6
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2003
N.C. filmmaker captures
beauty of life in ‘Girls’
BY ERIN SULLIVAN
STAFF WRITER
Artistically, North Carolina has
a lot to be proud of these days.
With David Sedaris’ trebly voice all
over NPR and Ryan Adams insult
ing fans worldwide, the Tar Heel
state can finally claim more than a
couple of obscure presidents and
some tobacco companies.
Now, with the emergence of
filmmaker David Gordon Green,
the list gets a little longer.
An N.C. School of the Arts grad
uate, Green first got critics talking
in 2000 with his lyrical debut,
“George Washington.”
Three years later, it looks as
though his sophomore effort, “All
the Real Girls,” is about to do the
same.
Filmed outside Asheville, “All
the Real Girls” tells the story of
Paul, a young man in a small town
on the verge of love.
After years of wasting away in
mindless jobs and empty relation
ships, Paul (Paul Schneider, who
also co-wrote the film) begins to
feel something different when he
starts spending time with his best
friend’s sister, Noel.
Newly home from boarding
school, Noel (a luminous Zooey
Deschanel) beguiles Paul with her
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MOVIE IEVIEW
"ALL THE REAL GIRLS”
quirky, frank expressiveness.
Noel’s every word and gesture
demonstrate love with the fresh
ness and delicacy it deserves, and
it is through her character that “All
the Real Girls” manages to trans
form an often banal topic first
love into the unique and beauti
ful experience it should be.
Deschanel’s previous work in
“Almost Famous” and “The Good
Girl” capitalized superbly on her
knack for comedy, but here in
her first leading role she shines
as the graceful and loving Noel.
And Schneider, though some
times a bit difficult to read, deliv
ers his lines with a goofy frankness
that endears him to the audience’s
heart.
Don’t be fooled, though, into
thinking that this is just a film
about love or even two people,
for that matter.
As Paul and Noel’s relationship
progresses, a kaleidoscope of
images and sounds chips away at
the bigger story at stake —one
about death, dreams and learning
to live with loss.
Diversions
Green unfolds “All the Real
Girls” at a languid, dreamy pace,
skillfully using editing, rhythm
and cinematography to bring his
story to life. Dialogue still main
tains an important role, but most
ly toward the development of com
edy and charm. In this inscrutable
world, language just doesn’t quite
suffice.
Asa result, “All the Real Girls”
often pairs the profound with the
trivial —one man’s meditation on
happiness is followed by another’s
decision to grow a beard. It’s
absurd, but then again, so is life.
Sadly, some kinks in the plot
steer the film off-track toward the
end, but that’s still not enough to
overshadow Green’s magic. If a
picture is worth a thousand words,
then an emotion is worth at least
double, and Green’s expressive
spell transcends complications in
the script.
In the end, “All the Real Girls”
succeeds at cracking open the
beauty and mystery of everyday
life, and despite its flaws, the result
is gorgeous.
As for Green who’s still in his
20s an exciting, remarkable
career surely looms in the near
future. As for North Carolina, its
creative ante just got raised a lit
tle higher.
Contact theAOE Editor
at artsdesk@unc.edu.
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Sandler flick sparks ‘Anger’
BY MICHELLE JARBOE
STAFF WRITER
Watching “Anger Management”
is a bit like looking at a magic eye
poster.
Either it clicks instantly or you
can’t see it at all and you begin to
wonder why you’re sitting there,
frustrated, staring at something so
pointless in the first place.
Jack Nicholson and Adam
Sandler might be an unlikely pair,
but there’s potential for humor
and originality in the combination.
Wasted potential, in the case of
this particular film.
“Anger Management” tells the
story of Dave Buznik (Sandler), a
harmless, put-upon businessman
whose life turns topsy-turvy when
he inadvertently becomes the
aggressor in several quirky situa
tions.
Forced into an anger manage
ment class, Buznik is placed under
the constant supervision and tute
lage of Dr. Buddy Rydell
(Nicholson), seemingly the quin
tessential psychopath.
As Rydell destroys Buznik’s life,
the two characters bond by singing
“I Feel Pretty” in a stopped car and
assaulting Buddhist monks.
Occasionally campy yet rarely
funny, the film is missing the per
vasive ridiculousness that usually
characterizes Adam Sandler films.
The comic superstar subdues
his antics throughout much of the
film. And when funny emerges, it’s
too little too late.
Unlike films such as “Happy
Gilmore,” where slapstick, bath
room humor can be expected and
even desired, “Anger
Management” doesn’t have
enough “ha ha” throughout to
merit its more childish moments.
Instead, the film merely sparks
further frustration as Nicholson’s
demented doctor devastates a man
too average to provoke amuse
ment.
On the plus side, there is enter
tainment value in watching
l§| I “ ,
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES
Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) and Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler) team
up to deal with rage issues in the disappointing 'Anger Management.'
MOVIE 1 ! ITVIEW
"ANGER MANAGEMENT"
Nicholson sport a sappy grin, trill
lines from a Leonard Bernstein
musical and feed gibberish sooth
ing words to his crackpot patients.
Most often, though, Sandler and
Nicholson fail to endear or amuse.
And Marisa Tomei and Heather
Graham don’t add much with their
fairly small and insipid perform
ances, either.
Tomei, who plays Buznik’s girl
friend, Linda, perfects the art of
adding aesthetics to a scene. But
standing there and looking pretty
doesn’t substitute well for actual
acting.
Graham, on the other hand, has
one mildly funny moment, in a dis
turbingly disgusting way. As
Buznik’s potential paramour, she
seduces, strips, then stuffs her
mouth with chocolate brownies
while wearing only underwear.
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Even such juvenile humor as
this sparsely speckles the plot of
the generally vapid film.
The male co-stars have estab
lished their own brands of humor
through past works.
But neither actor reaches par in
comparison to his previous per
formances.
Though “Billy Madison” and
“Big Daddy” aren’t quite avant
garde filmmaking, they’re far supe
rior to the final product of “Anger
Management.”
And Nicholson’s past work in
movies such as “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest” and “As Good as It
Gets” remains at odds with such a
frustrating flop of a film.
Yet the true tragedy of “Anger
Management” is neither the acting
nor the failed comedic attempts
it’s that the viewer might need
some anger therapy after dropping
dollars on this movie ticket.
Contact the A&E Editor
at artsdesk@unc.edu.