ARTS
The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 9
French director finds truth in cheating
By Kristin MacDonald
Daily Arts Writer x%
THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT
FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER
Seth Rogen - The stoic star of the hilarious college-sitcom "Unde-
clared" (recently released on DVD). He even outshines Steve Carrell
. in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," which he co-wrote, with sarcastic and
filthy humor.
"Indecision: A Novel" - Benjamin Kunkel's debut novel about a
20-something New Yorker suffering from, you guessed it, chronic inde-
cision, delivers on an interesting premise. A failed reunion with a for
mer crush and a hallucinogenic trip through a South American forest
are two of the highlights of an insightful look into the literary world's
new apathetic hero. Read the book before mega-producer Scott Rudin's
film adaptation becomes one of 2007's critical darlings.
Deadspin.com - Deadspin, the newest blog from the Gawker Media
empire, focuses on the more absurd side of sports. With videos of ath-
letes' late-night antics in Las Vegas, stories from inside the locker room
and an unhealthy obsession with ESPN.com god Bill Simmons, the site
is a must-read for sports fans everywhere.
HBO on Demand - After finally leaving the dorms, I've discovered
the wonderful world of recorded TV.
With saved episodes of "The Sopra-
nos," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and
"Entourage," homework-burdened4
students never have to worry
again about missing their favor-e
ite shows again. And with so'
many free movies at your dis-
posal, there's always an excuse to
take a TV break.
David Banner - With only a thesis
between him and a master's in educa-
tion, the summer's best single ("Play")
and a frantic live show that has left
audiences and critics amazed, David
Banner is set to blow up. Look for his
upcoming album Certified (dropping
next week) which will hopefully teach
The College Dropout's how to write
a verse.
Courtesy of Universal
THINK YOU HAVE THE TALENT?
COME TO OUR MASS MEETING
AT 420 MAYNARD ST.
WEDNESDAY AT 7 P.M.
A man picks up a woman in a bar. Cut to their
subsequent make-out session, a wild frenzy of arms
and legs carrying on from driver's seat to apartment
stoop to elevator. Reaching an
apartment, they practically fall
through the door - and prompt-
ly thank the babysitter. See, this
is a married couple; such night-
time excursions lend just a little
excitement to their thirtysome-
thing married routine.
"Happily Ever After" pres-
Happily
Ever After
At The
Michigan Theater
Kino International
ents a single-minded case study of matrimonial
restlessness. Despite the healthy appearance of their
marriage, Vincent (Yvan Attal, who also wrote and
directed) and Gabrielle (Charlotte Gainsbourg, his
real-life wife) both spend the movie cheating, con-
sidering it or suffering from its ramifications.
And compared with the relationships of Vin-
cent's two best friends, who meet often for gen-
eral grousing, his marriage is one of the happiest
around. One friend is mniserably wed to a screech-
ing banshee of a man-hating feminist (who insists,
much to her husband's chagrin, that her son be
given a vacuum cleaner toy in the interest of rais-
ing him without gender bias). The other friend, an
exorbitant caricature of a ladies' man, moves from
one inexplicably willing young woman to another.
Bored, whiny middle-age men easily become
tiresome, but for the most. part, "Happily Ever
After" sidesteps this pitfall. Attal just barely
avoids sinking into male self-indulgence by
allowing Gabrielle similar doubts about her own
fidelity. Watch her eyes when she is suddenly
joined by a handsome stranger (a surprise big-
star cameo) at a record-store; Attal shows that
Courtesy of Kino International
"No, I'm paying attention. I swear."
instincts of spontaneity and sexual liberty are not
reserved just for men.
But while the film offers varying perspectives
on relationships, it ultimately has little to say on
the subject. Attal's characters' respective quests
to live "happily ever after" focuses on the impos-
sibility of that endgame rather than passing judg-
ment on how they attempt to reach it.
Despite the healthy, cooperative appearance
of his marriage, Vincent is having a very heated
affair. The film never divulges the whys or hows
or even the origins of his unfaithfulness. Attal
focuses on the aftermath - the apologetic mis-
tress, the awestruck friends, the silently suffering
wife, Vincent's own difficulty in choosing one
or the other - without commenting on whether
such a betrayal should be considered deplorable
or perhaps simply inevitable. The film emphasiz-
es the difficulty of obtaining a perfect fairytale
ending through a pair of vows. It does not fade
out on an image of domestic tranquility, but rath-
er on Gabrielle's daydream fantasy with a total
stranger. Her vision of "happily ever after" is far
removed from any restrictive relationship.
Film explores cutting
edge of animation
By Colleen Cox
Daily Arts Writer
"The Animation Show 2005" con-
tinues to prove that cartoons aren't
just for kids anymore. The film
showcases inter-
national works
from classic 2-D The
to stop-motion Animation
and complex 3- Show
D pieces. TheA
annual "Anima- At The
tion Show" is Michigan Theater
the brainchild of The Animation Show
Mike Judge, cre-
ator of classics including "Beavis
and Butthead," "King of the Hill"
and "Office Space," and Don Hertz-
feld, the madman behind the cult
favorite "Rejected." While 2004's
show was filled with sidesplitting
slapstick, this year's show has a
more mature tone with features like
the dark "Fallen Art," the experi-
mental "Pan With Us" and Hertz-
feld's much-anticipated "Meaning of
Life." But it's only fitting that "Ani-
mation" takes adult strides from the
giggle-fest of yesteryear as a nod to
the growing number of adult-anima-
tion fans.
The show contains dark works,
such as Peter Cornwell's "Ward 13,"
which takes stop-motion animation
to a horrifying hospital.
In a lighter vein, David Russo's
"Pan With Us," starts gently before
launching into an artistic tour-de-
force, combining animation with
live action in unconventional ways.
Closing the ensemble is Hertzfeld's
courtesy of The Animation Show
When Jason was young his mother used to make brownies.
magnum opus "The Meaning of
Life," a philosophical journey that
spans across galaxies by means of
stick figures, charcoal and a lot of
determination - it was filmed with-
out computers and took more than
four years to complete.
"The Animation Show 2005" is
a magnificent example of the ani-
mation possibilities and spans far
beyond the capacity of most ani-
mated works today. The show is
definitely not "Bugs Bunny." It will
excite open-minded viewers looking
for a drastic change from most ani-
mated shows.
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