The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 28, 1991, Page 5, Image 5
'The Gr
By DAVID BOWDEN
Viewpoint Editor
There is nothing like a good
movie about a bunch of sleazy
con-artists. Stephen Frears' new
movie The Grifters has a rich and
distinguished pedigree in film history.
Scumbags are the subject
matter of such classics as The
Sting and Midnight Cowboy.
The Grifters wants to be film
noir like Vertigo, Chinatown or the
more recent Trouble in Mind.
The very notion of film noir
seems cliche nowadays, with every
other film trying to look dark and
brooding with lots of rainy streets
and pensive-looking characters
(look at such pretentious movies as
Flatliners and Jacob's Ladder).
The Grifters is not that good,
but it isn't due to an overload of
atmosphere. The film has lots of
style, but fails for a much less sublime
reason; there is no plot.
The Grifters delivers the sleaze,
but no action to go with it. The
movie revolves around three
amoral grifters, Roy Dillon (John
Cusack), his mother, Lily, (Anjelica
Huston) and Roy's lover,
Myra (Annette Bening). The list of
characters is also the plot synopsis,
as hardly anything actually
transpires.
/ The previews of this film promise
Machiavellian intrigue and suspense
as we eagerly wait to find
out who will con who in an everspreading
web of intrigue (I should
write press releases). This assessment
is the furthest thing from the
truth.
There is no complex plot (a la
The Sting); there is no suspense;
there is just scene after scene of
the three main characters conning
OUR ENGIN]
IS THE RIGt
At Chemical Waste Management, v
As the world leader in the remedia
we're working to create a cleaner, <
students excellent starts on succe:
If you're a Chemical, Civil, Mechan
for your achievements, this is your
program-and its advantages for y<
Informational Se
Wednesday, February
Swearingen Enginee
For additional information, please
If IfAll 1 in fkin m-ortr^l
II jvu ait IIUCIC31CU 111 lilld pit/giui
Bobbie Proper, Human Resourc
Road, Oak Brook, IL 60521. Equa
?
o
r4
fr*
o
A I
I
Wan
Why not C(
STUDENT
SE
Your cancli
Monday, Jar
Forms and C
C
ifters' lac
Jf
Anjelica Huston (left), John Cusa<
(right) star in The Grifters.
ClirtpfC Ollt of thpir manair nr?/4 /a?*
uuvxvvtu V/V.V VI. U1V11 UIVJIIVJ Oliu/Ul
yelling at each other.
Stephen Frears (the British director
of Dangerous Liasons fame)
does some brilliant camera-work,
especially the split screen at the
start showing all three characters
move in on their respective jobs.
However, Frears' direction, like
the plot, loses imagination as the
film progresses.
Despite The Gripers' inertia, the
three principle actors make the
film worth sitting through. John
Cusack, a vastly underappreciated
actor, pulls off being both slimy
and likable as Roy.
Annette Bening plays a great
manipulative lady that can be
sweet and icy cold, getting what
EER-IN-TRAINING
IT ENVIRONMEN1
/e're dedicated to creating better environme
tion of industrial pollutants, hazardous was
safer environment. And we're doing our part
ssful careers.
ical or Environmental Engineer who's ready
opportunity. We're coming to campus to tei
au.
Sttinn* r amni
VW1VII# VUllipi
' 6th, 7pm Thursdi
r Center Swearinge
contact your Placement Office.
n, and are unable to attend either session, p
es, Dept. BP19, Chemical Waste Manager
il Opportunity Employer.
SPgjgy
= 111] For Your
jjjSl Tnformati
it to make a differe
)nsider getting sta
GOVERNMENT
and
NATE POSITI1
dacy must be filec
wary 28 - Frida;
Complete Information avt
Student Government Offi
Russell House Room 1 V
ks plot
t '^jWp
I jB >5*,!ip' J|K
ma
:k (center) and Annette Bening
she wants through sex. She is
naked frequently. Great acting.
Anjelica Huston as Roy's mom
is the real phenomenon. Huston is
one of the best actresses around,
and she pulls out all the stops here.
Huston's character ranges from altruistic
to selfish, yet she always
(to me at least) remains
sympathetic.
Veteran actor Pat Hingle has a
small but powerful role as a ruthless
Mafiosa. His scenes are chilling;
it is a shame he only appears
for a few minutes.
The acting of Cusack, Huston,
Bening and Hingle is squandered
in this mess of a movie. With a
better screenplay, this movie could
have been great. But without it, the
film dwells in mediocrity. C
jlH
jlj i b i i
PROGRAM
r FOR YOU!
nts.
te and radioactive by-products,
to offer promising engineering
to be challenged and rewarded
11 you all about this exciting
is Interviews:
ay, February 7th
n Engineer Center
>lease send your resume to:
nent, Inc., 3001 Butterfield
gSD
r\
:ncer'
rted now...
r OFFICES
ONS
J this week:
y, February 1
lilable in the
ce
?
mJ
TUESDA
Lou Gold speaks al
issues, Holiday Inn <
Free admissi
WEDNESD
Colloquium, "The
Kingdom and the G
with speaker Andre
Gambrell Rm. 429
THURSD
Brown Bag Lunch!
Cost of Climbing ]
Brazil," with spe;
Meznar, Gambrel
Lounge at 12:2
Black History Mo
Scientists Nathan an
speak about today's
in the RH Ballroom
Window i
/~% m
tor soldier
By KATHY HEBERGER
Carolina Life Editor
The names of hundreds of soldiers
are stacked like bricks
across the "F' building's Devine
Street window as a sign that students
are thinking of their friends
and families in the gulf.
The Off-Campus Student Service
Office has collected more
than 200 soldiers' names since
the project began Jan. 21. Students
are asked to write the name
and branch of service of the solRide
with a sober driven
JUST
v
u
"LAST CHA
Stop by and vis
Check out our awesome
you with thous;
A\
January 28, 29, 30
University Bookstoi
C V 1
THURSDAY (CONT)
Wynton Marsalis & his
Y Septet. Two shows, 8 PM &
>out forest 10:30 PM at Greenestreefs.
it 7:30 PM. Advance tickets $15, $17 at
on. the door.
) * y Bill Gaitler Musical Team
will perform gospel music,
,ii "war " Koger Center at 7:30 PM.
Advance tickets are $12.50,
w Wood, $15 at door.
at OTHER
i AY Monday thru Wednesday
Series, "The Tast of Eden, CPU Movie, 9
Inflation in PM, RH Theater, $1
aker Joan Thursday thru Saturday
11 Faculty The Adventures of Ford
;0 PM. Fairlane, 9 PM, $2
nth Social Friday and Saturday Late
J TT
ujunanare i
black family ^ Mid-Summer Night's Dream,
at 7:30 PM. I 11:30 PM, $2
Dan Barabas/The Gamecock
dier they know on a card. The
office then mounts the card on
the window.
"We wanted to show soldiers
that we support them," said Stanley
Wardlaw, a resident adviser F^k f ^
for off-campus students and so- dSmf .
ciology graduate student.
The "I" building is located between
Baker and Burney residence
halls on Devine Street.
The off-campus student organizations
CARA and LOCAL are
also responsible for the project HHHflflHHflHHHMIi
Thank you for giving.
Again and again.
DOIT! RIVE SI Mn mtict American
mESa
UP TO
T1(M)
NCE TO BUY AT '90 PRICES!"
it your ArtCarved representative during this special event,
collection of styles. ArtCarved will customize a college ring just for
mds of special options. Don't delay?see your ArtCarved
representative before this promotion ends.
RTGiRVED
COLLEGE JEWELRY
Mon. - Wed. 9am-4pm |
o
e Russell House .
Special Payment Plans Available HB 1F1 **