8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 28, 2006 ARTS 'Burials' a taut, modern western. By Andrew Bielak Daily Arts Writer For a while now, the rough, craggy territory straddling the porous border between Texas and Mexico has seemed like no place for The Three kindness. When Burials of the controversial Melquiades director Sam Peck- Estrada inpah ("The Wild Bunch") destroyed At the State Hollywood's long- Theater standing love affair Sony Pictures Classics with old-fashioned Western idealism, it was as if the ter- rain itself had acquired a whole new meaning - suddenly, behind every sun-baked panorama and rugged moun- tainside, there lurked a dark underbelly of flawed masculinity, social conflict and unflinching violence. So what comes as a surprise in Tommy Lee Jones's gorgeous directorial debut, "The Three Burials of Melquia- des Estrada," is not the moral weakness and callousness of the characters that occupy this harsh landscape, but the underlying sense of love and devotion that brings out its true beauty. The story centers on Pete Perkins (Jones), a righteous, solitary ranch- herder who learns of the murder of his best friend, fellow cowboy and illegal Mexican immigrant Melquia- des (Julio Cedillo, "The Life of David Gale"). Realizing the unwillingness of the local authorities to investi- gate the case, Perkins conducts some amateur detective work, leading him to border patrol officer Mike Norton (Barry Pepper, "25th Hour"). Upon confirming Norton's guilt, Perkins kidnaps the officer at gunpoint, forc- es him to dig up his victim's grave and makes him haul the rotting body to Mexico on horseback. The justifi- cation for this act - as a set of flash- backs gradually begin to illuminate - stems from a request Melquiades made that if he should die in the United States, his body must be bur- ied in his home village. Calling to mind a slightly less unsa- vory version of Clint Eastwood's char- acter in "Unforgiven," Perkins exudes an aura of tough, leathery sadness, bound by an unwavering notion of vigilante justice in a morally ambigu- ous setting. One of the most subtly penetrating aspects of the film is its representation of conflicting senses of masculinity. Countering Perkins's tra- ditionally independent, Western-cow- boy archetype, Norton is a modern embodiment of Southwest American heroism - a hardworking border patroller, struggling tirelessly to pro- tect his country from illegal aliens. While "Three Burials" reaches quite deep in its pointed critique of these ideals, it's the quiet, fractured portrayal of human compassion that largely carries the film. Despite his obvious naivete and moral complexi- ties, Perkins is admirable simply for his devotion to the wishes of his best Courtesy of Atlantic King of the South and bedroom eyes ... That's hot. LIFTING THE CRON T.I. RISES TO RAP'S HIGHEST TIER ON 'KING' Courtesy or Sony Pictures Classics "Yes, I did room with Al Gore." friend. Norton, who suffers countless indignities during the pair's journey, finds himself continually rescued by the people whom he has devoted his life to capturing. Even the connec- tion that is fostered between these two men, fragmented by moments of emotional and physical violence, is ultimately tempered with a sense of mutual understanding. Jones's unabashed love. for the landscape is evident throughout "Three Burials," and his potential for exploring the American West in future films seems boundless. But more importantly, one must hope that the man has found that director's chair nice and comfortable - he simply possesses too much talent not to continue sitting in it. By Anthony Baber Daily Arts Writer Ever since Jay-Z retired as "the best rapper alive," the hip- hop community has been lying in wait to see who will assume the vacant position. The West Coast has been preoccupied with hyphy and crumping, the T.I. East Coast is still in Jigga's shadow and the King biggest star of the Midwest is too busy calling himself Jesus. But this battle has been hotly GraAtlandHstle/ contested in the South. And the leading can- didate is effervescent Atlanta rap star T.I. The cocksure star's new album, King, is the finished product of a long transformation from rookie to rap royalty. He's progressed from songs like "Motivation" and "Get Ya Stuff Together" - blue-collar anthems directed at rivals - to newer songs like "What You Know" and "I'm Talkin' To You," which fixate on his rise to power. Even the intro- duction, "King Back," is a speech about a boy conquering the slums and becoming king. The song has the sound of regal importance with an inescapable flourish of trumpet trills and high notes that drop into a boisterous cacophony of bells and bass drum. In his campaign for king of the South, T.I. has taken on some memorable foes. In 2004, he had a brief squabble with Ludacris over Southern dominance before he became embroiled in a confrontation with Lil' Flip (the first feud was considered a draw, while the second was a resounding vic- tory for T.I.). Even when he had to do jail time for parole violation, he released mix-tapes telling everyone to get ready for his next project, Urban Legend. The bout for No. 1 contender has broiled down to T.I. and the golden boy of New Orleans, Lil Wayne. Going for the gusto, Wayne proclaims himself to be the new best rapper alive on his last album, Tha Carter, Vol. IL Not to be outdone, T.I.'s King is a proud, orderly album that announces his arrival into the top tier of MCs. With a flexible voice that effortlessly glides from quick punchlines to serious meditations on life and death, T.l. commands power in almost any situation. Tagged as potentially the best rap album of the year and of his young career, King has a lot going for it. At a time when the South has basically taken over contemporary rap with unmitigated radio and video play and an Oscar, T.I. is taking advantage of a perfect storm. The album features aesthetically pleasing production from some of the best producers the game has to offer. T.I. keeps it at the bottom of the map, working with Southern producers Mannie Fresh and DJ Drama, but he also avoids complacency by working with big-name East Coast produc- ers Just Blaze and Swizz Beats. Many of the tracks juxtapose majestic horns next to the heavy percussion and up-tempo beats the South is famous for. The whole album progresses like a small masterpiece, from the alluring organ sounds of "Front Back" and "Ride With Me" to the electric keyboard patterns of "Why You Wanna." There's glowing use of blaring horns on tracks like "Get it" and "Top Back," a backdrop that empowers his verses of gang- sterism and street splendor. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,T.I.must be turn- ing longtime hero Jay-Z bright red. T.I. is seen as the Southern version of Jay-Z; both have the same style, posing as clean- cut, well dressed gangsters. On Urban Legend, T.I.'s "Bring 'Em Out" contained a sample from Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say." Tellingly, the album cover for King looks conspicuously like the album cover from Jay-Z's The Black Album. With his swagger and five or six guaranteed-hit singles, TJL.'s reign ought to commence as soon as King drops into the stereo. Juvenile out of touch with 'Reality' By Chris Gaerig Associate Magazine Editor Now I'm an advocate for personal improvement as much as the next guy. It's an amazing thing when some- one can go from a criminal to a legiti- mate preacher or corrupt businessman to a full-time soup-kitchen volunteer. Juvenile But at some point, it just becomes Reality Check unbelievable. Such is the case on Atlantic Juvenile's painfully contrived Reality A Check. Everything the rapper says just seems like a marketing ploy to get back on his feet after a stint of anonymity and mediocrity. Everything about this album screams, "I've changed" in signature, John Cusack-lovelorn form (see: "High Fidelity," among others). The contradictions begin in 1998, when the budding Cash Money star released 400 Degrees, a Southern rap anthem for the ages. As your middle school dance chaperons certainly remember, Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up" tore through clubs and 20-inch subwoofers across the nation. If the name doesn't suggest it enough, it wasn't a point of empowerment or praise - aside from Juvenile really lik- ing asses - for women. So then his current portrayal of women seems a little insincere. Juve, it's really nice that you want to sympa- thize with these women, but everyone knows you're not interested in them for their intellect. That aside, "Rodeo" is a great single for Reality Check. Its smooth chorus and seat-leaned-back flows are some of the tightest and well written on the album. Juvenile also seems to use tragedy as a selling point for the album. "Get Ya Hustle On" confronts the government on their response to Hurricane Katrina in his hometown of New Orleans: "Fuck Fox News! I don't listen to y'all ass / Couldn't get a nigga off the roof with a star pass." Besides this outcry and a two-page dedication to the city in the album's booklet, the disaster itself goes unnoted. For an album that claims to be near to reality, that's a problem. On the rest of Reality Check, Juvenile runs the gamut of misogynistic, stereotypical rapper cliches. He frequently refers to women as "bitches" and "hoes" and talks at length about having sex with numerous females. "Loose Booty" once again shows his inability to focus on anything but sex (and argues against his pseudo-compassionate attitude). But many of the tracks on Reality Check are solid club bangers full of voracious flows. "Way I Be Leanin' " has another tight guest appearance from Paul Wall and medi- ocre verse from the overrated Mike Jones. Luckily, the Southern chirps and keyboards make the track unstop- pable. And "Sets Go Up" boasts an infectious chorus and an electronic-staccato beat full of processed clicks and diving whistles. We're told to think this album is a turn in his attitude, but boasting it just stinks of fake earnestness. Here's a reality check for Juvenile: He'll need to try a little bit harder to convince us on his next release. This one cer- tainly isn't doing it. a I TI~ Get ready for life after Michigan with Real Life 101. This annual series of free, entertaining seminars is designed just for U-M students and will help you get ready for some of the big issues you face as you get ready to graduate. These fun and informative seminars will get you thinking and get you ready! March 14,6-7:30 p.m.: Money Management 101 "Good Credit, Bad Debt" Robert Pavlik, Vice President, MBNA Marketing Systems This session was so popular last year that we're bringing it back. Designed specifically for students and recent graduates, "Good Credit, Bad Debt" provides answers to all of your money management questions and helps you avoid the financial traps that new grads often face. March 21, 6-7:30 p.m.: Relocation 101 "The ABCs of No Hassle Moving" Jeff Abraham, Lindsay Stevens and Geri Rudolph of Stevens Van Lines What do you mean I needed to reserve the elevator in order to move furniture into my new apartment? Moving can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be in this session tailored to those moving to a new city after graduation. Let the professionals at Stevens Van Lines show you how to make moving a snap. March 28,6-7:30 p.m.: Personal Branding 101 "How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market" William Ward, Adjunct Professor, Ross School of Business As the work place becomes more and more competitive, how are you going to get yourself noticed and rise above the clutter? Come to this personal branding session to find out. Even with a University of Michigan degree, you still need to be all that you can be in order to achieve the career (and life) success you're looking for. YOU DESERVE CREDIT FOR SPENDING THE SUMMER IN NEW YORK. GET IT AT BARUCH. Whether you are picking up extra credits toward your degree or mak- ing up credits, or you just have time to kill this summer, Baruch offers transferable credits at very affordable prices, taught by a faculty that's second to none. After all, how much beach can you take? TUITION * $250/credit for New York State residents * $530/credit for out-of-state residents TWO SESSIONS *June - July6 * July 0o-MAugust 17 Housing assistance is available. For more information, call Educational Housing Services at 1-800-297-4694 or go to wwwstudenthousing.org/ TO VIEW THE SUMMER SESSIN SC EDULE AND OBTAIN AN APPKATION, VISIT WWW.BARUCVH.CUNYEDU/SUMMERI 4