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Show Thursday, March 27,200S Redux 'Stop-Loss' hammers it home "Stop-Loss" Paramount Pictures Written by Mark Richard and Kimberly Peirce Directed by Kimberly Peirce Starring Ryan Phillippe, Timothy Olyphant, Channing Tatum and Abbie Cornish Rated R/113 minutes Rachel Adams REDUX WRITER "21" A blockbuster bet busts '21' "21" Written by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb Directed by Robert Luketic Starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne Rated PG-13/123 minutes Sam Potter REDUX WRITER OK, I think we get it. Las Vegas is by and large a facade full of glitz and glamour, a cesspool of hedonistic pleasures to which people think they can escape but will ultimately bite them in the backside. It has become Hollywood's favorite backdrop for stories on the hubris of man, a way to show the greed and pride in all of us and the nasty results that follow if one chooses to pursue them. We get it. Unfortunately, "21", the latest movie to tackle Sin City, adds little of anything new to what we know of the Vegas phenomenon. The film stars Jim Sturgess ("Across The Universe") as Ben Campbell, an earnest and somewhat bookish—yet still raggedly h i p MIT student who is inches away from nailing a scholarship that will grant him a fullride into Harvard Law. In his spare time, he develops a selfpropelled automobile with his nerdy engineering friends and .gawks at resident hottie Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth). One of his professors, Mickey Rosa , (Kevin Spacey), sees great promise in Ben and attempts ;to recruit him to join an elite group of students whom Rosa ;is teaching to count cards in Blackjack. Rosa plans on using the students to rake it ;in in Vegas, but Ben's better judgement says, "No." When 1 the possibility of being denied the scholarship weighs on him and when he sees that one of Rosa's "elite" happens to be Jill, Ben is soon convinced and 'they're off. whom he happens to catch trying to beat the system. Any guesses as to who might be his next target? The film had a lot of potential. It was based on the book Bringing Down The House written by Ben Mezrich. Although I haven't read the book, a friend with whom I attended the film had and told me the true fate of the real Ben Campbell. If the filmmakers had shown a little more gumption, it could have made a truly compelling story. The real Ben wallowed in frustration for years and suffered a more crippling and desperate fate than the one shown here. Instead, we get a by-thenumbers (no pun intended) fall from grace laid out in a predictable fashion. Almost everything in the movie seems recycled from some other "Vegas" film: the tough security guys "taking out the trash" a la "Casino," the "here's how we do it" montage edited to hip eurobeat music a la the "Ocean's Eleven" series and the endless number of montages featuring the card counting team partying and enjoying ridiculous wealth. The relentless soundtrack was particularly annoying. The filmmakers seemed so scared to lose the interest of their demographic (MTV/ TRL college-age kids) that they let nary a minute go by without throwing a pulsating dance beat under the action. Worse still, why would a film possessing the potential to tell a truly tragic story of one genius's cataclysmic fall decide to shortchange itself by stripping away the tougher segments and doll it up in an easy-to-digest, MTV-style glitz that is almost as emotionally shallow as Vegas itself? The film gives us a minimal insight into the method of counting cards and paints its characters in too broad of strokes. It seems more concerned with getting to its too cleanly wrapped-up resolution than answering the tough questions that separate this film from the pack. Meanwhile, we get to know Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne), a tough loss prevention officer who has a bone to pick with Rosa and anyone See BUST Page 7 There are times when every moviegoer has to admit that he or she isn't completely objective in his or her judgments. I'll admit that there are less-than-objective reasons I gave this movie such a low score. One, I hate war movies. Two, I'm tired of all the war movies. Three, see one and two. But really, I'm just trying to protect you. Seen "In the Valley of Elah"? You don't need to see this. Seen "No End in Sight"? Don't need to see "Stop-Loss". War messes people up—we get it. We get it. Even those who opposed the war from day one are tired of being affirmed in their opinions. Stop-loss is the practice of forcing soldiers who have finished their tours "Stop-Loss" of duty to return to Iraq. Under military law, this can only be done in wartime. Under President George W. Bush, it has been done to several thousand troops in what may or may not be called wartime. "Stop-Loss" doesn't address that legal point so much as the consequences. This movie is about the soldiers who are affected by this policy. It's about war. It's about 40 minutes too long. There are some strong points. The dialogue is natural and flows well in most cases. Certain moments and scenes are affecting, and there is a general feeling of reality that hits closer to home than this genre sometimes does. Although a See WAR Page 7 Need a Diversity or General Education Course for Summer or Fall Semester? Check out the following ethnic Studies Courses and learn more about the diverse groups of people in the United States and Utah. For General Education and Diversity Credit: Ethnic Studies 2550: African American Experiences Ethnic Studies 2560: Chicana/o Experiences Ethnic Studies 2570: American Indian Experiences Ethnic Studies 2580: Asian Pacific American Experiences For Diversity Credit: • * > • Ethnic Studies 3520: Asian Pacific American Contemporary Issues • Emerging social and political issues concerning Asian Pacific Americans in the post 1965 era. Discusses the meaning of being Asian Pacific American and its intersection with ethnic culture, class, gender, school, work, law, media, and % I politics in today's setting. ^';.,:. 4 ^ % S i#iS>\ Ethnic Studies 3880: Asian Pacific American Women Discusses the lives and changing status of Asian Pacific American Women, their diverse lifestyles, and their issues in context with the communities in which they interact. Ethnic Studies 4690: African American History 1619-1890 ^ Addresses the African background of contemporary African Americans and analyzes the emergence of African American culture. Check with Ethnic Studies for information about courses, minors, and awareness activities: 112 Carlson Hall, 380 S. 1400 E., Rm. 112. Phone: 581-2506 Red Rocks face arch-rival BYU in final home meet. , • Large Selection • All Price Ranges • Many Makes and Models Available Call for the latest inventory (801)463-3566 or browse the inventory online www.ucreditu.com/loans /autoline-auction.html #2 Utah vs. BYU Friday, March 28 Huntsman Center, 7 p.m. It's the Deseret First Duel against BYU and we'll be celebrating our seniors: Jessica Duke, Katie Kivisto, and Ashley Posted. Students get in FREE with your UCard. Financing Available OAC Inventory Changes Weekly, Call Today (801)463-3566 • • ' * . . UNIVERSITY OF UTAH |