Last night we said good-bye to another American Idol finalist.

Considering it was April Fool's Day, the producers were wise not to engage in any cruel stunts: well, none that were more cruel than usual.

At the head of the show, host Ryan Seacrest announced that the results were based on 36 million votes. First, he asked the judges to talk more about the previous night's show. Randy Jackson admitted that perhaps the selection of songs had been too wide (contestants could sing any song as long as it was a top download on iTunes). Of course, this same thing could be said just about any week where there's a more relaxed theme (next week, they're just performing songs from the year they were born). The best contestants either learn what works with their voice and stick to it or, like Adam Lambert, continually raise the bar by trying new things.

Paula Abdul gave a very coherent assessment, saying that talent only gets you in the door, and then you've got to prove you deserve to stay. Is it just me, or is Paula upping her game now that she's got another female, and potential rival, on the judges' panel?

Put on the spot to choose who should be going home that night, Simon Cowell said that Anoop, Matt and Megan should be worried (video of opening here).

Next up was the Ford music commercial to the song "Mixed Up." The video mixed and matched portions of the nine finalists' faces. The commercial wasn't terribly well done. It sort of looked like a student editing project.

Then came the group performance, this time to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," one of biggest downloads ever. Unlike the previous week's prerecorded lip-synched number, this one was at least performed live.

After a video showing the finalists on a typical week, Ryan encouraged them to do imitations of each other. Anoop's imitation of Kris showed just how different their voices are, but Allison's of Danny was very good (video).

Time for eliminations. This time, Ryan mixed it up a bit, creating three groups. Group one held Matt Giraud, Megan Joy Corkrey and Kris Allen. Group two had Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds, and Allison Iraheta. Group three had Scott MacIntyre, Danny Gokey, and Anoop Desai. I fully expected that this would mean that one of those groups was the bottom three, and I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out which one.

While the audience tried to figure out what the heck was going on, David Cook performed a single from his new album, "Come Back to Me." Incidentally, this performance had been prerecorded, in part because Cook is dealing with an undisclosed family emergency, possibly involving his brother, who is suffering from brain cancer.

After the performance, Ryan worked down the line, declaring Kris safe but not his entire group. Hmm. He said to Matt, "Last week you were in the bottom three. This week you also have to take a seat..." and as Matt was moving towards the tulip chairs, he gestured to the safety of the couches, "... over there!" Kris greeted him, "April Fools'!" Oh, yes, so funny Ryan. Please pull something like that every week.

As Megan was sent to the bottom three, she cawed and flapped her arms, a reference to her saying "Caw! Caw!" at the end of "Rockin' Robin" several weeks ago. Say what you want about Megan, but she's uninaginably cute.

Much to many people's surprise, Lil was declared safe while Allison was in bottom three (again!). Adam, Danny, and Scott were safe. Anoop was in the bottom three, but he said he understood.

Then came the performance that really seemed like an April Fools' special: Lady Gaga doing her song, "Poker Face," playing a see-through pink piano filled with plastic bubbles and wearing a weird black zipper over one eye. A lot of her singing was tuneless, and I found myself wondering why she was being featured on a singing contest show. She did do the requisite pop star dancing thang very well, though.

Ryan pointed to the bottom three and asked Simon how many were worth saving. "One," said Simon, and I think everyone knew he meant Allison. No worries, though. Allison was declared safe.

When Ryan declared that Megan was at the bottom, she said, "It's OK." Then to Anoop, she said, "Don't forget to call."

Ryan asked if the judges would save Megan, and Simon replied, "With the greatest respect, when you said you don't care, nor do we. So I'm not going to pretend that we're even going to contemplate saving you. So this is your swan song. Enjoy it." Well, at least she knew where she stood. I will say, though, that I'm not sure Megan said she didn't care. I think she just didn't want her fans to feel sorry for her. But whatev.

Maybe Megan didn't expect to go home, because she wore chunky bracelets that clicked together, making lots of noise during her last performance.

So why was it Megan's turn to go? She certainly had some things going for her: with her jazzy voice, her tattooed arm and her unique style, she was far from forgettable. She did, however, get hammered week after week for song choice, as she chose songs that didn't always showcase her unique vocal qualities.

Megan was a polarizing figure: people loved her or hated her. As far as the judges were concerned, she hadn't had rave reviews since the first week of the competition. Her dance moves were awkward at best, which probably also worked against her.

I think that Megan is a diamond in the rough. If she spends enough time with vocal coaches and choreographers, her true talent will shine. Maybe by the end of the summer tour, she'll be more comfortable on-stage.

Changing her name probably didn't help her either. While other contestants in the past (such as Mandisa) have opted to drop their surnames, she initially used her last name, Corkrey, and then tried to reinvent herself as Megan Joy. I don't think that sort of confusion can help when viewers are trying to get a sense of a contestant.

Still, Megan brought exuberance and a refreshingly different sound to the stage. When her eventual album comes up, I'll be looking for it. Until then, I'll be playing "Rockin' Robin" and cawing along.

All video clips come from mjsbigblog.

More on American Idol:

Musings on American Idol Season 8

The Philadelphia Film Festival, redubbed CineFest, is in full swing. Since my husband, The Gryphon, and I were away last weekend, we missed the first weekend. Usually, we don't catch any movies during the week, but I wanted to get a couple extras in, so I looked for ones that would fit my schedule. Yesterday, I saw Jury Duty (Le Septième juré), which was playing at The Prince at 4:45 p.m. I took the El downtown instead of driving, so I avoided the rush hour traffic. Since I got there early, I drank a coffee and worked on a poem in the lobby until it was time to get in line.

In my seat, I took my notebook out to work on a book review for Wild Violet, but a woman in her 60s asked if she could sit next to me. "Sure," I told her, expecting that to be the end of the conversation. But she kept talking: about the films she'd seen so far, including one starring Jeff Daniels, and about how she was going to see the new Jeff Daniels play in New York. When I could tell there was no hope of getting anything done, I put the notebook away. We had a nice conversation. Turns out that she's a writer and a practicing lawyer. We exchanged business cards.

Jury Duty (Le Septième juré), is a French film where the French title means "The Seventh Juror." While it is a drama, there are also some elements of dark humor. A few people in the audience found it much funnier than others and were laughing out loud. Of course, they were also talking through the movie, so I guess they're just loud in general.

The movie follows Grégoire Duval (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), a mild-mannered pharmacist who masks a darker side. At the beginning of the film, in a moment of opportunity, he assaults and then strangles a young woman. Ironically, he then gets selected to serve on the jury taxed with deciding the fate of the young Algerian accused of her murder.

The story takes place in the early Sixties at the end of the Algerian war, a time of political unrest. Algerians in France were engaged in terroristic acts against the government, and feeling ran high. Racist comments are often used against the suspect, who is several shades darker in complexion than the townspeople. Yet, he insists that he is innocent and, with his wounded look and large, sensitive eyes, only the hardhearted could fail to see his sincerity.

Grégoire is an interesting character. Far from a calculating murderer, he does regret his actions. More importantly, he feels terrible for the wrong accused young man and uses his position on the jury to strive for justice (that is, short of turning himself in).

This is a quiet, understated film, with important details introduced silently with a degree of subtlety. The pharmacist, while seemingly meek, harbors an inner rage. He has a passive-aggressive relationship with his wife and is having trouble connecting with his teenage son. Darroussin's performance is a highlight of the film: he humanizes the pharmacist, imbuing him with some sympathetic qualities. As viewers watch him tossing and turning in bed, or see a tear running down his face, it's easy to forget the sinister side that lurks underneath.

The film showcases how political forces can influence justice. The political powers of the village would like nothing more than for this young man to serve as an example to the Algerians they view as enemies in their midst.

While much of the film seems predictable, there are enough surprises to keep it interesting. The film is shot on location in a bucolic section of France, and care is taken to sets, costumes and cars to create a sense of the time period.

Ultimately, Jury Duty is a carefully-controlled film that does what it sets out to do. I'm not sure, however, how much I'll remember it in a few months. Still, it's worth seeing, especially because of its enduring messages which are, sadly, relevant today.

Rating: *** (3 out of 5 stars)