Lets start with The Reader. Overall, I found it to be a reasonably enjoyable movie if and only because we get to watch this generation's greatest actress at work. Kate Winslett is her usual terrific self in this one. This covers about 25 - 30 (or so - it's been a couple days) years in her life and she is believable at every age. Every last detail is top notch. When she is a senior, she moves slowly like a senior. She's really great. Unfortunately we run into some problems outside of Kate Winslett. The movie is plodding and perhaps suffers from WWII fatigue - at least on my part. I've probably seen a half dozen WWII movies this year alone. The biggest issue is that they lay some pretty terrific groundwork that doesn't go as far as I'd like. A good portion of the second act deals with Kate's trial. She is accused of being party to the burning down of a church containing 300 Jews during the war. The interesting aspect of this movie is that they try to explain how most of Germany could get caught up in this horror and not have the wherewithall to change anything. The problem is, the trial ends in an unsatisfactory manner (in terms of story). Kate is such an important character we are left wondering what else is under there. Add on to this a rather tacked on ending and we have a movie that warrents no less than 2 pre wrapped straws.
Next, Doubt. It is the story of a progressive priest accused of an improper relationship with a gay youth by a principal who is struggling with a changing world. This was nothing more than a showcase for two rather terrific actors. I get what the play was trying to achieve; they want the audience to feel the doubt the characters feel. That is thoroughly achieved, but that is also the problem. Nothing is really accomplished other than we get to witness three characters handle a situation in ways their character determine. The result is believable but it's tough to believe they accomplished anything. I'm not sure what I got from that other than further proof that Phillip Seymore Hoffman and Meryl Streep can, indeed, act. This film deserves no more than 2.5 pre wrapped straws.
The last movie I saw this week was Gran Torino. Prejudice Clint Eastwood recently lost his wife. His children, who generally don't like him, wonder how he'll handle himself in his neighborhood that has changed over the years to have a large population of Hmong people. The interesting thing about Clint Eastwood he is only racist insofar as he uses a great deal of racist language. He's from a time where that thing is accepted. We learn early on that he isn't someone who can't accept another race or creed, he just uses long outdated terminology to describe them. What is also true is that he's broken. He is a Korean War veteren who has never and will never get over the things he's seen and done during his time serving there. This has naturally had a great effect on his life and we get the pleasure to watch how something like this effects a person. Despite the fact that Clint reminds me a lot of his character in Million Dollar Baby, it really works. He really is, and would fit in, grumpy old man. The thrust of the story involves a young Hmong boy who tries to steal is car to allow him into a gang. Clint finds with these people the family he wishes he had and does what he can to protect them from this gang. This movie deals with the difficulties involved with immigrants not fitting in to western society and does a very good job. The only noteable problem is that a lot of the actors are first timers - and it shows. If the casting people did their job it'd almost be a great film. Otherwise I can't give it less than 1.5 prewrapped straws.
Until next time get the hell of the internet and go watch a movie.
