Push

Like many movies before it, Push uses the “humans with special powers” formula to entertain its audience. Set in Hong Kong, Push introduces us to: Watchers(can see the future), Pushers(can influence your thoughts), Movers(can move objects with their mind), and several others. I especially liked the scenes containing both the good and bad characters possessing the same special power. The result is both physical and mental warfare. Dakota Fanning plays the main character(Cassie Holmes) and is the big star in the movie. She did a great job and I look forward to seeing her in many future mature roles. A wide age range of viewers will enjoy this movie. The younger viewer will appreciate the special effects and the older viewers (like me) will enjoy the plot. One test of a good movie is its ability to bring you back for a sequel. The writers leave that door open and I believe I would go see it.

Milk

Milk is the true story about Harvey Milk and takes place in the Castro District of San Francisco in the 70’s. Harvey Milk was California's first openly gay elected official. He held the office of San Francisco Supervisor. At first glance, you might think this is a movie about gay rights. You would be right but it is about much more. It is about human rights. It is about living a meaningful life and it is about being brave and doing what’s right. Sean Penn and James Franco did an awesome job as Harvey Milk and Harvey’s gay lover respectively. Although the love scenes were uncomfortable, it added realism to the movie. That being said, it is “R” rated for a reason and is not appropriate for younger kids. Because it is a true story, we all know that Harvey Milk(and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone) is shot and killed by another San Francisco supervisor-Dan White. For those of you that are too young to remember seeing this on the TV News in 1979, Google the term “Twinkie Defense”. It will make you think twice about consuming mass quantities of junk food high in sugar!

Slumdog Millionaire

This is my first five Swedish Fish rating and for good reasons. The movie has everything I enjoy in a movie: great plot, believable story, intriguing characters, and an interesting backdrop for the movie (Mumbai, India). Slumdog Millionaire’s underlining theme is we are all a sum total of our experiences. Jamal Malik(played by Dev Patel) uses his experiences to answer obscure questions while on India’s version of “Who wants to be a Millionaire”. Watching a very poor and homeless Jamal (and his brother Salim played by Madhur Mittal) growing up in Mumbai; my first thought is “how can anyone live like that”? The answer came again and again as Jamal and others are determined to survive doing wherever it takes. If you watch closely you will notice several subplots: the love and the betrayal of a brother, rags to riches physically but never really leaving the slums mentally, the desperate children that are ultimately stronger than those that take advantage of them. Freida Pinto plays Latika who is Jamal’s friend as a child and who becomes his destiny as an adult. Slumdog Millionaire gets my vote for Academy Award’s Best Picture. Not too bad for a movie that was originally scheduled to go directly to DVD!

Yes Man

I find people either love or hate a movie where Jim Carrey is in the starring role. You couldn’t pay my wife to sit through a movie with him in it but I am the exact opposite. In his comedy movie’s (i.e. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective-1994) he is “spilt-the-gut” funny. In his serious roles (i.e. The Truman Show-1998) he is very believable. This is one of his classic comedy movies. Yes Man has your standard gags but also has your unexpected twists that keep the movie interesting. The movie also stars Zooey Deschanel who plays Carrey’s love interest- Allison. I have never seen her in any other movies but I think she did a great job alongside Carl Allen (Jim Carey). The movie pokes fun at the motivational speaker stereo type with the all too real “cult-like” following. However, before the movie ends, it does show you the “man behind the curtain”. A very funny supporting character is Carl’s boss Norman played by Rhys Darby. Norman’s “Harry Potter” and “300” theme parties are very comical. If you like Carrey’s type of humor you will enjoy this movie.

Gran Torino

I have been a big fan of Clint Eastwood from the Spaghetti Western(i.e. High Plains Difter) and the Dirty Harry days. He embodies all of the attributes of a strong male leading actor. As he has gotten older, he has focused more on the Directing and Producing side of the film industry. In Gran Torino he does all three!
The movie opens with a glimpse into the life of Walt Kowalski(Clint). As he reviews his relationships and experiences, over the years, he has mixed feelings. Ultimately, he comes to terms with what he has accomplished after his Hmong(Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia) neighbors become his very unlikely friends. I especial like the Hmong teenager Sue Lor. She is played by newcomer Ahney Her. She not only exposes us to the traditional Hmong culture but also to the integration challenges of any non-American culture in the US. To add to these challenges, Sue’s younger brother (Thao played by Bee Vang)is being recruited by the local Hmong street gang. To keep Thao away from the gang life, Walt shows him what he means to be a real man and it leads to some very funny dialog. The movie pulls no punches with the racial slurs used by Walt. This movie is not appropriate for younger viewers and the powerful ending has lots of religious overtones.

Seven Pounds

Because this was a Will Smith movie, I had very high expectations. I had been noticing the trailer for Seven Pounds for a couple of weeks and was anxious to see it. Trailers are often very cryptic and only share enough to get you in the theater. Unfortunately, three quarters of the way through the movie, I still had no clue where the movie was taking me. Just when I thought a scene was going to help me connect the dots, I would just end up with more “points to ponder”. By the time the ending was revealed, I had felt a little like someone had taken off my blindfold. In contrast, my eighteen year old son loved it. He was ok with the confusing story line and was very touched by the ending. I did enjoy one of the movie’s minor characters. Joe Nunez plays a motel owner with some very funny dialog with Will Smith. If you are ok with a movie taking you on an unknown journey, you might like this movie. If you are a Will Smith fan and like to understand the story line along the way, wait for his next super hero movie (i.e. Independence Day or I, Robot). I am sure he has one in the works

Nothing Like the Holidays

Many cultures have their unique holiday traditions. This movie gives us a view into the lives of one Puerto Rican family from West Chicago during a Christmas gathering. We get to see the Puerto Rican version of a White Christmas. I really liked the honesty of this movie. Although the setting was “Home for the Holidays”, it is anything like the Perry Como version. Life is messy and this movie explores how real people deal with it (or not deal with it). One of the characters is played by Luis Guzmán(you might remember him in “The Count of Monte Cristo” 2002). His portrayal of a macho Puerto Rican guy is hilarious! Debra Messing plays the pasty white wife of one of the sons. Her character’s effort to fit-in makes for some very entertaining scenes but is genuine. If you are looking for a movie with an ending that ties everything together in a nice bow you won’t like this one. If you are looking for a holiday movie that plays to real life issues this movie could be one you add to your holiday collection.