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Western Carolinian Volume 65 (66) Number 23

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  • March 07,2001 GET A LIFE WESTERN CAROLINIAN 13 Movie Review // Do You Like Sex and Travel? // By Jenni Bartels Features Editor Adventure? Excitement? A Jedi craves not these things. But after watching "The Mexican" starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, a Jedi may change his mind. "The Mexican" is a fun and funny ride across the Mexican border in pursuit of a legendary gun. Jerry (Pitt) is a walking accident who bumbles his way into getting involved with the wrong people. Fortunately, this is his last job. All he has to do is go to Mexico to retrieve a very old, very valuable, very cursed gun. Simple, right? Of course not. With Jerry "Forrest Gumping" his way through his quest for the cursed gun, there is nothing that goes right, funkiness" in the Jerry situation. No one is to be trusted with this gun, as it is highly sought after and worth a lot of money. In order to protect his boss's investment, he kidnaps Sam (Roberts), Jerry's sweet but slightly neurotic girlfriend. While all of the characters are intriguing and fun to watch, Leroy is the only one the audience can really take seriously. He's a good-hearted hit man photo courtesy o/DreamWorks Entertainment with a Complicated Jerry and Sam having a moral dilemma. which is precisely what makes this movie work so well. James Gandolfini (HBO's "The Sopranos") enters the convoluted mess as Leroy, a hit man hired to "regulate past. It's good to see movies that don't suck are hitting the theaters. "The Mexican" is one such movie. The characters are interesting, funny, and sympathetic; the plot keeps you on your toes Music Review and captivated. And the humor, oh the humor. This movie is FUNNY. It's not "Something About Mary" funny, it's real-life funny. "Fate" is a basic premise of the movie, and it's enjoyable to watch things go from bad to worse, then somehow turn around. The relationship between Sam and Jerry is a combination of love, vicious arguments, and therapy. It's beautiful, comical, and real. While it may not be the best depiction of a couple in love, it's definitely an interesting one. One major disappointment in this movie was the fact that Pitt and Roberts have very few scenes together. Their on screen chemistry is great, and the energy they have during Jerry and Sam's lovers quarrels is amazing. Unfortunately, they are apart from one another for the better part of the film, with Jerry in Mexico and Sam with Leroy in Las Vegas. This was the chief downfall of this movie, as Jerry and Sam's interactions are what bring so much life to the film. To sum up for the chick flickers, this is the tale of a bumbling idiot with a good heart and his Valium deprived girlfriend trying to find a way to live together. For the testosterone driven audience, there is a whole lotta action, fighting, and killing going on. And for the philosophical moviegoers of the greater Cullowhee area, there is an underlying theme of fatalism and virtue penetrating the plot. "The Mexican" has got something for everyone, and is far from disappointing. While this feature by no means screams Oscar nominee, it's a great movie, and well worth $5.00. A Magic Mushroom Cloud of Sound: Dave Matthews Band's Everyday By Hannah Crane Staff Writer The Dave Matthews Band's highly anticipated fourth studio album is finally here. Everyday hit the shelves last week, and so far it is being met with mixed reviews. Glossing over the CD, it is typical Dave Matthews material; the instrumentation is just as we have come to expect from the quintet. However, the songs are creative in their own right and are deserving of some attention. The first track, "I Did It" is also the first single from the album. If you've caught it on the airwaves, you know the song follows in the grand DMB tradition. Matthews' raw vocal delivery punches the twisting lyrics. Also, a strong bass and guitar lead maintain a hard edge on the song about taking initiative and not regretting it. "Dreams of Our Fathers" is another upbeat number. Like "I Did It", "Dreams" encourages new ideas and initiative. The lyrics admit that it is easy to get caught up in trying to fulfill someone else's ideas for our lives, but it is important to not settle for what has gone before us. According to the song, we should not allow ourselves to get trapped in the cycle of complacency rather than creating progress. Matthews says, "Don't want to wake up, lost in the dreams of our fathers. It's such a waste child, to live and die for the dreams of our fathers." A continuous beat maintained by the guitar and drums emphasize the idea of plodding along in a state of indifference, but a variation in the bridge backs up the idea of breaking free. The band also reveals their thoughtful side on Everyday. "If I Had It All" is a slower piece subtlety dominated by the horn section. The idea within the lyrics is that if he had everything right at his fingertips, and if he were able to give his love everything she desired, then what would be the purpose in life. If he had no goals to achieve, no struggles to strengthen him, then he would not sing. Music, or art of any kind would be useless because he would be void of true emotions. The bridge has a really cool drum crescendo to the climatic realization that his younger days were sweeter because he was innocent and did not know of greed and desire. This is quite possibly the most powerful song on the album. "Angel" is a mellow ditty about, yes, love. The song is a nice blending of keyboards, guitars, and horns; instrumentally it is one of the nicer songs featured on Everyday. Lyrically simplistic, "Angel" is one more lover's attempt to declare undying devotion. The studio lights are low, the last cigarette has been smoked, and he still has one last thing to say; he can't forget this girl who is sweet like candy but mysterious like a poker- faced expert card dealer. Matthews' vocals are gentle and sensitive in this piece—similar to "Crush" and "Crash." The title track "Everyday" is a free, feel-good piece. With its unplugged, grass roots simplicity combined with the lyrics that repeatedly say "All you need is love," "Everyday" is an appropriate final track to the album. The year 2001 marks a decade of creating and entertaining for the Dave Matthews Band. If the massive fan support and solid album contributions, like Everyday, continue, the boys will be around for another ten years.
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