10 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 20, 2005 ARTS Ensemble cast shows heart and honesty By Zach Borden Daily Arts Writer Getting to know the in-laws has become a staple among today's situational comedies. The mega-hit "Meet the Parents" franchise is the pinnacle of the genre's new wave, and last spring "Mon- ster-In-Law" and "Guess Who" proved to be modest hits. Yet for all those broad strokes, Phil Morrison's quirky indie "Junebug" takes a totally differ- Junebog At the Michigan Theater Sony Pictures Classics Courtesy of Rogue "Wow, so that is what a naked Bea Arthur looks like ... " Horror flick doesn't slice up new scares By David R. Eicke For the Daily Somewhere in Hollywood, someone filled out another Mad Lib. Name of the new kid in school: His accent: Isolated setting: Recent morbid tragedy: _____ Name of hot girl #1: Name of hot girl #2: Name of Asian girl w/ pigtails: Name of black guy: A Cute prank turned "deadly seri- ous:" Compute. If this game continues, we're in for as many "Scary Movie" sequels prank when the group convinces the rest of the student body that the recent murder was actually the doing of a serial killer. Their so-called invention, dubbed "The Wolf," is a hunting-gear- clad monster in an orange mask who goes from campus to campus doing what serial killers do. But then Owen starts receiving mys- terious instant messages from someone named "The Wolf" and realizes that maybe the actual murderer has seen the mass e-mail he sent out. Among the suspects is journalism instructor Rich Walker (Jon Bon Jovi). The fact that instant messaging takes such a salient role in this movie makes it very difficult to take seri- ously. The little bleep-chirp sound just doesn't have the same punch as a shrill telephone ring or a mural in cat blood. A pale-faced, whispery divulgence of "I got another IM today" simply does not work as chilling dialogue. Besides, there's just something inherently and intangibly wrong with using AIM for dramatic tension. The dialogue also feels a little too scripted - the most memorable and the deepest line is Dodger's: "It's like you guys are playing checkers ... and I'm playing chess." That said, "CryWolf" will keep genre fans alert and entertained. The twist ending is difficult to call (This might be because it takes a third of the movie to unfold.), and the camera work isn't horrible. Basically, lovers of this genre can get their fix, but others might search for an off-the- box recipe. ent approach. While it's laced with a sly wit, it also brings much more depth to its characters than your typical studio comedy. After meeting at a benefit, Chicago-based art dealer Madeline (Embeth Davidtz, "Bridget Jones's Diary") and George (Alessandro Nivola, "Jurassic Park III") quickly marry. Six months later, they travel to North Carolina where Madeline seeks to recruit an eccentric local artist; coincidentally, George's family lives near the painter, so they decide to visit them as well. Not everybody reacts.to Madeline in a similar way. George's mom (Celia Watson, "The Village") and brother (Benjamin McKenzie, TV's "The O.C.") show distance; his aloof father (Scott Wilson, ""The Last Samurai") is somewhat ambivalent and his brother's pregnant wife (Amy Adams, "Catch Me If You Can") acts star struck to the point of obsession. The movie could have easily used cliched proto- types for its characters based on their geographi- cal backgrounds, instead it makes them real people with their own flaws and needs. Bucking the recent trend, George's family does not consist of poor, uneducated hicks, and Madeline has her own agen- da. Each character is seeking some form of emo- tional satisfaction, even if it is through hopes of the future through loved ones. Like everyday life, the story is content to focus on the smaller moments that make up people's worlds. Madeline has an important choice to make that she barely considers, and Johnny - in what is Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics "Hey weren't you in "Face Off?"' probably the film's most powerful scene - shows his true love for his wife by becoming convulsively incensed over a VCR. It's moments like these that endow "Junebug" with a deeper undercurrent of symbolism, one that is not afraid to be heavy on subtlety and subtext. Morrison clearly understands the intricacies of Angus MacLachlan's script and captures small- town life through dutiful exterior shots of places and people. His style here evokes famed director Robert Altman, who is best known for tight char- acter dramas and his knack for realism and all its random occurrences. The film also assembles one of the finest ensem- ble casts in years. In particular, McKenzie proves he can do a lot more than shoot brooding looks in California high society: He gives a remarkable per- formance that shows real range as a frustrated and intense young husband. But it's Adams, with her wide eyes and childlike naivete, who really steals the show; her turn radiates with a generous sweet- ness and unexpected insight that's at the heart of the movie. Morrison has skillfully crafted a richly rewarding and even poetic film about the endless complexities of relationships and family. Star-studded 'Life' plot lags behind acting talent as there are scary movies. "Cry_ Wolf" is simply all those other teen horror mov- ies chewed up and regurgitated into a different reel with CryWof At Showcase and Quality 16 Rogue By Christopher Lechner Daily Arts Writer FiL~M REVIEW "An Unfinished Life," one of the few remaining movies produced by some changed names and a little twist at the end. Protagonist Owen (Julian Morris) has just transferred into yet another private school where he meets the sly redhead, Dodger, a girl fond of talking out the side of her mouth and sneak- ing out with her friends to play a real- ly "intense" fibbing game. But their game evolves into a campus-wide the Weinstein-led Miramax Films, was filmed in 2003 and sat on the shelf at the studio for more than two years amid rabid media An Unfinished Life At the Showcase and the Quality 16 Miramax portrayal of a dysfunctional fam- ily living on a ranch in Wyoming. It opens as Jean Gilkyson (Jennifer Lopez) finally has had enough of her abusive boyfriend and escapes with her daughter Griff (newcomer Becca Gardner). With nowhere else to go, Jean arrives in Wyoming on the doorstep of her estranged and bitter father- in-law Einar Gilkyson (Robert Redford). Living with Einar is his compassionate best friend, Mitch (Morgan Freeman), who has been mauled by a bear. Einar blames Jean for the death of his only son, and so the movie ultimately becomes a tale of forgiveness and acceptance. With a cast this distinguished, the film's performances are as strong as one might expect. Gardner turns in a solid debut as Griff, and though it's hard to picture a Puerto Rican goddess growing up in rural Wyoming, a post-Bennifer Lopez tries her best to make us for- get her work in "Gigli" and tries to regain the aclaim that she garnered with "Selena." Breathtaking scenery and skillfully subtle cinematography complement the performances in "Life." Filmed in Canada and set in Wyoming, the movie succeeds in capturing the stark beauty and rugged features of the American West. This is due in part to Hallstrom who, after a four-year hiatus, proves that he can still create visual magic behind the camera. That said, the film still fails to find a solid direction and pace. With a storyline that begs for tragedy and heartbreak, Hallstrom contrives a happy ending. The movie sets a tone of melancholy and intrigue from the get-go, but there are no twists, and we are left merely to wait for the inevitable Einar and Jean reconcili- ation. It's a formulaic and ordinary story to the bone; "Life" plays like a movie that we've already seen one too many times. There's no better example of this than the sentimental casting of Free- man as the wise older sidekick to the troubled leading man. It's a role that we've all seen him play many times before alongside Clint East- wood's "Million.Dollar Baby" and most famously in "The Shawshank Redemption." This is also the case with Hallstrom, who has already directed a film about isolation and family life in small-town America, the superior "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." And despite its stellar pro- duction, the sheer lack of ingenuity ultimately makes "Life" a forget- table experience. 4 speculation. The movie really wasn't worth all of the hype. This film, the latest from heralded Swiss director Lasse Hallstrom ("Chocolat"), is a stark 11. WWI a REC SPORTS INTRAMURALS The University of Michigan Department of Recreational Sports Intramural Sports Program www.recsports.umich.edu REC SPORTS INTRAMURALS 734-763-3562 Entries due: Tues, 10/04 4:30 PM M Building Entry Fee: $35 per team $5 per individual Manager's Meeting: MANDATORY Tues, 10/04 6:00 PM IM Building Entries also Meet Date: taken online Thurs, 10/06 UM Indoor Track Track & Field / Entries due: Wed, 10/05 4:30 PM IM Building Entry Fee: $85 per team (includes course fees) Entries also taken online Meet Date: Sun, 10/09 UM Golf Course .1 Golf Meet Kii. : t f Entries due: Wed, 09/21 4:30 PM IM Building Entry Fee: $35 per team Manager's Meeting: MANDATORY Thurs, 09/22 7:15 PM IM Building Tournament Dates: 09/24, & 09/25 Elbel Field Entries due: Wed, 09/21 4:30 PM IM Building Entry Fee: $35 per team Manager's Meeting: MANDATORY Thurs, 09/22 6:00 PM IM Building Tournament Dates: Sat 09/24 & Sun 09/25 Mitchell Field 0 Entries also taken online Entries alsoL taken online AM s l "i U9 N /r . 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