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." 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