South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 55

Sun-Sentinel, Wednesday, March 17, 1993 3E ARTSE NTE RTAI NT Mistaken identity, misplaced praise Viewers are real pawns of drama High-kicking action, low-budget violence -'Street Knight' theme By CANDICE RUSSELL Film Writer What happened to filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, 24, and his modest first movie, I. El By ROGER HURLBURT Entertainment Writer Street Knight is a vicious and convoluted action-drama about rival innei1-city street gangs and brutal ex-police officers. Mariachi, is the stuff of Hollywood legend. On his own, Rodriguez raised the measly $7,000 to create a feature about mistaken identity in a Mexican border town. When El Mariachi was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the audience named it favorite picture.

Soon Rodriguez had an agent. Then his movie was picked up for distribution by a major Hollywood studio, Columbia Pictures. Beyond the dazzling success story, how does El Mariachi compare with other movies? Even making allowances for its budget and crude camera style, this is no mini-masterpiece, no trend-breaker. Judged on a par with student films and their severe constraints, it is only mediocre. On the plus side, a welcome wit enlivens the plot.

It could do with more humor and a lot less violence, in fact. fit 5 Of! In the middle of the mayhem is former cop Jake Bar-ett, played by Jeff Speakman (a sixth-degree black belt in karate), who made his film debut in 1991's The Perfect Weapon. Haunted by a A traveling singer- mnsirian ICnrns CiaUardn traumatic event in Speakman enters the city of Acuna at the line of duty, Marvis Martin is Pamina, left, and Matteo De Monti is Papageno in Flute at Greater Miami Opera. 'Flute' plays at last in Miami i tfjm. I A I I 4 1 hoping to find a job.

He doesn't know that a thug named Azul (Reinol Martinez) is also wandering the streets, bent on killing every man who works for his enemy, a drug lord named Moco (Peter Marquardt). The musician and Azul Barett experiences nightmares. Now he works as an auto mechanic in the roughest section of Los Angeles. But when a truce between gangs the Latin Lords and the Blades is suddenly interrupted by a mysterious band of well-organized killers, Barett decides to spring into high-kicking action. MUSIC REVIEW Gallardo happen to be dressed in black, each carrying a guitar case.

This mix-up occasions a couple of funny scenes. After the bad guy is finally cornered by Moco's men, he is let go because of the stringed instrument in his possession. The Magic Flute Greater Miami Opera production with Michael Rees Davies, Marvis Martin, Matteo De Monti 8 tonight and Saturday. With Gregory Cross, Elizabeth Futral, Erich Parce 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m.

Sunday. At Dade County Auditorium, 2901 W. Flagler Miami. Sold out. For possible ticket turnbacks, call 1-305-854-7890 or 1-800-741-1010.

Masterminding tensions between the gangs is a psycho named Franklin (Christopher Neame). By keeping the LAPD occupied with gang retaliations, he figures his thugs are free to engineer a major jewel heist. MOVIE REVIEW Neame EI Mariachi But when a member of the Lords escapes a massacre arranged by Franklin, a citywide manhunt for the youth leads to danger and bloodshed. MOVIE REVIEW A case of mistaken identity puts a traveling musician in jeopardy. Credits: With Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Reinol Martinez and Peter Marquardt.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Written by Robert Rodriguez and Carlos Gallardo. In Spanish with English subtitles. AMC Sheridan, 4999 Sheridan Hollywood. Running time: 90 minutes.

Violence, gore, coarse language, obscenity. Poor Fair Good Excellent not so much with her acting, which was adequate, as with her voice. Even though some top notes were pinched, the soprano's singing had a rare, compelling radiance that communicated the score's most heartfelt emotions. Thomas Paul, a soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Florida Philharmonic earlier this season, phrased Sarastro's music sensitively. But there was not enough body to the voice, especially in the low register, to provide the kind of musical moral force Mozart intended.

In a smaller theater, the result might have been more persuasive. (The same could be said for all the singers; Mozart was never meant for a hall.) Cyndia Sieden left little impression as the Queen of the Night. She seemed distracted by having to maneuver around in a sizable costume; her Act 1 aria was tentative, barely audible, squeaky-toned. The soprano gained confidence and vocal steadiness for her Act 2 scene; the coloratura was more precise, if colorless. As Monostatos, Steven Cole made the most of a thankless role.

His singing was generally sturdy, his phrasing emphatic. (The supertitles were in the "politically correct" mode, avoiding any of the libretto's references by Monostatos or others to the character's race.) Kim Cozort Kay was a charming Papagena. The Three Ladies Allison Charney, Merrette Rentmeester, Karla Fredell were in vibrant vocal form. Johann Avenarius, Joshua Willen and Gerald Wood Jr. coped reasonably well with the ethereal music for the Three Boys.

As has been true all season, the chorus was a weak spot, especially the men in the temple scene at the opening of Act 2. Swiss-born conductor Gustav Meier did not always succeed in maintaining coordination with the singers; he didn't seem to have much interest in their preferences for tempos or phrase endings. But he shaped the score thoughtfully and was adept at driving the most dramatic passages along. Aside from a few ragged moments, the Florida Philharmonic played with care and expressive intent. By TIM SMITH Music Writer The Magic Flute, one of Mozart's most popular creations, is finally entering the Greater Miami Opera's repertoire this week.

Although it has taken more than 50 years for the work to be staged by the company (a low-budget, "family opera" production some time ago doesn't count), chances are it won't take as long to return. The audience Monday evening at Dade County Auditorium seemed to enjoy itself grandly there was even applause in the middle of the overture, at the first convenient cadence. And remaining performances have been sold out for some time. This might not mean that Mozart is now a guaranteed sell in South Florida, where folks have been known to flee Cosi fan tutte in droves, but it bodes well. Of course, The Magic Flute is probably the easiest of Mozart's works to digest, at least on a superficial level especially if the set design is as fanciful and eye-diverting as Maurice Sendak's.

Originally designed for the Houston Grand Opera in 1980 (and showing some of its age), the cartoonish scenery comprises layers of elaborately painted drops that rise and fall smoothly into place. (Well, not always smoothly on Monday.) Sendak, the noted illustrator of children's books, mixed his visual styles in designing the costumes. Instead of appearing in the sort of garb suggested by the sets, the characters dress in the style of Mozart's day. The composer himself is introduced; his profile graces the introductory scrim and a balloon that transports folks in the opera. This sort of thing can get a little too obvious, calculated and even cutesy.

But it does help distinguish the surface of The Magic Flute from the world of symbolism underneath, with many an 18th-century masonic message tucked into the libretto. Sendak essentially has treated the material as a fairy tale for adults which, of course, it is. Director David Morelock has gone (V2 STAR) Street Knight An ex-cop becomes involved with inner-city gangs and a marauding clan of madmen. Credits: With Jeff Speakman, Christopher Neame. Directed by Albert Magnoli.

Written by Richard Friedman. Running time: 91 minutes fFl Violence, brutality, nudity, profanity, gore. Poor Fair Good Excellent along with this treatment. While he does not skimp on the humor, he seems particularly concerned with the serious side of the story the longing and confusion of Pamina, the noble behavior of Tamino, the exalted brotherhood of Sarastro and his followers. On the whole, the staging is effective, with the key points coming through clearly.

But I suspect the production would have greater force if more of the participants loosened up. There was a good deal of stiffness Monday, a sense that some people were still feeling their way through the scenic curtains andor the music. Appearing the most thoroughly at home was Matteo De Monti as Papageno. The Dutch-born baritone, who sings mostly in Europe, managed to avoid bumptiousness while bringing out the character's silly bravado. He also revealed a comic flair for the character's easily prompted timidity.

His voice lacked penetrating power in the large auditorium, and the timbre was not particularly rich. But every word, every syllable sung or spoken was delivered with imagination, color and nuance. The rest of the principals were American singers who revealed varying levels of ease with the text, the music and the action. Michael Rees Davis, as Tamino, offered a warm, firm tone and beautifully shaped phrases. But his movements were too formal and detached; by evening's end, he still had not created much of a presence.

Marvis Martin portrayed Pamina A nasty bit of moviemaking, Street Knight leaves a trail of bodies from the opening frame. Heads are blown away in full camera view, necks are twisted off, heavy tools become cruel weapons and a little girl is shot to death by a maniac. As for star Speakman: He is a pitiful actor barely able to play the hunkji avenging angel. In a moment of higH kitsch, Speakman dispatches a bad guy with punches, kicks, a knife and bul' lets, before quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger's dark send-off from Terminal tor 2: Judgment Day "Hasta la vista, baby. Please.

It's frightening to think this is the kind of motion picture Americans want to see. Taking refuge in the apartment of Domino (Consuelo Gomez), the pouty owner Of a bar who also has ties to Moco, the musician tries to forget that he is a hunted man. "What happened to the days when guitarists were gods?" he wonders. 1 Gallardo has the angelic face of a person incapable of inflicting harm. Unfortunately, Rodriguez undercuts his theme of intersecting forces of good and bad when the musician takes up arms early in the film.

When he kills his first victim, in self-defense, it relegates the musician to the same moral low ground as the guys on his tail. There are other mistakes. Gomez is pretty, but not enough to warrant more than a dozen lingering close-ups. The use of a surreal dream sequence, not once but several times, is too much. But to his credit, Rodriguez occasionally succeeds at doing an amusing send-up of coarse action dramas.

He squeezes suspense out of a barroom showdown. For those reasons, he may be compared to director Sergio Leone, whose spaghetti westerns mocked a revered movie genre. In this tale of easily corrupted innocence, Marquardt functions as a snarling poor man's version of James Spader. He's competent, and so are most of the other actors in their limited roles. Laden with the freight of its remarkable history, El Mariachi may birth big expectations in local filmgoers.

Regardless of your opinion, it's logical to wonder why the musician simply didn't trade in his black pants for a blue pair. 'White Chicks' revived at Plantation theater Eeatcrreview I TODAY'S MAIN EVENTS A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking Comedy-drama about two women from different backgrounds who forge an unlikely friendship. Curtain 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays.

Through April 1 8 at Theatre Company of Plantation, Jacaranda Square, Sunrise Boulevard and Pine Island Road. Tickets $12, $14. Call Variety By JACK ZINK Theater Writer Even during its off-Broadway appearance in 1979-80, the title for A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking was a head-scratcher. But John Ford Noonan's play is really more than an extended yuppie kaffee-klatch and it shows in a revival by the Plantation Theatre Company. The title offers the most hip language you will hear all night.

Nevertheless, White Chicks is a freshly told story about two women who learn they don't have to sit still for their wandering, self-centered husbands. What's more, the relationship between the women is a clear case of op-posites that eventually attract. It begins when a transplanted Texas earth mother invites herself into the kitchen of an upper-class snob in "the richest neighborhood in the world." During the course of one week, they share a husband, lose another and go on an all-girl binge after cutting most, if not all, of their apron strings. The men never show up on stage, which is part of Noonan's thematic metaphor: It's the men's emotional absence from the women's lives that brings the "chicks" together. ST.

PATRICK'S DAY EVENTS scheduled include: a party for persons with disabilities at 7 p.m. at Legion Park, 6447 NE 7th Miami, admission $2, 1-305-579-3431; a party at 7:30 p.m. at Multipurpose, 2030 Polk Hollywood, admission $2, 1-305-921-3408; meet Dolphin players and compete for prizes at Higgy's, 181 N. University Drive (just south of Fashion Mall), Plantation, 1-305-452-7799. Theater FORTY CARATS, the Broadway hit about a relationship between an older woman and younger man starring Rosemary Prinz, is scheduled to open at Jan's International Room, Marco Polo Resort Hotel, 1,9201 Collins North Miami Beach.

Dinner 6 p.m., curtain 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 and $33.50. Call 524-0011 Broward, 932-7880 Dade. Music MONTREAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, featuring pianist Louis Lortie, Is scheduled to perform a program of Glinka, Beethoven and Shostakovich at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee West Palm Beach.

Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 1-407-8t32-7469 or 1-800-572-8471. Anita Liberty, left, and Monica Kelly forge a friendship. White Chicks is not just a women's-era The ending is bittersweet, reflecting the price of both a do-nothing past and an awakening feminist present. But along the way, White Chicks is often a warm-hearted and occasionally hilarious tale.

For the two actresses, getting started is the hardest part. Anita Liberty, as the prematurely matronly Westchester housewife, and Monica Kelly, as the pushy Southern snoop, are stiff and unconvincing in the early scenes. This is mildly ironic, because they're supposed to be somewhat wooden and uncomfortable when theirworlds first time capsule of a play. It has a sense of moment for today's viewing that di rector Genie Croft-Kahn gently draws" out of Noonan's sitcom setup. The production is further braced by an attractive live-in set (Jerome Majzlin) and costumes to fit every emotional peak (Maria Szabluk).

collide. The characters take on dimension in degrees as the script breaks down the barriers between them, allowing the actresses to play off one another. Once able to work together, Liberty and Kelly perform with a lot more confidence and dramatic color. The Plantation revival shows that ir.