_____ 9.
A&E
Spacey comes down to Earth in ’ K-PAX»'
ThE CI ac I camas P rínt
WedNEsdAy, NovEMbER 14, 2001
MAGGIE JIRASEK
Editor-in-Chief
“K-PAX,” Universal Pic
tures’ newest creation starring
Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey,
is a science fiction drama with
good acting and an ending that
leaves its audience with a sense
of wonder.
A mysterious patient named
Prot (Kevin Spacey), who
claims to have traveled across
time and space from a place he
calls K-PAX, is admitted to a
closed ward of the Psychiatric
Institute of Manhattan. Dr.
Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges), a
seasoned psychiatrist, be
comes fascinated by the extent
of his new patient’s apparent
delusion. He is determined to
prove that Prot is a tragic vic
tim of multiple personality dis
order.
Soon, Powell finds himself
doubting his own diagnosis
and he is startled to find out
that there may be more to Prot’s
claims than he wants to be
lieve. In his sessions with Dr.
Powell, Prot convincingly de
scribes the life and social
structures of K-PAX. As Prot
interacts with other troubled
residents of the hospital, they
undergo wondrous transforma
tions, becoming functioning
people and shaking off their
PHOTO
CONTRIBUTED
BY
UNIVERSAL
PICTURES
Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) and patient Prot (Kevin Spacey), who claims to be from planet
K-PAX, get to know each other.
mental disorders.
As time goes by, Prot and
Powell start developing a
friendship. Their sessions
turn into two-way experi
ences, with Prot offering ad
vice and helping Powell over
come his lingering self-doubts
and the emotional barriers he
was created with those close
to him.
While Prot is convinced that he
will be returning to his planet
by the end of summer and prom
ising other inmates a possible
ride to K-PAX, Powell is truly
worried and comes to a star
tling finding about who Prot is
and whether he really is telling
the truth.
The movie, adapted from the
1995 novel by Gene Brewer, was
produced by Lawrence Gordon
and directed by Ian Softley. It
is rated PG-13 for violent im
ages, foul language and sexu
ality. Originally, Will Smith
was approached to play Prot’s
part, but after he cut himself
loose from it, Spacey took over.
Two-time Academy Award
winner Spacey and multiple
Academy Award nominee
Bridges make the perfect match
on screen. They give the impres
sion of having found roles that
perfectly suit them. As an actor,
Spacey can manage to look as if
he just ambled in from Mars or
beyond. Bridges, on the other
hand, as he becomes convinced
by Prot’s story, projects such ra
tionality that he easily can shift
a viewer’s perspective.
For some of the audience, an
analogy between the role of Prot
and Christ might come to mind,
as it did to me. Prot describes his
intergalactic travels, dismisses
Einstein’s theories about the
speed of light and amazes a
group of astronomers in a scene
that reminds me of Christ ad
dressing elders in the temple. He
also tries to cure fellow mental
patients without letting anybody
know.
The movie sure has its funny
parts but it also gives the impres
sion that some of the scenes
could have been left out or at
least shortened. It seems slow
and the ending might be disap
pointing to some of the audi
ence. There are viewers who
want Prot to be an alien and
there are those who don’t. Oth
ers don’t care or maybe they
favor an open ending. So, any
way, the possibility of experi
encing disappointment is there.
Whether Prot really is an alien
or not, I won’t tell. It is up to
you to go and judge for your
self.
Gandolfini is the boss of this 'Castle'
CHRISTINA MCFARLAND
Staff Writer
“The Last Castle” is an ex
cellent film that evokes a variety
of emotions through brilliant per
formances.
Three-star General Eugene
Irwin (Robert Redford) is found
guilty of war crimes and sen
tenced to serve time at the mili
tary prison dubbed “the castle ”.
Highly revered for his valor and
integrity in battle, the general
seems truly unfit for punishment
of this nature. Prison is no place
for a hero. Irwin enters this
castle with the initial intention
of serving his time and repay
ing his debt to society as soon
as humanly possible. However,
his intentions change drasti
cally with the introduction of
the corrupt prison warden,
played by James Gandolfini.
Gandolfini plays Colonel
Winter, the cruel and inhumane
prison director. Winter knows the
power he possesses and he
therefore abuses it. He believes
that the harsh prison treatment
is necessary to maintain security
and proper discipline. And to
begin with, Irwin agrees. Ap
proached by inmates, Irwin is in
formed of the ill-treatment, such
as poor health care. Unim
pressed, Irwin shrugs it off and
owes it up to prison life. Come
on, what do you expect, it’s pun
ishment. But there’s more. There
have been murders. Colonel
Winter has disobedient inmates
shot with rubber bullets fired
by a soldier from a watchtower
up above. However, within the
'last few years three inmates
have been killed by rubber bul
lets to the head. When reports
were written, Winter accredited
the deaths to accident. But how
could they be accidental? These
are expert marksmen shooting
from short range; these deaths
were intentional. It isn’t until a
standoff between inmate Aguilar
and Winter that Irwin witnesses
the horror.
Aguilar and the other inmates
are attempting to rebuild a por
tion of the original castle wall.
Winter sees this as Irwin’s means
of uniting thé inmates and pos
sibly beginning a revolt, so he
orders the wall demolished.
Aguilar, seemingly mentally chal
lenged, he places himself be
tween the bulldozer and the wall.
Winter, through code, orders him
killed.
This is where Irwin begins to
take action. He formulates a
plan, informs the inmates and
begins its execution. First they
must disable the four watchtow
ers, gain control of the water
cannon, seize the helicopter
and capture the flag.- This por
tion of the film is amazing. It
is awesome to watch the strat
egy and precise execution of the
plan. War is waged. This has
now become a personal battle
between Irwin and Winter.
I won’t tell you who comes
out on top, but I will say the
movie has a bittersweet end.
Redford and Gandolfini were
PHOTO
FROM
OFFICIAL
WEBSITE
Court-martialed General Irwin (Robert Redford, center) is escorted by Sergeant McLaren
(Maurice Bullard, left) and Private Niebolt (Nick Kokich) in "The Last Castle. "
excellent. Redford’s heroic na
ture and vast intellect make
him perfect for the role. It’s
very
believable.
But
Gandolfini takes the cake-.
You just can’t help but hate
his character. He is a dishon
orable, undeserving tyrant who
frustrates and angers the
viewer. But don’t go away
thinking you’ll be angry
through the entire film. It also
possesses scenes that will make
you laugh out loud, cry in sym
pathy and cling to your chair
in suspense. It is a wonderful
film that I would highly recom
mend to both guys and gals.