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.

Australia

This is a “Big Screen” movie. You really only get the full effects and beauty of the Australian landscape when seen in the theater. From that regard, it reminded me of the movie “Out of Africa (1985). Nicole Kidman did a fabulous job. This was the first time I realized she is one of the great actresses of our time. I believe when we look back on this period we will think of Nicole Kidman as we think of Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Crawford, and Bette Davis from years ago. I also liked many of the other supporting actors in the movie. Nichole’s aborigine “son”( Brandon Walters) was played by a 8 year boy who also narrated the movie. He was very believable and true to his local native character. Another very likeable character is the alcoholic accountant. He is played by Jack Thompson, a popular Australian actor. Max’s character starts the movie as a fall down drunk but ends as one of the heroes in the movie. I also like movies where, in addition to being entertained, I learn something new. I was not aware of how badly the Aborigines were treated in the early 1940s by the “white” Australians. It reminded me of how Native Americans were treated in the United States. I also learned that Australia was directly in the path of the bombing Japanese war planes that had just came from Pearl Harbor. This movie is appropriate for all ages (although there is one love scene you might want to not share with your young kids). However, with all of the special effects movies out today, your teen age kids may get a little bored. So my advice would be to leave the kids at home and make it a “date movie”.