[email protected] Technique Entertainment Editor: Jennifer Aldoretta 9 Friday, Entertainment May 22, 2009 Quick pace kills plot #$%& in Angels & Demons ! FILM over as merely putting the infor- #'%( mation together, which defeats Angels & Demons " the entire purpose of the riddles. RESTAURANT GENRE: Mystery, Thriller One of the few places in which STARRING: Tom Hanks, the movie succeeds is pace. How- Ewan McGregor and Ayelet ever, not much of this can be at- Zurer tributed to skill. Packing in ev- Tech square gains erything needed to follow the DIRECTOR: Ron Howard story, the movie does not dwell RATING: PG-13 too much on silent moments, an intimate modern which is exactly what it needs. It RELEASED: May 15, 2009 never slows down to allow the au- dining option dience to catch up. OUR TAKE: !!!!! Some story elements, and char- acters, are left out to make the By Chris Ernst "lm shorter, which is not much Sta! Writer of a problem until the end. !e book’s climax is the culmination Angels and Demons is based of a grand scheme with enough on the novel of the same name twists and left turns to put a soap penned by Dan Brown, which is opera to shame. how this story is best kept. !e However, Angels & Demons movie lost a lot of its impact in simply did not have the time to set its transition to the big screen. up the gasp-inducing revelations. !e best-selling book is no work !is makes for a slightly under- of classical canon, but it utilizes whelming ending. its length in a way that cannot be David Koepp and Akiva translated into a movie. Goldsman wrote the screenplay, A large portion of the book and it does not help that the writ- educates the reader of the Illumi- ers’ strike occurred during pre- nati, art, artists, history and ev- production, which becomes obvi- erything else that lead Langdon, ous in some details. If a character played by Tom Hanks, already grows up in Italy, he probably knows. !ere is no way to get this would not have an Irish accent. information to the audience with- All problems that I found with out being boring and “talky,” so a the "lm originate in the script, majority of it is skipped. !e audi- but it is made with Ron Howard’s ence’s education is largely spit out excellent visual style. !e camera as quickly and simply as possible never stops moving, adding en- through various characters. ergy to the already hyper-kinetic !e movie focuses on the chase script. For having such a huge fo- through Rome and the Vatican, cus on the inside of the Vatican and it packs the "rst hundred and other historical places, these pages of the book into its "rst ten places do not actually appear Photo by Kelvin Kuo/Student Publications minutes. It is a lean, fast, focused much in the "lm. Left: Not only does WaterHaven have a full bar (as seen above), but they o!er 60 di!erent wines. movie that eschews unnecessary Overall, the movie tries to Right: The restaurant’s peaceful atmosphere is displayed with calming colors and modern lighting. things such as characterization. squeeze too much into too little !e movie has a great cast (includ- time and falls $at. !ere is no RESTAURANTS while small candles rest on each covered in Applewood smoked ing Tom Hanks as Robert Lang- time to become invested in the WaterHaven table to further create a peace- bacon. !e trout itself was very don), but they never get a chance characters or properly present ful mood. !ere is low-key music good, and even better was its side to do more than spit out names puzzles. Yet, what the movie lacks LOCATION: 75 5th Street NW that plays in the background, and, dish – the Mushroom Lasagna – and dates and run about. in substance it makes up for en- CUISINE: Contemporary overall, WaterHaven is a nice, qui- that needs to be experienced by Where the book succeeds is ergy and pacing. American et place where you will never have anyone with even a passing inter- when Langdon "gures out seem- !e movie does not stand well to yell across the table for your est in mushrooms. ingly impossible ancient quanda- by itself and the story is an in"- PRICE: Entrees $15 - $22 company to hear you. Other than their delicious din- ries. !ese, however, are skimmed nitely better read than watch. !e service is both friendly ner menu, WaterHaven o#ers a OUR TAKE: !!!!! and prompt, returning to the lunch menu containing various Image courtesy of Columbia Pictures table regularly to ensure that ev- sandwiches and salads to choose By Daniel Spiller erything has turned out well or from. Also, those interested in Senior Sta! Writer to ask if anything else is needed. wine will be pleased to know !ey are also helpful in making a WaterHaven is home to over 60 !e dilemma: You’ve mustered dish recommendation or clarify- wines. up the courage to "nally ask that ing speci"cs on the menu. But for all WaterHaven has go- cute guy or girl out to dinner, But the most important thing, ing for it, there are still a couple of but you’re pretty sure that Moe’s of course, is the food. Appetizers minor drawbacks. !e "rst (and wouldn’t quite convey the classi- range from southern favorites like likely most important to students) ness you’re aiming for. You would Shrimp and Grit Cakes and Fried is that the food is somewhat pric- gladly drive your date to one of Green Tomatoes to restaurant ey. Most of the appetizers hover the many nice restaurants that At- standards like House and Caesar near $10 and dinner entrees are lanta has to o#er, but sadly your Salads. For those who enjoy crab around $20. only means of transportation are cakes, WaterHaven o#ers a terri"c While this is far from being a your feet. What is a young college version that is perfectly sized for deal breaker, it keeps WaterHaven student to do? two to share. from being a place you will fre- Fortunately, Tech Square has Dinner entrees include an im- quently be visiting. a new restaurant to o#er those pressive selection of meat dishes Also, the restaurant gives a vibe who are looking for a "ner din- including trout, halibut, chicken, that it is aimed at a slightly older ing experience. Taking the place salmon, oxtail, steak, lamb and crowd. WaterHaven is a perfect of what was previously !e Globe, pork. spot for business lunches and din- WaterHaven is now open and of- For those in the mood for ners, but maybe not a place a stu- fers a nice variety of "ne American something a little lighter, the dent should rush into when look- cuisine. Fresh Vegetable Plate is always of- ing for casual dining. !e atmosphere of the restau- fered and contains vegetables cho- Overall, WaterHaven is a great rant is relaxing; dim, globe light- sen daily by the chef. date spot and an excellent choice ing illuminates the restaurant’s My choice for dinner was the for anyone looking for a more el- earthy and neutral color scheme, Georgia Trout – a pan-seared cut egant dining experience. t.BZ tTechnique ENTERTAINMENT Downey Jr. and Foxx inspire hope in !e Soloist FILM himself to support Ayers’ gift and nate people. I felt personal growth the only people on screen, I found not only captured Ayers’ past but The Soloist bring the man back to normalized blossoming as Lopez also comes it to be in great taste, as these one- presented them in a manner that society. But how can a man "x a to realize the answer at the "lm’s on-ones were absolutely perfect. related them to the present issue. GENRE: Biography, Drama person? conclusion. Although this "lm was my "rst I had begun to tire of other direc- STARRING: Robert Downey !is question constantly came Keystone to my entertainment occasion to see the talent of direc- tors’ lack of imagination in their Jr. and Jamie Foxx to my mind when Ayers, a man from !e Soloist is the remark- tor Joe Wright, I must say I was trite use of $ashbacks as merely whose professional future was able performances of Jamie Foxx impressed with his vision. He was exposition. !is has been by far DIRECTOR: Joe Wright struck down by his schizophrenic as Nathaniel Ayers and Robert able to artistically capture many the best theater experience I have RATING: PG-13 mind, was on screen. Ayers kept Downey Jr. portraying Steve Lo- emotions. witnessed this year. "nding the social help from Lopez pez. Jamie Foxx, though it may My personal favorites were his I frankly enjoyed every de- RELEASED: April 24, 2009 more and more di%cult to cope be considered humorous that approach to derangement or ap- pressing, heart-wrenching, feel- with as it became forced upon he branched out from a physi- prehension and his view of syn- good and exciting moment. !e OUR TAKE: !!!!! him. cally handicapped musician to a esthesia. In the "rst case, quick- Soloist represents a winning for- Always pressed to the brink mentally handicapped musician, paced changes of point of view mula – great actors, a dramatic By Kenny Phillips before "nally accepting, Ayers somehow adapts a very trying per- were used to great e#ect, mim- plot and a director able to gather Senior Sta! Writer strums the melancholy note of sona and interesting verbalization icking the rapid waves of inner together this prime clay into a mental health to strike a chord with such talent.