February 2009

The Wrestler: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood

What is the American dream for most people? When you loose your job, your hopes, and your dreams what do you have left? This is what the “Wrestler” represented for me. It represented real people who have been kicked too many times to count. The “Wrestler” represented what the majority of people are going through. It is about the millions of people around the US who are loosing their jobs. It is about people who can’t pay their rent or have to choose whether they pay for heat in their homes or buy groceries. It is about real people who just can’t get a break. Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a professional wrestler, who has been in the business for 20 years. After a brutal fight he suffers a heart attack and needs to decide what he is going to do for the rest of life; since all he knows is wrestling. It shows the emotion of a tired beat up man who can’t change who he is even though he tries throughout the film. The only relationships he has is with a over the hill stripper (Marisa Tomei) and a failed relationship with his daughter. Marisa Tomei represents what some females feel once they reach a certain age. I’m not 20 anymore so now what do I do? I am not the young thing so people don’t want to look at me. Now what do I do with the rest of my life? This film had lots of messages. The one message I came away with is it doesn’t matter if your 20 or 80 that you shouldn’t let people tell “you” when you’ve had enough. The only person who should tell you that is you. This movie was similar to Mickey Rourke’s real career as well. When Rourke’s career was on the rise in the 80’s; he was a great heart throb that had wonderful screen presence. From some of his recent interviews; he admits to a rebellious streak that did not fair well for him with the Hollywood establishment. He became disillusioned and left acting to pursue a career as a professional boxer. When he then tried to return to acting there was no one who would work with him. He landed some small roles here and there and now he has been given a second chance with this stunning performance in the Wrestler. I give this movie 5 stars out of 5.

The Reader: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, and David Kross

This movie starts off in the 1940’s with a teenager named Michael who has a summer affair with an older woman named Hanna. This affair is unique because they share the love of books. He reads everything that he is learning in school to her. Some of the books are The Odyssey, War and Peace, Huck Finn, and the Lady with the Little Dog. Although there seems to be nothing wrong with their relationship besides the age difference; one day she mysteriously disappears. Eight years later Michael sees Hanna again while he is in law school and she is on trial for Nazi War crimes. This movie explores the relationship between these characters over their lifetime; and how people deal with humiliation. It shows people’s pride and the way it can destroy what is really important. I thought David Kross who plays young Michael was really good. He carried the character very well. We should be seeing more of him. Kate Winlset, who plays Hanna, is amazing. When you watch her in the movie you can ask yourself the questions that Hanna asks in the movie. The pride and humiliation that is seen in the movie and through her character we all can relate to. I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.

Top Ten Movies that have Won Best Picture

1. American Beauty

2. The English Patient

3. Braveheart

4. Schindler's List

5. Unforgiven

6. Silence of the Lambs

7. Dances with Wolves

8. Amadeus

9. The Deerhunter

10. The Godfather II

And the Winner Is......... (My Pedictions are in Bold)

Best Actor

The Visitor- Richard Jenkins

Frost/Nixon- Frank Langella

Milk- Sean Penn

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Brad Pitt

The Wrestler- Mickey Rourke

Best Supporting Actor

Milk- Josh Brolin

Tropic Thunder- Robert Downey Jr.

Doubt- Philip Seymour Hoffman

Batman: The Dark Knight- Heath Ledger

Revoluionary Road- Michael Shannon

Best Actress

Rachel Getting Married- Anne Hathway

The Changeling- Angelina Jolie

Frozen River- Melissa Leo

Doubt- Merly Streep

The Reader- Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actress

Doubt- Amy Adams

Vickey Christiana Barcelona- Penelope Cruz

Doubt- Viola Davis

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Taraji P. Henson

The Wrestler- Marisa Tomei

Best Director

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- David Fincher

Frost/Nixon- Ron Howard

Milk- Gus Van Sant

The Reader- Stephen Daldry

Slumdog Millionaire- Danny Boyle

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Doubt

Frost/Nixon

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay

Frozen River

Happy Go Lucky

In Bruges

Milk

Wall-E

March Theatre New Releases

3/6:

The Watchman

3/27:

Monsters vs Aliens

CrockettCarpenter January 2009

Doubt: Starring Merly Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis
This movie is about a nun (Streep) who suspects that a priest (Hoffman) has fornicated with a child at a Catholic Private school based in Boston during the 60's. When she confronts the priest there is a match of who is in charge and the question of male and female roles are questioned. I think this movie is perfect right now because it questions what's right, what's wrong and the question of morals is asked throughout the whole movie. The name is perfect for the movie because by the end of the movie you never truly know whether or not the priest is guilty. Which also makes this movie great because it makes you decide whether or not the priest did something wrong rather than the movie. Meryl Streep gives a riveting performance of the mean, abide by the rules nun that your parents told you about when they were growing up. Amy Adams does a great job of the naive young nun who still believes that there is good out in the world. And finally Viola Davis is remarkable as the young boy's mother who is confronted about the situation of her son and the priest. She gives a heartbreaking performance of what a mother of a black child should do for the better of her child's future. 4 stars out of 5.

Miracle at St. Anna: Starring Derek Luke, John Turturro, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Michael Ealy
There have been some pretty good movies of 2008. The one movie that I don’t understand that did not get any recognition is “Miracle at St. Anna’s,” Spike Lee’s most recent film. This story follows four African American soldiers who are fighting in Italy during WW II. The story brilliantly depicts the irony of being an AA soldier fighting for your country and not being appreciated because of the color of your skin. When I was growing up my father told me stories of how prisoners were treated better than AA soldiers. Spike Lee shows the very thing my father was telling me about. This movie is one of Spike Lee’s best. It truly captures the emotion of how it felt to be AA in America and not appreciated. This movie has not been talked about and I don’t know why. Is it too controversial? Is it a subject matter that no one is willing to talk about? Why is Spike Lee movies not talked about?

Top 5 Zombie Films

1. Night of the Living Dead (1969)

2. Shawn of the Dead

3. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

4. Dead Alive

5. 28 Days Later

New Releases

Theatre

Jan 30th

Taken

The Uninvited

New in Town

DVD

Jan 27th

Pride and Glory

Vicky Cristiana Barcelona

The Bourne Triliogy