Useless movie post #1

It's Oscar season and I'm trying to cram for the big night. Yes, that's right, I don't watch television all year (except for in hotels) but make a point to watch the Oscars. So far I've seen all but one of the five films up for best picture (The Reader, Curious Case of Ben Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire - I've seen all but Frost/Nixon). I can't really give an opinion until I've seen them all.

Between last Sunday and yesterday I saw The Reader and Milk.

Milk

I was surprised by the overall feel of Milk, by how emotional it was. Gus Van Sant is the director and I haven't really liked the majority of his films but I think this one was well done - I wouldn't have guessed Van Sant directed it actually. The relationships and intensity really came across. Of course, Sean Penn was fabulous. I expected him to be good but when you watch a well known actor it is sometimes hard to forget that you're watching the actor. I completely forgot about Sean Penn the person. Aside from the artistic merits of the film, the fact that the Gay Rights movement is still going on is a shame to this country. Maybe it's the fact that I'm not god-fearing but I just don't see sexual orientation as a valid dividing line between "good" people and "bad" people.

The Reader

Speaking of the dividing line between good and bad people, this movie was more of a thinking movie - in the second half. The first half set up the second half but was a pretty sensual and vivid experience. The characteristic that this shares (in a different way) with Milk is the feel - in the first half of the movie, the light, the sound, etc really reached me. The second half was less robust but this is where the thinking part of the brain was supposed to kick in and it posed good questions about right and wrong, guilt and shame.

Both worth seeing.

I also watched Collateral, which may seem like an odd choice but a friend of ours said we should see it. I was surprised. Sure there were chase scenes, violent death, and guns but the music was fantastic. Also, Jamie Foxx's character added something unusual to this type of movie - a conscience. When someone was killed he actually reacted like a normal person would. But, again, the first half was way better than the second half. Interesting cameos also.