bring a resolution. A story with this level of power war- rants strong DVD extras, but sadly, these are missing. There is a documen- tary - "Sex in a Cold Climate" - on the real-life victims of the Magdalene convent which offers some interesting insight into the film, but it just leaves viewers with the desire to hear more. Audio commentaries, usually the norm for today's DVD releases, are nowhere to be found, which is disappointing for a film this intense. Despite the lack of special fea- tures, "The Magdalene Sisters" is still powerful and revelatory viewing for those interested in this unique and tragic story. Film: **** Picture/Sound: **** Features: * To me, clowns . aren't funny. In fact, they're kind of scary. a I've wondered where this °r started, and .1 think It goes back to the time I went to the circus, and a clown killed Courtesy of Bravo my dad. BIGEETTHE SMALL SCREEN FRENCH PERFORMERS BRING THEIR SIGNATURE STYLE TO BRAVO release it was officially banned by the Vatican, which heightens the contro- versy. Mullan's film achieves its goal of depicting the grim and hopeless sit- uation these women were trapped in. The film tells the story of "sinful" women who were, during the mid- 1960s in Ireland, abandoned by their families for being raped and having children out of wedlock were sent to the Magdalene convent. There they would ostensibly find redemption through performing slave labor, wash- ing clothes for the profits of the nuns in charge. The militant nuns who ran this labor camp were vile and con- temptible women who spared no act of cruelty on the girls left to their care. By Katie Marie Gates Daily Arts Writer TV REVI EW* Bravo brings the amazing talents of Cirque du Soleil to television in its new 13-part miniseries "Solstrom." The show is a far cry from today's popular dramas and reality TV, presenting a series of Cirque performances on a fabricated set for a unique combination of television and theater. While the perform- ances themselves are no less than amazing, the program is not as perfect as its artists and Cirque du Soleil: Solstrom Sundays at 9 p.m. Bravo may prove to be Bravo. In addition to "Solstrom," the network aired several original Cirque du Soleil perform- ances. The series differs from the live show in its overall theme. In the original, a mad scientist discovers the creatures of Cirque du Soleil have left their home on the sun and have come to earth to inspire humans to become amazing Cirque performers. In the first one-hour episode entitled "Romance," a female Cirque member named Fiona dressed in flamboyant costume and make- up enters a small Italian village to stir things up. With a breath of her "solar wind," plain- clothed citizens are soon walking tightropes, juggling and performing amazing acrobatic dances. There is no dialogue throughout save for that with the mad scientist who appears at the end of some scenes. A major flaw in the series is the inclusion of the mad scientist, who is bizarre and poorly acted. The character serves no real purpose except to discredit the talent of Cirque du Soleil. Whether it be acrobats on bicycles or a man creating music from a table full of water glasses, each segment of "Solstrom" is unique and amaz- ing, but might wear on the audience's attention. While varied cinematography supplies views of the stunts from all angles, such shows are often more spectacular when seen live. Consequently, the TV adaptation does not inspire the "ooos" and "ahhs" such miraculous acts warrant. Each upcoming episode will have a different theme as it features more famous Cirque du Soleil acts with some new performances as well as the young French daredevil team Yamakasi. After one episode it seems that there is nothing more to see and audiences may be reluctant to devote an hour each Sunday to circus acts. How- ever, watching these artists push their bodies to the limits is at least worth a peek. uninteresting to the college audience. The pilot episode of the new series debuted during a weekend tribute to Cirque du Soleil on Irish journalist's tale canonized in dramatic 'Veronica Guerin' By Hussain Rahim Daily Arts Writer Joel Schumacher - the man sole- ly responsible for destroying the "Batman" franchise - makes an attempt at atonement with a retelling of the story that canonized the the restrictive laws of the land. As famous Dublin journalist, Veronica Veronica Guerin _________ Guerin. Although not completely (Kate Blanchett, Veronica forgiven, he lays out a solid path for "Lord of the a road to redemption. Rings: Return of Guerin During the drug wars that con- the King") trav- Warner Bros. sumed Dublin, Ireland, in the late els through the '90s, those responsible for the nar- slums, she's alarmed by the glaring cotics problem were hamstrung by drug problem, evinced, for example, by children playing with heroin nee- dles. Deciding she must put an end to this, she wages a personal quest to expose the problem. Her path is intriguing, and she has the charm and will to achieve get what she wants. She works the police, sources and strangers with ease as she gets closer to the truth. Along her course, she encounters the typical conflict that occurs with all protagonists who risk their lives for a greater good, the battle between family life and her work. Oddly, her family bends around her devotion, even as it becomes clear that her mission is a death wish that the drug kingpins will gladly fulfill for her. Blanchett is convincing as Guerin, clearly portraying the equal mix of insanity and devotion that allowed her to continue her investigation after being shot, threatened and beaten. After all this, she fearlessly and instinctively presses on. The special features add little with the offerings of. a interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and a "making of" vignette. More back- ground information on the real Veronica Guerin would have been nice as well. Bruckheimer is praised far too much in his interview and doesn't offer much insight into the story or the movie. "Veronica Guerin" aims to be all- encompassing, but with a fairly short runtime it can only brush over her remarkable personality while sticking with the tale that immortal- ized her in Ireland. Although the film was largely missed in theaters, this DVD offers a chance for viewers to see the conviction of a woman 6 Courtesy of Warner Bros. Diane Sawyer or Mary Sue Coleman? whose drive made a difference. Film: **** Picure/Sound: ***I Features: ** I U Z /rivatives* Now available at: Experience the convenience and _ _ _ _ _ _