The Reader (2008)
The basic premise of this film is based on a young boy’s affair with an older woman in 1950s Germany. As part of their “deal,” he must read to her each time he visits. The affair lasts a summer and then they go their separate ways. Later, as a law student, young Michael Berg comes across Hannah Schmitz again under much different and more controversial circumstances. This movie does an excellent job of raising questions of morality versus legality; however, it does not do a satisfying job in helping you along that path. What the movie does do is linger a bit too long. At two hours, it easily could have been cut by 20 minutes and, with a little work, could have been cut 30. The overall weight of the movie does not take away from the terrific performances by the three key people – Kate Winslet, whom I am beginning to love no matter what she’s in; David Kross plays the young Michael Berg, who gives a remarkably nuanced performance; and Ralph Finnes, who is excellent here but whom I prefer in In Bruges (2008). Without giving too much away, the movie forces us all to look at the decisions we make and how those decisions affect us and others.
Appaloosa (2008)
Ed Harris directs and stars in this western that is fairly typical of the genre. It goes by the Western playbook – Long-time partners. Check. Introduce bad guy, preferably one of them foreigners. Check. Illustrate how fearful the entire town is. Check. Establish early how bad ass the two partners are. Check. Introduce female to screw everything up. Check. You know early on where this is going, it’s just a matter of how we are going to get there. Unfortunately, the movie moves at a pace that is languorous at best and I found myself daydreaming. Viggo Mortensen plays Ed Harris’ partner, Everett Hitch, and is the very definition of laconic until he completely breaks character at the end of the movie. Renee Zellwegger plays the aforementioned female and giggles her way through the movie. My first reaction to seeing her onscreen was to think that she was suffering from some sort of allergic reaction that caused her face to swell. Jeremy Irons plays the requisite bad guy from that infernal Great Britain. Want to see a solid Western? Skip this one and watch High Plains Drifter (1973) or The Searchers (1956) or High Noon (1952) or The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) or Unforgiven (1992). You’ll be better served, friend.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
If you are Kevin Smith fan (and you know who you are), then you most likely have already seen this flick but in case you haven’t, you need to go see it. If you are not a Kevin Smith fan and are easily offended, then you must stay away – FAR AWAY – from this movie. It is not intended for audiences of delicate sensibilities. The basic premise is that Zack Brown (Seth Rogen) and Miriam Linky (Elizabeth Banks) are roommates who have trouble making ends meet. So much trouble, in fact, that their power and water have been cut off. Finding themselves in desperate straits they decided to make a movie. You can tell what kind of movie by the title of this movie. And, yes, it is serious. And, yes, they do make a porno. And, yes, it is incredibly distasteful, disrespectful and even disturbing (I’m thinking of one scene in particular). But, I have to admit, I pretty much laughed all the way through it. It was just dang funny. My guess is that guys will appreciate it more than ladies if my wife’s reaction is any indication. According to IMDB.com the movie was originally rated NC-17 but was knocked down to an R on appeal. I’m not sure who Kevin Smith paid off to get the R rating, but there you have it. There is a love story here but you get the feeling that it was put there to take the edge off the rest of the movie. My question is this: Do young people in their late-20s and mid-30s really talk like that – all the time?
Frost/Nixon (2008)
I am a sucker for political intrigue and it doesn’t get any better than Richard Nixon, his cronies and Watergate. If you even are thinking about a career in journalism, the Woodward and Bernstein book, “All the President’s Men” is required reading. The 1976 movie is one of the best journalism/political films ever made and should be required viewing for any political or journalism junkie. As a sidenote: This is one of those all-time favorite Oscar arguments. Know which picture won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1977? Rocky. Yes, Rocky. Here are the films that were knocked out by Rocky: All the President’s Men, Network, Bound for Glory, and, yes, Taxi Driver. It takes your breath away. Truly. Anyway. . .Michael Sheen (David Frost) and Frank Langella (Richard Nixon) reprise the roles they established on Broadway. This entire movie hinges on their performances and they do not disappoint. Langella is absolutely towering as Nixon. It’s hard to explain but Langella manages to play Nixon without doing a Nixon impression. Sheen is perfect as the British playboy. Strong supporting performances are turned in by Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell and Kevin Bacon. The whole back story of how the interview happened and what it took to make it happen is fascinating. Then when the actual interview takes place, Director Ron Howard is filming it like a prize fight and it comes off exactly like that. This is a fantastic movie that I would highly recommend to anyone. Another sidenote: I get confused from time to time on how the movie ratings are determined (for a great look at the secret behind-the-scenes world of how the MPAA rates films, check out Kirby Dick’s documentary, This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)), but this film, for some reason, is rated R. I’m not really sure why.
Coraline (2009)
Coraline, voiced by the ever-present Dakota Fanning, is a young girl who has just moved into a new house with her family. She is ignored. She is unhappy. She is surrounded by odd surroundings and even odder people. She wants to escape. She gets the opportunity seemingly by accident when she discovers a small doorway that leads to a parallel world where all of her dreams come true and everything she ever wanted is given to her. Too good to be true? You better believe it. This terrific film is, at one hour and 40 minutes, the longest stop-motion animated feature and is directed by Henry Selick. Selick directed other stop-motion animated films such as James and the Giant Peach (1996) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). I cannot say enough about how great this film is. The storyline and the production values mesmerize from start to finish. The theater where I saw the movie was packed full of children, their friends and their parents. As usual, it was utter chaos before the movie started. But once the film began, they were captivated. We saw it in 3-D, which added to the surreal effect the director was trying to convey. My 11-year-old daughter and I would highly recommend this movie to anyone over the age of 8. I can’t get into too much detail without giving the movie away but suffice to say that, while excellent, the film is extremely creepy and, in many instances, the 3-D technology is used to shocking effect. Only one crying child had to be escorted from the theater (he was about 5 years old). It is PG and for good reason.
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