The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, February 21, 2011 - 7A
* The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, February 21, 2011 - 7A
Digging for direction
Whenever some-
one asks what my
concentration is
- whether it's at extended fam-
ily events, during small talk or
awkward ice
breakers at
the begin-
ning ofevery
semester - I
always sigh
and men-
tally prepare
myself for LEAH
the follow-
ing stream of BURGIN
conversation:
... I'm
studying anthropological
archaeology."
"What? What is that? How
is that different from archaeol-
ogy?"
"Well, Michigan has two
archaeology departments - clas-
sical archaeology and anthro-
pological archaeology - and
classical archeology focuses on
Greece, Rome, Egypt and the
Middle East, while anthropo-
logical archaeology focuses on
everything else. I don't really
want to study just 'classical'
stuff, so I decided archaeology
under the anthropology umbrella
was abetter fit."
"Huh. So, how in the world
did you become interested in
that? That's so bizarre/interest-
ing/fascinating/insert-your-
own-similar-adjective-here."
And then I launch into the
following story: When I was
in fifth grade - knock-kneed,
bespectacled in thick, large nerd
glasses, metal-mouthed and keen
on wearing the weirdest cloth-
ing - my dad took me to several
National Geographic lectures.
They ran late on school nights
and I felt super cool going "out
on the town," even though I
brought the average age of the
audience down a considerable
amount.
I don'traemmber every person
who spoke, but three individuals
stick out squarely in my memory:
Dr. Paul Sereno, a paleontologist,
Dr. Bob Ballard, an oceanogra-
pher and Dr. Zahi Hawass, an
Egyptologist. These three men
were to very quickly become my
heros.
Among other accomplish-
ments, Sereno discovered a
mamm
he nan
lard fo
the Tit
uneart
the san
archae
lifetim
discov
series:
but the
profou
the coo
I want
them a
very, v(
Usu.
ends th
admitt
extent{
men. I
workin
them.I
ects on
with ur
earned
and apt
Chicag
fessor.
be best
around
radioca
some fe
Do
n
Thot
pizazz
Hawas
transfi:
began t
ing ext
heroes,
world,]
can neN
though
amoun
regard(
hack b
And H:
of issue
trovers
ity to ti
over Eg
anti-Se
And
When t
looted,
ing, Ira
tured a
angryf
oth ancient crocodile were stolen from the Egyptian
ned "Super Croc," Bal- Museum, and many displays
und the Titanic (yeah, were broken and trampled by a
anic) and Hawass has few protesters who gained access
hed more things under throughthe building's glass roof
ids of Egypt than some Not only was I sad because of
ologists could find in ten the looting - which breaks my
es. It didn't help that I heart - but because I realized
ered the "Indiana Jones" Hawas made some very pro-
at about the same time, Mubarak comments surrounding
se men influenced me the protests. It was jarring to
ndly. I thought they were fathom that one of my childhood
)lest people in the world. heroes is wrapped up in the same
ed to grow up to be like pettiness - politics, drama, arro-
nd marry Sereno, who is gance - that engulfs the lives
ery attractive. Google him. of us mortals. It's during these
ally my answer happily times that my disenchantment
ere, cutting off before I with past heroes comes back
:he rather embarrassing with a vengeance and reminds
of my obsession with these me of the good ol' days, how I've
used to fantasize about grown out of them and how I
g in the dirt alongside wish, every once in awhile, that
i did several school proj- I could go back to those times I
Hawass, became obsessed pretended to discover lost civili-
nderwater archaeology, zations and fantasize about Milo
my SCUBA certification Thatch from "Atlantis."
plied to the University of AsI began my firstyear of
o, where Sereno is a pro- college, I - somewhat surpris-
I was preparing myself to ingly for my parents - realized
friendswith them, and sit that field archaeology was not
talking aboutthings like the place for me. While this deci-
arbon dating and how awe- sion was somewhat rooted with
edoras are. the demotion of my heroes to
"human" status, it was more a
realization that digging endlessly
)n't ask what in the dirt while painstakingly
collecting datathat may or may
Vy m ajor is. not ever reach the larger public
is not somethingI can devote
my life to. Archaeology, like my
heroes, can't be romanticized: I
ugh the sparkle and can't just don a fedora and whip,
of Sereno, Ballard and call myself an archaeologist and
s had my younger self find amazing, earth-shattering
xed, as I grew older I artifacts every day. It's much
:o see through the shin- more complicated than that.
erior and realize that my My love for the past is in the
like everyone else in the stories and the multiple ways
have flaws. Sereno andI those stories could be told and
ver be together. Ballard, shared with the world. I believe
having a considerable it's more worthwhile to help
t of panache and fame, is share the art and artifacts found
ed as an unprofessional by archaeologists than to dig
y some archaeologists. them up myself. SoI decided to
awass - well, he has a lot continue pursuing my lifelong
as ranging fro uis con- passion through an anthropo
ial dom neeg'ng pesonal- logical archaeology major,0h0le-
he degree of control he has shiftingmy future career goals
'yptian antiquities to his into the infinitely more excit-
mitism. ing and fascinatingspectrum of
these faults still crop up. museums. And I haven't looked
he Egyptian Museum was back.
during the recent upris-
ead an article that fea- Burgin is digging a hole to
huge photo of Hawass's China. To offer assistance,
'ace. Eighteen artifacts e-mail Irburgin@umich.edu.
coURTESY OF WARNER BRoS.
"We can do this the easy way, or we can doit the hard way ... we need directions to the nearest restroom."
Appeal 'Unknown'
Surprisingly, January
Jones is one of the
few pros of new film
By WILL DEFEBAUGH
DailyArts Writer
Unknown are the reasons why
anyone would want to see the
2011 film starring Liam Neeson
("Taken") and
January Jones
(TV's "Mad
Men") of the Unkno
same title.
Correction: At Quality16
Unknown are and Rave
the reasons
why anyone
should see the
film. After all, its draw is under-
standable. Captivating, cryptic
trailers that, arguably, give away
too much of the plot. Car chases.
Explosions. January Jones. The
promise of a new and improved
"Bourne Identity." The allure is
definitely there. Unfortunately,
that's all this film has going for it.
When Dr. Martin Harris (Nee-
son) awakes from a car accident-
induced coma four days after
arriving in Berlin for a medi-
cal conference, no one believes
that he is who he says he is. This
includes the police, doctors,
hotel clerks, fellow conference-
goers and even his wife Eliza-
beth (Jones). Too bad for Martin
that he left his briefcase, which
contains his identification, at the
airport and doesn't remember
doing it. The plot thickens when
he reaches the conference to dis-
coverthere is alreadya Dr. Martin
Harris there, standing with his
arm around his wife.
Possibly the most chilling
moment of the film comes when
Martin taps his wife on the shoul-
der. She turns around in a gor-
geous, backless velvetgown, looks
at him blankly and then asks: "Do
I know you?" The haunting fac-
tor of this scene, of course, comes
from Jones. With her icy blue
eyes, perfect platinum hair, por-
celain skin and hollow stare, she
keeps the mystery alive. From
the beginning, it's difficult to
say whether she is an innocent
bystanderinthetraumaunfolding
before her husband or an accom-
plice in his undoing. She isthe real
star of the film, which would have
been far better off including more
of her.
Every other aspect "Unknown"
is, in a word, boring. Dr. Harris.
quickly discovers that it is not
all in his head, becomes desper-
ate to prove his identity, meets a
convenient old man who "finds
people" and teams up with the
poor girl with the bad German
accent (Diane Kruger, "Inglorious
Basterds") who was driving the
taxi when he crashed. Yawn.
These plot points, while not
necessarily predictable, are
just not exciting enough. With
each plot development the story
becomes more tiresome and less
believable. Even the bigplot twist
that is meant to make audiences'
jaws drop doesn't. It's not that
the audience isn't surprised when
it happens. They just don't care
anymore. By the time the race to
stop the ticking bomb begins, they
have lost interest entirely.
The film's sole redeem-
ing quality, besides Jones, is its
direction. Director Jaume Collet-
Serra ("Orphan") employs cin-
ematic techniques that entice the
audience and communicate the
film's suspense and desperation
well. The faded color palette of
Neeson's perpetually grim sur-
roundings capture the feel of
Berlin. The subtle experimenta-
tion with focusing messes with
the viewer's head in the same way
that Dr. Harris's is being tam-
pered with. Unfortunately for
Collet-Serra, good direction and a
hot blonde aren't enough to carry
a film.
ALiBUM R c E i t o
AREVn IEW
Alien thriller Four' is a charm
By PROMA KHOSLA
Daily TV/New Media Editor
If there's one thing producer
Michael Bay knows how to do,
it's packaging films about super-
powered aliens
for the masses. **
His newest
endeavor, "I I Am Number
Am Number Fo
Four," based
on the novel At Quality16
by Pittacus and Rave
Lore, follows
the tradition Disney
of "Transform-
ers" and presents sci-fi action in
its most digestible and entertain-
ing form.
"I Am Number Four" stars the
U.K.'s newest import, Alex Pet-
tyfer ("Alex Rider: Operation
Stormbreaker"), in the title role.
Number Four - known by his
alias, John Smith - is one of nine
aliens from the planetLorien who
seek refuge on Earth from the
malevolent Mogadorians. After
the first three are killed - the
first scene is a particularly adren-
aline-charged hunt that results
in Number Three's death - Four
has to hide or fight. While hiding
out in the fantastically obscure
Paradise, Ohio, John falls in love
with a human girl, Sarah (Dianna
Agron, TV's "Glee").
Pettyfer is no breakout thes-
pian, but he doesn't pretend to
be. He narrates the film in a deep,
sexy monotone and just happens
to be sinfully attractive enough to
make audiences forget his medio-
cre acting for the rest of time. The
scenes
the act
Micha
Four"
all abc
makin
The
get st:
throug
when
stabbi
and ex
"X-Me
redeen
roman
Numb(
Sorcer
slow-n
an ex
Adele'
too ty]
to not:
d
Qt
It's
John's
aliens
up, but
enough
Agron
ity abo
"Glee"
She's s
doe-ey
murmt
hegem
Apa
where he really excels are the cast is strong. Timothy Oly-
tion sequences, and in true phant (TV's "Justified") consis-
ci Bay style, "I Am Number tently steals scenes as Number
is full of them. Pettyfer is Four's guardian, Henri, a sarcas-
out stunts and physicality, tic Southern man with no patience
g him perfect forthe role. for traditional teenage emotion.
se scenes don't really He provides the necessary expla-
arted until about halfway nation for Number Four's pow-
h the two-hour story, but ers. If anything, more time should
they do it's all punching, have been devoted to Henri and
ng, supernatural abilities the planet Lorien's culture thanto
plosions ... just the kind of John and Sarah's alleged love.
n"-esque shenanigans that Also worthy of note is new-
s 40 minutes of trite teen comer Callan McAuliffe as John's
ce. Thefirstscenefeaturing friend Sam, an alien-obsessed
er Six (Teresa Palmer, "The townie with a thirst for adven-
er's Apprentice") involves ture. McAuliffe is helpful with-
notion walking away from out seeming like a tag-along. He
plosion, accompanied by manages to deliver a few witty
s "Rolling in the Deep." It's one-liners ("I play a lot of Xbox,"
pically, unabashedly badass he says after destroying a Moga-
enjoy. dorian beast with one gunshot)
but also serve a purpose with his
bravery and alien expertise.
By 'Sarah' The Mogadorians themselves
By a a , are so uniquely gruesome that
o you mean it's impossible to look away. They
tower over average humans and
.inn Fabray2 have blood-red gills ontheir faces,
complemented by rows of razor-
sharp teeth and tattoos covering
their bald heads. The always-sin-
easy to stop caring about ister Kevin Durand injects each
feelings for Sarah once scene with the same terror he
start blowing each other invoked as Martin Keamy on
t it dominates the first half "Lost."
h to be impossible to ignore. Though the ending is ripe for a
showcases her acting abil- sequel, it's also satisfying enough
ut as much as she does on to be left alone. The book's sequel
- which is to say, not at all. is due this summer and all the
till striking poses, making actors have other engagements,
es and speaking in breathy so there's no current plan to turn
urs thatensnarethe nearest the film into a franchise. Pity,
onic male. though. Hollywood could always
rt from Pettyfer and Agron, use more explosions.
By CASSIE BALFOUR
DailyArts Writer
It shouldn't come as a shock
that avant-garde, noise-rock
Sonic Youth was commissioned
to craft the
film score for
the relatively x
obscure French - Y 1
teen thriller
"Simon Wer- Simon Werner
ner a Disparu." a Disparu
However, the
band branches Syr
out by reel-
ing in its propensity for chaotic
noise on this tastefully contained
record. Though most listen-
ers will have to simply imagine
the adolescent Parisian longing,
meaningful glances and clouds
gathering ominously overhead
that the instrumental Simon
Werner a Disparu was meant to
evoke, the album stands alone as
an ambient but subdued record,
with or without the context of
the movie.
The delicate, echoing "Les
Anges au Piano" (which trans-
lates roughlyto "the angels at the
piano") drifts along hypnotically,
guidingthe listener into a dream-
like state with its reverberating
guitars and repetitive piano taps.
The occasional, deliberate off-
key no
in thet
lucid.
Not;
"Them
to liste
compo
pitches
descen
claustr
inducir
the list
sonical
pleasar
the poi
killer 6
It
je
Son:
hold
beautif
which
the eqa
Caban(
pointi
track is
dued g
mark t
Zodiac
listene
back a
tes keep listeners engaged matic and unnerving to hazy and
track and the dream firmly dizzyingly atmospheric.
"Au Cafe" is a welcome respite
all the songs are so blissful. from previous blood pressure-
e de Laetitia" is stressful raising tracks. Sonic Youth con-
n to, as the first minute is tinues to play around with soft
sed of a terrifying high- drums but amps up the song with
d feedback which finally distorted guitars, before strip-
ds into a restrained but ping it down to a couple dueling
ophobic wall of dread- guitars and letting it fade out. It
ng guitars. The track backs embodies dreamy teenage angst
ener into acorner, which is without ever saying a word.
Ily nuanced, but not exactly The band finally reverts
nt to hear - this could be back to its noisy roots with
int in the movie where the "Theme d'Alice." At first, the
loses in on his victim. track features gauzy guitars
before collapsing into musical
pandemonium with random,
has a certain head-banging gusto. It creates a
stressful suspense before finally
ne sis q ol. allowing each guitar to disappear
' one by one, leaving nothing but
reverberating chords and shak-
ing hands.
ic Youth tightens its choke- Simon Werner a Disparu isn't
with another hauntingly always an easy listen, but the
ful track, "Escapades," album is gripping and is cin-
segues so effortlessly into ematic without ever devolving
ually gothic and moody "La into melodrama. Though it was
e au Zodiac" that at some created to essentially remain
it stops mattering which solidly in the background, the
s which, since layered, sub- record is too compelling to sim-
uitars andtiptoeing drums ply accompany a movie. It has
hem both. "La Cabane au its own rising and falling action,
manages to toy with the climaxes and endings. It may be
r's emotions by shifting a soundtrack, but the record has
nd forth tonally from dra- its own story to tell.
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