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      Beautiful
      View:
      Ron
     
     
      Sexsmith
      @
      Myrons
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Stephan
      MacLeod
     
     
      STAFF
      WRITER
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Seeing
      Ron
     
     
      Sexsmith
      live
      is
      an
     
     
      intimate
      experience.
     
     
      Sexsmith
      is,
      without
      a
     
     
      doubt,
      one
      of
      the
      best
     
     
      singer/songwriters
      on
     
     
      the
      planet
      and
      his
     
     
      performance
      at
      Myrons
     
     
      on
      November
      6"
     
     
      proved
      he
      also
      the
      most
     
     
      likeable.
     
    

    
     
      He
      is
      the
      first
     
     
      artist
      I’ve
      ever
      seen
     
     
      give
      credit
      to
      the
     
     
      importance
      of
      his
      guitar
     
     
      technician.
      And
      he
      was
     
     
      approachable
      after
      the
     
     
      show;
      he
      even
      stuck
     
     
      around
      and
      had
      a
      few
     
     
      drinks
      with
      the
      Cadre’s
     
     
      editor.
     
    

    
     
      The
      set-list
     
     
      covered
      all
      of
      my
     
     
      favorite
      Sexsmith
      tunes
     
     
      from
      all
      three
      of
      his
     
     
      albums,
      and
      he
      even
     
     
      did
      a
      cover
      of
      Gene
     
     
      MacLellan’s
     
     
      “Snowbird.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      live
      arrangements
     
     
      of
      the
      songs
      were
      really,
     
     
      cool.
      Don
      Kerr
      (drums)
     
     
      and
      Tim
      Vesley
      (bass)
     
     
      from
      the
      Rheostatics
     
     
      backed
      Ron
      up
      and
     
     
      added
      a
      lot
      to
      the
      show.
     
     
      Their
      backup
      vocals
     
     
      were
      excellent,
      and
     
     
      their
      musical
      diversity
     
     
      helped
      to
      shift
      the
     
     
      mood
      of
      the
      songs
     
     
      when
      needed.
     
    

    
     
      To
      set
      the
     
     
      perfect
      atmosphere,
     
     
      Don
      traded
      his
      drums
     
     
      for
      a
      viola
      and
      Tim
     
     
      played
      an
      accordion
      on
     
     
      such
      bittersweet
      songs
     
     
      as
      “In
      a
      Flash”
      and
     
     
      “April
      After
      All.”
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      an
     
     
      emotionally
      satisfying
     
     
      show.
      Myrons’
      new
     
     
      Rhythm
      and
      Blues
      Café
     
     
      provided
      an
      intimate
     
     
      setting
      for
      Sexsmith
     
     
      and
      he
      took
      advantage
     
     
      of
      it
      by
      letting
      the
     
     
      audience
      glimpse
      into
     
     
      his
      heart.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      END
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tHE
      CINEPHILE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Three
      Kings
     
     
      Directed
      by
     
     
      David
      O.
      Russell
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Three
      Kings
      begins
     
     
      as
      a
      humorous
      and
     
     
      fast-paced
      post-Gulf
     
     
      War
      caper,
      involy-
     
     
      ing
      four
      American
     
     
      soldiers
      (George
     
     
      Clooney,
      Ice
      Cube,
     
     
      Mark
      Wahlberg
      and
     
     
      Spike
      Jonze)
      trek-
     
     
      king
      across
      the
      Iraqi
     
     
      desert
      in
      search
      of
     
     
      stolen
      Kuwaiti
      gold.
     
     
      Writer/director
     
     
      David
      O.
      Russell
     
     
      then
      takes
      a
      brilliant
     
     
      turn
      by
      giving
      the
     
     
      story
      depth
      and
     
     
      meaning,
      tackling
     
     
      issues
      such
      as
      vio-
     
     
      lence,
      intolerance
     
     
      and
      greed.
      The
     
     
      entire
      cast
      is
      excel-
     
     
      lent
      and
      the
      cinema-
     
     
      tography
      ranks
     
     
      among
      the
      best
      in
     
     
      recent
      years.
      After
      a
     
     
      summer
      of
      unre-
     
     
      markable
      action
     
     
      films
      and
      unfunny
     
     
      comedies,
      Three
     
     
      Kings
      is
      the
      elixir
     
     
      that
      makes
      up
      for
      it
     
     
      all.
      It
      is,
      hands
     
     
      down,
      one
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      best
      films
      of
      1999
     
     
      (8).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Music
      of
      the
     
     
      Heart
     
     
      Directed
      by
      Wes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Craven
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      a
      sudden
     
     
      separation
      from
      her
     
     
      husband,
      a
      woman
     
     
      (Meryl
      Streep)
     
     
      moves
      to
      NYC
      with
     
     
      her
      two
      young
      sons
     
     
      to
      start
      a
      new
      life.
     
     
      With
      fifty
      spare
     
     
      violins
      and
      an
     
     
      abrasive
      teaching
     
     
      style,
      she
      manages
     
     
      to
      convince
      an
     
     
      alternative
      public
     
     
      school
      in
      East
     
     
      Harlem
      to
      hire
      her
     
     
      as
      a
      violin
      teacher.
     
     
      Meryl
      Streep
      is
     
     
      fantastic
      in
      what
      is
     
     
      basically
      a
      standard
     
     
      Hollywood
      story
      of
     
     
      a
      woman
      overcom-
     
     
      ing
      all
      odds
      and
     
     
      achieving
      her
     
     
      dreams.
      It’s
      been
     
     
      done
      before
      in
      other
     
     
      films,
      but
      they
      are
     
     
      usually
      far
      too
     
     
      sentimental
      and
     
     
      melodramatic
      for
     
     
      their
      own
      good.
     
     
      Director
      Wes
     
     
      Craven
      proves
      he’s
     
     
      not
      just
      for
      horror
     
     
      anymore,
      slowing
     
     
      down
      the
      tempo
     
     
      and
      giving
      us
      a
      Nice
     
     
      Little
      Movie
      (6).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Jeff
      Coll
     
     
      STAFF
      WRITER
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Bone
      Collec-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tor
     
     
      Directed
      by
     
     
      Philip
      Noyce
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      mostly-paralyzed
     
     
      (he
      can
      move
      his
     
     
      shoulder,
      head,
      and
     
     
      index
      finger)
      homi-
     
     
      cide
      detective
     
     
      (Denzel
      Washing-
     
     
      ton)
      helps
      a
      young
     
     
      officer
      (Angelina
      -
     
     
      Jolie)
      track
      down
      a
     
     
      serial
      killer.
      The
     
     
      Bone
      Collector,
      with
     
     
      its
      mentor-rookie,
     
     
      relationship
      is
     
     
      reminiscent
      of
     
     
      Silence
      of
      the
      Lambs,
     
     
      although
      it
      is
      not
     
     
      nearly
      as
      suspenseful
     
     
      and
      Denzel
      does
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      do
      nearly
      as
      much
     
     
      flesh-nibbling.
      It
      is
     
     
      also
      reminiscent
      of
     
     
      Seven,
      complete
     
     
      with
      gruesomely-
     
     
      devised
      murder
     
     
      scenes,
      but
      all
      the
     
     
      plot
      twists
      seem
      to
      »
     
     
      have
      been
      lifted
     
     
      directly
      from
      Mur-
     
     
      der
      She
      Wrote.
      Good
     
     
      cinephotography
     
     
      does
      not
      save
      this
     
     
      film
      from
      being
     
     
      mostly
      unoriginal
     
     
      and
      downright
     
     
      stupid
      (3).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Insider
     
     
      Directed
      by
     
     
      Michael
      Mann
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Based
      on
      a
      true
     
     
      story,
      The
      Insider
      is
     
     
      about
      a
      former
     
     
      tobacco
      company
     
     
      executive
      (Russell
     
     
      Crow)
      and
      his
     
     
      mission
      to
      go
      on
      60}
     
     
      Minutes
      in
      order
      to
     
     
      say
      that
      cigarettes
     
     
      are
      designed
      to
      be
     
     
      addictive.
      The
     
     
      problem
      is,
      there
     
     
      are
      serious
      legal
      —
     
     
      implications
      for
     
     
      himself
      and
      for
      the
      |
     
     
      television
      program
     
     
      if
      he
      goes
      on
      the
     
     
      air.
      Al
      Pacino,
     
     
      playing
      a
      60
      Min-
     
     
      utes
      producer,
      is
     
     
      fantastic
      as
      usual,
     
     
      but
      Crow
      deserves
     
     
      the
      most
      credit,
     
     
      giving
      a
      perform-
     
     
      ance
      that
      perfectly
     
     
      portrays
      the
      whis-
     
     
      tle-blower’s
      feelings
     
     
      of
      fear,
      guilt
      and
     
     
      confusion.
      Director
     
     
      Michael
      Mann’s
     
     
      balancing
      of
      a
      large
     
     
      cast
      of
      characters
      is
     
     
      worthy
      of
      Stone
      or
     
     
      Altman
      and
      the
     
     
      cinematography
     
     
      gives
      the
      film
      a
     
     
      gritty
      and
      realistic
     
     
      feel
      (8).