Exotic character mix fails in ‘Bagdad Cafe’
By Lisa Donovan
Stiff Rep01^
If the movie “Bagdad Cafe” is
supposed to be a remake of the ‘ ‘Odd
Couple,” then Oscar and Felix
would be insulted.
ft^^TREVIEW 1
Percy Aldon’s story is about an
encounter between a German
v»oman with a cleaning fetish and an
exhausted woman who can’t find the
time toclcan, much less raise her two
teen-age children and grandchild.
The movie begins with a couple
who is speaking, or rather, arguing,
in foreign tongue in the middle of the
Mojave Desert.
Jasmin (Marianne Sagebrccht), a
German hausfrau, leaves her hus
band right in the middle of the desert,
Taking the wrong suitcase and a box
of magic tricks, Jasmin takes off
walking down the highway.
As she journeys down the road
Jasmin is offered a ride by a man in a
pick-up. Afler she shrugs hiin off, the
man peels off.
In the next scene, that very same
man is arriving at a cafe and whad
daya know - he’s married to the lady
who runs the Bagdad Cafe and Mo
tel.
Coincidentally, the couple,
Brenda and Sal, have a battle and Sal
ends up leaving.
At this lime we arc introduced to
Brenda and Sal’s children, Sal Jr.,
played by Darron Flagg and Phyllis,
played by Monica Calhoun.
Sal Jr. is a down-on-his luck pian
ist and his younger sister is a giddy
teeny-bopper with ovcractivc
hormones.
Next, we meet the others who
inhabit the premises: an Indian short
order cook, a tattoo artist and a for
mcr Hollywood set painter.
Rather than an exotic character
mix, most of Aldon’s characters
come together in a most unlikely
manner too unlikely. And al
though, at times, it’s part of the
movie’s charm, it takes credibility
away from the film.
The film progresses as Jasmin
finally arrives at the Bagdad Cafe
and decides she will check into the
motel and slay awhile. While Jasmin
is experiencing life in America and
the new culture, the rest of the cast
experiences Jasmin.
With some frequent humor and
rather touching scenes, Jasmin and
Brenda experience the trials and
tribulations that those foreign to one
another and those things which even
tual friends experience.
The two figure out that although
they arc very different people, they
arc sharing a lot of the same things:
personal liberation, responsibility,
iamily, love and friendship.
I he only thing that really tics the
lilm together is the music. Jearlyn
Stcclc-Batllc sings a high-pitched
ceric “I am calling.”
The line, combined with a pan
ning of the desert, left a lonely but
hopeful feeling. This was a transi
tional element used to show the
women’s progression. Although
the plot isoriginal and refreshing, the
execution is far from brilliant.
The movie is really mediocre, but
it teaches a lesson of acceptance and
the beauty of personhood.
If nothing else, the story allows a
person to become attached to Jasmin
and Brenda’s likability and vulnera
bility. Society has stereotyped
“beautiful” with surface adjectives
and this film attempts to deny this.
An example is the exposition of
Jasmin. She is overweight and most
See BAGDAD on 14
G N’R Lies’ stinks of sex,
profanity, drugs, violence
GUNS from Page 12
Uh oh. Have Guns n’ Roses
weenied out?
Nah. Maniacs will enjoy the sen
timental “Used to Love Her,” which
goes, ‘‘I used to love her, but I had to
kill her.” These lyrics arc just nilty
on top of the acoustic strumming in
the background.
Also, a remake of “You’re
Cra/y” is even stranger. This song
was one of the better tunes off the
band’s last album except this time
it’s acoustic, of course. This song is
fairly mellow also, yet takes grand
pri/.e in the usc-of- profanity cate
gory just like the other version.
Vocalist W. Axl Rose is not some
one you want your mother to listen to
if you would like to keep your al
bums around for long.
The other two songs, “Patience”
and “One in a Million” arc both
solid tunes, a little sentimental for
most Guns n’ Roses fans, but show
ing a little diversity.
This band has tricks up its sleeve.
The mellow tracks are interesting,
the live stuff is refreshing.
Sex, drugs, and violence are what
these guys Iced on, and their innova
tive cover shows this parasitic love
for the wild.
it looks like a National bnquirer
and the headlines arc at least as enter
taining. “Gay Vicar In Gangbang
Horror” and “Grandma Batters
Baby Basher’ ’ are some typical Guns
n’ Roses ideals, huh?
And somebody answer this ques
tion: “Is that ex-pom princess Traci
Lords lying nude on the album
cover?”
Hint: She has been seen with
Slash.
By the way, for all you rumor
lovers, here is some vital informa
tion. The whole band is still alive.
Nobody has overdosed, died of
AIDS, gotten drunk and wrecked a
car, or jumped out any window?.
They did take the drummer of
Faster Pussycat, tape him up and
leave him in an elevator, though.
Boy, everybody in the music
world ought to love these guys. They
are so amiable. They even like
acoustic music.
Overall, this album is not quite as
strong as “Appetite For Destruc
tion,” but all hard core Guns n’
Roses fans arc going to have to buy it.
It’s definitely worth a spin on the old
turntable of death.
Courtesy of the Sheldon Film Theatei
CCH Pounder and Marianne Sagebrecht
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