The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 5A
Double the thrills
Mastodon flirts
with extinction
By JACK PORTER riff with sliding power chords,
DailyArts Writer recalling genre mainstays like
Megadeth. Vocalist Troy Sanders's
Mastodon has been crushing frenzied howling is another throw-
skulls 'and shattering eardrums back to the early days of thrash,
since 1999 with but he updates that sound with a
its forward- ** keen sense of melody, and never
thinking and overpowers or sours the track. The
genre-bending jA1Jodon bridge solo, boasting squealing
metal, which pinch harmonics and blazing trills,
incorporates Crack the Skye is just icing on the cake.
elements from Reprise "Divinations," however, is the
thrash, death and exception on an otherwise prog-
"stoner" metal while using clean, obsessed record. "The Czar," a
bellowing vocals. The band has nine-minute monolith, is more
gained a startlingly wide audience, typical of the collection. Employ-
enticing even stray metal-phobic ing bright, shimmering guitar
listeners to sample its sounds. But distortion, organs, keyboards and
it's likely that Mastodon's latest unusual Eastern scales, Mastodon
release, Crack the Skye, will alien- imbues the song with mystery and
ate a large portion of the band's menace. Somewhat awkwardly,
head-banging loyalists. the slow-burn intro explodes into
On the album, the band has radi- a metal attack. But what cheapens
cally changed its musical approach, the track is its reliance on generic
though not necessarily for the bet-
ter. Part of the appeal of what will
inevitably be remembered as "the
old Mastodon" (a la Metallica) was An album that
the band's sophisticated blend of
tight songwriting, technical prow- feels more
ess and thrash intensity. The "new"
Mastodon has decided to throw like pastiche
about two thirds of that appeal
right out the window. Crack the than progress.
Skye is a long, challenging, slowly
paced album that indulges Mast-
odon's prog proclivities, sometimes
at the expense of visceral thrills '84s Metallica-style riffs (the usual
and good sense. crutch for creatively challenged
"Oblivion" opens the album with genre grunts). The aimless anti-
a maelstrom of frenetic tom fills climax-of-an-ending leaves a bitter
and chaotic churning guitars, giv- taste in the ear and mouth as well.
ing way to a grinding yet melodic After "Czar," the band seems
verse riff that sputters ahead like to have thoroughly rifled through
a demonic locomotive. The thor- its bag of tricks, and the rest of the
oughly old-school opening surges albumjust fizzles. While Mastodon's
with a winning, muscular vitality. new sound is intriguing at first, it
But the sludgy chorus riffs and lazy loses its mystique - even during
vocal drawl tinge the song with an the first listen. Crack the Skye feels
alt-rock anonymity, putting a seri- more like pastiche than progress; it
ous damper on the whole affair. becomes more interestingto pickout
The, next track, "Diyinations,",the band's influences than toappre-
is a better prospect for traditional ciate the album on its own terms.
metal-heads, with its neck-snap- Mastodon will need to rebound with
ping pace and lean song structure. more immediate, gripping material
Its verses ride on a seesaw thrash to keep hold ofis fans.
Opposite Clive Owen, Julia Roberts makes
'Duplicity' an unlikely success
By Kavi Pandey I Daily Arts Writer
In a world where most films
middlingly muddle within a single
genre, "Duplic-
ity" achieves a
near-impossible * *
feat: It manages
to be a sweet Duplicity
romantic com-
edy, an intelli- AtQuality16
gent crime-caper and Showcase
and an eye- Universal
opening social
commentary all at the same time.
This inspired genre-balancing,
combined with exceptional per-
formances, makes "Duplicity" a
tremendously entertaining film.
The movie begins with MI6
agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen,
"The International") hooking up
with a woman named Claire Sten-
wick (Julia Roberts) in Dubai.
Stewick turns out to be a CIA.
agent whose mission was to sleep
with Koval and steal state secrets
from him. Years later, the two
find themselves working as spies
for rival pharmaceutical and cos-
metic corporations led by Tom
Wilkinson ("Valkyrie") and Paul
Giamatti ("Sideways"). Koval and
Stenwick end up working togeth-
er, albeit grudgingly, to con a very
large payload out of their respec-
tive bosses. Twists come early and
often, though, and what's happen-
ing on the surface is usually quite
different than the reality.
With "Duplicity," Julia Roberts
has finally emerged from hiber-
nation and reclaimed her throne
as a leading lady in Hollywood.
She exudes the same combination
of beauty, wit and toughness that
defined her stardom in "Pretty
Woman" and "Erin Brockovich."
It's nice to have her back, and
she more than matches the gruff,
forceful performance of co-star
Clive Owen.
Anyone who has seen the
"Extras" series finale knows how
maddeningly hilarious Owen can
be (if you haven't, watch it now).
In "Duplicity," Owen shows off
his comedic talents, swapping his
trademark scowl for a mischievous
grin that rivals Roberts's famous
smile. Owen is sure to bring audi-
ences to tears with his attempt at
a slow Southern drawl (which is
part of a disguise he uses to seduce
a woman). It's a pleasant surprise
to see his character as the sensitive
foil to Roberts's more emotionally
detached role. Koval is concerned
with love and relationships, while
Stenwick always seems to be
focused on her work.
Giamatti and Wilkinson also
stand out among a very solid
supporting cast. Giamatti is the
embodiment of the greedy CEO -
a sleazy, hot-tempered man who
only wants to make money and
destroy the competition. In con-
trast, Wilkinson plays a sage-like
businessman with ruthless capa-
bilities. The peak of his career
is long gone and he is becoming
increasingly disillusioned by the
treachery and dishonesty that has
invaded his trade. Their feud is
showcased during a slow-motion
old-man fight that is quite possi-
bly the funniest opening-credits
sequence in cinematic history.
From their line of work, Koval
and Stenwick have learned to trust
nobody, so they constantly question
each other's motives and almost
derail their scheme at several key
moments. That's where "Duplic-
ity" subtly begins its social inspec-
tion, satirizing the deception and
betrayal that plague global busi-
ness. It's both cringe-worthy and
comical to see the corporations in
this movie spend millions of dollars
protecting formulas of skin lotions
and hair-care products from the
competition.
After scoring with "Michael
Clayton," writer and director Tony
Gilroy adds another significant
accomplishment to his resume
with "Duplicity." He has brought
down the house once again with
sly dialogues, fleshed-out charac-
ters and a unique framing struc-
ture that is too cool to be spoiled.
It's disappointing to see such a
terrific film being dumped on a
crowded weekend in March. Even,
though "Duplicity" is too light to
turn heads during the awards sea-
son, it's a remarkably good time at
the cinema.
The 47th AAFF ABC is no better with 'Ted'
goes global on
opening night
By BLAKE GOBLE
Daily Arts Writer
Waiting in line for the night's fes-
tivities, one couldn't help but soak in
the scene. Ahab beards and intricate
scarves were everywhere. Schakolad
flowers were devoured with complimen-
tary wine and beer from Arbor Brewing
Company. Salsa music competed with
an organ player, creating a groovy vibe.
Seva's vegetarian fare met harmoniously
with Totoro's delicious pork and chick-
en. And Ann Arbor's middle-aged literati
got to mingle with teenage freaks to rap
about how cool it is that Bruce Conner is
gonna show up later this week.
All these happenings at the Michigan
Theater could only mean one thing: The
47th Ann Arbor Film Festival opened
Sights, sounds and
sensational food.
last night and, as always, it was a hell of
an event. The opening-night gala recep-
tion was a splendid affair, complete with
all the amenities of a posh and proper
function. At 47 years old, this event felt
as fresh as ever.
The night was like a grand three
course meal. First was the gala, where
Ann Arbor's tastiest treats met with its
most artistically inclined individuals.
Second, the main theater opened and
several speeches ushered in the event.
Finally, opening-night screening selec-
tions brought the affair to an end.
The opening gala was excellent.
The scene was set for a good time and
a geography theme was nicely present
in the design. Google Maps slide shows
went perfectly with inflatable globes
in the Theater lobby. Think geography
class, but cooler. Like Festival Executive
Director Donald Harrison said, this year
was a "new world of indie cinema."
Sights, sounds and sensational food
bombarded the opening crowd. It was
a place to eat sushi during cattle-call
shorts without feeling awkward. The
seemingly smaller number of people
than last year's opening didn't matter.
The word was excitement, and everyone
knew it.
Showcasing this year's international
theme, the Festival's opening speeches
were candid and captivating. Russ Col-
lins, executive director of the Michigan
Theater, graciously welcomed everyone
to the event. Ann Arbor Mayor John
Hieftje did aglobal rollcallwith the audi-
ence. Festival Artistic Director Christen
McArdle shared her excitement, detail-
ing what's happening in this year's pro-
gram. And Donald Harrison emceed the
whole opening, reminding everyone to
take notice of the geography motifs but,
above all, to have a good time.
But in the end, the screenings were
what everyone was there for. Like a
champagne bottle thrown against a boat,
Thomas Oraschen's "Freude" opened
this year's event with a bang. In-your-
face and out of control (with naked ladies
and gorillas), the short was as wildly
eclectic as those that followed.
Stop-motion animation was used to
perfection in Michael Langen's "Cahlia"
and PES's "Western Spaghetti." "Out of
Print," from Danny Plotnick, was the
most accessible work of hipster dismay
this side of "High Fidelity." Pat Rober-
stun and The Weather Underground
showed up too in "P.R." and "Clear
Glasses," respectively. And the inimi-
table Don Hertzfeldt ended the open-
ing with his outstanding piece, "i am so
proud of you."
But that was only a slice of the open-
ing. And even in itself, the whole opening
was just a sliver of a week's worth of deli-
ciously diverse film. So if last night was
any indicator, the 47th AAFF is going to
be magnificent.
Like the slogan goes, "Welcome to the
new world of independent cinema." A
grand welcome indeed.
By BRIGID KILCOIN
Daily Arts Writer
Corporate culture has proven to be a
common (if unexpected) premise for com-
edy in the past decade.
Dozens of television *
shows and movies based
around cubicle dwell- Better
ers have been released to O
receptive audiences, and
dissatisfaction with work Wednesdays
has proven to be univer- at 8:30 p.m.
sally relatable. Mirroring ABC
these plotlines, ABC's
new sitcom "Better off
Ted" tries to provide another Window into
the working world.
"Better off Ted" is an office-centered
satire revolving around Ted (relative
newcomer Jay Harrington), the head of
research and development at a monolithic
corporation named Viridian Dynamics.
The company, headed by ambitious boss
Veronica (Portia de Rossi, "Arrested Devel-
opment") works on outlandish projects like
weaponized pumpkins and intentionally
uncomfortable office chairs to increase
productivity. The company then attempts
to pawn off these odd items on unsuspect-
ing investors.
"Ted" feels like ABC's attempt to pro-
duce a critically acclaimed comedy in the
WRITE
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public discour5
style of "Arrested Development" or "The
Office," and the show's stylistic choices
make it feel more than a little tired. The
wittily blas6 voiceover, the lack of a laugh
track, the roaming camera - all these
elements have been done better by other
shows. "Ted" even goes so far as to hire
"Arrested Development" alum de Rossi to
portray a character noticeably similar to
the ditzy Lindsay Bluth. The muted color
palette and intro and exit music's cloying-
ly sweet piano tinkling right before and
after commercial breaks are overly ironic
nods to the 1950s work culture that "Ted"
attempts to ape. All of this window dress-
ing comes off as extremely forced.
The program also suffers from its chop-
py storyline. Several plot elements are
introduced for a brief period of time - for
instance, Viridian Dynamics's decision to
cryogenically freeze research scientist Phil
(Jonathan Slavin, "Race to Witch Moun-
tain) for a year, or the burgeoning romance
between Phil and disgruntled office drone
Linda (Andrea Anders, "Joey") - but are
left unresolved at the end of the episode.
While pilot episodes tend to be less cohesive
than regular episodes, the complete lack of
conclusion left an unacceptably large num-
ber of loose ends. The script feels disjointed
and could benefit from a more focused sense
of humor.
"Ted" is not hopeless, though. Its strong
cast - especially supporting members sci-
entists Lem (Malcolm Barrett, "My Best
Friend's Girl") and Phil - adds some spice
to the lackluster writing. Harrington, as
the titular character, manages to be both
convincing as a high-powered businessman
and down-to-earth enough to sympathize
with. And Portia de Rossi, despite the com-
monalities between this role and her pre-
vious sitcom work, is excellent as always,
providing the funniest performance among
the group. One exception is Ted's daughter
Another 'office'
wannabe.
Rose (relative newcomer Isabella Acres),
who is unnaturally precocious and holds a
more serious tenor than the deadpan humor
shared by rest of the cast.
While nontraditional sitcoms normally
struggle to find an audience, the position
of "Ted" on a major network's primetime
lineup may help it last longer than its com-
petitors. While the show suffers from plot
mishaps and forcedstylistic choices,if"Ted"
is given enough time to find its footing, its
solid premise and strong cast may solidify
its place in the modern sitcom world.
Undergraduate Fellows Program
2009-2010
ght fellowships funded with a $4000 stipend for the 2009-10 academic year.
ellow will carry out an individual project related to ethics in public life, and
ate in twice monthly Fellows meeting and other Center activities and events.
aduates currently enrolled at UM Ann Arbor campus, who will be enrolled
e and in residence for the entire 2009-10 academic year.
tions are due via email to ethics@umich.edu by 5:00pm April 10, 2009.
sor Ethics in Public Life (www.ethics.umich.edu) is an interdisciplinary
ed to the encouragement of teaching, research and creative projects, and
se that promote understanding of the ethical dimensions of our lives, and
especially, the lives we live in common.
Questions? Email ethics@umich.edu