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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1987)
At the movies 'Round Midnight' offers outstanding performances Sometimes it feels good to feel bad. Sometimes it’s good to realize that it also takes pain to balance out the pleasures of life. Jazz aficionados too. will ap preciate Bertrand Tavernier's “Round Midnight.” Amid the somber rains of Review by John Makosky Paris in the late ’50s. the blues emanate from the tenor sax ophone of Dale Turner, an American jazz expatriate. “Mv life is music 24 hours a day.” says Turner (played by the great Dexter C.ordan). Hut he still manages to spend a few seconds of the day getting drunk. Turner lethargically sits with his band shedding tears on his faithful sax. The owner of The Blue Note refuses to give him any more drinks, his friends are tired of caring for him, and any money he earns is quickly swallowed from a bottle of "vin rouge.” Meanwhile, outside the bar, Francis (Francois Cluzet), a young graphic artist, squats in the rain trying to hear the blue notes of a genius that has always been his inspiration. Francis buys Dale a beer, and the two become friends. Francis cannot believe he has finally met his obsession; Dale just wants to make sure Francis has enough money for another beer. Francis believes lu? would be nowhere without Dale, and gradually, Dale realizes he would be nowhere without Francis. Francis invites Dale to share his flat, only wanting the genius to “live decently” and to begin composing again. Francis waters down the wine, the two take strolls through the Parisian streets, and in one memorable scene. Francis finds Dale sittiiiK with some garbage in an alley w a y a n d helps hi in remember the words to a forgot ten song. Dale gets drunk again and passes out in his new-found bed. but not before seeing Fran cis shed a tear. In the morning. Dale fixes breakfast for Francis and tells him to “never cry for me.” With the emotional bond established, Turner promises to stop drinking. When asked why he never quit Indore he said.“I never promised no one before.” A triumphant moment comes when Dale bums a few francs from Francis to get some cigarettes. Francis, suspicious of Dale's real motivations, follows him only to see Dale go to a cafe and order Pall Malls and orange juice. With Francis’ care, Dale begins to compose and record again. “Round Midnight” is an im portant film for both ja/./. fans and the uninitiated. The tunes are often downbeat, but Herbie Hancock’s Academy Award winning score is flawless at in stilling the pains of Dale Turner into the viewer’s (and listener's) heart. (Jordan holds his own on sax, backed by a Who’s Who of jazz greats including Ron Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Hobby 1 lutcherson, Tony Williams and John McLaughlin. (Jordan, nominated for Rest Actor, gives an outstanding per formance. He is expertly cast as the shuffling, sorrowful and almost childlike drunk who is “tired of everything except music.” (Jordan's Turner is a quite lovable drunk, never mean spirited. Cluzet, looking like a young Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate,” also turns in an ex cellent performance. 'Police Academy 4' pokes fun at neighborhood watch groups The latest Police Academy sequel takes a cracked look at neighborhood watch groups Tailed "Police Academy A: Citizens on Patrol." successful caricatures and good tim ing make the sophomoric humor work In this Review by Jackie Marry movie. The returning academy goofballs humble their way through implementing a Citizens on Patrol program (COP), which is the dream child of their commanding officer. Comman dant l.assard, played by (Jeorge (iaynes (Punky Mrewster’s father). Dubbing it “The Lassard Method," he figures if the police and civilians work together, it will eliminate (lit* frustration th.it comes from not being able to serve everyone. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all be friends?" tin; harebrained l.assard asks dreamily. Those supporting Lassard's method must lock horns with the uptight Captain Harris played by C W. Hailey (Mash's Riz/.o). Harris speaks primarily through a bullhorn and carries a Nazi like cane that he uses to make his point. Details contributing to Harris' negative, meticulous character include a lunch sequence when he uses his pocketknife to carefully spear well-spaced, sliced apples and cheese from a paper-lined tray bobcat (ioldthwait also reappears as Zed. the disheveled, unintelligible reformed gang leader. This film takes potshots at "Hill Street Hines" in a bust sequence, and "Nightmare On Klmstreet" when a masked creature chain saws its way out of a body hag. Crude elements of humor erupt in a few places, hut not enough to he overused or offensive. Authenticity; intelligence of 'Tin Men' set it apart Some days it just doesn’t pay to be a door-to-door salesman. Review by Mary Courtis Take poor B.B. (Richard Drey fuss). He hasn’t been in his new, shiny blue Cadillac 10 seconds when he collides with Tilly (Danny DeVito), another "tin man." or aluminum siding salesman. The two salesmen exchange dents and threats, and ultimately what began as a fender-bender ends in all-out war. Deter mined to "get that guy," B.B. succeeds in seducing bis enemy’s wife, Nora (Bar bara Hershey). But his simple revenge backfires. Nora moves in with B.B., a confirmed bachelor, who must now cope with see ing now and different items in the bathroom and all tlx* other adjustments associated with cohabitation, while sur viving the taunts of a tickled Tilly. What makes this sequence and others in “Tin Men” so funny is that they art? so real and human. Dreyfuss and DeVito do <i fine jot) infusing pathos and appeal in to their slightly shady roles. Kven when they are manipulating other people, wo cannot help but like them or hope they escape the clutches of tin; infamous Housing Commission, land on shutting Ihn aluminum siding shysters down. Hershey also shines as tin; woman-in the middle Nora, who always has played it safe and now wants some spice in her lile. Itut what makes this movie more than just another snappy comedy is the careful and affectionate attention to reconstructing and conveying context and mood Happy Birthday JIM SMITH Personals ATTENTION ALL ASUO PRESIDEN TIAL/VICE PRESIDENTIAL AND IFC CANDIDATES: If you are interested in pursuing an Oregon Daily Emerald en dorsement and have not been con tacted. contact the Emerald as soon as possible to set up an interview. 686-5511. Ask for a member of the editorial board n, Personals FREE MONEY! The Oregon Commen tator offers 12c subscription refunds until April 10 to students registered tor Spring term 9068 4 9 ESCAPE Upper Division Credit See Help j I Wanted!__ 9053 4-9' J “DATE RAPE"? EATING DISORDER? Support and treatment groups for these and other problems including sexual identity drugs and alcohol women's issues, abused adults and interper sonal therapy Free to students Call University Counseling Center for info 686 3227 9066 4 9 Personals problems? Crisis Center. 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