P ERSUASION' AT MICHIGAN THEATER
Ths 1995 British film, based on Jane Austen's A ~u
classic novel, is showing on Sunday at 2:45 p.m.
Another Austen adaptation, "Sense and aid Wednesday f
Sensibility," plays on Satsrday at 2:15 p.m. (9R T August 7, 19967

Kansas City'
~xtravaganza
Uisappoints
ly Bohdan Damian Cap
ur the Duily
Sunday night, the screening of "Kansas City' a benefit for
th the Michigan Theater and the program of Film atnd Video
tudies at the University, played to a paeked house at the Michiganl,
seater Although there were many people on hand at the event,
tee was carly mon. disappointment than expected.
Although the ltve jazz by the Sugardaddy Septet preceding
~2vent was a treait, the remainder of the advertised offer- t
were spirsely seen. Most of the "gangsters and tough-
liking gun molls"swere the audience members getting in the
init of things, and the "speaikeasy reception" followving the
im, at nearby.7 itizibar restaurant, offered nothing spectac-
lar for the inflated ticket price.
This is not to say the whole evening was a disappointmetit.
Inc of the highlights of te event was faumed jazz saxophonist attd
o-star of the filit' Jamnes Carter, who wvas on htand to offer anic-"
otes of his excitenment through the making of the film.
Afler Carter's ittroduction, the 31st of Altman's films was
*tr wsay, and lie excitement was shaken downt to mere enter-
iinment. Utnlik the pre-press swould have the audience believe,
'Kansas City" is not at all a film about the Kansas City jazz,
cene in lie I19301s. Rather, it is a lukewarm adaptation of a crimge
Isama meshed together with an astounding jazz soundtrack.
Vitliout a doubt, lie ofteti recurrittg 'cutting contests" betwetini=a- tus4i-
te tiuictti wee mre ntralingthn te pot tslf.Oneof Actor/musician James Carter, speaking at the premiere of
tese contests, swlich occurs roughly midway through te filmn Robert Altman's "Kansas City," at the Michigan Theater.
sist ai marathon five minutes.,satd it is easily the high poit of
te filin. Lcighi) concocts this plan in order to swap the millionaire's syfc
"I tried to vsrite this filmt like jazz and I tried to shoot it tat for tier otwti irsh at-, a small-time swidler. Ilcit s Ihimself'
,"L said .Altmanm. "In other wordis, I have lites atnd there is a beetn kidntipped by SeldomiiiSeen (1 Parry Blcafonie),a killer and
)Weith defittite suspetnse. There is a beginning, a middle vs\It crittinail. aid Ilso tic owsnes tfcthle I Iy-I Iy lub. ltmeiii
iolpig poits, and an et'dittg, bit ini the "up ill eight'' jazz sequene."
cicn, I let the actors go offxon tese. xLv I 11 I sciptionaI performances by a11 the ieaxds,
It1s, just like lieys do int tusic.'" J asciy espcially Jeitnie r Jasonin ghcA, do rfilr
Kasa Citfortunately, wtat works tsell i StiCI Diecedbu Robehi tixxho i si p rtmise to a script iliat scecits tired, bitt in
tintls fri rstic expressiontidoesavnot's i c stiheI Iendx iiti Ixirtitcixc.. alonei itt
try x cc ititri oilier'. lt tact, it is setise xi * er . [i i t li ip x tC.i iti'st' 's 'tth
*y Ei t xii {i sfl fd, t th xti c (f.,ii- .7i {f lii
it ".1 ii''.'i.' Ii I iftt A C''I. L

Novel takes relaxed look
a t trials, jury system
By Kristina Curkovic sively overprotective of a reluctant
DailyAew IniterLibby. Will has a certain charnm,
After a proliferation of widely publi- although he's certainly weaker than the
cuzed court eases, and of nonfiction books overpowering Alex; we follow his tintid
concerming those cases, "Jury Duty" is a pursuit of Libby, hoping for the best but
relaxed vertion of the criminally famous conscious of the differences between
media blitz. It answers questions such as, hint and Alex.
"How much does the jury really get to The trial isn't exactly center stage
find out?" and "Do romantic relationships here. Most of the interesting action
ever grow out of serving on a jury, or does takes place outside of the courtroom,
everybody just iginore each other after the amid the lawyers' incompetence, though
verdict's in?" amusing at tintes,
The heroine, yearms for the true
Libby Winslow, hap- R EV I L courtroom drama of
ues to be a semi- J,. ,Dut someone like Steve
popular fiction ByI Laua anWome Martini or even
writer who is select- CroenttBootks John Grishant.
ed for the jury pre- lxxxiutnit five There is little teit--
siding over a muich- sion, except for the
publicized muxrdet feeling of guilt on
trial: a rich white layboy is accused of the turots' part ais they deliver their ver-
murdeinti"a beauitiful youingniodel. The dietiand there is a feeling of injustice
rest of the jury reprsents ai mixture of chenthielixixl concludes and the jurors
backgrounmds itid opitions, including a fitiathy discoseci thre crucial (but intad-
Brazilian bonmhshcll, a Wall Street brcoker ixissiblc) evidecxe they should have
aind several inexplicable characters who rised lio ccacht their verdict.
roant in and out of thc story. Van Wxomer So, while. the heroine doesnttrccxx-
insists ott letsvin nohitig untwritten cr lys Itavextiy traditionally heroic
subtle--tiltjutrais abackgrouud, and aspects, and the courtroom dratmx
wec mushtxxmnfortxxnately, cover exach onme's isit't reaill's a drama, this book
borimnterritotrv. includes ma tny issues inherent to time
Forrmtue mimicn of time jurors is pre- justice systemt. 1There are some picas-
seted asm letetily likablec- Wilt. ingmo ummemmts ini the book, but it is aiii
time stockbrokxer,swhxo flmis for Libby bittuntfrtunai~te anid unbclievxable thxinig
haxs ax hew proxblctms: IFirsi of' all, there's tlxti 12 pexople's lives charnge the
the grriendx1010 vstxx' wn'sulea~ve, ammmdox'ist hmenmtic'sare mt scluiactd
thecn thieve's AMcx.vshoxibecoxmeis obse'- frxxoimlthe uside worlrd.
o c ?

'5's, iljt, C h ' j i ,'s x ' y~l' '
Di1 rvo s1axc .-i mfi Al i. 'F{-
,Ie 338 S. State Street 9611

Ii

, ._ ..