'Traffic'an
absorbing
drama
TRAFFIC from page 5
ply chills, Caroline raped and
zonked out in a hotel she fre
quently haunts that simply
chills. And it sends the message: •
Anybody, anywhere.
This is a statement you’ve
heard, no doubt, in apy after
school special. Really, there is
nothing original in “Traffic.” It’s
been onscreen before, especial
ly in the 1980s, when drug and
anti-government films were the
standard fare. What struck me
in watching the movie is how
familiar all this material is (the
key drug witness wanting
immunity, the corrupt cops, the
daddy’s little girl gone astray)
and how it seems, for whatever
reason, dated; free base cocaine
was long ago replaced with eas
ier, not to mention safer, drugs.
And yet, somehow, the
craftsmanship of Soderbergh’s
direction and camerawork (he
uses an assumed name) tie it
together into a moving, ambi
tious work. Del Toro, as the cop,
uses a quiet smolder to show his
growing frustration with the
Mexican status quo regarding
drug cartels. Douglas, in a
rather subdued performance, is
troubled from nearly the open
ing frame; first, as he discovers
how little can be done to fight
drugs, and then, with his
daughter, just why that is. A
wide supporting cast, including
Don Cheadle, Lusi Guzman and
a nearly unrecognizable
Benjamin Bratt, flesh out their
small parts well.
I’ve left out most of the plot
threads and intricacies on pur
pose, maybe because they’re
fine to discover individually,
maybe also because I wasn’t left
in awe by the plot or dialogue,
nor did I find much of “Traffic”
unpredictable.
Rather, its uncommon
strength lies in the domesticat
ed moments of the film, the
scene where a husband asks his
wife how long she's known
about her daughter’s drug use
and said nothing. The wife says
six months, for no better reason
than in college, she used drugs,
came out all right, and look,
now she’s a millionaire. And so
what harm could a little experi
mentation do...and how could
she offer herself up as a hyp
ocrite to her own daughter?
The only more eternal ques
tion beyond the meaning of life
is what makes each one of us
different. The user from the
addict, the alive cop at a base
ball game vs. the dead one in
the desert, when they were both
trying to do the same thing.
“Traffic” puts these on the
ledger and lets them play out;
we aren’t surprised by the
results, and yet the journey of
tips film is as absorbing and
dramatic as any in recent years.
“Traffic” Starring Michael
Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones
and Benicio Del-Torn. Directed
by Steven Soderbergh. Rated R
for language and drug use.
Playing at the Plaza 4 and
SouthPointe Cinema
Holiday moviess offers mixed bag of quality
The mixed bag of holiday
movies mirrored the lackluster
year that preceded it. A sampling
of reviews:
“All the Pretty Horses”
The Billy Bob Thornton
directed film, “All the Pretty
Horses,” contains drawn dia
logue and lost detail, while giving
a hard to follow plot,
Though full of beautiful
southwestern scenery with
serene hills, rivers and wondrous
sky, this could not help the film
become more flowing and
smooth. The shots used for the
connection of scenes made this
already choppy story line even
more fragmented and stale.
The story is of a young Texan
rancher, Matt Damon, who
leaves his family ranch for Mexico
after his father dies. He has to
slowly accustom himself to
Mexican culture and how to deal
with the loss of family, friends,
and love. This movie is not a love
story, although it is proclaimed as
one. Penelope Cruz stars in her
second American movie as his
love interest, a wealthy Mexican
entrepreneur’s daughter.
Romance between Cruz and
Damon’s characters lasts only 25
minutes through the whole
movie. Damon’s character and
his friend work as ranchers on her
father’s land. They are arrested
soon after they begin their jobs
there, and life goes from fair to
fearful and deadly.
There are many parts of this
movie where there is no objection
in sight, just a journey into the
unknown for the character and
the audience. Almost every turn
seems a surprise because there is
no lead up or detail to the story.
One incident after another is con
cluded with a fade out for each
scene. It is like watching life as it
happens, and it is in slow motion.
This movie could have been
so much more than almost two
hours of scenery and jumbled
speech. With little detail and an
inconsistent story, this movie is
not worth seeing. ★ Vz - Sarah
Sumner
“Cast Away”
Tom Hanks and Robert
Zemeckis team up once again for
blockbuster earnings and
Academy Award hype, and right
fully so. “Cast Away” brings a
moving depiction in which one
man clings to survival, faced with
extreme isolation and loneliness.
Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a
FedEx troubleshooter obsessed
with the concept of being on
time. His fiancee, Kelly Frears,
played by Helen Hunt, is tolerant
and understanding of Noland's
obligation to his work, as she
accepts his untimely and unex
pected departure from Christmas
dinner to fly across the Pacific on
business.
To no one’s surprise, thanks to
trailers that left little out, the
plane crashes and the sole sur
vivor Noland is washed up on a
desert island. Hanks carries the
film for the next 90 minutes,
whose performance is arguably
his best to date. One can’t help
but connect with his character
and feel what he is going through.
The anticlimactic ending
however didn’t quite do justice to
an otherwise four star movie.
That, and previews which
revealed too much, took away
from the film’s potential effect
were still not enough to erode the
greatness of this film. ★★★ - Billy
Smuck
“Family Man”
Here’s a movie about second
chances as Jack Campbell, played
by Nicolas Cage, finds out in this
heartfelt dramatic comedy. It
offers enjoyable entertainment,
along with an incentive for some
personal reflection time, regard
ing the choices we make in our
lives.
Monetarily speaking, big
business tycoon and Wall Street
hotshot, Campbell is quite suc
cessful and content with his
bourgeois lifestyle. It’s obvious he
loves his money and his life the
way it is, which he communicates
to Cash (Don Cheadle) when he
says, “I've got everything I want.”
Cash whose role is similar to that
of Clarence in the ever popular
“It’s A Wonderful Life,” challenges
Campbell’s narrow-minded illu
sion of what personal happiness
is and offers Jack a glimpse into
the life he could have had.
This supernatural occurrence
acts as a portal Jack is involuntar
ily thrust into kicking and
screaming. After some time in
this alternative life he adapts, he
favors it over his chosen path. A
great lesson is posed in this film
as Jack Campbell discovers the
truth to Mastercard's slogan,
"there are some things money
can’t buy... ” Vz—Billy Smuck
“Miss Congeniality”
Sandra Bullock stars and pro
duces “Miss Congeniality”, where
the classic beauty makeover sce
nario is revived with continuous
laughs and a boost of female
comedic talent. Though not a
blockbuster winner for its open
ing weekend, it is slowly moving
its way up over the holiday sea
son. This movie is nonstop
amusement with falls, kicks and
trips from Bullock.
Bullock plays Gracie Hart, a
FBI agent who is a tomboyish,
clumsy and a somewhat lonely
woman. She is chosen to go
undercover as a contestant in a
beauty pageant to catch a crimi
nal mastermind. Though not
graceful or attractive, Gracie is
transformed from geek to chic in
a matter of a few days, but still
doesn’t gain much refinement.
She and Benjamin Bratt’s
character have romantic tension
throughout the movie, but the
love connection that gets in the
way of so many comedies holds
back a few steps. This allows the
slapstick to smack before the lips
do. The prissy beauty pageant
humor mixed with the FBI tough
ness leads to off-the-wall
predicaments and brings about
deeper levels of humanity for
each character without becom
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ing sappy. ★★★ Vz r— Sarah
Sumner
“What Women Want”
The relationship-driven com
edy “What Women Want" divides
itself between physical comedy,
troubled interconnections and
sincere benevolence. This movie
appears to be all about the come
dy for the first part of the show,
but later sinks into relationship
issues concerning parenting,
work and man against himself.
Mel Gibson was paid $20 mil
lion to play lead character, Nick, a
self-centered womanizer who is
passed over for a woman in con
sideration for a top advertising
job. This divorced father of one
needs to care for his teenage
daughter while her mother is
away, try to steal the advertising
promotion and impress his
female boss.
While trying to figure out his
feminine side and weasel his way
into Helen Hunt's character’s
mind, he is electrocuted and
gains the power to hear women's
thoughts. He uses this newfound
ability to his advantage in every
way possible.
Amusing and heartfelt, “What
Women Want” takes the audience
for a more genuine and intimate
story than what is expected from
a slap-stick comedy. ★★★ Vz —
Sarah Sumner
--
No fries with thaty)
A degree doesn’t guarantee a good job. You need experience,
confidence and a great portfolio to get the job you want after
you leave UNL.
Now is the time to prepare tor a tuture in a connected
world. Working with UNL Information Services
k can help you develop skills in computer graphic
design, web page creation and HTML,
database development, multimedia authoring,
^k project management and video streaming
^k on the internet. Responsible students
—IlilBl1: can eni°y 3 flexible ^d fun work
>v f environment that understands
■ the needs of students.
• Learn valuable skills
L* Work on campus
• Flexible schedule
Learn more about employment
opportunities with
■j'hJJL1 ’ UNL Information Services.
f Thursday, Jan. 18 at 4pm
*WTJjjt'iL, City Campus Union
V Register online and ([
?JM|t see more info at
Phttp://itg.unl.edu/register/
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
! ATTENTION j
{international:
! STUDENTS! ■
Do you need to complete the student insurance waiver form?
■
i
i
i
■
i
■
■
i
i
i
i
15th & U Streets.
Call 472-7435 for more Info.
I UNL requires insurance coverage to comply with immigration regulations. .
" International students are to show written proof in English of comparable '
| insurance coverage or they will be billed for the UNL student health |
| insurance plan on their tuition statements. A charge of $227 for the I
I spring semester (1/1/01 - 8/14/01) will be added to tuition bills unless a ,
■ waiver is obtained from the Student Insurance Coordinator at the University '
| Health Center.
!■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!
<
■ 0m m (402)472-2588 $5.25/15 words
■■■ FAX: (402) 472-1761 $3.50/15 words (students)
SiL dn@unl.edu $0.15 each additional word
I $0.75 billing charge
m -$0.75/1 ine headline
Deadline: 4 p.m. weekday prior
200s Firm*
7 complete computers. Excellent for word proc
essing. 2-3 Hundred dollars. Land and Sky.
Cotner & O or Shelly, Lori 483-4561.
2 lofts for sale. Very easy to put together. Stur
dy, fits dorm rooms. $150 each.
Surplus City
Scooters, camoflauge, airsoft pistols, jeans and
much more. 3241 South 13th. 420-5151.
300s Services
Auto Accidents & DWI
Other criminal matters, call Sanford Pollack,
476-7474.
Free
Pregnancy Test
Birthright is a confidential helping hand. Please
call for appointment or more information,
483-2609. Check out our website
www.birthhght.oeg.
Male roommate wanted for 1/15 or 2/1.
Non-smoker, no pets. Washer/dryer, dishwasher
plus all utilities paid. Located in quiet neighbor
hood. $400/month. Leave message at 438-3434
or 416-3263.
Male/Female roommate needed to fill basement
in large house at 9th & A. Call Andrea at
438-0832.
4 bedroom, 2 bath, garage. 3443 T Street. $750.
Available now. 450-5674 or 430-3073.
4 bedroom, 2 bath, Garage. Washer/dryer hook
up. New duplex. 1758 N. 27th. $1000 per
month. Available now.450-5674 or 430-3073.
Students! Duplex, 4BR, 2 bath. Near campus, all
appliances, garages. Call 434-1220, day or
488-4159, night.
Walk to campus. Large remodeled 2 bedroom.
Central Air. Washer/drier. Off-street parking.
2410 Vine. $525.432-6476.
***Close to City Campus***
2 bedroom, electric-entry building, !$439.00 &
up. 475-7262.
***Efficiency
Apartments***
Close to City Campus
Water, Heat, and Gas Paid
Available now. Call 477-4490.
1 bedroom. 2040 F. New carpet, paint, blinds,
laundry. Clean and quiet. Water/garbage paid.
Close to campus. $345.476-1363 or 450-4826.
2 bedroom furnished, clean, close to UNL. Cen
tral/air, laundry. $400, one year lease. 931 G.
435-0608 aftemoon/evening.
RENTAL UAL ESTATE
1730 B Street. 2 bedroom, w/garageincluded,
large sunny picture window. $500. Sk:urity hall
way. 489-6345.
2406 J Street. Sunny, 1 bedroom, with oak
floors, in historic building. $380. All utilities
paid. Available February 1.475-9663.
3501 Baldwin. 2 bedroom. Large, nicely deco
rated, balcony, parking, laundry, no smoking.
$450. 464-4696.
AVAILABLE NOW!
1 or 2 bedrooms, all electric, FREE CABLE, no
pets/no smoking. $360 & $460.1900 Knox.
477-7684.
East campus large 2 bedroom, fireplace, balco
ny, parking. 4220 Huntington. $460. 423-0902
or 580-0902. .
GARDEN APARTMENT
Large, 2 BR, fireplace, garage. Utilities paid.
$700.4600 Eden Circle, 489-2601.
★ 3-Month Leases ★
Appliances, dishwasher, mini-blinds, coin-op
laundry, off street parking, water/trash paid, cats
ok, super clean, walk to campus and shopping,
1 BR, heat paid, 3 closets, $365.
2 BR, new carpet & paint, $485.
2504 Vine St. 402-489-4857.
Large 2 bedroom, balcony, microwave, dish
washer, disposal, $525/month, 2501 E St.
432-6476. N/S, N/P.
Student Special
1329 South 14th. Unique one bedroom, 3rd
floor, no pets, $300. 474-5327.
Studio and 1 BR
Vintage-studio and 1 BR close to both campus
es, $300-$350. 432-2288.
The Willows, 1800 Knox St., 1 & 2 bdrm.
available. Call 437-8322 for more detalils.
Two bedroom, close to UNL, fireplace. Available
November 15. For details contact 438-0777 or
466-8181.
♦ One Bedroom 2000 J St. Parking $310.
♦ One Bedroom 1507 S 19th. Roomy $335.
♦ 3 BR 5232 Cooper, w/d hookup, fire-place,
MB $730. No Smokers/Pets 440-3000.
f no fi mi s
We Offer
• 1,2 and 3 bedrooms
• Apt Duplexes and Houses
• 24 Hour Maintenance call 438-0946
<4&> Century
X LK-Kjy SALES AND MANAGEMENT oa
We provide:
♦ Locations throughout Lincoln
♦ 24-Hour Emergency Maintenance
♦ Professional & Personable Leasing Staff
Call us today!
402-437-8300
500s Mr
$9-$12 Per Hour for
Delivery Drivers
Domino's Pizza is now hiring for day and eve
ning shifts for delivery drivers and limited eve
ning inside help. No experience necessary. All
you need to start is a good driving record, relia
ble personal vehicle, liability insurance, and a
good attitude. Apply at any of the Domino’s lo
cations.
Region V
Services
A Great Place to Work
Opportunity for full and part time employment
working with people with developmental disabil
ities in various group residence and family set
tings. Focus on living skills and recreational ac
tivities. Variety of shifts available to fit your
schedule. Experience and/or education in hu
man services preferred. Students encouraged to
apply. Own transportation may be required.
Stop by either office for more information about
specific positions.
Excellent benefits for half and full time employ
ees:
• vacation & sick pay
• eleven holidays
• paid medical ins (full-time only)
• annual pay increase plan
Apply at Region V Services - Lincoln, 939 N
70th Street (north end of Meadowlane Shop
ping Center) or 1430 South Street, Suite 201.
AA/EOE.
A growing, Lincoln based business is looking for
highly creative and motivated individuals to join
our IT department. This is a part-time position
which may lead to full-time employment, perfect
for the student looking to get their "foot in the
door." Technologies we are interested in in
clude: Microsoft technologies(ASP, Visual Basic
and SQL), Dynamic Web Content, Linux System
and Java. No degree of certification is required
to apply. Interested candidates should call Ja
mie at (402)464-7446 for an interview.
Are you a Handy Person?
Are you interested in Part/Fuli-time work?
Chances are you have some talents Jones Prop
erties could use. if you have expertise in any of
the following: Painting, Plumbing, Heating or
A/C, mowing/plowing. We’ll accommodate flexi
ble hours. 486-3000.
Are you a JR/SR accounting major looking for
experience in a local accounting office? Do you
want to experience tax preparation, bookkeep
ing and general office work in the business
world? Call 441-9200.
Haven Manor
Assisted Livina
4848 S. 48th Lincoln, NE 63516
402-434-2680 '
e-mail: leighOhavenmanor.com
Caring it Sharp ★ Conscientious
If these words describe you COME APPLY TO
DAY! Interested in obtaining or expanding your
skills in the medical field? This is a great oppor
tunity to get the experience you need. Make
your resume stand out above all the others, get
experience!
We offer the “Approved Medication Assistance
Course” (AMA) Free if employed. Ask how you
can complete this course in a timely manner!
You do not have to be a Certified Nursing Aide
to become an AMA. Ask for details.
AMA/CNA
PERSONAL CAREGIVERS
Full Time
Day & Evening shifts
Part Time
Day, Evening, Night and Weekend shifts
available
ACTIVITIES ASSISTANT
E/0 weekend 11am-3pm
Additional hours possible
Start the semester off right with
a new job...found right here in
the Daily Nebraskan
Classifieds.