Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, February 11, 2003, Page 8A, Image 8

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RELATIONSHIP CHECK-UP
Center
for Family Therapy
is offering a FREE one-hour
private therapy consultation.
Thursday thru Saturday,
February 13th-15th from 12-8pm
• Find out what therapy is all about
' Individuals, couples, & families invited
• Identify strengths, needs, areas for growth
and change
Refreshments will he provided.
Walk-ins welcome!
The Center for Family
Therapy is an affordable
counseling agency staffed
with graduate intern
counselors from the Marriage
and Family Therapy program
at the College of Education,
University of Oregon.
Come Celebrate
Your
Relationships!
For information or to make an appointment, call
(541) 346-3296/
2003
V-VlPFM FEBRUARY 13TH-15TH:
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PERFORMANCE OF
"THE VAGINA
MONOLOGUES'1
by EVE ENSLER
8PM EMU BALLROOM, UO CAMPUS.
I0PENING NIGHT GALA WITH
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND FOOD:
THURSDAY, FEB. 13TH @ 8PM
SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMANCES BY ANGELA
LACOMPT AND LAURA KEMPT.TICKETS AVAILABLE
FRIDAY AT UO TICKET OFFICE.
A PERFORMANCE TO SUPPORT WOMENSPACE,SEXUAL ASSAULT
SUPPORT SERVICES, THE ASUO WOMEN S CENTER, & THE
V-DAY SPOTLIGHT ON AMERICAN INDIAN AND CANADIAN
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MONDAY, FEB. 10TH:womens health and
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-FREE EVENT.FOR MORE INFO ABOUT WORKSHOPS,
CONTACT THE UO CULTURAL FORUM (346-4373)
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE UO CULTURAL
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uN'rvmsm' maufxxen
Courtesy
Clooney, Kaufman pair up for a film
that escapes autobiography film ruts
Movie review
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
“Confessions of a Dangerous
Mind” is the second film about a tele
vision star to come along recently.
The other was Paul Schrader’s “Auto
Focus,” released in October.
This film is based on the life of
game show producer and host
Chuck Barris. The catch is — and
it’s no secret, given that movie
trailers also reveal this information
— Barris claims to have been a
contracted hit man for the CIA
while simultaneously producing
shows such as “The Dating Game,”
“The Newlywed Game” and “The
Gong Show.”
The pairing here is George
Clooney — in his feature film direc
university OF OREGON CULTURAL FORUM presents...
Sunday, February 23, 2003
7:30pm MCARTHUR COURT
with a special performance by the
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON GOSPEL ENSEMBLE
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW at the U of 0 Ticket Office
and all FASTIXX locations.Tickets may be purchased by phone
through the Ticket Office (541)346-4363 or FASTIXX (800)992-8499
tonal debut — and Charlie Kaufman.
There should be no qualms with call
ing these two individuals “artists.”
Consider Clooney, with his previous
acting work in “Solaris” and Kauf
man’s screenplay for “Adaptation”
— and it’s obvious that these two are
involved with some of the more chal
lenging work to come out of Holly
wood these days.
A number of autobiography film
conventions exist; “Confessions of a
Dangerous Mind” manages to avoid
them all. However, Kaufman’s
screenplay — based on Barris’ mem
oir of the same name — doesn’t
mind toying with the audience’s ex
pectations once in awhile. The strat
egy echoes of “Adaptation,” but is
kept within a tighter structure. Like
many films have in the past, “Con
fessions” plays with linear time con
ventions, starting toward the end
and then moving back. This scene,
which is first presented as the down
fall for the Barris character in his ho
tel room, later turns out to be his re
demption.
Kaufman’s screenplay also draws
from sources other than Barris’s
book — interviews, tape recordings,
videos and so on. The result is a
seamless blending of fiction and re
ality — Barris himself and other
stars from his television shows ap
pear as themselves in “documen
tary” style interview snippets.
The camera aesthetics in
Clooney’s film lean toward the use of
soft focus and backlighting. The mul
titude of locations — Mexico, Cana
da (doubling for Helsinki, Finland),
and the United States — are cap
tured with interesting camera an
gles. Some of them work, some of
them don’t. Some of them smack of
first-time directing. No matter,
Clooney does a stellar job.
The casting of Sam Rockwell as
Barris was an inspired choice —
roles like these tend to end up in
the hands of higher paid, more pro
lific movie stars — but Rockwell’s
largely unfamiliar face aids the sto
ry’s sensibilities. Clooney casts
himself as Jim Byrd, Barris’s CIA
mentor. Julia Roberts is here, as a
CIA, Friedrich Nietzsche-quoting
spy. Drew Barrymore rounds off
the bunch as Barris’ die-hard girl
friend, Penny.
Contact the Pulse reporter
at aaronshakra@dailyemerald.com.
Red Agave shines with
sumptuous seafood,
intimate atmosphere
Restaurant review
Helen Schumacher
Pulse Reporter
Located next to Morning Glory
Cafe and the Amtrak train station,
the restaurant Red Agave serves sa
vory food in a warm setting.
The restaurant, which the menu
gives the subtitle “A Sensual
Kitchen,” offers just that type of at
mosphere. The dining room is inti
mate and painted red and gold. Light
fixtures casting a softened glow hang
from the high ceiling. Small white
candles sit on white tablecloths. Mu
sic from south of the border res
onates above the diners.
For those looking to eat for under
#10, the Red Agave serves coconut
prawns with guava-apricot chutney
or Dungeness crab-stuffed roasted
Anaheim chiles finished with
ranchero salsa and feta cheese, as
well as soups and salads that also fit
a tight budget.
However, the bulk of the menu
will set eaters back about #14 to #23.
Most of the entrees are culinary
seafood concoctions, such as the
com husk-wrapped Chinook salmon
with cilantro-tomatillo sauce, or the
pistachio-encrusted red snapper
with papaya buerre blanc.
Menu items also include chicken
crepes, braised duck and filet
mignon, which is served with a
spicy and sweet ancho-merlot
demi-glace and creamy poblano
mashed potatoes and perfectly
roasted winter vegetables.
Vegetarian options, such as the
Oaxacan red mole enchiladas filled
with pumpkin, squash, spinach
and green onion, are sparse but
mouthwatering.
Although the Red Agave doesn’t fit
most students’ minuscule budget, it’s
well worth the splurge, especially for
folks looking for dining fit for a siz
zling date.
Located at 454 Willamette St., the
Red Agave is open Tuesday through
Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to late.
Contact the Pulse reporter
athelenschumacher@dailyemerald.com.