Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 215

SUNDAY. OCTOBER 1, 1995 DETROIT FREE PRESS 3J Nicole Kidman, solo, takes a devilish career turn 1 ii ill "il Kidman, from page MM! fess "I will admit to being ambitious. That's not a fault. If a man is ambitious people praise him for it. When a woman is ambitious they condemn her." Maybe that's why the tabloids seem to thrive on stories about the couple.

The rumor mill went into overdrive when Kidman recently put down $2 million to buy a waterside mansion on Sydney Harbor. Was she planning to desert husband and Hollywood for life back home in Australia? Not at all, she says. "I want my children (22-year-old Isabella and 7-month-old Connor Antony) to be exposed to the country's culture." "Life is too short for me to read, let alone refute, what's published in the tabloids," she adds. "To Die For" reveals Kidman's flair for comedy. "Portrait," for which she says she did almost two years of research, is the most subtle dramatic part she's ever been called upon to play.

The two roles should help retire the "Mrs. Tom Cruise" tag once and for all. Certainly, watching Kidman in "Die's" graphic seduction scenes with 19-year-old Joaquin Phoenix is a revelation. "I was the older woman," Kidman says with a giggle. "It was weird playing such a malevolent character.

These scenes are always uncomfortable, but we were both so much involved in our characters and in making it work. "We also had a good friendship, so we were able to talk about it and dispel some of the discomfort." And what did Mr. Cruise think about all this sexy cavorting? "I didn't let Tom come to the set at all," Kidman says flatly. "He's a very famous person. When he's on the set he has a strong force about him.

It's distracting to the other actors and distracting to me. "It didn't seem appropriate to have him standing around watching." that Kidman was already a talented actress with a wider-than-normal range before she even left Australia. She is also a great beauty whose photographs don't begin to do her justice. At just over 5-feet-lO, her fashion-model figure bandaged into a blue wool dress with a dangerously plunging neckline, legs that go on forever and a complexion and coloring nothing less than stunning, she looks every inch the major movie star. Her role as the terrorized yacht passenger in the film "Dead Calm" (1989) so intrigued Cruise that he demanded Kidman for his co-star in "Days of Thunder" (1990).

But the kind of intensity she showed in her Australian films has yet to be demonstrated in the United States, mainly because she simply hasn't been given roles complex enough to display her talent. All that's starting to change. In addition to "Die," Kidman's newest project is a film adaptation of the Henry James novel "Portrait of a Lady," which is being directed by Jane Campion Piano," 1993). Hollywood's A-list actresses all pursued the role of Isabel Archer in "Portrait." But if Kidman had an edge over the competition, it wasn't her marriage to Cruise but the fact that New Zealand-born Campion was an admirer of Kidman's early work in Australia. Some perceive the CruiseKidman New On Home Video Actress Nicole Kidman hopes to retire the "Mrs.

Tom Cruise" tag by soloing in challenging roles. marriage as a carefully contrived political alliance to foster Kidman's ambitions and dispel rumors about Cruise's sexuality. Such talk drives the actress crazy. Whatever she achieves, no matter how good her performances, she's faced with the same skepticisms. And her delight in the role of Suzanne the conniving, ambitious, opportunistic hussy who marries purely to further her career does little to discourage those who would like to draw parallels.

"I know that's been written about me," Kidman says as she sits down to seriously address the matter. "And I take great offense to it. Check Your Lottery Tickets! call a minute Current lottery numbers for Michigan, Ohio and Illinois Masonic izm HOTLINE CALL THE DRt-- (810) 645-6666 tnUCATORS o.naHt Into lOSW Tickets lsovlUbl the NUsonlc Temple Theatre Box Office andJtllTlcketMastei Outlet CROUPS 120 OR WOtt) CALL: OlJ) 871-tlU 1 1 TM1QET hudsom (rton.tom., iwr" AS. niStNTtD IV UVINT IU. 3 Interact with the Free Press On CompuServe-, 1-800-848-8199 if (if The Fisher Theatre Presents IF YOU HAVEN'T by Michael Blowen Boston Globe Reviews of selected new releases on video: "Jefferson in Paris." This Ismail MerchantJames Ivory collaboration didn't do well at the box office, but it does have some terrific elements.

The problem is Nick Nolte's lackluster performance as Jefferson. The music and sets, as usual, are perfect, and the American-European tensions are intelligent and sharp. "The Madness of King George." The movie is even better than the play. Nigel Hawthorne reprises his superb interpretation of the title role, the English king who takes a royal vacation from sanity and returns because well, watch and form your' own "Freddie the Frog." This animated film from Britain may sound like something for children, but it's not for them alone. The story of a frog involved with Her Majesty's Secret Service risks citation by the PC police, but it's marvelously entertaining.

Aided by the stentorian tones of narrator James Earl Jones and the voices of Jenny Agutter, Ben Kingsley and Nigel Hawthorne, the film has a strong story line along with decent animation. "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Frankenpooh." Disney packages three new Pooh stories especially for Halloween. Tigger's imagination gets him into trouble, and Piglet turns into a ghost. Later, some of their friends think that Piglet and Pooh have been kidnapped. Not too scary for the younger ones; just fun.

QEEN IT, YOU HAVEN'T GOTA CLUE. A mrwm 'li fv SlP 7 house A smam IS I ICE 1 1 i i 1HU. OCT 5 CLIVE GREGSON SOLID FROG tn brt Ms it Mari Stuart MON OCT 9 AH, OCT 13 VANESSA DAOU THE MULGREW MILLER TRIO WE, OCT 10 SAT.OCTU JUDE COLE LEE ROCKER'S uMiMKtt BIG BLUE ft mMik) ltfflwmwmt 1 T) HtyOCTU 7K.Sjfjiai, PontiK THE BOTTLE DOCKETS IUUU-UH1W DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Oct. 6, 10:45 am Oct. 6, Oct.

7, 8:30 pm Necme Jarvi, conductor Emmanutlle Boisvert, violin BKRI.IOZ Rob Roy Overture BRLCH Scottish Fantasy hit i i i i i ii pmnrnf( MENDKLSSOHN Symphony Mo. 3 (Scottish) PlNGELS IN AMERICK Friday evening's performance will be preceded at 7 pm by a pre-concert conversation with Neeme Jarvi. PERESTROIKA PART 2 NOW YOUR DOLLAR IS WORTH 35 MORE IN CANADA. I 'subject to current exchange rates Sponsors: Fri am: SBD Bank Fri pm: A.R Pipeline and Media Sponsorship by WQRS-FM Sat: AAA Michigan DSO Box Office Detroit MPhony (313) 833-3700 (416) 872-2222i 4 71 HltS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK HUDSON'S, HARMONY HOUSE, I BLOCKBUSTER MUSIC CAU-FOR-TIX 0tO) M6-66M 7 NF.tMF. JARVI.

MUSIC DIUFCTOR CALL 1-800 CHEISEA (1-80 0 2 4 3-5 7 3 2) Jllli Hsli fill IHF I'HANTOM ROOM RATF WHEN IN TORONTO, STAY AT THE OFFICIAL PHANTOM' HOTEL. OPENS This Wed. at 7:30 PM thru Sun. OCT. 8 "A work that never loses its wicked sense of humor.

The most thrilling American play of my adult lifetime." Frank Rich, The New York Tiiiitv "A Broadway godsend. The biggest, most intelligent, most passionate American play in recent memory." Jack Kroll, AtWirtv- TOE LOUIS ARENA 11 9 JOE LOUIS ARENA BOX OFFICE (no service charge) Wed. OCT. 4 7:30 PM FAMILY NIGHT-SAVE $4 ON TICKETS! Courted of WDIV-TV 4 Q-W FM THE MTHOIT NEWS All -ggf4Z-g. outlets including Hudson's and Harmony House (service charge of tl.50 per ticket) Thu.

OCT. 5 Fri. OCT. 6 Sat. OCT.

7 Sun. OCT. 8 CHARGE BY PHONE: (810) 645-6666 In Canada (5 19) 792-2222 (service charge of SI. 75 per ticket, f.00 maximum per order SI. 75 service charge per ticket on all Ringside Seat orders) Tue 7:30 pm Part Wed 8:00 im-Part Thur 8:00 im-Part fKIDS SAVE $2 ON TICKETS FOR KIDS UNDER 12! Courtesy of WKBD UPN $0 100.3 WNIC Fri 8:00 pm-Part Sat 2:00 pm-Part li Sat 8:00 pm-Part Sun 2:00 pm-Part Sun 8:00 pm-Part2 FOR INFORMATION: (313) 396-7600 YOUR BEST ENTERTAINMENT VALVE! ALL SEATS RESERVED $10.50 $12.50 $14.50 PRICE INCLUDES TAX Special RINGSIDE SEATS Available Wherever Tickets Are Sold! Tickets for all shows at the Fisher Theatre Box Office all fiEs5grg outlets CHARGE BY PHONE (810) 645-6666 For information call (313) 872-1000 GROUPS of 20 or more call Amy at (313) 871-1132 i.