Max

I watched "Max" this week and felt it was such a good movie that I wondered why it had not received more buzz.
The movie is about an art dealer named Max who meets a young Hitler after WWI. Hitler is an aspiring artist and desperately wants Max to pick him up as a serious artist with his own show. Max, a Jewish playboy of sorts, is skeptical about the quality of Hitler's art and is concerned about his growing passion for politics, as it may interfere with his artistic career. Max and Hitler share a common background in that they served in WWI and lost something. Max lost an arm but came home to a family and continued wealth. Hitler came home to nothing but increasing bitterness.
Most interesting to me was the relationship between Max and Hitler. At times, Hitler begged Max for help, once even stating that Max had saved his life. Yet when Hitler had a political audience, he ranted on about how the Jews had poisoned the German bloodline. It was as though Hitler was living two lives and consciously knew it.
I did a small amount of research after watching the movie and found Hitler's work to be excellent. You be the judge. If you were to see these paintings in a museum, would you have known they had been painted by the same person who had millions of Jews killed? It doesn't seem possible that someone who could create life on canvas could so quickly take it all away in reality.
I really enjoy historical films and this one didn't disappoint. The actors were phenomenal. John Cusack played the title role while the exceptional Noah Taylor portrayed Hitler in scary detail. Leelee Sobieski played Max's lover while Molly Parker was Max's long-suffering wife. It was very moving - I got chills when Hitler addressed a large crowd in an auditorium. I wept for the real-life Jews who had to be a part of this atrocity.
I would recommend this movie to teens and up. Remember that it is only someone's interpretation of what happened, not that everything is exactly as it is laid out in the movie. Historical movies are usually 50% truth at best. A lot of liberties are taken. As I try to remind high school kids - don't watch the movie instead of studying for the test.

The Defiant Ones

This movie is a social statement about race relations in the 50s. It was made in 1958 and is in black & white (I know, ironic). As convicts, Sidney Poitier plays the black man shackled to the white man (Tony Curtis) as they are in the process of being transported to a facility. The prison van overturns and the two men have adventures on the lam. Their need to break their shackles and free themselves from each other is compounded by their need to get away from the posse. Add to this they need to sleep, eat and move quickly - all while shackled. I won't spoil the rest for you - yet there are comical moments along with the suspense.
Now for the dirt. There are "names" that are not p.c. for describing black people in this movie. Some language may not be what you'd want to listen to with your grammy, but hey, it's two convicts on the run. There is sexuality in that the two run across a young white woman, who has a young son. She is very much into Tony Curtis (and who wouldn't be?). The audience sees part of what we know will be love-making, but the camera pans to the window with the curtains rustling in the breeze. I also need to mention that the woman's son wears a gun in almost every shot he's in and gets injured (though not by the gun).
This is not a movie for kids. I would recommend teens and up watch this and with an open mind. This is more of a history lesson put in a fictional movie than casual entertainment. The movie was nominated for a slew of Oscars but won only 2 for cinematography and screenplay. It is a shame, really, because the two star actors did a phenomenal job.
*Remember, you can click on the titles to see the trailer or snippet on most posts by clicking on the title. :)

Downfall

Yes, it's in German. Don't let that stop you. Just read the subtitles. You'll get used to it - promise. If you can walk and chew gum, talk on the phone while driving or eat breakfast while checking your email, you can do that.
With all the buzz of Tom Cruise's new movie about Hitler, I thought it would be nice to review a really good movie about Hitler from the people who knew him.
As a disclosure, Bruno Ganz is my favorite male movie actor of all time. In "Downfall," he plays Hitler. Of course I loved his performance, but my admiration went to new lengths after watching reel footage of Hitler. Ganz picked up Hitler's mannerisms - it is truly brilliant.
The supporting cast is also excellent. I don't want to give too much away but this wonderful movie heralds Hitler's last days, mostly in the bunker with the rest of his faithful supporters. (Anyone who knows anything about WWII knows that Hitler dies, right?)
Despite Germany's imminent defeat, Hitler pushes his people on, determined to continue fighting. Some of his people defy his actions (I'm assuming this is where some of the Cruise film comes in).
Of particular significance is the family/military unit. The people in the bunker are like Hitler's extended family. It is clear he dotes on some more than others, and he has a loving partner to serve as the mother figure. What may not be known to most Americans, is what the real parents of some of the children who were living in the bunker did when they realized they were not going to win the war. I don't know how to put into words how I felt when I watched those scenes. It is emotional and I don't know what I would have done in their place.
As for the appropriateness of the movie, I'd go father than saying I'd let teens watch this, I'd ENCOURAGE them to watch this. It is a great history lesson and one they won't soon forget. My suggestion is for teens and up.
While I used to be a big Cruise fan, I'm not now. I haven't seen his movie, "Valkyrie," but I'm willing to bet you could get a lot more out of "Downfall." I hope you rent this (I have a copy). If you do watch this, please let me know what you thought.

Hercules - Animated

Although I've seen almost every Disney movie made, I'm not really a big fan. One of the reasons is that Disney routinely places a child in a parent-less situation. Just think...when was the last time you saw a Disney movie that didn't involve a parent dying, a parent already dead, adoption or some sort of parental guardianship? Yep, never.
Disney's 1997 adaption (loosely) of the Greek fable of Hercules turned out to be a pretty good movie. There was action, a love interest, singing, a really bad villain, kooky talking animals and a feel-good ending. However, I think the movie didn't do as well in some parts of the country because it doesn't specifically address ONE higher being. This is also a Disney trait. You can see a small mouse wishing on a star or a mermaid's deal with an undersea devil but you can't address the notion of one "god." In Hercules, Disney displays multiple gods, as with the Greek monotheistic tradition. I think this probably got the far right-wingers upset. Who knows?
As for the movie, it has all the key elements kids like. My 4-yr old loves this movie. I'm sure part of it is because the colors are really vivid and he thinks it's funny. It's also got a catchy series of songs - I found myself singing along. The first time he watched it I think he might have been a little scared of the scenes with Hades (wonderfully voiced by James Woods).
The story, as you probably know, is about a child born to gods (Hera and Zeus) who is stolen away (by Hades) and lives among mortals, believing the people who raised him to be his true parents. He finds out the truth later and works to become a real god by performing feats of heroism. His training comes from the satyr Philoctetes (Danny DeVito), ensuring more laughs to the situation. There is a love interest in Megara, or Meg for short. Also, Paul Shaffer voices Hermes, the messenger, who looks and acts exactly like himself, including glasses. One other note is that Charlton Heston is the narrator. I think that was a great move on Disney's part.
The movie is sweet and not as scary as "The Little Mermaid" or "Sleeping Beauty." It is male-centered, which is rarer nowadays, but little girls will like it too. I would suggest this movie to any age person willing to endure several episodes of gospel singings by the Muses and can overlook the multi god sentiment. I really liked this movie.

Persepolis

This is not a childrens' animated movie. Let's get that straight. It's for teens up.
Personally, I loved this movie because it is told from the female author/narrator's point of view as she grew up during various political regimes in Iran, particularly the Islamic Revolution. She is honest and often funny. I think all teenagers need to watch this movie.
"Your mom won't let you go to the mall today? Aw, maybe the government will change overnight and you'll have to wear a burka everywhere and go to religious schools, huh."
It is animated but in all black and white. The first and last scenes have additional color. While watching it you completely forget you are watching something that resembles a comic book. This is a don't miss history lesson that is enjoyable and funny to watch.
Additionally, it was nominated for best animated movie by the Academy but lost to "Ratatioulle." They should not have been in the same category from my perspective, but that's another story. The animation category is the most controversial. Don't believe me? Look up SpongeBob vs. Disney. Sadly, Disney always wins.

Traitor

Don Cheadle, steals my heart as his movie roles keep getting better. His acting is so good and so believable that his movie roles are getting better. I loved him in the "Oceans" movies and adored him in "Hotel Rwanda," but this is a close second. The audience is not aware if Cheadle is a good guy or not as he races across continents, religions and international situations. Guy Pearce ("Memento") and Neal McDonough ("Star Trek:First Contact") play U.S. agents searching down Cheadle's character. Jeff Daniels plays the government official working the covert operation. Said Taghmaoui plays the radical Cheadle befriends and together work as a team against the U.S. This is one of those movies in which the audience is shocked (in a good way) at the ending. I highly recommend you rent this one.

Wanted

Skip this movie. Go online and look at sexy pictures of James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie. You'll thank me later. This is an unbelievable movie about a secret society of assassins and the quest for one young man (McAvoy) to find out about his lineage. The special effects were the only redeeming quality in this movie. Folks, I had this one figured out with the exception of the mass murder scene at the end. This was not that creative of a movie and I'm disappointed that these stars did the gig for money instead of their craft. Especially Morgan Freeman, who played the behind-the-scenes boss that he's played in a number of movies. Morgan: Please stop being the old wise sage and start doing the action again. You've got it in you.

21

Based on a true-tale of a college student with mad math skills, Jim Sturgess (who also had a role in "The Other Boleyn Girl") stars in this teen to 20s movie. He needs a love interest, which Kate Bosworth fills gracefully. Kevin Spacey is the teacher who recruits Sturgess and welds him into team member of card sharks, memorizing lines and numbers. Are they unstoppable? Of course not - Laurence Fishburne is on the case as an agent seeking revenge on Spacey. The best parts of this movie are the beginning and end with the college dean interviews. Priceless ending. I liked the movie and would recommend for a good date night.

The Other Boleyn Girl

Trashed by the critics, it was a good movie. Historically, no, it wasn't realistic. Again: Kids - this doesn't take the place of your history book. However, it did do a good job in other areas. I liked Eric Bana's acting, Natalie Portman's scheming and the beautiful innocence of Scarlet Johannson, who was the best performer. Johannson's role was of a daughter, lover, mother and pitiful sister. She played each of these roles well. Kristen Scott Thomas played the doomed first wife of Henry XIII to perfection. If you want to see an interesting take on a no-so-historically-accurate movie, see this. The sets and costumes were worth it.

There Will Be Blood

The hype, the awards… This was a good movie. I know most reviewers felt that this was one of the best of the year. Sorry, I thought it was good but not as good as some others. Most reviewers are male, so that might also be part of it. This movie is set during the oil rush and intermixes religion and greed. Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal, as always. The real credit for this movie's success lies with young Paul Dano, who embodies his character(s) with an emotion rarely seen in younger actors. I had seen him in a comedy the year before and expected this to be a miscast, but I was so wrong. He was great. Now, this is a bloody, cruel and at times, gory movie. It is not for everyone, especially children. The historical aspect is fairly true to the time, clothing and props good and music appropriate. I would recommend this movie as one to say you have seen, not because it is the brightest crayon in the box.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

I'm not a huge fan of any of the big stars other than Helen Mirren, who was superb. Regardless, the movie was filmed well, acted well and attempted to place historical facts in the proper context. HOWEVER, I know most of the history was not correct and I always wonder if kids in school watch these kind of movies and really believe the Liberty Bell holds the answers to the world's wonders. Please folks, this is just a movie. It was a pleasure to watch this Nic Cage sequel. Particularly interesting was Justin Bartha's character losing all his money and owing back taxes after striking it rich in the first movie. And I like Ed Harris best when he is the bad guy. I think Diane Kruger is better than these movies and should go on to do more important roles in the future.

Atonement

This one was worth the hype. I loved the movie because it showcased a romance in a believable historical scenario. Who doesn't love looking at Kiera Knightly and James McAvoy? Nobody. The fountain scene reoccurs throughout and from a different perspective. It is one of those movies that, after seeing the trailer, you think you know what will happen and are surprised when it's even better than you imagined. Scene stealer Saoirse Ronan (as Knightley's little sister) was Oscar worthy. This was also one of the best named movies I've seen in awhile. Loved it.