The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Monday, February 13, 2017 — 5A
Classifieds
Call: #734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
ACROSS
1 Show affection
to, as a dog
4 Barton of the Red
Cross
9 The Congo,
formerly
14 Martinique, par
exemple
15 Archaeological
find
16 Bother
17 *Track event with
batons
19 Night, in Naples
20 Congregational
“Absolutely!”
21 “__ beaucoup”
23 Lab rodent
24 Schoolbook, or
much of its
contents
25 *Romantic outing
for four
27 “Romanian
Rhapsodies”
composer
29 Wears away
30 John, Paul and
George: Abbr.
31 Under-the-sink
fitting
35 For fear that
36 *Romantic ideal
39 Farmland
measure
42 Steinway or
Yamaha
43 Crone
46 Yellow Teletubby
49 Meditative music
genre
51 *Machinist’s hole
maker
55 Ache
56 Announcer Hall
57 Use a loom
58 What aces may
count as
59 Black, in
Burgundy
61 Players on the
same side ... and
what the starts of
the answers to
starred clues can
be
64 Hues
65 The “I” in IV
66 High season on
the Riviera
67 Grain disease
68 Ruby Dee’s
husband Davis
69 Period, e.g.
DOWN
1 High seas bandits
2 Periodic table
listing
3 Fax forerunners
4 Bawl
5 The Once-__:
“The Lorax”
character
6 Mission to
remember
7 Houston sch.
8 Biting, as
criticism
9 More wacky
10 Period with 365
días
11 For services
rendered instead
of cash
12 Revolves
13 Driver’s license
requirement
18 Aardvark fare
22 The NFL’s
Browns, on
sports tickers
25 Pour affection
(on)
26 Sweetie pie
28 EMT procedure
32 Knock hard
33 Parisian pal
34 Ryder Cup org.
36 Big name in
computers
37 Holiday and
Days
38 Caviar
39 Firm, as pasta
40 It’s usually locked
after parking
41 Attacking, as the
fridge
43 Full of ghosts
44 Go along with
45 Prepares
47 L.A. Angels’
division
48 Big galoot
50 Stagecoach
driver’s “Stop!”
52 4:1, e.g.
53 Alternative to
odds
54 Theater chairs
60 Classic car
62 CAT scan cousin
63 Fannie or Ginnie
follower
By Kurt Krauss
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
02/13/17
02/13/17
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
RELEASE DATE– Monday, February 13, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
xwordeditor@aol.com
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HELP WANTED
FOR RENT
“Elle” does not gradually ease
into perversion and graphic
content. At the beginning of the
film, Michele, played perfectly
by
Oscar-nominated
Isabelle
Huppert (“Amour”), is sexually
assaulted on the floor of her
home by a balaclava-wearing
man. It’s first shown through the
expressions of her cat rather than
her own. Following the horrific
crime, it seems natural to linger
on the immediate effects of it, the
viewer expects the victim to call
the police or exert further signs
of trauma. But “Elle” doesn’t do
this. Rather, it lets the aftermath
unravel through 130 minutes of
paranoia and fear-driven action.
Michele is an owner of a
successful video game company
that she runs with her best friend,
Anna (Anne Consigny, “The
Diving Bell and the Butterfly”).
Her son, Vincent (Jonas Bloquet,
“3 Days to Kill”), needs her
financial assistance after moving
into
a
larger
apartment
to
house his girlfriend’s newborn.
Michele’s ex-husband, Richard
(Charles Berling, “March of the
Penguins”), is dating a younger
yoga instructor, which makes her
jealous. On top of this, Michele
is having an affair with Anna’s
husband, and her mom is getting
married to a much younger
man. Needless to say, people are
the cause of much conflict for
Michele.
Beyond the most villainous
and disturbing moments of rape
in the movie, “Elle” depicts
numerous consensual — though
unhealthy — sexual relationships.
Ultimately, no relationship feels
positive and mutually beneficial.
However, it is Michele’s neighbor
that causes her the most trouble.
Patrick, played by
Laurent
Lafitte
(“Asterix
and
Obelix: Mansion
of
the
Gods”),
is
wealthy,
handsome
and
charming. Among
the other selfish
characters,
Patrick
seems
to be the only virtuous and
trustworthy person for Michele.
“Elle,” at its core, is a suspense-
thriller, but in a convoluted way.
Director Paul Verhoeven (“Black
Book”) paces the movie slowly,
but leads up to critical moments
extremely effectively. At every
moment,
Michele
remains
susceptible to the rapist, even
in her own home. He sends
her demented texts and leaves
perverted messages everywhere
she goes. Clues lead up to the big
reveal of the rapist’s identity,
and this moment is arguably
the movie’s strongest moment.
Beyond the story, “Elle” is
as much a character study
as a thriller. Learning about
Michele’s past family conflict
and how she deals with being
a woman in a male dominated
industry is the most rewarding
experience of the entire movie.
The movie handles the topic
of rape with ambiguity. It’s
not always clear as the movie
progresses
how
it
affects
Michele, and it may seem to
trivialize the issue. However,
its lack of melodrama is not
necessarily a weak point. The
torturing
effects
on
Michele
are
portrayed
even
stronger as a result
of
the
movie’s
subtler approach to
showing emotion.
Nevertheless,
some of the movie’s
many
complex
relationships
add unnecessary bulk to the
movie. And, Michele’s familial
backstory doesn’t seem to add
much to the plot. Huppert’s
performance,
however,
is
well deserving of an Oscar
nomination. She is the center
of attention throughout the
entire film and lives up to the
high standards set by such
responsibility.
The graphic nature of the
rape scenes should not be
taken lightly. Certainly, it’s
pushing the boundaries of what
can be displayed in a major
motion
picture.
Considering
that women’s stories of sexual
assault have been covered up
and marginalized over time, it’s
necessary that victims’ voices
be heard.
Huppert delivers strong
performance in ‘Elle’
SONY PICTURES
Oscar-nominated Isabelle Huppert in “Elle”
Thriller explores the life of rape survivor with a sordid past
WILL STEWART
Daily Arts Writer
“Elle”
Sony Pictures
Classics
Michigan Theater
Kitamura and Bakopoulos
to talk fiction at Literati
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
Professor Natalie Bakopoulos and novelist Katie Kitamura
preview Kitamura’s new novel at popular local bookstore
Katie
Kitamura’s
writing
style
is
inimitably
different
from the majority of modern
American
literature
stocking
national bookstore shelves. An
American novelist, art critic and
journalist, Katie Kitamura earned
her PhD in American literature
from the London Consortium
after graduating from Princeton
University in 1999. She has written
both nonfiction and fiction pieces
of literature, in addition to writing
articles for The Guardian, The New
York Times and Wired. Monday
night, Kitamura will converse
about her new novel “A Separation”
with
Natalie
Bakopoulos,
an
author and professor of Modern
Greek, who is a graduate of the
MFA program at Michigan.
Kitamura’s novel, which was
published earlier this month, has
already been widely read and
acclaimed.
“The novel is about a woman
who is only recently separated
from her husband when she is
told that he is missing,” Kitamura
said. “She travels to a remote part
of Greece to look for him, and
the story unspools from there.
The landscape in the southern
Peloponnese was in a lot of ways
the origin of the book — I was
looking for a character, and a
narrative voice, that would reflect
that landscape.”
Due
to
the
intriguing
plot
of
her
story,
the
book
has
gained
enough
recognition
to
be
turned
into
a
movie.
Kitamura’s
book
will
be
adapted later this
year,
starring
Katherine
Waterston.
The novel is
mesmerizing and follows a story
that is not commonly depicted in
literature and film. She explores
the themes of divorce and the
disintegration of relationships in
a unique setting. Kitamura’s prose
has been described as “somewhat
hypnotic”
by
various
book
reviewers on a variety of online
blogs and as a must-read for lovers
of all genres.
Kitamura is an established and
knowledgeable author, and has
already written one nonfiction
book and three fiction novels.
“Fiction is really where my heart
is — I find that it’s easier for me to
be direct in fiction,” Kitamura said
when asked about her preference
between
the
two
genres.
“Nonfiction tends to make me more
self-conscious, which
is never useful for a
writer.”
Kitamura has also
dabbled in journalism
throughout
her
career,
and
she
believes it beneficial
to be exposed to other
artists’ work.
“I only have one
piece of advice, which
is to read as much as
possible,”
Kitamura
said. “I don’t know a
single good writer who is not also a
good reader.”
Both Bakopoulos and Kitamura
emphasize the importance of being
both a writer and a reader.
“Art takes time. It cannot
be rushed,” Bakopoulos said,
mirroring Kitamura’s words. “You
have to commit, and you have to
commit fully. Try to experience as
much art as you can. If you want
to be a writer, read. And read. And
read. Otherwise you won’t be any
good.”
ELI RALLO
Daily Arts Writer
Literati: Katie
Kitamura
with Natalie
Bakopoulos
Literati Bookstore
Monday February
13th @ 7 P.M.
Free
BRAVO
Brian Benben as Max in “Imposters”
‘Imposters’ impresses
with intriguing premise
For
a
series
premiere,
“Imposters” is impressively self-
aware. A new venture from Bravo
into the intersection of love and
the art of the con, “Imposters”
strikes
an
effective
balance
between comedy and drama. The
show approaches its somewhat
unrealistic
premise
with
a
heavy dose of juvenile humor
that is both well-executed and
enjoyable. While not the most
deftly produced program, and
one without any semblance of star
power among its cast, “Imposters”
entertains with its snappy dialogue
and compelling tale that indicates
gratifying vengeance lies on the
horizon for both its characters and
its audience.
In “Imposters,” Inbar Lavi
(“Gang Related”) stars as Maddie,
a master con with a flair for the
dramatic who relishes in her
ruthlessness. Along with her
cunning partners Max (Brian
Benben,
“Dream
On”)
and
Sally (Katherine LaNasa, “The
Campaign”), the trio infiltrate the
lives of single, wealthy individuals
and seduce them. After winning
their affection, they’ll take their
subjects for all they have — they’ll
empty their bank accounts and
max out their credit cards. These
victims learn their fate quickly and
mercilessly, and the series begins
just as Maddie’s latest victim,
Ezra (Rob Heaps, “Home Fires”),
accepts the fact that he’s been
played. It’s not the most plausible
premise, especially when the show
gets into the exact details of each
con, but there aren’t enough holes
in it to sink the series.
“Imposters” brings a nice twist
to the traditional con storyline: real
emotional investment. Maddie’s
targets aren’t just abandoned to
be broke and indebted — they’re
emotionally devastated, having
lost their longtime girlfriend, or
even wspouse, in some instances.
It’s a wholly novel take that gives
the story weight and inspires
more brutal, calculating revenge
from these victims. Maddie may
be
confident
in
her
belief
that
her victims “will
never
see
[her]
again,” but this
unique brand of
motivation
will
evidently put her
future schemes to
the test.
To complement its emotionally-
charged storylines, the series relies
on an effective blend of crude and
self-deprecating humor. Led by
Ezra, Maddie’s past targets take
time to roast themselves for their
current state and for ignoring
the initial signs of her con. In a
particularly funny scene, as Ezra
sympathizes with another of
Maddie’s past spouses, Bobby
(Andrew Jenkins, “Lost Solace”),
he asks if he, too, drowned his
sorrows with “booze and a lot of
crying.” To Ezra’s chagrin, Bobby
simply responds, “No,” before
going on to explain that he’s
coped without frequent sobbing.
There’s nothing earth-shattering
about these scenes, but the jokes
are conveyed precisely and work
well at giving the show a lighter
tone.
With its quality writing, it
is
rather
disappointing
that
“Imposters” does not boast a
stronger or more diverse cast.
Outside of Lavi’s strong lead
performance, many of the show’s
actors bring little experience, and
it shows from the opening minutes.
Although they both handle the
comedic duties of their parts well,
Heaps and Jenkins consistently
fail to bring emotional depth to
their roles. Their overall response
to
Maddie’s
con
is
both
underwhelming
and unconvincing,
leading viewers to
question whether
they’re
truly
as
upset about losing
their spouses as
they claim to be.
Similarly, Benben and LaNasa
neglect to bring anything lasting
to the screen, even though their
roles as Maddie’s partners would
seem to afford them an excellent
opportunity to develop intriguing
and
complex
characters.
Having such an anonymous and
replaceable cast is one of the
series’s biggest flaws, and it may
ultimately hinder “Imposters”
from gaining serious momentum.
At a time when television
appears to consistently churn out
underdone pilots and half-baked
test-runs, “Imposters” breaks the
mold. Well-crafted and intriguing
throughout its premiere, the
series has the potential for real,
sustained success — if its cast can
get its act together.
CONNOR GRADY
For the Daily
“Imposters”
Series Premiere
Bravo
Tuesdays at 10:00
PM
FILM REVIEW
TV REVIEW