The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 01, 1999, Image 5

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    : Battalion
A
GGIELIFE
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Class of 2000
You have been a part of the Aggie family.
Now be a part of its family album.
AGJ
Get your FREE Senior picture taken at AR Photography today.
Extended sitting also available for $10. Visit 1410 Texas Ave.
South or call 693-8183. Open 9-12 and 1:30 M-E
watch a
you
ilmmakei
merican Beauty
(Starring Kevin Spacey,
Annette Bening
Directed by Sam Mendes
t kind i
f what
e. The
jple, thi
iHter Burnham (Spacey) is a
^Jypical, middle-aged Ameri-
n rlale. He lives with his wife,
jll’n (Bening), and teen-age-
ughiar, Jane (Thora Birch), in
Hrfect suburban neighborhood
erYet ht' perfect street, in the perfect
But on closer inspection of
eBurnham family, things are not
ork togelfi go< 1 as they seem.
In lis directorial debut, Mendes
a haunting look at the
^Hican family and the idea of
^^B-called “American dream.”
iw after: Hster’s idyllic bubble bursts
her he falls helplessly in lust
ith iiis daughter’s high school,
never hi irbi “-like friend, Angela (Mena
pape tvaii). He is then prompted to
ori-out, blackmail his compa-
ng how.Hid quit his high-paying job
ihings. i' Hp burgers at a fast food
fe vour.B! Lester’s actions confuse
id then r s v rife and daughter so much
■: take iat die family members begin
i trailer! Halize how frayed-at-the-
Jh.I'mg Bis their lives truly are.
uheres! Breenwriter Kevin Ball cre-
: first ve es magnificent story with
ev, hey v, Bncan Beauty. The actors de-
tv ked in ve[ superb, honest perfor-
I Bees and make the audience
I B a **y ^ ee * ^ ie s ' tuat i° ns the
st change haracters deal with,
o get workBhe writing genius of Ball,
easiertonBbined with the directive cre-
I Bity of Mendes, produce a
her/sai oi< iant film,
it aur andBhe movie progresses into
out occiiijHat Qouij considered dis-
no anfl/itjjjkjHg because it evolves from a
iguretea/imp\emovie on a big screen
"mood “
iivjsv'
tito real-life. American Beauty
shatters the stigma and illusion
of the “American dream” by
breaking through the stereotypi
cal bubble of suburban existence
with honest emotions often hid
den in everyday life. (Grade: A)
— Amanda Palm
Three Kings
Starring George Clooney,
Mark Wahlberg
and Ice Cube
Directed by David O.
Russell
Three Kings has been attracting
a lot of buzz in the weeks preced
ing its release. This is not surpris
ing considering the film’s trailers,
stars and subject matter.
In fact, there has even been a
little talk of Oscar nominations
surrounding the film, and this
seems surprising after viewing
the film.
Three Kings is the story of a
group of soldiers who journey into
Iraq a few days after the end of
the Gulf War. Their objective is to
steal gold from a group of Iraqis,
who stole it from the Kuwaitis.
Predictably, these soldiers have
a crisis of faith when they see the
pitiful shape of the average Iraqi.
The rest of the film builds on this
change of direction.
Starting with frenetic energy
and literally a laugh-a-minute,
this film quickly loses its spark.
Written and directed by David O.
Russell [Flirting with Disaster),
this film attempts to transcend
genres and become an action
film, a comedy and a serious
drama all rolled into one.
When the film shifts to its
more serious and thought-pro
voking theme a little less than mid-
Thora Birch (left) and Mena Suvari co-star as teenage friends caught in
a twisted family drama, in the DreamWorks film American Beauty.
LAW TALK
from STCL
Join Professor of Law Helen Jenkins
and a panel of attorneys
taking live call-in questions
Tonight
Friday, October 1,1999
at 8:00 p.m. on KAMU - TCA Channel 4
Each show in this monthly series will focus On a different topic.
This Friday, the program will deal with wills & estates.
way through, it seems to miss a
gear, and much of the earlier mo
mentum is lost.
Russell, who has proven him
self as a great comedic director,
fails to direct drama with the
same success as humor and trans
forms the movie into a slower-
paced, predictable shell of what it
could have been.
Clooney turns in a surprisingly
bland performance as Captain
Archie Gates. Wahlberg and Ice
Cube both deliver decent perfor
mances, considering both are mu
sicians turned actors.
The movie’s two saving
graces are the offbeat, and some
times downright sick, humor
scattered throughout and the ab
solutely brilliant cinematography
of Newton Thomas Sigel [The
Usual Suspects).
Using different types of film
to give the movie different ap
pearances, and through the use
of excellent lensing techniques,
Sigel is able to furnish the movie
with some of its most memo
rable moments.
Three Kings is an interesting
concept for a movie with some
equally powerful stars. It is a
shame, though, that the movie’s
best moments are accomplished
without either of those aspects.
If there are any Oscars to be
seen in this film’s future, Newton
Thomas Sigel deserves the only
one. (Grade: B-)
— Matt McCormick
# MSC Film Society presents . . .
‘Shakespeare
In Love”
Friday, Oct. 1st
7:00 & 9:30
A = instant classic B = a cut above C = average
D = don't buy it F = burn in effigy
Tickets: $3.50 at the door or
$3.00 in advance at the MSC
Box Offlce. (845-1234)
All films sh own in the
Rudder Theatre Complex.
Persons with disabilities
please call 845-1515 to
inform us of your special
needs.
Questions? Call the Aggie
Cinema Hotline 847-8478.
Website:
http://fllms.tamu.edu
rv ,
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III III
creativity
achievement
rv
ESPRfSEf
’PRODrt
U0:
mi
JUT '
Chemical Engineers: BS, MS, PilD
Mechanical Engineers: BS, MS
Organic Chemists: PIlB
Chemists: PhD
Analytical Chemists: PhD
Scientists: PhD
Process Engineers: BS, MS
Electrical Engineers: BS, MS
Accountants: BS, MBA, CPA
The perfect chemistry for career success.
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and professionally. So come engineer your success with us. There’ll be no limit to where your outstanding abilities
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UNION
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coming to your campus;
Co-op Career Fair
October 4 & 5
Stop by and talk with us!
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