Monday March 28, 2005 arts. michigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily.com ARTS 8A Kutcher, Mac propel comedy 01 "Pink-feathered hats. Yes, my career has come down to this." ARMED AN BULLOCK'S PRESENCE FAILS By Amanda Andrade Daily Arts Writer D TERRIBLE The only thing standing in the couple's way is Simon's race - which Theresa conveniently forgot to tell her father about. Percy can't accept Simon, and as incident after incident begins to mount against Simon - a la "Meet the Parents" - it begins to seem like he never will. Primarily a showcase for Mac and Kutcher's comedic talents, the film has its share of laugh-out-loud funny moments, especially in the first act where the premise still feels fresh. No topic is taboo here; racial jokes, stereotypes and generally un-PC titles get tossed around in a desperate attempt at levity that serves to mask the film's inevitable conflict. Be that as it may, "Guess Who" is all too for- mulaic and predictable - but these traits naturally go with the genre, even if the touching heart-of-gold comedy isn't a remake of a far superior film. And, though undeniably funny, the movie ends on a sour note as Kutcher and Mac (in an attempt at seriousness courtesy or that actually ends up coming off as quite funny) both drop monologues so melodramatic that they could be pitching a pilot to the WB. In their defense, Mac and Kutcher both perform well: They have a natu- ral chemistry in their scenes together, most of which are centered around Mac's flustered father riffing at the expense of Kutcher's eager idiot. After "The Butterfly Effect," it appeared that Kutcher wanted to distance himself from the dimwitted funnyman roles he is famous for. Although "Guess Who" may look like a return to the actor's comedy roots, his turn as Simon is a departure. This comedic role is like nothing he's ever played before: he gets laughs through genuine comic timing Not exactly the same as waking up next to Demi. and subtle delivery instead of slapstick physical comedy. Though funny and occasionally touching, this adaptation loses much of the edginess of the original film. In 1967, interracial couples were stig- matized and a taboo topic in popular media. Now that they are more accept- ed, audiences are more apt to be glanc- ing around to make sure it's all right before laughing at one of the politically incorrect jokes, rather than empathiz- ing with the awkwardness and humili- ation of the couple on screen. Though it makes the fatal blunder of an eleventh hour attempt at serious- ness, "Guess Who" is a downright funny movie, much of which is well worth the price of admission. 0 It's been five years since "Miss Congeniality" turned Sandra Bullock's hard-boiled ugly duckling into a tiara-wearing swan. The follow-up, "Miss Congeniality 2," arrives a good two years too MISS late, missing much of its origi- Congeniality 2: nal cast as well as any real pur- Armed and pose. Yet for all this, the film Fabulous does have one really great joke. At the Showcase Too bad it's on whoever bought and Quality 16 tickets. The movie picks up shortly Warner Bros. after the events of the first film, determined to repeat its predecessor's formula. Revert- ing back to her slovenly ways after being crowned Miss Congeniality at the Miss United States pageant, FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock) has to endure yet another makeover at the hands of another witty stylist (this time played by "The Drew Carey Show" alum Died- rich Bader). She's then summoned to duty when her friends, the new Miss United States and pageant pro- _1oter Stan Fields (William Shatner), are kidnapped by a pair of hooded thugs. Regina King ("Ray") co-stars as her belligerent sidekick. While the first movie unified its funny scenes around a mildly clever concept ("Pygmalion" at the pageant!), "Miss Congeniality 2" plays like a crude patchwork of sketch comedy sequences compiled to mimic the tim- ing of the first movie's trailer. Diving foolishly into a crowd? Check. Snorting? Check. Groin jokes and falling down aplenty? Oh yeah. The film avoids becoming downright offensive for TO SAVE POINTLESS SEQUEL about half an hour, mostly because the actors carry their material so well. King is ferocious and funny; Bader is much sharper than his lame, rehashed mate- rial warrants; and if Shatner doesn't get the laughs he should, it's because audience members are too busy thinking about low-cost airfare instead of watching the movie. Screenwriter Marc Lawrence ("Two Weeks Notice") has a knack for tailoring absurd, quick-turning dialogue to Bullock's deadpan delivery; she elicits consistent chuckles during the film's first act. But charming as Bullock is, she's on the wrong side of 40 for this role, and her close-ups don't hide it. Eventually she won't be able to compete in a niche market with actresses like Reese Witherspoon, and movies like "Miss Con- geniality 2" do no favors for her fading career. Bullock also loses much of her low-key appeal with the outlandish physical comedy she's reduced to by the end. In an embarrassing, overlong scene placed uncomfortably mid-climax, Bullock and King per- form a Tina Turner song at a drag club in Las Vegas. Agent Hart declares in earnest tones that the only way to find their perp is to win the karaoke contest and get backstage. Apparently flashing your badge and saying "FBI" just doesn't have the same pizzazz. What follows is a tedious rescue sequence in which Bullock outwits the entire FBI but can't quite conquer her frilly showgirl outfit. All the loose ends are tied up with brevity if not conviction, and Shatner gets off the best line in the film ("There's a cannon in my port- hole!") before the movie flounders to its predictable, but not unwelcome end., During the course of the movie, Hart seems to gain confidence, composure and a deep sense of self- respect. But it's hard to shake the feeling that when "Miss Congeniality 3" rolls around, she'll be a neu- rotic and unkempt loser once again. Strong voice, characters save novel By Melissa Runstrom Daily Arts Editor Personal turmoil, terrorism, a haunted past and a future that's slipping away like a fistful of sand: Steven Gillis has made a valiant attempt with his second novel, "The Weight of Nothing." While the Ann Arbor native's first book, "Walter Falls" was met with critical acclaim; his second endeavor The Weight struggles to deliver a repeat perfor- of Nothing mance. By Steven Gillis Gillis' latest work details a rough Brook Street Press patch in Bailey Finne's life. A talented musician, he languishes in graduate school far too long because he refuses to finish his disserta- tion. Readers learn the details of Bailey's mother's death and' his father's inability to overcome it, as well as the impact the situation has on him and his older brother. Bailey finds him- self in and out of troubled love and facing a looming expul- sion from his graduate program. He befriends Niles Kelly, a troubled somnambulist and philosophy student, who must cope with losing his true love as well as his father after a terrorist explosion. Both Bailey and Niles lack the stability of loving parents and lose themselves after the loss of their loves. Bailey wanders around aimlessly, while Niles slashes himself in his sleep. The two seek out closure together in Algiers but end up on different paths. Overall, Gillis effectively weaves together seemingly unrelated narratives. For most of the novel, his writing feels effortless as he combines layers from at least three perspec- tives into a rich and in-depth narrative. His strong voice never gets in the way of the story and is subtly nuanced with impor- tant additions that create a third dimension of the two main characters. An exciting plot strengthens "The Weight of Nothing." The micro-stories that make up the larger narrative are compelling in their own right, keeping the reader interested. But Gillis eventually loses steam, disappointing involved readers with an ending that seems too contrived. Bailey and Niles' behav- ior in the end seems out of character. Gillis lets the puppeteer strings show as Niles' story climaxes and Bailey's resolution ignores the emotional weight instijpdtin previous events , One wonders about the stereotypes that this work could perpetuate. The terrorist responsible for the death of Niles' father is as flat a character as they come. Fox News migh advocate this kind of portrayal, but educated readers shoul be insulted. Osamah Said Almend, an anti-American engineer cast as a Muslim, is driven not just by his hatred of American greed and wastefulness, but also apparently a bad one-night stand. He is never developed into a real character - he's just a bad plot device that Gillis tries to legitimize by giving him stereotypical traits. This unfortunate choice detracts from the overall effectiveness of the plot and can make Osamah's story tedious to read. Overall, Gillis writes well, and his main char- acters are believable. "The Weight of Nothing" is a quick and enjoyable read despite a few significant shortcomings. 0 Filmmakers undermine impact of documentary footage and interviews as they joke, lament and even freestyle about their experiences. The scenes -that allow soldiers to dominate the screen and express themselves are when the film's value is most apparent. . The film's drawbacks are entirely the making of directors Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein, who manipulate their own footage into the manic mess that is "Gunner Palace." They jeopardize its impact in order to push their own per- sonal commentary on the war that, in the context what is on the screen, is irrel- evant. The narration, spoken in a heavy monotone, along with the film's frag- mented structure, intrudes whenever the film seems to be onto something. Not only are Tucker and Epperlein unable to construct the movie with any purposeful development but they ultimately take it down the completely wrong road, forc- ing it into a contrived antiwar testimo- nial that lacks solid foundation. Given the material, "Gunner Palace" has only its moments of candid observation to salvage it. Unfortunately, their power alone doesn't make up for the directors' overbearing tone. 0 0 "Gunner Palace" stands out. The film takes viewers to Baghdad, examines the daily lives of American soldiers, including a stark visual survey of what the area looks like today. It offers one ofthe most intimate views of soldiers in Iraq that's currently available to Ameri- can audiences. That fact alone shows the value of "Gunner Palace": It places audiences in the midst of a war that's still going on. But the movie does very little with Courtesy of Palm Pictures Members of Persian Students Association perform a dance called "Dagheh Dagheh" at the Persian Culture Show at the Power Center on Saturday. Persian Culture Show highlight family, dance Soldiers and Iraqi children interact. such potential. Clocking in at a scant 85 minutes, the film shows no sense of purpose - the filmmaker's obtrusive voiceover and the jumbled structure takes away from their otherwise singu- lar footage. "Gunner Palace" has much to say, but no idea how to say it, and it ends up botching what could have been the most revealing look yet at what it's like to be a soldier in today's Iraq. The film's title refers to the nick- name for the mansion that belonged to Saddam Hussein's son Uday; it has become a sort of semi-official haven for troops in the war. The film follows soldiers there through the use of raw By Victoria Edwards Daily Fine Arts Editor Te N a A IrsiR ECuw The Persian Culture Show that I i I The Witness Leo more... J DUQUESNE SU NIVE RSITY GRADUATING SENIORS MEDICAL SCHOOL CAN STILL BE WITHIN REACH! DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY CAN HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN Duquesne University's distinctive Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program (PBPMP) can help qualified, motivated graduates in any major meet the requirements for medical or professional school admission through two curriculum tracks: a Career Changers Plan for graduates with non-science mainmnr anFnhan tPlan fnr -aduatewith-,a2.cience bcround took place on Satur- day at 7 p.m. in the Power Center dis- played the Persian culture's long his- tory and traditions of dance. Wearing beautiful costumes in vivid colors, the performers in each piece dazzled the audience with deft Seventh Annual Persian Culture Show Saturday, March 26 at 7 p.m. At the Power Center performance, contained humor that seemed to be too particular to Persians and was not necessarily understood by non-Persians. This made sections of the skit drag on. However, the messages of hard work and sacrifice for a new generation, although somewhat clich6d, reso- nated well with the viewers and pro- vided an emotional centerpiece for the whole culture show. The two narrators, who acted as a mother-daughter team, fur- ther expanded the themes of family. Unfortunately, there was little chem- istry between them and their timing was sometimes off. Despite these shortcomings, however, the MCs pro- vided a sense of cohesion to the Per- 0 0 Award winning film about activism I moves and bold spirit.