The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, January 4, 2008 - 5 ARTS IN BRIEF Charlie's rules of War' All-star cast makes 'War' an instant classic among countless political dramas By IMRAN SYED DailyArts Writer The maneuvering and negotiating that goes into war is complicated. Deals are made by members of Congress, com- promises are structured, numbers are crunched and the corridors of the Pen- tagon, the White House and the Capitol are abuzz with the wran- gling and haggling that could determine the fate Charlie of the nation. Wilson's In the conventional cinematic sense, this War could all be very boring. At Qualityl6 But "Charlie Wilson's and Showcase War," a flawlessly cal- Universal culated rendition of America's covert role in the Afghan-Soviet war of the 1980s from director Mike Nichols ("Closer") and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (TV's "The West Wing"), proves that it can also make for a compelling, easily digest- ible film that manages to be both incisively relevant and superbly entertaining. The filmstars TomHanks("CastAway") in the title role of the real-life Texas con- gressman who learned of the Afghan resistance to brutal Soviet advances and decided to do something to help defeat the communists. With millionaire social- ite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts, "Erin Brockovich") at his side, Wilson manages to turn Congress and the CIA toward the Afghan cause, thereby initiating the larg- est covert war in American history. The Soviets were defeated, but of course, the war still isn't quite over. What Wilson managed to do almost single-handedly is remarkable. So much of what is happening in the world today can be traced back to the decisions this one man made more than 20 years ago. It would be tempting for a filmmaker, in this first Oscar season to feature a full slate of films about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to impress upon audiences the supreme significance of this story. Nichols and Sorkin, however, deftly avoid that trap. "Charlie Wilson's War" stands apart from the year's other political films because it manages to engage and inform while eschewing the overwrought theat- rics that turned many viewers away from films like "Rendition" and "In the Valley of Elah." Expertnuance and asofttouch arehard enough to come by in Hollywood as it is, but they are especially unexpected from the pen of Sorkin. The celebrated, Emmy- winning creator of "The West Wing" is undoubtedly the perfect man to tell a story about American politics, but Sorkin has also recently been criticized for his cartoonishly earnest characters and over- cooked themes ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"). Here, though, he delivers a script that is as lively, vibrant and responsive as the many colorful characters it contains. The film's many stars are given roles that Charlie Wilson started a war. We're still fighting it. are limitless, impossible to overact and so easy to make memorable. Hanks and Roberts are superb as usual, but it's the film's other Oscar win- ner, Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote"), who steals the show. As the haggard, out of shape Gust Avrakotos, the agent in Contestants hinder 'Duel' Weeknights at 8 p.m. ABC A week-long competition full of oddly pompous contestants? Who wouldn't want to watch? ABC's new game show, "Duel," has things we've seen before: a flashy set, a toothy host and an unbelievably large pile of money rewarded for fun-fact knowledge. What sets "Duel" apart from oth- ers are the contestants. From law- yers to ex-door-to-door vacuum salesmen, "Duel" has them all, complete with arrogance that's immediately grating. The rules of "Duel" are fairly simple: contestants are asked a question with four possible answers. Then they place chips over the answers they think are correct, losing chips that cover incorrect answers. They don't nec- essarily have to know the answer, but they do have to watch their pile of chips; contestants lose the match if they run out or fail to pick the correct answer. Watching game show contes- tants make fools of themselves on TV is getting tiresome, and it seems like there isn't a game show valuing true knowledge anymore - "Jeopardy!" aside. So class it up "Duel," and start asking ques- tions you won't find on the back of a cereal box. JOHN DAAVETTILA Same recipe is still a 'Treasure' National Treasure: Book of Secrets At Quality 16 and Showcase Walt Disney Studios Motion Pic- tures Did you like the first "National Treasure" movie? Not too shab- See BRIEFS, Page 8 COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL "War is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." charge of the CIA's Afghan desk, Hoff- man brings out his patented understated comedic quality, which ultimately drives the film. Without Avrakotos, Wilson wouldn't have had the knowledge or insight to make his war happen. Like- wise, without Hoffman's snappy retorts and odd soliloquies, this film simply wouldn't be as good. Responding to Hoffman's under-hand- ed quips and Roberts' charm, Hanks finds the perfect balance between the many different sides of his character, all while maintaining that sharp ear for dialect and humble, bemused expression that audiences have come to love him for. He portrays Wilson's enthusiasm and pas- sion thoroughly, butuses subtle, lingering glances and hanging phrases to portray with great hindsight the uncertainty that surrounds the story. For Wilson, a man known for his many personal indiscretions, it was an act of pure conscience and supreme courage to generate support and funding in America for a rebel cause thousands of miles away. The untold ramifications that his actions have had are not a side note to this film's premise. It is the very inconclusiveness of the film that is ultimately larger than any of its characters and even its remarkable story. New Cash Money LP doesn't stack up By CHRIS GAERIG Daily Music Editor Of the collection of '90s hip-hop label troupes - No Limit Records, Bad Boy Records, Ruff Ryders, etc. - few come close to the success and longevity of the New Orleans goliath Cash Money Records. Boasting graduates like Mannie Fresh, Juvenile (label infighting aside), label head Baby (a.k.a. Bird- man) and rap-superstar Lil Wayne, the label seemed to have the most talented and chart-topping crew around. It's only natural, then, that a collection of the label's monumen- tal singles would be released. Various Unfortunate- Artists ly, Cash Money Records: 10 Years Cash Money of Bling Vol. 1 is Records: the second such toYearsof retrospective, Bling Vol.1 one that is sorely Universal lacking when compared with the older and more essential release Cash Money Records Platinum Hits. Of 10 Years's 11 tracks, only four don't appear on Platinum Hits, an egregious oversight that pushes 10 Years toward cash cow status rath- er than a fresh perspective on the label's catalog. If you don't already own the earlier release, though, these seven recurring tracks are must-haves. Cuts like BG's "Bling Bling," Big Tymers's "Get Your Roll On" and the label mates' collabora- tion "Project Bitch" are all instant classics. The bubbling, video game blips that signified a Cash Money single run through most of these tracks and are immediately enjoy- able. 10Years'ssavinggraceasaworth- while compilation is the strength of the tracks that don't appear onPlat- inumHits. Big Tymers's "Oh Yeah!" is childishly playful and undeniably singable, while the cut "Still Fly" is an epic track with a jumbo airliner of a chorus and royal horn lines. A quick look at the tracklist, though, shows what this disc is all about. With nine of the songs per- formed either by Lil Wayne or Big Tymers (which included members Birdman and Mannie Fresh), 10 Years is a supplement to the long delayed Wayne release The Carter III, as well as Birdman's recentspot 5 * Stunna. There are no tracks by The Hot Boys (a Cash Money main- stay that even featured Lil Wayne) or Juvenile, and only one by BG. Another complaint that can be made about 10 Years is all of the incredible tracks that are missing from the Cash Money collection. Tracks like "Back That Azz Up," "#1 Stunnas," "Shine" and "Ha" are all sorely missed on a disc that's supposed to be a reflection of the label's biggest accomplishments. Lil' Wayne and Birdman spread their wings on new release But if many of these were includ- ed on this album, there would be almost no difference between this and Platinum Hits. Granted, each track on 10 Years is an explosive single with more hooks and quotable lines than anything released in recent memory. Nevertheless, there just doesn't seem to be any reason for the album's release with Platinum Hits still sitting on store shelves. But can you really blame a label called Cash Money Records for trying to make money any way possible? "Do look fat in thi: Unexpected pregnancy is fodder for cute, charming "Juno" By PAUL TASSI Daily Film Editor "Juno" aspires to be this year's "Little Miss Sunshine." It succeeds in the respect that it's charming, offbeat and nominat- ed for awards. It fails, however, in being anything more than really "cute," which is pleasant to watch but not particularly memorable. Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page, "X-Men: The Last Stand") is 16 and "her eggo is preggo," as a local clerk putsnit. The Juno father is Paulie Bleeker At Qualityl6 (Michael Cera, "Super- and Showcase bad"), her cross country- running and baby-faced Fox Searchlight best friend. After being turned off by the goth receptionist and strawberry-flavored condoms at the abor- tion clinic, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to someone who wants it. The potential parents she finds are Mark and Vanessa Loring, two yup- pie suburbanites who can't conceive a child on their own. Mark (Jason Bate- man, "The Kingdom") writes commer- cial jingles but is a rocker at heart, and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner, "Elektra") is heartbroken and desperately longing to be a mother. As Juno, Page is quirky and frank, sometimes annoying, but mostly a sym- pathetic lead. Cera, who plays her best friend/boyfriend has the skill to make anything coming out of his mouth sound absolutely adorable. They make quite a pair, even if they're not together through much of the film. The most shocking part - in a film that you don't expect to be shocked - is the extremely creepy pedophilia vibe between Juno and Mark. Clearly not ready to grow up yet, Mark bonds with Juno through music and slasher movies. This starts out perfectly innocent, but quickly turns bizarre during a certain slow dance in a back room, which surely elicits audible gasps and cries of uneasi- ness from the audience. The obvious comparison every- one wants to draw to "Juno" is with "Knocked Up," and it's quite a leap to make. Despite having "unwanted preg- nancy" as a theme, the two films have little else in common. They explore two different aspects of the situation. One having to do with raising the child together, the other with giving it away. "Knocked Up" does this in signature Judd Apatow style - fart jokes and sex talk - while "Juno" is more toned down, using silent moments of awkwardness and words like "wiener." The soundtrack is worth mention- ing here because some are comparing it to the likes of the "Garden State" album Judd Apatow had nothing to do with this movie. that graced many hipsters' iPods for a long time. Featuring The Kinks, Belle & Sebastian and The Velvet Underground, it soars at times, though others may claim some tracks sound like a producer gave a 12-year-old a guitar and told him to make up a song on the spot. That debate aside, "Juno" is a good film. Not the classic hit it could have been, but enjoyable nonetheless. An indie comedy with perhaps too much heart, it's a welcome anomaly in a year of comedies characterized by the likes of Apatow's films.