The Reader

I was most interested in the boy who plays Kate Winselt's lover in The Reader. David Kross is a German actor who has a baby face and plays a 16-year-old who meets up with the older jaded Winslet, so at first you are horrified when you see Winslet's Hanna and Kross' Michael naked and hungrily grasping each other. As the movie progresses, though, it seems less lascivious and more a story about a very sad woman -- I had sympathy for all the characters, even Hanna who does unexplainable horrific acts as an S.S. officer. Kate Winslet is great as a the harsh perfunctory Hanna, and watching her listening so rapturously to great literature is mesmerizing. Ralph Fiennes is the adult Michael and is of course good, as he is in everything, but I think the best part of the movie is the young David Kross. The movie is based on the book by Bernhard Schlink's book of the same name.

Twilight

Sometimes curiosity gets the better of me, and I feel like I have to find out why everyone is watching this movie or reading that book despite bad reviews. That's what happened with Twilight, the Stephanie Meyer vampire novel. First, I read it -- even people whose tastes I respect seemed to like this book. I have never been a fantasy reader and certainly never a vampire book lover, so I was pretty sure I wouldn't like the novel, but I wanted to get in on the conversation. I mean I just corrected a set of middle school short stories and there were three different stories with the main character named Bella. Well, long story short. I read the book-- thought it was dumb -- couldn't finish the last few chapters due to extreme annoyance. Then I saw the movie mainly because I really like Kristen Stewart ever since Speak. The movie was just like the book and dumb in the same way. Both show a vapid female lead falling in love with not very charming but overly confident vampire. Both versions of Twilight are beyond ludicrous.

2009 Summer Movies

Summer always means lots of action-adventure mega movies, and this summer will be no exception with films like Angels and Demons, a new Terminator (like anyone needs that), and a "reimagining" Star Trek movie. Luckily there are some summer movies that pique my interest.

These look especially good:
Julie and Julia, loosely based on one of my sister’s favorite books about a woman who spends a year cooking recipes from Julia Child with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.
Cheri, Michelle Pfeiffer in a drama set in 1920’s Paris from director Stephen Frears
Away We Go, John Krasinksi and Maya Rudolf play a couple who are expecting their first baby and travel around the US visiting friends while looking for a place to live. The movie looks like it could be good and the fact that David Eggers wrote the screen play entices me.
Taking Woodstock, a look back at 1969 and the birth of Woodstock with Emil Hirsch, Liev Schreiber, and comic, Demetiri Martin.
Whatever Works, a Woody Allen film with Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood.
500 Days of Summer, potentially good romantic comedy with Zoey Deschanel.

Or maybe these comedies will be good?
Funny Peoples, Judd Apatow's film that stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman ...
Land of the Lost, with Will Ferrel
Year One, Jack Black as a cave man

Or this action pic?
Public Enemies directed by Michael Mann with Johnny Depp as John Dillinger -- looks like it could be good.

The Wrestler

I never liked Mickey Rourke as an actor. He has a smarmy quality that I find makes him unpalatable to watch. I never liked him in Body Heat. I never liked him in The Pope of Greenwich Village or Rumblefish, and I especially never liked him in the creepy 91/2 weeks. So I was surprised by how good I thought he was in The Wrestler – his acting seemed authentic and understated. I actually rooted for his character Randy the Ram to make a go of it despite the fact that he is a sorry excuse for a father and looks like a grotesque freak. I hoped that he would quit his horrible job of being battered about by other professional wrestlers and live a life of ease with the always likable Marissa Tomei. The movie itself is pretty predictable, but it is something to see Rourke in this role.