Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2005)
Laughing Planet You are here Stuff your pie-hole with tasty wholesome foods like our big bulging Burritos, hot heaping Bowls, kickin' Quesadillas, fresh Soups, Salads, Salsas, and Smoothies While you're here enjoy the organic juice bar, vegan-baked goodies, local micro-brews, art, music and general mischief 760 Blair Blvd., Eugene 541.868.0668 Vegetarian, Vegan, Omnivore-friendly menu » Quick non-stirtyService & Take out * Food Alliance Member, ROGRAM http://uocareer.uoregon.edu/mentor Enroll in a mentor program class. Perfect your resume. Connect with a career - today. Earn 1 upper-division credit by enrolling fail term. classes offered: business - BA 410 english - ENG 408 sociology - S0C 410 psychology - PSY 410 all majors - PPPM 408 int’l studies INTL 407 enviro. studies - ENVS 407 sciences-Bl 407, CH 408, HPHY408, PHYS 408 Interview two professionals. | Pulse | ■ DVD review Sub-par character development cant sink visually detailed ‘Life Aquatic’ BY JOSH UNTEREUR PULSE REPORTER With films such as "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums," director Wes Anderson has always teetered dangerously close to overplaying his customary freewheeling ironic panache into smug detachment In those films, the celebrated auteur skillfully avoided ironic overindulgence by extracting pathos for his bizarre and dysfunctional characters. But with his latest effort, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," many critics jumped ship, citing a lack of discernible poignancy in the story of a Jacques Cousteau-like oceanographer on the downside of his career. While it's true the film's characters are the most underdeveloped of any in Anderson's three previous films ("Bot tle Rocket" is the third), "The Life Aquatic" is not without heart or senti ment, and it demonstrates that even the most whimsically detached Ander son film is still a flaky good time. Bill Murray stars as the self-ab sorbed, melancholic Steve Zissou, whose oceanographic documentaries play at international film festivals and make him a romanticized superhero to children. The role continues Murray's recent run of hilariously underplayed but deeply felt depressives, and the catharsis Zissou undergoes holds the film together. When the film opens, Zissou screens his latest film depicting his best friend being eaten alive by what might be a jaguar shark (though Zissou can't say for sure because he dropped the camera when it occurred). He vows to find and kill the shark for his next film but is unable to secure any funding thanks to his waning popularity and the success of his rival, Alistair Hennessey, played by Jeff Goldblum (who has never found a prickly charac ter he couldn't nail). Zissou is re-in spired by the arrival of Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson), a genteel southerner who may or may not be his son, and Zissou sets outto find the creature that killed his friend. Despite a stacked ensemble cast, only Zissou's character is fully de veloped, and the effect of neglecting the other roles is heightened by the quality of the performers behind them, especially Cate Blanchett, who turns in another graceful per formance as a journalist profiling Zissou. Blanchett's portrayal feels slightly borrowed from her recent Oscar-winning role as Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator," but like Murray, the nowfamiliar guise works so perfect that it's tough to be too critical. While the characters are underwrit ten, the heart of the film is found in its retro-inspired details, where every nu ance seems meticulously planned. A three-dimensional cutaway of Team Zissou's boat "The Belafonte," creates a living dollhouse that portrays life aboard the ship. The fanciful set where a single camera shot captures several rooms at once, captures a child's depiction of a Cousteau-like life of adventure. And when Team Zissou descends into the deep blue sporting silver wetsuits while being cheered on by Mark Mothersbaugh's cheeky score, those details serve a dramatic pur pose; they heighten the contrast with Zissou's frumpy spirit, which exists amidst the Saturday morning cartoon splendorthat is his career. Of course, those types of devices don't necessarily work for all audi ences, and filmgoers not enthralled with Anderson's previous films will want to stay away from "The Life Aquatic." But Wes Anderson fans who shied away after the poor re views it received during its theatri cal run will want to give the DVD a chance. joshlintereur@dailyemerald.com BASIC MATH. “Party Patk" 3 large single topping pizzas + 2 2-liters of soda ^ = <v g a.M ™ ca. oo « fsl “ P a.® ra o w C __ <13 ca ^ .c: m For under S2M a person, you can feed 8 people the best pizza in town! f 1809 Franklin Blvd. 284-8484 Do the math. Use the coupon. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFER S. T A. R T Getting >bur Ducks in a Row! Start Thinking about Advising and Registration Today! Wednesday, May 18, 1:00 am to 3:00 pm EMU Concourse (Near the EMU Ticket Office) UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Sponsored by: Office of Academic Advising Office of Multicultural Academic Support Career Center • Bring your degree audit report (print from DuckWeb) • Talk with an academic adviser • Plan your goals with the Career Center • Learn about different majors
