" T1. to 4 - t 1 .- "h I Pixie Anne Pennwright Spokescritic * Diva * Strict Vegan 12 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, August 9, 1999 Wet SOngs like watermelon kisses and dancing candy-coated choruses in a forest of full-tilt jams.. t. The Iron Giant Warner Brothers At Showcase It's always good to see an animated feature without musical numbers. "The Iron Giant" doesn't even have an annoy- ing ditty sung loudly in the background! The film starts atmospherically as something plunges past Sputnik and into the sea. Only a handful of characters are seen at first. That's good, as the generic townsfolk are horrendously designed and stand in contrast to the solidly dark backgrounds and nearly visually perfect title character. Sadly, our hero is an ugly Howdy Doody troll creature named Hogarth Hughes, shallowly written and shrilly voiced. Better than Jar Jar, though. Nice designs are saved for Hogarth's mother Annie (Jennifer Aniston), gov- ernment agent Kent Mansly and the Iron Giant. The Giant's CGI-based look is out of step with the rest of the visuals, but that combines with the story line in such a way that it's acceptable. Not to mention that it is a salivatingly good robot design. The show becomes less beautiful in day- light; certain elements, including an intentionally bad horror movie and a laughable duck and cover film, look bet- ter than most of the movie. The tale itself consists of very little story, and the plot has no surprises. Fortunately, the narrative is fairly tight, and is well crafted if not challenging. "The Iron Giant" is how Disney would make a Gamera movie if they couldn't be sued by the Gigantor people. But just because it's neither Japanese nor Disney shouldn't keep you from it. Ted Watts Limbo Sony Screen Gems At State **I Since he began directing films in 1980 with "Return of the Secaucus Seven," writerdirector/editor/actor John Sayles has embodied both independence and artistry in film. Not only has Sayles written, directed and edited a plethora of independent films, but he has occasion- ally done a studio film ("ight Men Out"), done uncredited re-writes (he's credited for making the script of "Apollo 13" work) and developed a unique style that is clearly his own. This is what makes "Limbo" so disap- pointing. It's easiest to look at the two halves of "Limbo" as two different films really. The first looks at the changes in a small Alaskan town where the fishing andI lumber industries are dying and tourism is taking over. As usual in Sayles' films. he doesnit only examine one character and the effects of the change on him, butt through his ensemble cast explores how the town has changed. The story does prisarily conceri three chaacters though: Jot. (Dasid Strathirn) a lonel carpe-nterssi til a dark past Dona (Mars Elzabeit Masrantoioi) and Noele (Vanessa Martinez), Donna's disturbed daughter. Love blooms between Joe and Donna just as Joe's half brother asks him to help pilot his boat. Joe agrees, taking Donna and Noelle. as the film moves i ntits second half. This is when things go bad. It turns out Joe's brother is in trouble with a group of drug dealers and they kill him as Joe, Donna and Noelle escape to a abandoned island to escape. Since one knows where they are except the drug dealers, their fate is in limbo. Though Sayles' attempt is noble in the second half and it's clear that he's trying to develop the theme of not knowing and transition, his execution is poor. The film goes from unpredictable and perfect to predictable and cliched. This is only made up for with one of the best endings ever conceived. But the last minute isn't enough to save "Limbo." Rather, audience will trapped in limbo after plummeting out of a heavenly first half into a hellish cli- max. Ed Shoins/b' The Loss of Sexual Innocence Sony Pictures Classics At the Michigan Theater starting 8/184 In 1994 a little known writer/director named Mike Figgis shook the film world with his Oscar-winning film "Leaving Las Vegas." Though it was his ninth film and he had directed visible projects before ("Internal Affairs," 'The Browning Version") it was his first film to really stand up and be noticed. In hi second feature since "Leaving L Vegas" (after the awful "One Night Stand"), "The Loss of Sexual Innocence" stands apart from any of Figgis' other films and presents a truly unique vision. "Loss" is a film that rejects narrative structure and tells three stories that come together and are set against the story of Adam (Femi Ogumbanjo) and Eve (Hanne Klintoe). One story is about Nic's (Julian Sands) journey from youn adulthood to manhood, and his betr by women and himself Another features Saffron Burrows playing twins separated at birth who only see each other for one fleeting moment in an airport. And final- ly the last is about a young boy who explores the streets and reminds Nic about his own youthful sexual curiosity. While the film is strikingly put togeth- er and often captivating it's also deeply flawed. Figgis pays little attention pacing during this largely dialoguele. film and pays for it with many moments of pure boredom. Though the film is complex, overtly artistic, uncompromis- ing and bold, it shouldn't give Figgis license to bore. Still, "Loss" is so well conceived and so daring that boredom can be put aside. His look at sexuality, the loss of inno- cence and particularly Adam and Eve arc so captivating that it makes "Loss" sth lthe effort of dissecting it. Esd Sh/isi t st 5 s t Adam, Eve and a serpent star in "Loss." 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