Monday, June 4, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, June 4, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
-'Huntsman' trips, falls on sword
Deceit in cuisine
Update for efficiency
New adaptation
brings stunning
imagery, little else
By KAYLA UPADHYAYA
SeniorArts Editor
Look no further than the grow-
ing abundance of Grimm-inspired
television series to see that live-
action retellings
of the fairytale
classics are one of
the year's defin- Snow White
ing trends. But
even with the and the
recent satura- Huntsman
tion of familiar
princesses and At Quality16
knights resurfac- and Rave
ing, it's still hard Universal
to understand
why 2012 has
seen two two big-budget adapta-
tions of the familiar tale of Snow
White. While Tarsem Singh's "Mir-
ror Mirror" takes a much more
playful, campy take on its princess's
journey, first-time feature filmmak-
er Rupert Sanders spins a tale much
more rooted in the visual. But while
at times this dark retelling hints at
imagination, it slips into the generic
and fails to bring its central charac-
ters to life.
Themovie'smosthauntingacuity
comes in the form of Charlize Ther-
on's ("Young Adult") Ravenna, the
evil queen who spellbounds her way
into agrievingking's heart. Ayoung
Snow White looks at her stepmoth-
er-to-be in awe of her beauty. But on
their wedding night, Ravenna kills
the king while whispering a biting,
poignant soliloquy about a former
king who ruined her and how men
just use women for their own ben-
efit. The film'sbeginningastays close
to Ravenna, exploring her compli-
cated motives for coveting beauty,
which she disdainfully regards as
woman's only source of power and
influence. She's damaged, full of
visceral emotions. And these first
unfoldings of the film are steeped
in complex themes of vengeance,
obsession, even possible insanity.
Theron plays Ravenna with nuance
and alluring movement, vulnerable
one moment, volatile the next.
But the themes introduced at
the inception flicker and fade by
the time Snow (Kristen Stewart,
"Twilight") and her indistinct band
of brethren become the narrative's
centerpiece. A psychological, smart
story suddenly becomes a stilted
epic. The story's hero goes from
damsel to Joan of Arc loan instant,
and both the script and Stewart
can't seem to figure out who this
girl is supposed to be. Stewart
stumbles in her delivery and doesn't
quite have the commanding pres-
ence to fill the armor she dons to
lead a revolution.
And the rest of the characters
are too caricatured to be anything
more than symbols and devices
to decorate Snow White's quest.
Chris Hemsworth's ("The Cabin in
the Woods") Huntsman is endear-
ing, but is defined only by his mel-
ancholy. The presence of William
(Sam Claflin, "United"), a child-
hood companion of Snow White,
adds absolutely nothing to the story
other than an unnecessary love tri-
angle that seems to be contractual-
ly obligated for any movie starring
Stewart. Sam Spruell ("The Hurt
Locker") brings a bewitching, dis-
turbing malevolence to the queen's
brother Finn, but his near-sensual
attachment to his sister remains -
like so many of these characters'
'I told those haters I could handle serious emotions.'
purposes and facets - unexplored.
"Huntsman" is as obsessed with
aesthetics as its villain, but the
careful attention given to indelible,
beautiful imagery isn'tseen in other
aspects of the film - especially the
dialogue, which excepting a few
pulsing utterances from Ravenna,
is colorless. Viewers are less likely
to recall the attributes of the seven
dwarves than the visual intrica-
cies of "sanctuary," the land of the
fairies, reminiscent of "Avatar" in
its exoticness and ethereal effects.
Ravenna's enchanting, shadowy
wardrobe is just as defining to the
character as her manic physicality.
Take away the sweeping land-
scapes, the swirling flocks of crows,
the repeated image of three drops
of dark red blood falling into white-
ness, the phantom soldiers who
shatter into shards of brilliantly
black glass, the unsettling aging
and de-aging of Ravenna's features
... what's left is a tale of a fair, vir-
ginal princess whose heart, inno-
cence and youth brings the walls of
a fierce and monstrous queen tum-
bling down.
It's a story remembered from
childhood, and "Huntsman" adds
no lasting newness or richness to
the characters or their journey. It's
a black-and-white account of good
triumphing over evil, a too-routine
retelling with stylistic renovation
and unfulfilled innovation.
Olive Garden li
never under thei
the land of endless
breadsticks was
truly authen-
tic, but I also
didn't think
they would be
making things
up. After just
a few days in
Rome, however,
one thing has
become clear:
the cuisine in
Italy is nothing
like "Italian"
food in America.
Firstthings first
that spaghetti isn'
I know, inconceiv
posedly brought
China by Marco P
So, the quinte
dish is probably ju
Chinese food. I f
information even
ing than the langu
has crippled my
with the locals. Ift
dish of a country
rich with histor
just a souvenir br
man who liked li
beach, then what.
the rest of the wor
It's lies. All 1
another shock? I
clue what chicken
My group sat ta
one of our Italiar
told us the best p
pasta and gela
Rome. She fielded
question - "Wb
place for pizza?"
anywhere I cang
with ease, befor
conversation to a
someone asked, "V
chicken parm?"
"Non capisco, I'
understand." We p
out the dish again,
naive notion that
speaks a different
deaf. Finally, we
"Oh, parmesan,
eggplant, yes?"
"Just like that,c
en or maybe veal i
"No, you must b
mesan is a dish tl
with vegetables."
Mind. Blown. N
en parmesan not
but its existenc
able to your aver
the U.S., we have
Italian food, we h
beyond recognitio
ed to us. I was
impression that
soup, salad and
Other foods I associate with my
favorite hometown Italian restau-
rant seemed to have disappeared
as well. There is rarely bread
on tables, and if it does appear,
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it's never used for dipping in oil.
Another major faux pas is serving
salad before pasta. A true Roman
would gawk at the gargantuan
salads that come out before the
mounds of pasta in the U.S.
CAITLIN
MORATH American food is
not simply a bad
, I was informed imitation.
t native to Italy.
able. It was sup-
to Italy from
olo.
ssential Italian Even the overall experience of
1st a variation of eating is entirely different in Italy.
aund this bit of The meals take longer, the por-
more disorient- tions are smaller and everyone
age barrier that takes their time to enjoy the wine
communication and each other's company.
the most famous And the food is made fresh-to-
so ancient and order, so much so that a waiter
y was actually asked our group of 20 to limit our
ought back by a orders to only a few types of pasta
sg walks on the if we hoped to eat at any point in
does that say for the near future. It's nothing like
ld? chain restaurants in the states,
ies. Ready for where any - supposedly - Italian
talians have no dish imaginable can be ordered
parmesan is. and ready within 15 minutes.
king notes with The food in Italy is like nothing
n guides as she I've had before. I expected it to be
laces for pizza, better than its American counter-
to throughout part, but not so entirely new. I've
d question after come to a realization: Italian food
here's the best and its American adaptation are
gand "Is there two completely separate cuisines.
tet a burger?"- Just as the noodles Marco Folo
e bringing the most likely brought back from
standstill when China were molded over time into
Vho has the best the spaghetti Italians now know
and love, a dish whose roots are
m sorry, I do not almost unrecognizable, so too has
roceeded to yell Italian-American food developed
acting upon the into a cuisine with its own unique
a person who flavors and dishes.
language is also Don't get me wrong, I've thor-
got a response, oughly enjoyed every meal I've
you mean with had thus far in Rome. The ingredi-
ents, recipes and chefs guarantee
only with chick- that the food is some of the best
nstead." I'll ever eat. I am simply argu-
e mistaken, par- ing that perhaps we should stop
hat is only done considering the food we have as a
cheap imitation of the old country,
lot only is chick- and instead appreciate our food
typical in Italy, for what it is: an example of the
e is inconceiv- American melting pot at its finest.
'age Roman. In And I don't care what Carolina
't just adopted says, I'm not giving up my chicken
ave mutilated it parmesan.
n.
Caitlin Morath can be reached
at cmorath@umich.edu.
MINNEAPOLIS - I decided
to take a short vacation home
before starting my internship.
When I
arrived inthe
Twin Cities,
I first took
the train to
visit family,
rode the light
rail to Tar-
get Field to
watch a rare MATTHEW
Twins win, ZABKA
and finally
took the
commuter rail 70 miles to visit
my undergraduate university in
St. Cloud. It was a great trip, but
in the back of my mind, I was
still stressed out because I didn't
know how I'd be able to travel the
30 miles daily from Ann Arbor to
Dearborn without owning a car
for my internship.
Living in Ann Arbor without
a car is easy because of the great
bus systems. However, the rest
of southeast Michigan's mass
transit system needs improve-
ment. The culture of animosity
between Detroit and its suburbs
has hurt the region's mass tran-
sit system, but Michigan's partial
takeover of Detroit via the recent
consent agreement could offer
an opportunity to improve this
system.
Detroit's mass transit sys-
tem consists of two separate bus
systems with many redundant
routes. One is managed by the
Detroit Department of Trans-
portation (DDOT), and the other
is managed by the Suburban
Mobility Authority for Regional
Transportation (SMART).
Both systems are inefficient.
A trip from downtown Detroit
to Detroit Metro Airport by car
takes less than 25 minutes. But
by bus, it takes at least an hour
and 30 minutes. Last week, The
Detroit News published a let-
ter by DDOT's new CEO Ronald
Freeland in which he admits
that, before he took over, there
were days when only 67 percent in merging the two systems, as
of DDOT's scheduled routes ran. suburban leaders are unwilling
By merging duplicate routes, to take on any of Detroit's legacy
replacing two management costs. As I have written in previ-
structures with one and replac- ous columns, Detroit has prom-
log the DDOT and SMART with ised its retired employees more
a single mass transit system that retirement benefits than it could
coordinates city and suburban afford, and fixing Detroit is not
busses, the Detroit metro area possible without reforming these
citizens would have a much more legacy costs.
effective transit system that
operates with fewer subsidies.
There have been attempts to Transnortation
consolidate the two systems,
but a lack of leadership and an in S.E. M ichigan
abundance of absurd reasoningr
have resulted in a broken sys- is inefficient.
tem. One of the most ridiculous
arguments against consolidat-
ing is that it would cost some
DDOT and SMART employees The current consent agree-
their jobs. That's true, but cash- ment between Michigan and the
strapped Detroit can no longer Detroit city government gives
afford to pay for two managers, Gov. Snyder, Detroit Mayor Bing
maintenance workers and bus and Detroit City Council the
drivers, when one will serve the opportunity to make necessary
public just as well. Using the reforms to retiree benefits. If
logic of this argument against these reforms remove the pos-
consolidation, southeast Michi- sibility of suburban communi-
gan should create a redundant ties ever paying for DDOT's
third bus system or have a train pension obligations, a merger of
that drives in a pointless three- the DDOT and SMART systems
mile circle around downtown would be possible. This merger
Detroit in order to create jobs. would save Detroit money and
Just kidding, that train already better serve southeast Michigan.
exists, and a third bus system Southeast Michigan's desire
may be on its way. Mismanage- for mass transit is obvious. Ann
ment and squabbling between Arbor now has convenient and
the suburbs and the city in the cheap express bus service to
'80s led to a system that serves DTW, while Sen. Debbie Stabe-
almost nobody rather than the now (D-Mich.) recently touted
regional subway system that her support for commuter rail
was originally envisioned. Some between Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Detroit leaders wanted a system Many of the most successful
that would only serve Detroiters, urban areas like the Twin Cities,
which begat the People Mover. Denver and Portland have attrib-
Ironically, the People Mover uted some of their success to
mostly serves suburbanites who excellent mass transit. There is
ride it for novelty's sake during no reason that mass transit can-
weekend events. not play a huge part in southeast
As for a third bus system, Michigan's revival if leaders have
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's the will.
proposed bus rapid transit sys-
tem may very well end up as Matt Zabka can be reached at
Detroit's third bus system. mzbka@umich.edu. Follow him
Currently, DDOT's pension on Twitter at @MatthewZabka.
obligations are the main obstacle
Three cheers for 'Town'
By KAYLA UPADHYAYA
Senior Arts Editor
"Hopefully, this is only the sea-
son finale," professed the familiar,
colorful title-card last Tuesday
before "Cougar Town" 's two-
episode season
finale. Self-ref- ****
erential and
oft-deprecating Cougar
title-card jokes TOw
have been a run-
ning gag since Tuesdays
season two, some at 8p.m.
of the highlights
this year being AB(
"She's marry-
ing a man her own age, so why is
it still called: 'Cougar Town,'" "'I
didn't know it was back on either' -
Abed" and "Welcome to Cougarton
Abbey." But this time, it wasn't so
much a joke as an honest plea. By
the time the finale aired, the snappy
sitcom's fate had been decided: ABC
technically canceled the program,
but TBS swooped in to save the day,
ordering a complete fourth season.
But the show was still very much
within the bubble while filming
these episodes, so showrunners Bill
Lawrence and Kevin Biegel created
a finale that could say "goodbye for
now" or "goodbye forever" and still
leave viewers satiated. For Biegel
and Lawrence, the end of season
three really is their permanent fare-
well: The pair are stepping down, a
voluntary move overshadowed by
the much more scandalous NBC vs.
Dan Harmon saga.
There are actually lots of good-
byes in "My Life/Your World."
Grayson (Josh Hopkins) must kiss
goodbye to his privacy and love of
quiet reading (nerd alert!) in loner-
land. Marrying Jules means marry-
ing the gang and all of their bizarre
yet endearing qualities like their re-
appropriation of common sayings
(take note: "fat chance" now means
the opposite of "slim chance" and
"cake walk" now describes really
difficult activities).
Travis (Dan Byrd) bids adieu to
his youth - though he probably did
long ago considering that he is con-
tantly hanging with his mom's
See COUGAR, Page 9
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