“Public Enemies” Review

Before seeing Public Enemies, it seemed like a mix between American Gangster and Catch Me If You Can ― but I was pleasantly surprised to see a new type of movie. This film was based around the life of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), an infamous bank robber and the most wanted American public enemy.

Well-liked by the public because he was polite and respectful even when robbing banks, Dillinger and his friends seemed able to hide anywhere and do anything, until a special police unit was created ― its main purpose to find and catch Dillinger. The task force was led by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the most successful field agent at the time. Unknown to Dillinger, the task force was slowly finding their way toward him while he continued to rob banks. The only challenge Purvis must overcome to find Dillinger is getting more competent police on his team.

Dillinger even had time to fall in love with a woman, Billie Frechette, played by Marion Cotillard. As his friends are killed and connections lost, Dillinger does whatever he can to hold on to what he has left and try to make it out alive.

Depp played a different role than in most of his other movies, and he played it well. The actors’ great performances and different looks than in other movies gave them each a new character completely. The unusual cinematography included varying sound levels, first-person views, unique angles, unsteady cameras and close-up shots. Mixing these with what seemed to be old footage made the different scenes enjoyable. However, it would have been better with more subtle transitions between different effects and sound levels.

Sometimes, the fighting and shooting scenes were too over-the-top and made the movie seem like part of a video game. Overall, however, the differences between Public Enemies and most other movies made it worth watching.

Rating: R
Grade: B+

― Daniel Risner

CD review: Pat McGee – These Days

Pat McGee’s newest album, These Days (The Virginia Sessions), comes off as a mix between soft country and rock. Some songs sound more country, others have a hint of jazz and a few have a more rock and roll feel. Each song is like tasting a different wine ― they are all good but all different.

The band hit the mark when it comes to good lyrics. The listener can tell that a lot of time and effort was put into making the lyrics and sound. But most of all, there is heart behind the music ― and it does show. This is some of the most heart-felt music I have listened to in a while. The music seems to let the listener express him or herself in a way that can be difficult to do alone.

Each song tells a story, and each has a different feel and tune. The song “All Over You” sounds more country than some of the others. The lyrics are about getting over a relationship and all the troubles that come with it ― a subject to which a lot of people would be able to relate.

The three songs that evoked the most emotion were “Elizabeth”, “Maybe It’s Time” and “End of October.” “End of October” is a song that seems especially geared to the memory of the hard time the band went through with the loss of their friend Chris Williams. The band put a lot into this album emotionally, and I would recommend it to anyone.
― Julie Rice

“Away We Go” Review

Away We Go tells the story of Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) and Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph). Quintessential slackers, the thirty-somethings have no visible direction to their lives. Verona said aloud in their ramshackle house, “Are we screw-ups?”

In the crass opening scene, Burt realizes Verona is pregnant. Though more traditionally than expected given their attitudes, the rootless lovers want to be near Burt’s family when the baby arrives. Burt’s parents, played expertly by Catherine O’ Hara and Jeff Daniels, announce that they can’t stay in Colorado — that they are finally making good on an old plan to move to Belgium. Daniels and O’Hara have a clear chemistry, and seeing more of them in the movie would have made it far more interesting.

With no remaining ties to Colorado, Verona sees the possibilities of a new home. “Think of the possibilities. We can live anywhere,” she said.

Burt, an outdoors type, readily agrees. The two want to find meaning and direction in their lives, and, equally important, a home for their child. So begins a trail of vignettes.

In Phoenix, Verona meets an old friend, a daytime drinker (Allison Janney) who insults everyone in earshot, even her children. Her husband, played flawlessly by Jim Gaffigan, provides an excellent dopey foil to Burt and Verona’s restrained politeness.

The trip to Madison leads them to a friend of Burt’s, a senseless New Age college professor. The professor, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, abhors strollers, bras and proper parenting. The facial expressions Krasinski makes when he is uncomfortable during this part of the movie are very similar to the expressions he uses on the show The Office.

Krasinski plays Burt with oafish charm. He tells Verona at one point in the film that “He wants to be the kind of dad that cobbles things for his son.” Sighing, Verona quickly comments that he probably meant to say “whittle” ― an example of the way Rudolph uses restrained anger in her role as Verona.

When the couple arrives in Miami, Burt comforts his brother whose wife has left him and his child alone. Burt is terrified that the unwed Maya might one day leave their child, so, cleverly, while canoodling on a trampoline, he compels Verona to promise to a series of vows ― making sure to phrase each question to elicit a response of “I do.”

Finally, after the two see firsthand how raising children can go awry, they decide on a home. The movie ends with the couple sentimentally realizing that home is where the heart is.

Regrettably, much of this movie is as saccharine as the ending, despite the convening of great talent. For this movie, Sam Mendes, director of American Beauty and the recent Revolutionary Road, teamed up with Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, both rising stars in the contemporary literature world. However, the cameos alone salvage the movie — from the airheaded, polysyllabic Jeff Bridges to the over-the-top earthiness of Maggie Gyllenhaal.

As for Burt and Verona: Yes, they’re screw-ups, but at least they’re learning.

Rating: R
Grade: C+

— Evan Tokarz

Review: MIMS ― Guilt

At first glance, the album cover of the MIMS CD Guilt made me think, “Great, another rap CD. It’s probably the same as the others.” But, not being a rap music fan, that was just a biased opinion. Some of the songs on the album were actually enjoyable ― Crazy, I know.

The album easily incorporated “chill,” laid back and often adult-oriented, real-world songs about love and romance with lyrics that hit home.

While listening to the various songs, I couldn’t help but think of the many places one might actually hear this music being played. Get-togethers, bars, clubs, beaches or just hanging out with your significant other. What got me hooked were the artists’ lyrics of his ups and downs in life and the struggles he endured while becoming “successful.”

In the opening track, for example, he describes the trials of his success and wonders if he should feel guilty about it. Should he feel guilty that while others are living in poverty, he is “sporting” his $1,000 shoes? I do agree with the artist, however, that money, power and respect creates tyranny ― we see it everyday in our society (hey… did I just create a rap lyric?).

Aside from feelings of guilt, many of the lyrics in Guilt focus on love, happiness and even betrayal and envy. Many people can likely relate to these. After all, who hasn’t gone through a “Love Rollercoaster” ride when in a relationship? Who hasn’t told ourselves or loved ones that “One Day” we will accomplish our goals? Or felt a sense of envy when one of our friends has “made it” and we haven’t? Thus, the messages that are expressed are of daily struggles some have gone through or may go through at one time or another.

“Love Rollercoaster” is not your typical rap song, nor is “One Day.” But that’s what I liked about this album ― it had a variety of songs in it, not just rap, those that included rapping, such as “Guilt,” were still good. The musical themes had messages of the real world and how they can affect our personal decisions and lead to consequences.

For those who are not rap listeners, it would be worthwhile to listen to some of the songs on this CD ― Even if it’s just one or two while you’re looking for that dreaded parking spot on your way to class. You might be surprised that some songs on this album can be enjoyable for everyone. My favorites were “Love Rollercoaster” and “One Day.” But that’s just me.
― Michael Ortegon

“Glee” review

Glee, a new Fox television show, is about opening up to joy

Fox’s new comedy musical series from Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy, Glee follows Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) as he tries to improve the high school’s show choir and take them to Nationals. Schuester has his work cut out for him because the glee club hasn’t won a competition since 1993, and it has deteriorated into a haven for musical misfits.

The show takes place in present-day Ohio and reflects the current economic times as the school is hit with budget cuts. After the glee club teacher is laid off, Schuester volunteers to take over the task to help inspire the students. The glee club is made up of talented school outcasts: a fast-talking street chic diva, a nerd with retro fashion sense, an alternative punk, a snorting dork in a wheelchair and a celebrity wannabe with big dreams and an even bigger voice.

The show focuses on high school cliques and even goes as far as describing high school as a “caste system.” Glee club is for the losers — the talented, popular kids would never be caught dead joining. Will knows he needs some fresh talent to get the team to nationals, so he blackmails the school’s star quarterback into joining, hoping that if a few popular kids join, more will follow.

A quirky cast of teachers, including 40 Year Old Virgin actress Jane Lynch as a feisty cheerleading coach, and a lot of drama in the story line will appease adults. The humor is meant to be more about character interactions, so don’t expect the same comedic timing and quick wit found in Nip/Tuck.

The series is being marketed as a family show but will probably be most successful in the tween market where the High School Musical craze hit the hardest. The series will differ from typical musicals or the High School Musical fad because the students never randomly burst into song and dance. Each musical number is written into the story line as a rehearsal or a performance.

The series features songs popular today as well as golden oldies from every genre — with a pop twist. The cast is made up of a talented group of actors who also sing and dance. The musical numbers are entertaining and watchers will find themselves singing and bopping along.

The series will ultimately focus on the underdog show choir and how they battle their way to the top. The show poses a strong message of following dreams and respect for the kids who are different. Popularity of the show will depend on whether a market saturated by High School Musical sequels has room for a show choir full of misfits in prime time.

Sing along when Glee premiers Tuesday, May 19, at 9pm.

Amanda Moore

“State of Play” Review

Fast-paced action and a blatant thought-provoking message characterize director Kevin Macdonald’s political thriller, State of Play.

Some might find the film’s criticism of the current state of newspapers harsh, but it also acts as a plea to fix the newspaper problem, offering a suggestion for both how to fix the problem and why it is worth fixing.

Running at just over two hours, the film Stars a round-faced Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams and Helen Mirren. Crowe plays Cal McAffrey, the glorified hero, a veteran journalist who does not blog or write flashy stories to sell papers, but always gets the real story. Della Frye (McAdams) is the newbie blogger who has to learn the traditional ways of hard-news reporting. The two work together to keep the government in check and show their editor that publishing the truth is a more important goal than getting out a quick gossipy story that will make money.

It is set in Washington D.C. and shows a glimpse of the idealized and romanticized world of big-city political journalism, a message that is contrary to the current state of major newspaper organizations.

State of Play features convincing acting and an amazing cameo by Jason Bateman, also known as Arrested Development’s Michael Bluth.

The plot is based on the 2003 BBC series, which explains the English-sounding names like Della Frye and Robert Bingham. Although condensed, the film adaptation closely follows the TV series plot.

During the credits, images of newspaper printing show that when the important story is finished, it goes to newsprint rather than online.

The film is worth watching for the concept and worth liking because it is as rich in style as it is convincing.

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton were originally cast to play the leading roles, but when Pitt backed out, both had to be replaced. Crowe and Affleck filled their roles.
-Christine Labit

“Adventureland” Review

Eisenberg (left) and Stewart (right) play off each other well in Adventureland

With the release of his newest film Adventureland, Superbad director Greg Mottola continues his run of funny, agreeable mainstream comedies with a surprising amount of depth to them as well. Just like Superbad turned out to be uncommonly insightful about male friendships and their use of the three words “I love you,” there’s more to Adventureland beyond the corn dogs and crotch-punching (although those comprise some of the best parts as well).

Admittedly, this film seems more obviously personal than Superbad, with the heart of the film being a romance story. After James’ (Jesse Eisenberg) parents run into financial trouble, he is forced to cancel a post-college graduation trip to Europe, and possibly his planned move to New York. He ends up working in the Games section of the Adventureland amusement park, where he meets indie-rock girl Em (Kristen Stewart), makes her a mixtape and staggers through a summer crush.

It’s important to note that nearly all of the main characters are college-aged rather than within the high school surroundings of Superbad, with James just about to enter graduate school. Sometimes this concept stretches belief (Do all college students and alumni still live in their parents’ houses?), but it does place the characters’ circumstances in a different, slightly unhappier context.

While all the protagonists of Superbad had to lose was waiting until college to lose their “scarlet V” and possibly an unpleasant bus ride home, the stakes are higher for the cast of Adventureland. They are twenty-somethings who should have their lives reasonably together, yet the greatest constant in their existences remains a summer job at an amusement park – among their other troubles. Even the ditzy Rides girl who dances unironically to Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” has to work in order to pay for her father’s injury.

Ryan Reynolds plays an older mechanic for the park, but his life is no less problematic, as he resists a life of faithful domesticity with his wife. The manager couple of Adventureland (played by Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig) at least both seem to be content for the film’s entire running length. Then again, Hader’s character also has a mustache in this movie, and it is a well-known scientific fact that mustaches bring stability.

Speaking of stability, there’s the movie’s consistently great soundtrack. Among the film’s best surprises was to hear a Husker Du song, and the also excellent The Replacements play a fairly prominent role in Adventureland’s music. I always thought “Unsatisfied” in particular was begging to be put onto celluloid somewhere, and I’m glad it ended up in a reasonably good movie like this one. On top of all that, the band Yo La Tengo is responsible for the film’s score.

Finally, the acting is also strong. Jesse Eisenberg plays a far more likable character here than his The Squid and the Whale counterpart, and both Kristen Stewart and he act capably enough here to forgive some of the contrivances in the plot of their relationship. I’m grateful too that Martin Starr, who was in the great, short-lived television show Freaks and Geeks and is just a generally hilarious guy, has a fairly large supporting role in this movie. He plays Joel, James’ sarcastic, intellectual Games co-worker whose idea of a come-on is giving his object of affection a book by Russian author Gogol- and his scenes belong in the film’s highlights. The personalities of these three characters are not unlike Adventureland itself- imperfect, but also witty and affable enough to overlook any negative traits. Adventureland definitely warrants a recommendation. -Jimmy Geurts

Review: Who Killed Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls’ latest release, Who Killed Amanda Palmer is a show tunes masterpiece on compact disc. Not for the faint of heart, this album caters to a specific group of listeners: fans of musicals and angry rock music.

Fans of show tunes and piano rock fans will appreciate the release, her first solo album, produced by Ben Folds. According to the group’s Web site, the collaboration came about when Folds wrote a gushy fan letter and offered his recording studio.

The Web site, does not explain the other collaborations on the album, such as East Bay Ray of the Dead Kennedys on Guitar Hero. The song is a criticism of Blackwater Worldwide providing soldiers with video games and other video game use and references to Iraq and war in general.

The site does show multimedia inspiration for each song. News clips, videos and pictures of under the lyrics help fans decipher meaning from the strong words.

Songs on the album range from an upbeat song titled “Oasis”, complete with handclaps, to piano ballad “Ampersand”, a violent rejection of marriage. Palmer tackles politics, feminism, relationships, abuse, video games and Internet pornography, all with her signature melancholy or angry tone.

Palmer’s vocals are at times soprano and at times bass, but always strong.

Who Killed Amanda Palmer continues the Dresden Dolls’ theatrical style, but more personal and without the self-ascribed “punk cabaret” show.

For fans that want to feed Palmer and friends, follow the link on her MySpace to sign up for a scheduled date and specific instructions about what types of local, vegetarian, homegrown and wheat-free food the band members are interested in. -Christine Labit

Review: Bomb the Music Industry! – Scrambles

Bomb the Music Industry! Is not a household name sort of band, nor (as their title suggests) are they trying to be. Mostly, it is just an outlet for leader Jeff Rosenstock to release cheaply recorded songs, all for the affordable price of $0.00.

Rosenstock writes, sings and plays multiple instruments on every track along with various hardworking musician friends, including Laura Stevenson and Rick Johnson. Sean Bonnette of the excellent folk-punk group Andrew Jackson Jihad contributes vocals on this particular album for “Wednesday Night Drinkball.” BTMI’s fifth full-length, Scrambles doesn’t really ever diverge from this formula, but it is another collection of great songs to the band’s growing connection.

It’s hard to pin BTMI down into a specific genre classification. Ska would be the closest, but even that may just conjure up images of Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish, who BTMI sound pretty different from. Keyboards have always been an important part of the band’s sound, but now the traditional piano is also present in many of Scramble’s songs. A piano provides the hook to “25!!!,” one of the record’s highlights along with personal favorite “Cold Chillin’ Cold Chillin’.” The album’s instrumental credits also include sleigh bells, banjo, and theremin, so perhaps it is not a great idea to focus on one specific instrument.

Like BTMI’s other albums, much of the fun comes from Rosenstock’s funny and clever lyrics. For example, “Gang of Four Meets the Stooges (But Boring)” is a response to a band BTMI played with, who took all the money from a show and left without sharing a dollar. The following song, “9/11 Fever!!!,” is about the trivialization of September 11 by television movies and similar projects. This trio ends with “(Shut) Up The Punx!!!,”which is pretty spot-on about the more close-minded members of the punk community. If you can follow the lyrics through Rosenstock’s often rapid delivery, Scrambles is full of memorable moments. “Sort of Like Being Pumped” even manages to make the hackneyed image of a sunset into a rousing end songs for the record. Like previous BTMI album closers, it seems like it was made to inspire listeners into remembering sometimes things are great.

For previous fans of the band, Scrambles is another strong album to follow 2007’s Get Warmer. For those who’ve never listened to one song by BTMI, this new record is as good an entry point as any. –Jimmy Geurts

AMC Veteran’s Hosts Best Picture Event

Tonight’s best picture award goes to? Good question.

All five of the films nominated had great storylines, special effects and great actors.

I couldn’t make up my mind which one should win best picture, so I went to the AMC Theater’s Best Picture Showcase on Saturday to see why the academy picked the five films for Best Picture.

I sat through over 13 hours of film with free re-fills on popcorn and soda to help me make it through the day.

First up was Gus Van Sant’s Milk. Sean Penn’s portrayal of gay-rights icon Harvey Milk was phenomenal. He is definitely one of the best actors of our generation.

The Reader was the second film of the day. It opened in post-WWII Germany. A 15- year-old is seduced by an illiterate Kate Winslet. She gives the boy sex in exchange for him reading the classics to her. The acting in the film was good, but it moved along very slowly. I thought Winslet performed better in Revolutionary Road and should have been nominated for that film and not The Reader.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was next. The special effects to make Brad Pitt look old and frail were absolutely amazing. The movie had a great love story that could stand the test of time and various historical events. I don’t think Brad Pitt will win for Best Actor as he performed well, but I think what made his performance was the special effects. Take that away and there’s only a passable performance left that would not have been oscar worthy.

Slumdog Millionaire was the fourth film. From the bathroom poll I took after the film was over, the consensus was that it’s this year’s dark horse for win. The journey that the main character, Jamal, goes on from the slums of India to winning 20 million rupees is astounding. If it does not take home the big one, Danny Boyle should without a doubt win for Best Director for this film; he fit the pieces of the puzzle together magically.

The last film of the day was Frost/Nixon. This film took a very long time to become appealing. The best part of the film was in the end when the interview between Frost and Nixon takes place. Frank Langella’s Richard Nixon was wonderful, however I don’t think it was enough to trump Penn’s performance for Best Actor.

So what will win best picture? Probably Slumdog, but don’t be surprised if Milk’s stellar performances shine through enough to take it’s place.
- Libby Hopkins