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TT ar SE IE WS Sree De A AR a TEA Sl APR MA - So Be TE PORT PERRY "WEEKEND STAR" a as FRR Ba ee oe RR i li A PT i Tie an EES rrr Tr _--------_--_.__------ew FRIDAY, FEBRUARY4, 2000-9 SCREENING ROOM By John Foote ANGELA'S ASHES (vik) Directed by Alan Parker Now in theatres This disappointing adaptation of the Frank McCourt best seller falls into the trap of focussing on only the drama, heartache and tragedies within the book, losing sight of the humour. The very art that made McCourt's book so wonderful to read was the humour throughout, the gift McCourt possesses for story telling that was lost in the translation to film. Adapted by director Alan Parker and Laura Jones, the movie is one tragedy after another, seemingly creat- ed to earn Emily Watson another Oscar nomination. Her noble suffering becomes tiresome very quickly, as we begin to won- der why she keeps having children with the man she is married to? In the book the father was portrayed as a man who loved his children and drink with equal ferocity, per- haps losing the: battle to alcoholism because his brood began dying off from ill- ness gpd starvation. On film, portrayed by the superb actor Robert Carlyle, there is none of the patriarchal power displayed from the book. Supposedly when drunk he was a better father, but on film, he is merely a drunk and lout, spending food money on booze at every chance. McCourt has said about his childhood, "My childhood gave us aspirations and dreams. But it lowered our expectations, too, and lowered our self-esteem. When you are used to nothing, you are satisfied with "very little. We didn't dream beyond a bowl of soup." Why is that not explored on film? Those are the words of a survivor, the words of the man who wrote a superb book | wanted to see transformed into an equally fine film. Sadly, director Alan Parker missed the point. Magnolia Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (ever x YY) When frogs begin falling from the sky, you know the film you are experiencing is unlike any other you have ever seen. Is it Biblical, or is the director-writer just saying that in life anything goes, including frogs falling from the sky? Paul Thomas Anderson's second film, the Oscar nominated Boogie Nights (1997) was a remarkably assured work from an obviously talented young film maker. Magnolia, just his third film, seems to usher Anderson into the ranks of the greats. With an obvious pas- sion for cinematic history, he merges his own unique style with that of the great mas- ters, taking his art a step further with his bold, innovative artistry. There is energy in every frame of Magnolia, created by both the actors, who obviously trust their direc- tor, and of course, Anderson, who places enormous faith in his cast. What I find to be astonishing about Anderson is the blind faith he places in his audience, always trust- ing we will get the point, always pushing us just a bit further, sometimes confounding us, but always, I mean, always leaving us Too much tragedy, too little humour sinks film ai exhilarated. Magnolia focuses on several lost souls in Los Angeles, exploring their lives as they seek to end their loneliness and despair. The film is far too complicated to explain in a review. Instead, | urge you to experience the film rather than merely seeing it. Anderson brilliantly explores the devasta- tion of loneliness, the horror of despair, and the joy of redemption. ) Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Jason Robards, William H. Macy, and Philip Seymour Hoffman make up the superb ensemble cast, but the picture is dominated by a searing, stunning perfor- mance from Tom Cruise. Cast against type, Emily Watson is Angela in Angela's Ashes, a disappointing cinema ver- sion of Frank McCourt's celebrated autobiography. in a supporting role to boot, Cruise stalks the screen as a seething leader of men's self help groups; a woman hater but one who feels far more 'hatred for himself, Cruise is miraculous in a performance that could earn him the Oscar for supporting actor. Further to this is the fact he never seems out of place among the electric cast of strong actors educated on the stage. For years | have believed Tom Cruise 'was a major tal- ent, but only in Magnolia has he stunned me. Demanding cinema, often spellbinding in its technique, Magnolia will plummet you to the depths of despair, then gently show you the glowing power of redemption. 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