Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 4, 2008, edition 1 / Page 7
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lath} ®ar Hwl MOVIE SHORTS TRAITOR “Traitor” director Jeffrey Nachmanoff clearly knows how easy it is to botch up a movie about Islamic terrorism. He treads very lightly with the subject, trying to avoid the pitfalls of knee-jerk race baiting and head-in-the-sand rel ativism. And for the most part he V. GojjjlMjows * Stf|p Wmm MMf Everything 1/2 Off • $3 Cover Various Draft Specials <\W *l mmm Tea & Trivia • $3 LITs tHW / *' Karaoke 4 r X j $6 Rude Earle Pitchers I | Open Patio (weather permitting) v J \ Beer Pong • Flip Cup Pitcher Specials • DJ Great Specials • No Cover CAROLINA ENTREPRENEUR!AL INITIATIVE a I ft. fl' mfm=* & * ■■■MrJ f|r * “ . .j'liMf f wfSjl- n * / > • r * ■ < v v •• ** Launching the Venture gave our team the knowledge, tools and networks to bring our medical device to market. 5 5 Keith Kocis, M.D. UNC Professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering Co-founder, REALTROMINS Inc. Launching the Venture 2008-2009 Pf||l,, Application deadline: ■ES Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 O; (Mi to UNC faculty staff m-ci sMdonts who are C ready to and serious Tout lauocmn ; :; a business 835^120 or nonprofit A * ' C Learn more and apply at ' www.unc.edu/cei/launch jJ Imi UNC Ml * lUOMM . I Ni RI IMIIM l If I M I \ I I I A. I 1\ .I Turning Ideas into Enterprises www.unc.edu/cei • cei@unc edu Launching the Venture is a Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative program directed by Konan Flagler Business School and the Office of. Technology Development succeeds. Though the script drops a few too many faux-profound one-lin ers, the film provides a nuanced and sophisticated look at the simi larities and differences between two worlds locked in the “War on Terror.” Don Cheadle stars as an under cover Muslim U.S. Army operative trying to infiltrate a terrorist cell operating in Europe and America. His plan is so secret that even the U.S. government thinks he’s a ter rorist, leading to plenty of confu sions of loyalty and nail-biting fears of exposure. Nachmanoff wields this ambiguity considerably better than the writers handled the lines, winding up with char acters whose stories are complex and interesting. He’s out to prove that not all terrorists live in caves, and not all Southern Baptists burn crosses. The major element holding the movie back is the acting. Cheadle’s performance is unremarkable, as are most of the other actors. Said Taghmaoui, playing Cheadle’s true believing co-conspirator, is the only actor who’s up to par. But what’s lost in acting is made up for in set locations. From a Diversions Yemeni prison to the streets of Marseilles to a housing project in Chicago’s South Side, these loca tions provide a striking visual reminder that Islamic terrorism is a byproduct of globalization. -Jonathan Pattishall “BABYLON A.D." ictr£r£rk Not even Vin Diesel can save the underachieving sci-fi flick “Babylon A.D.” In a dystopian future, the mer cenary Toorop must smuggle a girl and her surrogate mother from Mongolia to the United States. A desolate and rugged near future gives this thriller hope at the beginning. Unfortunately, director Mathieu Kassovitz squanders all opportuni ty for coherence and instead tries to force a complicated plot down our throats. Actually, it’s hard to blame Kassovitz, who has more acting than directing credentials with roles in films such as “Munich” and “Amelie.” Interviews with Kassovitz reveal that the editing process left the film If 0% I AVEDA INSTITUTE W CHAPEL HILL ' t ** your body* bd true to your budget. with, in his opinion, nothing but violence and stupidity. To be fair, a bit more violence at least could have made for a mind less action film. Instead, a confus ing and muddled mess of a plot ruins any chance of a real story. Forthe first 30 minutes, “Babylon A.D.” has so much potential. The world it creates is reminiscent of the bleak and beautiful backdrop of near-masterpiece “Children of Men.” Add the underappreciated talents of leading-man Diesel and a surprise hit should have been the next logical step. Instead, with an inadequate plot and jumbled execution, “Babylon A.D.” turns big budget into B-movie. -David Bemgartt "HAMLET 2“ it£rCr£r& “Hamlet 2” is a bad movie. Forget about the funny-looking commercials and what looks to be the sublimely offensive lampoon ing of Jesus and a ridiculous romp mocking the over serious, self-righ teous theater world in general. The most offensive thing about Think paying for MUSIC is expensive? Wait 'til you get the bill |S|RB& for illegal /R UP DOWNLOAD AND SHARE LEGALLY ll UNC Learn more: o-f—t- I \ I (1 U M fl iii\ lit iiNtum.i si i< \ i< is www.unc.pdu/filesha ring this movie is that the writers thought that this lazy, unfunny crap should be foisted upon audi ences. Here’s a tip: If you’re going to use “from a writer for ‘South Park’” as a selling point, find one who’s done more than three epi sodes. British comedian Steve Coogan plays a failed actor turned horrible drama teacher who decides to write a sequel to “Hamlet” to keep the drama program at his school from getting the axe. His character is so selfish and obnoxiously oblivious to the people around him that you can’t help but root for his failure. The movie is also filled with ridiculous bit parts, including Amy Poehler as an overzealous civil rights-protecting lawyer, and, absurdly, “Hollow Man” actress Elisabeth Shue playing herself. The gags come quickly and from left field, and the only reason the jokes are remotely humorous is because you don’t have the-time to process how bad they are until another one is thrown at you. There is zero redemption for any of the characters, and the badly Open Daily: Monfri 7am to 2pm • Sat 7am to 2:3opm •.Sun Bam to 2:3opm . 173 East Frpnklin Street • I Hill • 91-9-929-91927 thursday, September 4,2008 tacked-on epilogue feels way too forced. This movie is really bad. There really isn’t much else to say. Seriously, there isn’t even a funny quip I can toss out to convey how painful it is. It just isn’t worth the energy. -Rachael Oehring * 4 W* -- 7
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 4, 2008, edition 1
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