The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, January 11, 2008 - 5 Paging the oboe? Check surgery. FILM EVIE Kicking the 'Bucket' Typical characters rich and c Cole (Jack and heavy plotline Departed"), i tal room, bo destroy would-be cancer. The prerequisite comedy which consist their familie By ANNIE LEVENE watching e DailyArts Writer through me learn that n Livinginthe bubble we know than a year as the University of Michigan, covery engen many stu- List," an ex dents prob- by Carter's ably assume philosophy p that people when he cle outside the The Bucket to teach. Th ages of 18 to mate indulge 25 don't exist. recording of "The Bucket At Showcase hopes to acco List," about and Qualityl6 "kicks the bu two terminal- Warner Bros. Carter, his ro ly ill retirees, is rich and wi is a crashing men set off reminder that this isn't so. Old the things on people do exist and, darn it, Nicholson they are people too. two very tale The film places 2007's ver- Oscars and sion of "The Odd Couple", poor nations betw and possibly sedated Carter probably kne Chambers (Morgan Freeman, signing up fo "Million Dollar Baby") and Still, they co COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: "Can you hear me now?"; "No seriously, go fish."; "I still can't believe you said I look fat in this." rotchety Edward Nicholson, "The n the same hospi- th suffering from men, after the elderly bonding, ts of talking about s, gin rummy and ach other suffer dical treatments, ieither has more to live. Such dis- nders the "Bucket ercise dreamt up freshman year professor on a day arly had nothing e list is the ulti- nce in fantasy - a all the things one mplish before one ucket." Luckily for ommate, Edward, illing, and the two to accomplish all their list. and Freeman, nted actors - four many other nomi- ween the two - w what they were r with this movie. uld have put in a little effort. It often feels like they're acting-by-numbers, with both men falling back on their tried-and-true approach of fleshing out a character. Not only does Nicholson go all crazy-eyed and ranty again, but his character is also, sur- prise surprise, a womanizer. Freeman, unsurprisingly, is the calmer, more sad-eyed half. Even when Carter is ticked off at whatever outrageous thing Edward has just done, Freeman barely raises his voice above monotone. Of course, "The Bucket List" also features the uninspired device of Freeman narrating the film. It almost seems like part of his contract nowadays. And the supporting perfor- mances aren't much better. Sean Hayes's (TV's "Will & Grace") portrayal as Edward's assistant and/or slave, Thom- as, is just a disappointment. Give the guy golf claps for try- ing more dramatic fare, but frankly, a Sean Hayes that isn't comedic isn't a Sean Hayes worth seeing. The film, especially in its early scenes, has difficulty deciding between comedy and tragedy. There's a difference between a movie that deals with illness in a less depressing way and one that makes light of the actual suffering can- cer patients go through. Jokes involving serious matters like chemotherapy - for instance, a scene where Edward throws up his fancy meal because radiation makes him nauseated - fall disturbingly flat. The movie urges us to root for these two men, but you can't help feeling that Carter is act- ing somewhat selfishly when he abandons his family in order to drive a fancy car and visit a few foreign cities. Edward similar- ly adds to the confusion. As he dramatically pounds away at a tightly packaged gourmet din- ner for one, are we supposed to laugh or feel bad for the guy? Often it sits somewhere in the middle, where it's hard to care either way, and in the end, all we're left with is the residue of sickly sweet, forced life les- sons and a slight fear of getting older. By MAUREEN SULLIVAN Daily Arts Writer During arehearsalfor anorchestra concert at Hill Auditorium, a beeper can go off without anyone so much as batting an eye. That's because this is the Life Science Life Science Orchestra, a full OrcheStra amateur orches- featuri tra composed of urn 82 members of 'The Planets" the University's biomedical com- omorrow munity. Esteemed at 8$p.m. radiologists, nurs- AlHill Auditorium es, biomedicalF engineers, medi- cal school professors and LSA pre- health students make up just some of the musicians in the group. The orchestra is open to virtually anyone in the health sciences at the Univer- sity who has a passion and talent for music. "There is a sort of understanding between us. I know when someone gets up and has to leave rehearsal, it isn't because they left the oven on," Ph.D. candidate in orchestral con- ducting and director Clinton Smith said in an interview. "They are most likely going somewhere to make a huge difference in someone's life." Tomorrow, the orchestra will take the Hill Auditorium stage to perform Gustov Hoist's "Planets" Beethoven's Egmont Overture as well as Edouard Lao's Symphonie Esp- agnole. In the latter performance, University alum, Trina Stoneham will accompany the orchestra on the violin. Stoneham is currently an associate research technician in the Department of Pathology at the Uni- versity Medical School. Formed in 2000, the group brings together a wide range of people vary- ing in age, talent and profession and makes the science world at the Univer- sity a little smaller, inviting members to collaborate musically to display their talents in a different context. "Within the orchestra, members experience a completely different dynamic than the one they're used to," said Kara Gavin, a health system spokeswoman and French horn player in the orchestra. "Instead of student or teacher, nurse or doctor here, it's violin or oboe." Radiology Professor Dr. Michael DiPietro, a bassoon player, explained that music is something that levels the playing field for all of the orchestra's members. "We're a group of people in the life sciences from age 20 to 60," he said. "We can't just play football together. We're equals at this." The Life Science Orchestra's musi- cians work in some of the Univer- sity's most demanding disciplines, yet they find time for the orchestra between studies, medical practices and research. Certain members have even come to rehearsal straight from the operating room. "Very often I hear from people that the LSO serves as a release for them; a place to let go; to let someone else be in charge," Smith said. "And it can be quite therapeutic." While some people might think of science and art as completely dif- ferent disciplines, the Life Science Orchestra proves them wrong. DiPi- etro explained that the two are actu- These doctors and nurses know how to use their instruments ally quite intertwined. He believes that his background in musical per- formance has aided him tremen- dously in the medical field, giving him the confidence to talk in front of a large group of people. Additionally, he sees a similarity between the two disciplines. In each you're working to better something, whether that's a person, a theory or a symphony. "Very often it all comes together in the last few rehearsals," DiPietro said. "I joke that this is like students pulling the course material together just before the final exam." Smith finds that the final perfor- mance always comes together well because while the group is relaxed, as health science professionals, they are perfectionists. "The performances are always a joy becauseeverything finally fits together just perfectly - players' senses and awareness are heightened, and there- fore, concentrationisthroughtheroof," said Smith, the director. "This makes for really nuanced music making, and I am free to take risks with them and know they'll be right there." ARTS IN BRIEF 'Wire' DVD worth it, if only for the show SHOW: ***** EXTRAS: *** "The Wire" - The Complete Fourth Season HBO Home Video Season four of "The Wire" might be the most perfect 13 episodes of television drama ever produced. In shifting its eyes to Baltimore's broken school system, HBO's visual novel turned in its most challeng- ing and affecting season yet, making a bold statement about the decay of inner-city schools. To usher in the recent onset of the show's fifth and final season, HBO packaged season four of "The Wire" in a modest, but fitting, four-disk DVD set. Two half-hour featurettes and commentaries on six episodes make up the bulk of the set's extras. They comple- ment the season by providing insight into the show's creative process and broader inten- tions. But the real draw here is the show itself, which would be worth its asking price on a worn-out Betamax void of extras. Whether you missed its original run in the fall of 2006 or you're just looking to revisit a modern-day classic, the fourth season DVD of "The Wire" is required viewing for anyone who's ever lamented the lack of quality programming on TV. MICHAEL PASSMAN European dance artist still won't cut it in the States Kylie Minogue X EMI For an artist with 10 studio releases and an ever-evolving career that has already spanned 20 years, Kylie Minogue is still rela- tively obscure in the United States. Her 2002 album Fever garnered mild success here while producing two extremely danceable tracks in "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Love at First Sight." Kylie's most recent release, X, goes in many directions while aiming generally for the dance floor. There are several moments on the album when Kylie's voice is too thin or nasal to compete with the pumped-up production ("In My Arms"). For the most part, though, the production wraps infectious rhythms around Kylie's mid-range croon - Kylie's sultry, come-hither whisper on "2 Hearts," is especially powerful. The production occasionally stretches outside of Kylie's vocal capabilities, but her energy and charm almost always make up for it. This album probably won't make her a superstar in the U.S., but "Love at First Sight" should have. GABRIEL BAKER iN o y Snoop's demeanor elevates new reality show on latest "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood" release Sundays at10:30 p.m. E! Do we really need another reality show like- By ANDREW KAHN "Run's House" or "Hogan Knows Best"? The Daily Arts Writer answer is, surprisingly, fo' shizzle. While El's "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood" shares basic ele- "The whole is greater than the sum ments with its predecessors, Snoop's cavalier of its parts" is a saying easily applied to style of parenting sets "Father Hood" apart the solo careers of the three members from the others. of the LOX: Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Snoop Dogg's relaxed personality ensures Styles P. While Jada has achieved the that "Father Hood" will not be some dramatic most individual success of the trio, his exploration of the emotional struggles associ- solo albums have still paled in compar- ated with being both a parent and entertainer. ison to the group's Appropriately, "Father Hood" is more like a collaborative proj- sitcom than a credible reality show. Unlike ects. The same goes traditional conflict-filled reality shows, the for Sheek Louch, y family is rarely shown fighting. Snoop often and, in this case, avoids confrontation by either giving in to again for Styles P. Super his family's demands or shrinking to his own When Styles was Gangster private area to watch soccer and eat Roscoe's in LOX, he always (Extraordinary fried chicken. Snoop is also placed in obvious- had difficulty capti- Gentleman) ly planned situations - like an acupuncture vating listeners for Koch appointment with a blind doctor - that are the span of an entire engineered to create laughs, not pluck at the song.Hissolo albums heartstrings of viewers. tend to follow suit. But he keeps com- "Father Hood" can survive without the use ing back, this time on his latest Super of conventional reality TV motifs because it Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman). offers more than just another celebrity con- Though he'sunquestionably improved, stantly clashing with his family. Instead, his confident, often aggressive flow Snoop's family tackles problems together, becomes tiring after 19 tracks. He's not and the creative oddity of these situations completely one-dimensional --he dis- makes it a reality sitcom worth watching. plays a contemplative side on "Alone in DAVE REAP the Street" --but doesn't have enough "This my stuff." to fill an entire album. AllofSuperGangster'sshortcomings can't be attributed to Styles, though. The production is wildly inconsistent and generally unoriginal. The work of Hi Tek - whose collaborations with Talib Kweli made him a hip-hop staple - on "Let's Go" sounds like a rip-off of 50 Cent's "21 Questions." Simple, high- pitched pianos appear throughout and sometimes work. They're a nice touch on the radio-friendly "Blow Ya Mind," which features a catchy Swizz Beatz hook. But often, they don't: the redundant "In It to Win It," a prime example. SuperGangsterisfar fromacomplete disasterhowever. The aforementioned "Blow Ya Mind" is smooth, yet also club-worthy. Styles's unlikely collabo- ration with Black Thought on "Cause I'm Black" is a success, while "Gang- ster, Gangster," with the rest of the LOX crew, is unsurprisingly one of the album's best songs. Styles's delivery is extra hard and inspired when teamed with his Yonkers boys, as he spits lines like "You don't get nothin' but gun shells / I ain't on the bar, Louch pass me the dumbbells / I'm in war mode, billion more mode / Body after body so the story was foretold." Jadakiss and Sheek's verses are equally enthralling, hinting that another group collabora- tion is long overdue - their last being 2000's We Are the Streets. "Gangster, Gangster" proves that Styles still can't hold his own without his former groupmates delivering an inspired, original verse is well within Styles's capabilities. Also, the track shows the strength of the D-Block boys when they're all together. The uniqueness of each rapper, as well as their undeniable chemistry, makes for songs of higher quality than when each member tries to go it alone. But various label con- flicts, and perhaps a determination to succeed individually have prevented the release of another group album. Judging by the quality of the solo discs, the trio would inevitably ben- efit from a reunion. It's about time.