The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 04, 1998, Page 7, Image 7
% Wednesday, March 4,11
Ani DiFr;
f7J| souni
LjIadvic
gamecock critic MARCUS AMI
PLASTIC CASTLE Ani DiFranco
(out of four stars)
The comparison might be a
premature, but Ani DiFranco i
coming the Joni Mitchell of our g
ation.
DiFranco's career, like Mitel
began as a folk singer and changei
matically right before the releas
live album. Mitchell gave us "C
^ and "Spark" and "Miles of Ailes,"
DiFranco had "Dilate" and "Livi
Clip."" Living In Clip" was, in ]
ways, her best piece of work. Tha
ble CD was a showcase of ma
DiFranco's best songs, reassurin
loyal fans that she hadn't lost I
with her acoustic past.
And like Joni Mitchell, Ani Di
- co's prolific career has been botl
tated and influential. Alana Davi
thank DiFranco for her budding ]
% larity, and the argument should be
that Alanis Morissette would nevei
converted into an angst-ridden roc!
if not for classic DiFranco album
"Puddle Dive" and "Out of Ra
However, after "Dilate" was rel
in the summer of 1996, many p
started to wonder if DiFranco w
or could, return to the magic of he
lier albums. "Dilate" was a d
pointment to many, even thoug
HUJIIIMJ
'
* * /
i 1 ^ r ... - ? - ? -
998
anco album 'goes de
while though she's been around for more than The more than 14-r
in&in seven years. tally amazing, wit
many All of this could have weighed heavy word atmosphere,
t dou- on DiFranco, and does on some of the "Little Plastic C
ny of songs on her newest CD, "Little Plas- songs that rely to<
>gher tic Castle." tricks. Why foil
touch ?j>ve g0t better things to do than sound of "Loom" wil
survive," she sings on "Puddle Dive," her voice sounds lib
kran" an obvious commentaiy on her current too many times tl
*imi" state in the music industry. phone? She uses ho
15 can "Little Plastic Castle" is a smarter since "How Have Y
P?PU" and deeper album than "Dilate." At first Range" on the tit]
ma(k listen, the CD sounds like another dis- Dish." Both songi
"have appointment. But songs such as "Fu- left off of the CD.
k star e] ? "Loom," "Pulse" and "Two Little Judging from "
s like Girls" are some of the strongest songs tie," Ani DiFranco v
nSe- in her 12-album career. her music as far a;
Whereas "Dilate" was mainly about bum is much bette
eople a troubled relationship, "Little Plastic still doesn't come c
ou'd, Castle" goes a little deeper. ty Girl" or her first;
r ear- Little Girls" is a song about a co is one of the mc
lsaP" naive lesbian relationship that only triguing artists in i
h the
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The Gamecock
ePer' . (THE
M DiFranco ^ \E^Du'
IIP could do 'BillyBobThorton.
llll "Fuel" cap ^Post^e s^ory ?f Sonny Deway's
iiP tures her at ^ Pentecostal preacher from Texas, redempti*
ymm h e r m 0 s t l?n&"suffering w^e leaves him and convim
Mm L i church to oust him, he gets into a drunken rage a
ll|| . ' 'his wife's lover with a baseball bat. He flees towi
Ipll about the baptizes himself "The Apostle E.F." He hea
mfA i small, mostly black town in Louisiana and star
Hp _ " t Vi church called The One Way Road to Heaven.
II 6 S S . 111 6
B agwew" t h R^cock critic ERIN SHAW (ou
BP ^andVtaeD Robert Duvall's dedication as writer, director
f|f? v. paring th t of The Apostle creates a compelling film, well-des
lill ? f its Oscar nominations. Duvall's character is a
same damn ,. . , , .
iit^ song eve v evangelist whose eyes wander to women as qui
mm e^e j ? can recite a Bible verse. He gives an excellent perf<
nirmtp "Pnl 1 t conveying the depth of character who is anythinj
h its calm, spoken- "flat" ^"f***
movies, the film captures the essence of the preai
WIp" faltpr<5 in tlip wholeheartedly lives life to guide others toward
> heavily on studio tion after life.\b?' falls short of flnding redemPti
V u j own personal life,
ow the live band . , , c , A
h thp "Pi " wfiprp The film 1S an mazing portrayal of rural Aim
"e it was altered one religion's intricate role in such communities. The
hroueh the micro tke sou^^e(^ spirituals and children in their Sun
r. ... ' is superb,
rns for the first time JT , . cmL . . .
, Ti _ t The basic premise of The Apostle is: can someor
ouBeen on Uutot / . , ,. '^ . .
le track and "Dee morality and act contradictory to those pnncip
? , point comes across, but there are some blurry gai
5 could have been and a loss of momentum. Toward the end of the
T if tip Plnqfip po intense drama of the preacher's story loses its ec
rill continue to nush overki11 of his Personality-A little to? long>the fi
? 111 tullUllUC vU PUoIl . ,| . 1 i .1
.. rrn , its power in an ending scene that would otherwise
3 it can go. lhis al- on target
^T0"Not AM Despite its flaws, 'The Apostle" is a shining
ilbum. Still, DiFran- of one man's belief in a film and the outstanding fn
,qt pxciting and in- uct of an endeavor 14 years in the making. Thou
musjc g voking, intense and solid, The Apostle is one to s
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Page 7
APOSTLE,,,
vail, Farrah Fawcett, John Beasley, Rick Dial, June Carter Cash and
Directed by Robert Duvall.
, a color- gamecock critic ROB LINDSEY
vn After
' , . Southern religion as shown in The Apostle is an in,
e*r credibly powerful institution. It has the power to move
n aa s people, to soothe people, and to touch people in a way that
nanf re" nothing else can. Robert Duvall, as the producer, direcs
or a tor, writer and star of The Apostle, is able to translate this
s a new deeply contagious enthusiasm to the medium of film.
In the film, Sflnny Dewey (Duvall) has the power to inf
spire, to heal the hearts of his followers, and to preach with
??every foot-stomping, amen-yelling ounce of his energy.
, However, as with all truly great characters, he has a
an. s ail flaw. His life has been spent in front of a congregation
erving o every foot-stomping, amen-yelling ounce of his enr<?amia^
ergy. Robert Duvall, as the producer, director, writer and
c as e star makes Sonny's journey of self-realization profoundly
moving. His impetuous actions result in him losing all
= a ? that he loves. He renounces his past life and begins reao~
ep, building, grounded in God, but with a stronger foundation.
" 0 The film as a whole is not ground-breaking, but the
re ei^P" power of Duvall performance, perhaps the best of his caon
in 1S reer, gives the movie an intensity which is rarely matched
. in Hollywood today.
;nca and
detail in gamecock critic JENNIFER STANLEY
iday best gj.eat ^hing about The Apostle is its development
, of character. In fact, "The Apostle" (Duvall) is so believ'e
able that the audience feels sympathy, anger and admies'
a ration for the main character all at once. While the backfim
tt? ground of Duvall's character was not clear at the beginning
.1 m' e of the movie, by the end the point is perfectly clear. Here
ge in an jg a man w^0 devoted himself to God, but he still strug
?saa gles with temptation, confusion and anger.
e ng While most films make the main character change on
. one big jump, The Apostle does a good job showing the proexamp,e
gressive change and the coming to terms with imperfecial
prod- i.: 4-u t c j 4.; a i4.i u 4.u ~ cii
, 11UI1 ailU II1C 4UC51 1UI I cUclllJJ 11UI1. rlllilUUgll Lilt? 111111 15
^ "P1 ?" slow, it is still worth seeing the story of this small town
ee' preacher's temptations and redemption.
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