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, Medical School Applicants Need help with your AMCAS or AACOMAS application or interview preparation? We are experts and can help you. www.abelsonmedadvising.com 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 T JOIN THE MICHIGAN DAILY'S EDITORIAL BOARD Interested in Campus, state and national affairs? Enjoy writing and debate? Participate in a weekly meeting to dicuss the Daily's editorials. 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