The Rattler February 10, 2010 v. 97 #7 - St. Mary's University

02-10-10Indie ReviewA LOOKAT ARTSY FILMS“A Single Man”Dir. by Tom FordStarring: Colin Firth, NicholasHoult and Julianne MooreA seriousaccidentcauses a highlyeducatedand culturedman to concludethat lifeRobin without loveJohnson is not worthliving in “ASingle Man.”George (Colin Firth) is anEnglish professor in the ‘50swho secretly hides his homosexualityfrom his everyday acquaintances,as well as his deepset pain over the death of hispartner Jim (Matthew Goode).On the day he decides willbe his last, George finds an unexpectedconnection with oneof his young students, Kenny(Nicholas Hoult).Through the vivacity ofKenny, a day of retrospectivethoughts in the eyes of a childand a night of drinking withan old friend (Julianne Moore),George’s foggy perception ofdepression begins to clear.Despite the presence of bigtimeactors, “A Single Man”makes a somewhat basic storyline.This is a film of depth andgenuineness through the art ofTom Ford’s direction.Throughout the film, Forduses effectively crafted lightingtechniques to convey thereflecting thoughts of George.Since most of the film takesplace inside George’s mind,without the use of these lightingtechniques, the audiencewould become lost in the silenceof the thoughts andthe film would have quicklyturned bland.While the color aroundGeorge always seems drained,the light around Kenny asGeorge looks at him becomessoft and glowing, representingGeorge’s admiration of Kenny’swistful youth and perhapseven his angelic nature as themovie progresses.Powerful performancesfrom seasoned and fresh actorscombined with the visionof writer/director Tom Fordmake the quiet appearance ofthe film fill with the most intenseemotions and experiencesa person can have in life in“A Single Man.”Entertainment The Rattler 17www.stmurattlernews.comThe Human Performing Arts Troupe filled the municipal auditorium withmusic and dance to celebrate the new year. Photo Courtesy of SACA.By Luis Miguel MacíasEntertainment EditorChinese Alliance brings inthe new year of the tigerBy Cynthia PompaContributing WriterThe public was invited to “EmbraceChina,” as the title of theprogram held by the San AntonioChinese Alliance described, with20 different acts from traditionaldances, operas, sopranos andchoruses at the San Antonio MunicipalAuditorium. The alliancehosted the magnificent event towelcome the New Year on Feb. 4.Among the many performerswas a well-recognized group directlyfrom China: The Hunan PerformingArts Troupe. This groupcomes from a Chinese southeastprovince and its known both inChina and overseas for its excellentperformances. Before presentingin San Antonio, the Troupe hadperformed in New York, Washington,D.C., Los Angeles andHouston.The event was well-presentedby the San Antonio Chinese PerformanceAssociation. This groupperformed several acts including aChinese waist Drum Dance, a Children’sDance, a Jasmine Dance,Chinese Folk music and a chorus.The audience was delighted withnumerous colorful Chinese customsin each performance whichresembled the vibrant and livelyChinese culture.Additionally, the program includeda fashion show in order topresent the different types of clothingduring the Cultural Revolutionin a number entitled, “Memoriesfrom Urban Educated Youth inCountryside.” The Cultural Revolutionwas a time in China wherethere was mass mobilization ofurban Chinese youth initiated byMao Zedong. He attempted toprevent the development of Communism,yet caused thousands ofdeaths and great economic and socialchaos.Some students and staff fromSt. Mary’s University attended theChinese New Year’s Gala.Senior business major TommyBassler described the event as being,“a great night to experiencethe Chinese culture.”.The event began with the SanAntonio Chinese Alliance AwardCeremony, previously known asSan Antonio Chinese Scholars andStudent Association and the inaugurationof the new president ofthe alliance.‘39 Steps’ to a night of mystery and laughsToday’s youth might find classictheatre a bore and many do notunderstand the concept of whattheatre is really about.Alfred Hitchock’s adaptationof John Buchan’s 1915 novel “The39 Steps” was presented last weekfrom Feb. 2 to Feb. 7 at the MajesticTheatre with a unique and highlytalented cast of four actors thatwould have made Hitchock himselfproud of the production.The exciting and comic “whodunnit” was the story about ayoung Canadian named RichardHannay who is at the London theatreenjoying a show put on by Mr.Memory, the man with the greatestmemory in the world. During theshow, a fight breaks out and shotsare heard. Before Hannay knowsit, he finds Anabella Schmidt in hisarms convincing him of taking herback to her flat. Schmidt revealsher identity as a spy and tells Hannaythat she has unveiled a plotto steal British military secrets.She also confesses that the headof an organization called “The 39Steps,” and a man with one fingeris trying to assassinate her to preventher from exposing his plan tothe military.The next morning, Hannayfinds Schmidt murdered withhis bread knife. It is clear to himthat he has been framed. BesideSchmidt’s corpse lays a map ofScotland with a mansion markedon it- a clue as to where the head of“The 39 Steps” is. Hannay escapesthe scene of the crime and embarkson a journey throughout Scotlandto unveil the head of “The 39Steps” and to prove his innocence.During this journey he meetsthe attractive and witty Pamelawith whom he falls in love with. Atone point they are literally chainedtogether though their “tug-ofwar”relationship which adds romantictension to the production.In the end, Hannay goes back toLondon to consult Mr. Memoryon who the head of “The 39 Steps”is but before answering, a handappears behind the curtain anddispatches Mr. Memory in a verycomic fashion.Though the plot is very similarto one of Hitchcock’s other filmscalled “Young and Innocent,”the production contains certainelements that characterize the“Monty Pythonesque” style, suchas the perfectly coordinated movementsof the characters in severalscenes, the delightfully obnoxiousvillain and the typical man playinga woman’s part. “The 39 Steps”also managed to incorporate certainelements of pop-culture suchas President Barack Obama’s campaignslogan “Hope for change”and “Yes, we can.”The play was rich in detailslike Hitchcock’s silhouette in achase scene, represented by shadowpuppets, the Nazi eagle at the“respectable” Professor Jordan’shouse, the group of crows perchedmenacingly on a traffic sign thatbrought back memories of “thecrows.” In some scenes, one couldhear excerpts of music from otherHitchcock productions such as thethematic dissonant strings in “Psycho”and the themes from “Dial Mfor Murder” and “The Man WhoKnew Too Much.”It was quite remarkable tosee a cast of four people representover 100 characters. The castwas made up by Claire Brownwell,Ted Deasy, Eric Hissom andScott Parkinson. With differentbackgrounds in theatre, these fourpeople brought a great productionto San Antonio. Written by a greatnovelist and adapted by a masterof cinema, “The 39 Steps” was trulya play to remember.Also coming to theMajestic and theEmpire theatresTuna Does Vegasat the Empire theatre,Feb. 16 to 26 at 8 p.m.Willie Nelsonat the Majestic theatre,Feb. 28 at 7:00 p.m.South PacificAt the Majestic theatreMarch 2 to 7 at 8 p.m.CoppeliaAt the Majestic theatre,March 20 and 21at 2 p.m.ChicagoAt the Majestic theatre,April 19 at 8 p.m.