The Wrestler

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Rated: R
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood,

What I loved: The Wrestler is well acted, and the story is well done. It is eerie to watch Mickey Rourke act so well in a movie so similar to his own story. I am from Tulsa, and remember his character in Rumble Fish (you might only know of the Outsiders, but we Tulsa-folk know all of S.E. Hinton - although, have you looked at the cast from that one??? definitely worth checking out!) - the Motorcycle Boy. The movie is hard to watch because it is somewhat true to life about what it takes to change. I absolutely loved - in retrospect - how high the mountain of life-redemption looks with the entire movie piled on top of it.

What I did not love: Like people - the movie's strengths are also what make it difficult to watch. it is hard to watch Marisa Tomei as an aging mother in a strip club - for lots of reasons. The acting is incredible, and I think the movie might suffer without as many scenes as there are in the strip club - but that makes it difficult to watch sometimes.

Movement: The Wrestler moves at a nice 40 MPH clip. You walk down hallways, you enter the ring with Rourke, the music changes in volume. It sways in and out of redemption-potential in all aspects - romantically, professionally, and in regards to his daughter.

4/5 stars

All the President's Men

Rated: PG

Director: Alan Pakula

Cast: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffmann, Jason Robards, Hal Holbrook

What I loved: This movie is very fun to watch if you are okay without the Hollywood romance, without the montages (although there are a few), and without a spelling out of the problems being addressed.  I also enjoyed rolling with the 80 MPH of the film (more on this later),although I do no know my history well enough to follow perfectly.  The acting is tremendous; Redford, Hoffmann, and Robards deserve the oscar acclaim they received for this film.  The movie is about the beginning of the Watergate conspiracy that ultimately led to the first and only resignation by a President of the United States.  The film follows a few weeks in the life of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they move from Green reporters for the Post to national names as they bring down an administration.

What I did not love: The movie was made in 1976 so the camera work is hard on the eyes sometimes.  Not a big deal really.  It would have been helpful to add some dialogue that helped us follow the many movements of the this story, but that would have hindered other aspects of the movie.  

Movement: Fast.  This is a fast movie, keep up!  The characters do not transform as in many movies, because this is a movie based upon a relatively short period in the history of the United States.  It is more than worth seeing for the acting, for the writing, for the historic moment captured in the film - any of those buy themselves makes it worth seeing.  Together, it is indispensable.

4.5/5 stars

Sunshine

Rated: R

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh

What I loved: It is a thrilling movie, entropic (can I use that word, I looked it up, it's okay), good characterization.  All of these aspects are used to implicitly discuss life, philosophy, etc.  And, when I say that, they do not address these things directly.  Towards the beginning they have a decision to make about the course of the ship (Did I mention it is a Sci-Fi, Save-the-World movie?  Well, it is).  The decision is left to Cillian Murphy because of his role on the ship, and the rest of the movie moves around the decision.  BUT, in a realistic way.  Chris Evans - who is in the Fantastic Four and is very compelling in Sunshine - disagrees in all sorts of ways and often throughout the movie, but his character is more rich than dissonant.  

What I did not Love: I wished for more depth and movement of the plot.  Even as I write that it is because I want to adopt this way of writing about movies (these three categories).  I did not love the consistent fall into chaos of the movie.  But, I respected it and maybe liked the movie more for that reason (like why many are so much more impressed with Empire than any of the other Star Wars movies).

Movement: Sunshine moves at 75 MPH, but in a very nice RV where you have time look around at the people, the setting, the music (not the Soundtrack, the music).  Note: it is very dangerous to move in an RV at 75 MPH, but you don't notice.  Sunshine is very startling at times, will make you think, and it very well written.  

4.5/5 stars

Volver

Rated: R

Director: Pedro Almodovar

Cast: Penelope Cruz, Yohana Cobo

What I loved: I enjoy stories with history. Volver explores generational issues, family and loss, the supernatural (sort of), and at heart - it is simply a movie about people. The acting is tremendous, and in many ways it is nice to deal with a fun, easy-going supernatural-ism, rather than an overly dark, evil kind.

What I did not love: Volver is doing a couple of things at the same time. I am unable to fully back away from my desire to see more... Something in any direction! The ending is not even anti-climactic, I just wanted a bit more I think.

Movement: Volver moves around in strange ways for North American Viewers. It is fast, it does not apologize, and it leaves you wondering sometimes, but never about the important things. It is very clear what is important to director Almodovar. Cruz is an interesting character and well-written character: as a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a woman with a blue-collar job.

3.5/5 stars

Watchmen

Rated: R

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Jackie Haley, Mathew Goode, Patrick Wilson

I confess that I have read the book, therefore this is a biased review.  I did, however, watch it with a friend in high school who has not read it.  If you are thinking about seeing Watchmen, I might read a summary on IMDB or Moviefone - don't read the spoilers, but you might get confused by the very strange montage of dead and dying "superheroes" from the last 40 years.  Essentially what you need to know is that the first generation (which includes Hooded Justice, the Comedian, Silk Spectre I, etc.) is set around the 40's, the movie is set in the mid-80's, and in the 70's the Super-heroes had to go under ground.

Watchmen is an enjoyable movie.  Funny when you are not expecting it, true to the book but without losing everyone by including all details.  There is a big difference between the book and movie in regards to the end of the film, but the movie's end made more sense relative to 2009 and some of the holes in the characterization.  

Did you like Sin City?  If you did, I think you will love Watchmen.  Do Super-hero movies annoy you because they don't have to deal with their collateral damage?  If so, I think will love Watchmen .  If you don't like violence...  Um...  This is not the movie for you!  My friend wants to read the graphic novel now.  

Watchmen follows a couple of superheroes who were working full time in the 70's - Silk Spectre/Lauri Jupiter, Rohrshack/Walter Kovacs (still active, name is not just a clever one, his face moves at all times), Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, Dan Drieberg/Nite Owl, Jon Osterman/Dr. Manhattan - and are now in different places in their life.  The movie begins with the murder of one of their number.  The movie then expands in complexity until the credits roll.  This is why the graphic novel was so successful.  The story is intriguing, the characterization is robust and ever-expanding (even with characters we do not expect, i.e. all of them), and the violence and humor are enjoyable and well-timed. 

3.5/5 stars (5/5 for the book).

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji Henson, Julia Ormond

Rated: PG-13

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button moves around a bit like Forrest Gump.  The characters are certainly different, but more like a Biblical Story than English Literature - the characters are as defined by their actions as they are by their speech or descriptions.  This makes it enjoyable, at about 45-50 MPH.  B. Button was nominated for a number of awards; it deserved the nominations but maybe not to win.  Taraji Henson is fantastic, and Pitt and Blanchett are solid.  The historical swings are exciting, and the comedic stop-overs are worthwhile.

Overall Benjamin Button is what you expect given the hype.  The Father/Son issues are not plumbed to their depths, but they sit in front of you for a few minutes.  The curious case of a man growing younger as he grows older is fun, and might have some holes if it wasn't such a fanciful story.  The love story is interesting, highlighted by, "Sleep With me...  " (Blanchett)  "ABSOLUTELY" (Pitt), it seems like that line would be trite, but it isn't.  3.5/5 stars.

The Reader

The Reader
Director: Stephen Daldry 

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, David Kross
Rated: R

Based upon the book Der Voleser by Bernhard Schlink, the reader moves like a book.  The chronology moves from pre-WWII, to 1966, and then throughout the 80's a little bit.  Kate Winslet has already won a Golden Globe for her performance, and she deserved it.  Ralph Fiennes does an eloquent job as the older Michael Berg, and David Kross is able to succeed as an adolescent and then as a conflicted law student in the film.  

The Reader is very sexual at the outset - with the clandestine affair of Winslet and Kross.  The affair moves beyond the teenage fantasy when Winslet announces, "We're changing the way we do things kid.  First you read to me...  Then we make love."  However, as with most films that are overtly sexual at times - the Reader moves on to explore the two characters and the ethical culture following the Holocaust.  While some scenes are predictable, the acting transcends the screen-play in that regard and I found myself on the edge of my seat in the interim period of 1966.

The Reader is a very good movie.  On IMDB it is given a 7.8/10, and I agree with that.  Winslet steals the show and attempts to drag it into a 9/10 (which i have never seen), but the story itself cannot move to epic but only remain at solid and compelling.  If you liked Atonement you will like this even more I think.  If you are expecting a feel good story that happens to be near the Holocaust - probably go see something else.  But, if you are okay being tossed around by incredible acting, the intricacies of love, and the difficulties of life and the sneaky watershed moments we are never prepared for - then I would highly recommend the Reader.  4/5 stars.