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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1999)
Brjt documentary lampoons Love as manipulative, hateful By Sam McKewon ' Senior editor “Kurt and Courtney” is a mess of documentary, a disorganized mess. And it ends abruptly, about the time Courtney Love, the villain here, if you please, decided to sue the BBC film maker, Nick Broomfield, for making the documentary. But in between this mess of a film and nowhere ending comes an epiphany - that millions of Americans worshipped a wholly sorrowful soul, Kurt Cobain, who was full of insecuri ty On top of that, another epiphany - that Love is a more or less despicable person that we hope one day, some day,.will truly get hers. And these epiphanies come through a curious and hilarious set of circumstances and people. Broomfield’s tale, now available in video stores, starts off simple enough: He wants to track the life of Cobain, a music icon who killed him self under questionable circum stances. The questionable part has always been whether Cobain’s wife, Love, had her husband killed to fur ther her own career. The film more or less proves she didn’t. But she might have driven him to suicide. But the pleasures in this documen tary aren’t in some blinding truths, but in the ridiculous characters Broomfield meets along the way. There’s Courtney’s father, a former manager for the Grateful Dead, who still has an insipid personal rivalry with his daughter. In fact, he’s published two books supporting the claim that Love did have Cobain killed. His reasoning behind printing these books: to show Courtney he’s still “kicking her ass.” There’s Love’s ex-boyfriend, who has Some' chdlce words Tor her. There are two celebrity journalists, who pass themselves off as top-notch investiga tive paparazzi, but actually turn out to be two incompetent fools. There’s an ex-cop who believes Cobain was murdered, and a parade of former drugged-up friends, pushers, hangers-on and girlfriends. Best is El Duce, the man supposedly hired by Love to kill Cobain. El Duce is one of the scariest types of people in this world: he’s com pletely nuts. It is clear that this man has lost his mind. His scenes are also hilarious. The documen tary also reveals Love as a money hungry, mean-spir ited person who Courtesy Photo sets new levels of FILMMAKER NICK BROOMFIELD explores the death of phonmess, bitchi- Kurt Cobain in “Kurt and Courtney.” ness and just all around uncivilized behavior among stars. It’s clear that in Love’s new found fame, she believes she’s untouchable. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that while she didn’t kill Cobain, she could have driven him to death, as her behavior is chronicled to be borderline unbearable to deal with. The portrayal of Cobain comes off as sympathetic, as it always has, as it, always will. But it is fair to say he par tially dug his own grave in marrying Love, a woman who, as her father reveals through some old poems of hers he kept, had stars in her eyes from a very young age. If can only beThoped she crosses some powerful producer some day (a Robert Evans, perhaps?) who puts her Him Review The Facts Title: “Kurt and Courtney" Stars: Nick Broomfield, Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, El Duce Director: Nick Broomfield Rating: Not rated (adult language) Grade: Dr Five Words: “Kurt and Courtney" hilarious, revealing in her place in Hollywood, preferably outside it. And anyone who sees “Kurt and Courtney” will not only get some laughs, but a newborn disrespect for the aspiring actress and ass-showing musician. ‘History X’ gives lesson in racism By Sam McKewon Senior editor There is a sequence in “American History X” that stands out as a more vis ceral set of images than any other film can offer in 1998, short of Jason Patric’s shower scene in “Your Friends and Neighbors.” It is Edward Norton, a head-shaven neo-Nazi, committing an act of violence than exists somewhere beyond the worst sort of pain people can imagine. This act, along with his curious reaction during a subsequent arrest, cre ates the foundation for the best perfor mance of last year that nobody saw and one of the year’s most disturbing and thought-provoking films. “History X” failed to make a run in Lincoln’s main theaters when it was released and is now at the Starship 9. It is the stunning destruction and reforma tion of Derek (Norton), a boy from Venice Beach, Calif., whose father dies fighting a fire, causing his son to turn to racism. More notably, he lends his intellec tual brilliance and ability to communi cate to an audience toward the cause of a neo-Nazi movement. It eventually lands him in prison. The film is actually told in flash back, as the opening shows Derek leav ing prison. His younger brother, Danny (Edward Furlong, who holds his own) is following the same path that Derek went down before he went to prison. Danny is not nearly as bright, but still aware of his surroundings. With much of the film told in black and white (used for the flashbacks), director Tony Kaye (who, because of squabbles with New Line Cinema, actu ally wanted his name removed as the director) focuses mainly on Norton, Him Review Tie Facts Title: “American History X* Stars: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong Director Tony Kaye Rating: R (graphic violence, adult language) Grade: A Five Words: Norton delivers stunning, visceral performance who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role (he should have won) in both his physical and mental journey down the path of evil. What stands out about Derek is the surprising rationality he brings to the role. He’s evolved into a powerful, mon strous being, yet he makes long, embat tled speeches supporting his cause. Norton creates the character that could someday lead people to betray their humanity as he betrayed himself. There’s a scene where his under ground gang, led by shadowy business man Cameron Alexander (Stacy Keach) busts up a Korean grocery store. Norton seems to be speaking from a different source than most rabble-rousers - it’s a philosophical discourse on the evils of immigrants. The speech is abhorrent, sad and wrong, but what Derek does - and here’s where Norton’s brilliance shines - is make it entirely believable. His role takes on the aura of sublime dictator more than that of thug. The act of violence that lands him in jail is cruel and sadistic. But the look Norton captures when cuffed - eyes wide, half-smirk on his face - is the pic ture of alienation. He’s gone not just beyond the level of hating blacks and Jews. He’s alienat ed himself from basic human decency. His transformation in prison is understandable, as Derek gets paired with a black laundry worker (Guy Torry) who is ultimately the keeper of Derek’s life. It is in prison that Derek doesn’t necessarily learn that people are good, but that his so-called Aryan broth ers are just as evil. When Derek gets out, his reforma tion is not one of preachy martyrdom, but of sobering realization. His attempts to get Danny away from tfye life of hatred are soft-spoken. His breakaway from his girlfriend (the ever-creepy Fairuza Balk) and the gang as a whole takes up a little of the film. Derek’s a reluctant hero, only wanting to save his family now, despite the pushing of his former teacher (Avery Brooks) to save more than that The film is not without flaws. Despite some beautiful individual scenes and fine editing, it has some weak parts, such as specific holes in the plot and a rushed ending, that don’t seem to ring true. But Norton makes up for it with work that puts him above a Matt Damon, a Ben Affleck or a Paul Rudd. Here, he is part Robert DeNiro in ‘Taxi Driver,” part Ralph Fiennes (the only really good thing in “Schindler’s List”) and, at the same time, entirely his own creation. His philosophical style and intelli gence is reminiscent of Jack Nicholson’s in “The King of Marvin Gardens,” a totally different role in a much different film. Both men, despite their different archetypes, create an intimacy that can only be found in the finest work. It takes skill to make Derek’s behavior seem this accessible. It is not a performance to be missed, even at the Starship 9. It foreshadows a career of great work ahead for Norton. --^ Comedy is back... at The Royal Grove 340 W. Comhusker Hwy. Lincoln. HE 474-2332 FREE \5\\0^iea \ Doors 8:30 Show 9:30 1/2 price wells, suds & soft drinks 8:30-9:30 , Bring in this ad for $2 off door charge. 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