Tuesday, June 1, 1999 - The Michigan Daily - 11 i Notting Hill *iiversal Pictures At Briarwood and Showca In 1994, director s teamed with writer Richa created one of the mo romantic comedies of al Weddings and a Funeral. mer of 1999 roles in, C rmed with "Four Weddin nean Kenworthy an Grant to create "Notting I Unlike "Four Weddin Hill" isn't an innovative r edy, but rather tries to sta vein of its predecessor w to the tenants of the tr meets girl romantic come The story is simple. Ant Roberts), the biggest mov world, wanders into Willi (Hugh Grant) travel Otantly, the pair have gr but it takes him bumpin street minutes later before ly gets together. "Notting the couple's ups-and-do) course of about a year. obvious, but isn't that alw What really works abo its first half. Even if it wa dy the beginning of "I uld work perfectly. F sart of Scott and Thacker is a joy. It's when things get roc ond half of the film when falter. The whole thing is ous and humor doesn't wo But an amazing turn b definitely one of her stro mances - and Grant's ty charm carries the film thri patches. While "Notting Hill" is. Sovation and originalit nice date movie or a va afternoon. The Thirteenth Columbia Pictures At Showcase If you are someone aesthetically inclined t drous special effects an camera work, "The Thir would be the movie to s( Douglas Hall (Craig I into a computer gene se like Newell rd Curtis and st endearing 1 time, "Four " As the sum- -urtis has re- ngs" producer d star Hugh Hill." gs," "Notting omantic com- y in the same hile adhering aditional boy dy. na Scott (Julia vie star in the am Thacker's book store. eat chemistry, g into her in reality program that lie and his boss have been working on for the past six years. Hall seeks to uncover the mys- terious murder of his friend and father-figure Hannon Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl) when he finds himself the primary suspect. With the help of company employee Whitney (Vincent D'Onofrio) Hall is thrust into a cyber- world designed to be 1930s Los Angeles. Director Josef Rusnak puts a rather serious slant on this simulated sci- fi/cyberpunk movie. But at times this is at the expense of the development of the main characters. Still, the over- all jist of the plot is interesting. "The Thirteenth Floor" addresses the possibility of a simulated universe able to spawn another universe by itself. It seems that "The Thirteenth Floor" is one of those movies that is visually more gratifying then the terns. He crafts a powerful understand- ing of the connection between Otto and Ana not through their dialogue but rather through their distance and long- ing. Martinez radiates in his first lead- ing role, and Nimri gives an especially engaging performance, masterfully rendering subtle movements. The careful and lengthy chronicle of Otto and Ana borders epic because Medem chooses to weave in larger themes of betrayal and loyalty to reflect the circular pattern of the film. The jux- taposition of Otto's German origin and his Spanish identity reveals larger polit- ical issues between fascist Germany and Spain during the Spanish war. Rich, focused and hypnotic, "Lovers of the Arctic Circle" embodies an emphatically different approach to the traditional love story. Jenny Curren CUBA Continued from Page 9 Turteltaub compared his two stars in "Instinct" favorably. He remarked that Gooding and Hopkins "don't take them- selves very seriously. They take the work very seriously. But a lot of actors get real high on themselves and he's not that way. Tony's not that way." And in "Instinct" Gooding had "a lot of fun" playing psychiatrist Theo Caulder. Playing this character, "I learned to listen a lot," Gooding said. Playing Caulder is also Goodings first leading role since he won an Oscar for "Jerry Maguire."Though Turteltaubjok- ingly attributes casting Gooding as one of the leads in "Instinct" to his own "genius," Gooding had a different take. "The things I was being offered at the time that were lead roles weren't very good scripts or movies," Gooding remarks. "The best roles that I was offered were the ones I did ... I thought there would be more of it too. I mean you win an Academy Award and 'woo' they want you to do this. It's like, 'Well, Cuba, we've got ... Matthew McConaughey."' Turteltaub was drawn to "Instinct," which is darker than his other films ("Phenomenon," "Cool Runnings"), hrrnicrof te ra-nt- 1-1o notho character Caulder "someone who has a lot of ambition and drive, yet needs to get a little more in touch with the things in lf' that nmatter." -- On top of that Turteltaub considers much of "Instinct" - particularly the end of the film -- about "letting go. Allowing things to happen." But there are still some things Gooding isn't able to let go of. When talking about his experience with his "A Few Good Men" director Rob Reiner, Gooding noted the director's displeasure with a scene that was similar in Reiner's film "Stand By Me" and Gooding's vehicle "Boyz 'N the Hood." Gooding recalled an audition with Reiner in which the director said, "'Let me ask you something, I rented that "Boyz 'N the Hood" movie because I hadn't seen it ... When those kids disap- pear on the railroad tracks, why'd you guys use that?"' Reiner pointed out the shot was from his film "Stand By Me." Blaming the incident on not getting the lead, Gooding called Reiner a "prick." Nevertheless, Gooding has had a great career, as has Turteltaub. But time will only tell if "Instinct" can wif' big box office in a summer with "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" to its left and "Austin Powers: The Spy Who 'hnpn M" to itc ht_ movie really is. the pair real- Lovers of the Hill" follows wns over the Circle The ending is Fine Line PicturE ays the case. At the Ann Arbor 1&2 ut the film is s just a come- * Notting Hill" Redeeming himself ollowing the bling, unintelligible is 's relationship film, "Earth," Spanisi Medem manages to c ky in the see- chant for painstaking things start to into a dynamic and t just too obvi- with his new film,' irk as well. Arctic Circle". y Roberts - Lovers Otto (Fele M. ingest perfor- (Najwa Nimri) are intr pical nervous dren, as young Otto ch ough its rough soccer ball and ends u who is fleeing her mof n't the stuff of the painful news of he y, it's still a The pair connectsi ste of a lazy only to later be joined when Otto's father ma Ed Sholinssy owed mother. Throughout their as i Floor projects the lost spirit o Otto until, upon het S behind Otto's unusu name, she hears Otto first time, and their s begins. Then, when O who is more German mother dies, s oward won- cidal guilt he leave b d outstanding stepmother and Ana. teenth Floor" Telling the story t ec. coincidental occurren Bierko) jacks chronologically, Mcd rated virtual the power of fate and 1i Mighty Joe Young Neshe Sarkoz DVD -rtc Disney Arctic Large and in charge, "Mighty Joe Young" is a kid's movie with little that as will appeal to anyone out of elemen- tary school. The story is dull and there's never a moment of suspense in the entire movie. The setup is simple from the ram- and sappy - an evil poacher kills the ness of his last mothers of both Jill Young (Charlize h director Julio Theron) and a gorilla named Joe on hannel his pen- the same night, leaving the two with ly slow drama only each other. ense love story But now there's a problem - "Lovers of the hunters are hot on Joe's tail, eager to nab him and cash in. Enter Gregg artinez) and Ana O'Hara (Bill Paxton), an animal roduced as chil- expert eager to transport Joe to a sases a wayward safer place in California. After real- p following Ana izing that Joe is in grave danger if her after hearing they stay in Africa, Jill agrees to take r father's death. the mighty beast to America. instantaneously, "Mighty Joe Young" depends heavily as sten-siblings on special effects, and for the most rries Ana's wid- they end up looking realistic - the movie received an Oscar nomination dolescence, Ana for Best Visual Effects. On the if her father onto whole, however, the film is really wring the story hurting. al palindromic The DVD contains a few extras, 's voice for the namely the trailer and a short fea- ecret love affair turette on the production. The fea- tto's abandoned turette, which includes interviews tricken with sui- with several of the cast members, is ehind his father, interesting but is also very short and comes off as little more than an through various advertisement for the film. In the end, ces rather than "Mighty Joe Young" is mighty in cim emphasizes name alone. fe's cyclical pat- Matthew Barrett Anthony Hopkins joins Cuba Gooding, Jr. for a rousing rendition of Know You." The two plan to take the show on the road later this il Hospital training in USt E and and South Amrica.Graduates .li09 he to i-es in US and abroad. Tran students "ona$ erad, clerkships available. All you need is Welcomed e to have completed pre-medical require- * For more Informaton call :" 404 355 1412 as - or 770 465 9966 We can be contacted via e-mail at admissionsfaism.edu 120 E. Libert Our web address is Carry- out t EXOTIC DRINKS - ~ 741-8100