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Show ChuosicU FRidAy, Apuil Paqe Eiqhi 'Permanent Recoirdv isn't preachy on teen suicide Permanent Record Paramount Produced by Frank Mancuso, Jr. Directed by Marisa Silver Starring Keanu Reeves, Richard Bradford Deren once wrote that made-for-T- sub- V ject by giving it a new life with honest restraint. Each performance is so naturalistic that the word "actor" never materializes throughout the picture's 92 minutes. scholarship and earned the admiration of his friends and classmates, David's life is one of emptiness, perfectionistic fury and despair. His standards of excellence are too high and he commits suicide-- to the astonishment of his family and high recommended, highly Though Permament Record is such a small-scal- e project that you might feel cheated if you paid $5 to see it. In all honesty, the film would have been more effective and reached a wider audience if it were shown on television-n- o doubt qualifying as a classic. On the big screen, however, the overall impact is slightly diminished. Still, it remains an admirable achievement within any medium. school community. Despite its subject matter, Permanent Record is a surprisingly optimistic film, which handles the complex issue of teenage suicide without emotional manipulation or preachiness. Rather than ;rjj Silver, Permanent Record handles a -- Although he has received a music - If ; directed by Marisa "you have to come a long wayfrom the very beginning of time-- to kill yourself." David (Alan Boyce) is a talented musician and high school senior who has reached that stage. p , Intelligently Maya- - i . dwell on David's death, the screenplay centers on his best friend Chris (superbly played by Keanu Reeves from River's Edge) and the other classmates who, with the help of their sympathetic principal (Richard Bradford in an admirably low-ke- y portrayal), attempt to pick up the pieces while coming to grips with David's premature demise. By Scott Rivers Chronicle staff writer -- t 29, 1988 . 3!; ft Til In Permanent Record, David (Alan Boyce, far right) leads a life of perfectionist fury that spends itself in suicide. Above the Law Warner Bros. Produced and directed by Andrew Davis Starring Steven Seagal, Pam Grier In his first starring vehicle, martial arts expert Steven Seagal makes an impressive debut in this surprisingly good action flick, which is certainly better than anything Chuck Norris has ever done. Above the Law isn't high art by any means, yet serves its purpose. Set in Chicago, Seagal plays a lethal detective, whose local drug busts are surrounded by a CIA conspiracy linked to his own Vietnam past (via flashbacks, naturally). Nothing original there, but the well-crafte- d, film does score points for its finely developed portrayals (including Pam Grier and Joseph Kosala, as Seagal's partners, and the reliably villainous Henry Silva), a ' nicely detailed script (co-writt- by en Seagal), taut direction by Andrew Davis and, of course, the likable presence of Seagal. He is not only a tough cop, but a sensitive and devoted family man. Besides engaging in some impressively choreographed fights and shootouts, Seagal reveals a refreshing sense of humor and intelligence-eleme- nts that are noticeably lacking in most action stars. Above the Law marks the film debut of martial arts expert Steve Seagal (right), who plays a lethal detective caught in a CIA operation. Judging by its initial critical and commercial response, Above the Law appears to be the start of a long career for Seagal, who emerges as a worthy successor to Clint Eastwood . . . and we could certainly use one. Bloodsport Cannon Produced by Mark DiSalle Directed by Newt Arnold Starring Jean Claude Van Damme chopsocky fare, which isn't saying a helluva lot since most martial arts films are unadulterated Better-than-avera- ge garbage. However, "martial arts sensation" Jean Claude Van Dammemanages to get a few impressive kicks in. As a matter of fact, his kicks are the best thing in the movie, which never rises above its schlock doldrums. For the definitive kung fu epic, you needn't go further than Bruce Lee's available for Enter the Dragon-iead- ily video rental at less than half the ticket price. You'll be glad you did. Casual Sex? Universal Produced by Ilona Herzberg, Sheldon Kahn Directed by Genevieve Robert Starring Lea Thompson, Victoria Jackson No thanks-I'- ve had enough already! NO CASUAL STARS Art films may be hard to find, but are worth any sacrifices By Jessica Atal Chronicle staff writer Have you ever asked yourself what is that force, impulse, need or desire that makes you choose to see a particular film on a Friday night? You might think it is just a matter of personal taste, interests, liking or pleasure, but whether you are conscious of it, there is a subtle conflict between art film and commercial film. Until a couple of days ago, I used to have this idealistic and impractical conception of film as primarily a medium of expressing the filmmaker's own creativity. If there was nothing on a film that would, in one way or another, reflect a creative personality behind it, then I would simply categorize it as garbage. But as soon as I talked to William Siska, a University of Utah film studies professor, my naive and simplistic ideas suffered some great and painful shocks. "Film is a commercial medium," Siska said without hesitation. "And what's amazing is that in a commercial entertainment medium, you get so many movies that are making serious statements about society. There is no reason why someone making a film needs to be an artist." Although most films are meant to entertain, Siska is interested in films that try to function as art, films that try to tell us something about life and the human con- ' dition. Unfortunately, this is not the kind of film that most movie-goer- s are willing to see, "unless somebody leads Siska concluded. them to it," Even though we all have different reasons why we spend our time in front of a screen, most people go to the movies to see some real action and have fun. This is what the general audience expects from a film: pure entertainment. Considering the immense range of films that exists today, I think it is a big insult to the human intelligence not to expect something a of more particular film than mere entertainment. Obviously, a course on history of film could signifi so-call- ed cantly help the individual develop an inclination and a certain taste for art films. But the most important thing is to discover our own capacity of distinguishing what contributed to our growth as integral and complex human beings. Siska said, "Right now, Salt Lake City is a very healthy place for art film. But, as always, you have to make some sacrifices to get to see them. It means you have to sit in an uncomfortable theater like The Blue Mouse, you have to drive downtown to Cinema in Your Face, you have to read in little sections that make announcements to find out what's in the library, or what's playing at the U. or at BYU. But the films are there. You just have to look for them." and Moonstruck are extraordinarily worthy simply because Michael Douglas and Cher won the best actor and best actress awards. However, in the first case, the main purpose of the film is to maintain the status quo of American society and, in the second case, its function is to enhance the illusion of a happy society, as most commercial films try to do. Every year then, we are literally bombarded by large quantities of teen movies, thrillers, comedies, horror films and adventure films. In other words, anything d schemes and that will not threaten our will give us pleasure and entertainment. What else could we ask for? Doubtless, the Hollywood studios have studied the fragmented audiences carefully and well-define- they will certainly fulfill the limited needs and demands of society. As long as we keep financing them, they will keep sustaining our illusions and, sometimes, our mistaken perceptions of reality too. So, next time you see a film and walk out of the theater having the same feelings and ideas you had before going in, you will find yourself being die exact same film. person that you were before seeing this two-hoYou might have enjoyed blissfully eating your popcorn or passionately kissing your girlfriend, but you have already forgotten the name, the plot, the characters-everythi- wonder how many of us have ever "sacrificed" an evening at the Marriott Library seeing Annie Hall or Badlands or The Deer Hunter, to mention a few examples of classical American films. Certainly, distribution (including advertisement, time of exposure and press reviews) is a key factor in determining which films would be more appealing to the audiences. The film enterprise knows very well Next time this happens, think about going to see how to attract vulnerable spectators who will see almost anything that is moving on a big screen and, something like My Life as a Dog or King Lear of The moreover, will pay to see it! To do so, it uses several Unbearable Lightness of Being, a film which, as devices such as the display of flamboyant advertising, William Siska believes, "has that element of depth and the incorporation of popular actors in the cast (Jack profoundity" combined with aesthetic aspects such as Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick), or the use of "the beauty of the music and the beauty of the images". As Francois Truffaut once said, I am sure there is provocative names Dirty Dancing). someone out there making films because there is someAnother excellent device is the Oscar's ceremony, in which some people that are very "narrow in their inter- thing very urgent he or she has to say or to express. ests," as Siska describes them, determine which films Then, shouldn't we. be more concerned about what are valuable and which are not. Therefore, the average deserves our attention and how we spend our leisure spectator comes to believe that films like Wall Street time? I ur ng! |
